A Solar Labyrinth DUH

Jim Jordan · 06 Jul 1998, 23:17 · from urth-v0015.mbox · original

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From: Jim Jordan <jbjordan at gnt.net>
Subject: Re: (urth) A Solar Labyrinth DUH
Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 23:17:41
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At 09:59 PM 7/6/98 -0500, you wrote:
>	Nutria here. I wrote:
>	All kinds of religious symbols mark the labyrinth:
>lampposts - shed light, truth.
>pillar-box - a mailbox, for the Word, for prayer, communication.
>fountains - for baptism, the Spirit.
>yawl - ship - the church.
>dead tree with roses - the rose-decorated cross.

FOUNTAIN
SHIP
ROSE

Well, d'UH, as you younger folks say. Old Clutee had his finger on
something, at least. Moreover, since the Sun is the within-creation
representative of God in this story, that'd be another linque to the
Severian Cycle. Also, "the sun's red disk" would be hint, though sunrise is
all that is meant here.
	I was asked by private email about why "glasses help." Let me try a stab.
First, boys tend to enjoy the maze more than girls, though not by much. If
I put on my Catholic hat (I am after all, shudder, a Calvinist!), perhaps
this means that women tend to relax and live by faith, while men tend to be
more active and seek good works as well. More mystics are women. Don't know
if that is true historically, but I can see Wolfe thinking that way. A
mystic would not bother with the maze; an activist would.
	They must be young, but not too young. "Childlike faith" isn't interested
in the maze. Youth explores.
	Glasses help. Ah, Gene, thou trickster. I strongly suspect that "glass"
here means mirror, not spectacles. The mirror is for self-examination, an
essential part of the walk of faith.

	Another note: a sandstone 12 on a (sandstone) sundial. Hourglasses use
sand, of course, but possibly the impermanence of this present creation is
in view. Jesus warned against building on sand, because of its
impermanence. This world will pass away. The eternal world is built on The
Rock (God, Christ).

	The new maze is the first since the Age of Myth. In other words, it is
Christianity: a new *kind* of maze.

	Minotaur as anti-christ, Satan: His roar interrupts the words of Mr. Smith.

	The passing cloud that offers rescue to adults MAY allude to the pillar of
cloud-and-fire that led Israel through the wilderness.

	Finally, "dialing" is the act of making sundials, and obviously relates to
the story. A solar labyrinth is a labyrinthian sundial. Nothing to do with
television or telephone. What USED to be called "dialing." An old term.
Look in the OED for more.

Jim Jordan


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