TWK: The Aelf dilemma

Bob Miller · 05 Dec 2005, 14:11 · from 2005-December.txt.gz

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From: bob_bageera at hotmail.com (Bob Miller)
Date: Mon, 05 Dec 2005 08:11:18 -0600
Subject: (urth)  TWK: The Aelf dilemma
Message-ID: <BAY103-F6A58BD1AD9A561766447488410 at phx.gbl>

- Promotion: Valfather etc => human heroes; I believe this is
paralleled by Able => Dsiri

The last surely indicates that Aelf are not eternally & necessarily
soul-less. That would go against all of my understanding of Wolfe's
metaphysics. With "divine" assistance, all creation can rise
through the spheres and meet the One True God. We certainly have
multiple indications that Able expects this for himself, and I
believe the ending of Wizard is intended to indicate that it will
happen - for Disiri as well, despite her lower origins.

And in the Wolfe multiverse, people can lose and regain status.  I well 
remember reading in the BotNS where Severian was telling about learning that 
people could lose their humanity and become monsters and others could regain 
their humanity after being monsters.  Next step, Overcynhood here we come.  
And with Michael telling Able Disiri could come with him, I think, though it 
is not absolutely defined, that you are right.  And this does indeed 
demonstrate now and forever the power of Love.

Another couple of very bright people wrote:
Given that the Aelf are not spiritually immortal, they have no hope of
eternal reward (still less the denizens of Muspel). So why the hell should
they worship humans -- or anyone or anything else? If there's no "pie in the
sky when they die", where's the payoff for whatever passes as righteous
living for an Aelf?

and

 >Worship isn't primarily a matter of seeking
 > supernatural reward.

It's a matter of seeking to avoid supernatural
punishment.

This is indeed true for some people re the punishment.  But in Wolfe's 
universe, as we could see in Soldier of Arete (and in dealing with humans in 
this one), worshiping someone or something else is always advisable.  This 
is because someone who does not is apt to "place himself above all others" 
and so "become a monster" judging all around them and blind to their own 
faults.  (Examples in the last century would include both Uncle Joe in the 
CCCR and little Adolf in Deutschland)  So even if we do not "know" there are 
others truely better than we are, we should act that way for our own 
protection and so that we may continue to become (Joycean from The Dead), to 
grow and to live.  For is it not true that any living thing that ceases 
growing commences dying.

Bob

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