Urth before Earth

b sharp · 18 Jul 2006, 16:38 · from 2006-July.txt.gz

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From: bsharporflat at hotmail.com (b sharp)
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 12:38:24 -0400
Subject: (urth) Urth before Earth
Message-ID: <BAY103-F37DDD3EB8618D664C4F204D7630 at phx.gbl>

When I first read Shadow of the Torturer back in the 80's, like many I first 
thought it was set in our past.  Later with references to anti-gravity, 
interstellar travel, polychrome sand and endless depths of archaeology it 
was clear the story was set far in our future. But why change the spelling 
of our planet to Urth?

I have come to think that the spelling is to indicate that Urth is not our 
Earth but a similar planet in a future (not past) time frame, perhaps in 
Yesod.

I think of Yesod being in the future of Briah because you have to travel to 
the end of the Briah, end of time (big collapse, final black hole?) to reach 
the beginning of Yesod (big bang, white fountain?).  I think time in Wolfe's 
universes is arranged in a spiral (hence the Hiero's preference for that 
shape) allowing shortcuts to bridge between the coils, between one universe 
and another.

The key piece of evidence for Earth being in Urth's future starts with The 
Last House.  The structure and function of this place is clear:  You travel 
a labyrinthine path exactly and reach a vertical structure.  You can't find 
the place if you don't follow the path exactly. The bottom floors of this 
structure are earlier in time and the top floors are progressively in the 
future.

At the end of Citadel of the Autarch, Severian can't find the Atrium of Time 
until he follows a marked path exactly.  The Atrium itself isn't a time 
travelling structure (nor does time stand still there, the seasons change). 
But the Atrium is surrounded by towers and surely there is time travel 
available in them.  The towers are guarded by four sorts of extinct beasts, 
Glyptodons (gigantic heavy-armored armadillo), Barylambdas (1500 lbs. 
pig-like creature), Arctothers (giant bear) and Smilodons (sabre-tooth 
tiger).  I will speculate that the speed of each animal might denote the 
amount of time travel each tower provides but that is just a guess.  (I see 
evidence that Ultan's Library and the Naviscaput's lair are also time 
traversing structures.)

Valeria lives in one of the towers and her antique appearance may result 
from her residing in the lower levels.  In fact, she has never gone to the 
upper levels of her tower where I am pretty sure you can find the Path Of 
Air to the House Absolute. (more evidence for that someday, when I try to 
present my ideas on Severian's family tree)

Another labyrinthine path leading to a vertical structure can be found in 
the Jungle Room of the Botanic Gardens.  In fact, when Mannea gives Severian 
a map to find The Last House, Severian thinks of the Jungle Hut for no 
explained reason.  In the Jungle Hut, Severian sees people who are 
apparently from Earth.  An Earth book (Bible) is quoted from and we see a 
yellow sun and an airplane.  Following the pattern of The Last House, if 
Earth was in the past, Severian should have to descend to find a view of it. 
  Since he ascends, Earth must be in the future of Urth.  But since Earth is 
at a much earlier technological stage than Urth, it must exist in another 
universe or time frame.  Some evidence points to Yesod.

The only other place I know of in BoTNS where an Earth book is quoted is L. 
Carroll's Through The Looking Glass, in the Antechamber, by Jonas.  Jonas 
knows the real story of Theseus, Kim Lee Soong is familiar, so Jonas must be 
from Earth.   His shipmates also. A normal spaceship couldn't return him to 
where he came from but Father Inire's mirrors could, traversing space and 
time.

The only things we see appearing in Father Inire's mirrors are a 
(Christian?) silvery fish and the angelic Tzadkiel.  Since everything in 
Yesod looks sort of heavenly, I tend to think Inire's mirrors are a path to 
Yesod, which is where Jonas wants to go. So..I think Earth is in Yesod and 
in Urth's future.

-bsharp

p.s. I submitted these ideas in an essay to Ultan's Library but they weren't 
interested.  So, UL readers must make do with the last entrant there, 
Mantis' Lions, Tigers, Bears from 2003.  I have a lot of respect for Mantis' 
scholarship (who doesn't?) but I can't say I easily accept the view that the 
Jungle Sorcerers and Master Ash are symbolic bear guardians nor that tigers 
and bears in the Atrium of Time are addressed but glyptodons and barylambdas 
are ignored.

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