What's So Great About Ushas?

Paul B · 16 Jul 2008, 04:00 · from 2008-July.txt.gz

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From: pb.stuff at gmail.com (Paul B)
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:53 -0400
Subject: (urth) What's So Great About Ushas?
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0807161150060.2327 at orpheus.qimr.edu.au>
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	<3e1fa2e90807151812n681e157bt6e77a38ecc01c933 at mail.gmail.com>
	<Pine.LNX.4.64.0807161150060.2327 at orpheus.qimr.edu.au>
Message-ID: <3e1fa2e90807152100o551074e5ud02c8c1bd4391612 at mail.gmail.com>

On Tue, Jul 15, 2008 at 10:12 PM, David Duffy <David.Duffy at qimr.edu.au>
wrote:

>
> No, I think they are a step higher in the hierarchy of the great chain of
> being(s), ie they are of the order of angels/planets/spirits in the medieval
> worldview.

Planets?!  I'm sorry, I have no idea what on Urth that means.

> So why do Abaia and Erebus require subjugation of the humans of Urth when
> as Severian says, they could eradicate humankind in a day?

I imagine that, much like Typhon (from whom they may be descended if Scylla
of BotNS is Scylla of BotLS), it's because they want slaves and worshipers
rather than dead bodies.  Perfectly comprehensible.

> One of the ways I see BotNS is as a dialogue with Frank Herbert in _Dune_

You can think whatever you wish, the more important part is whether you can
provide evidence that it's true.

While you're mentioning Dune, don't forget that Paul and Leto II's similar
powers of imperfect foresight caused them no little moral agony, and Leto's
course of action (which Paul didn't take because he thought it too horrible)
was roundly condemned by almost all of his human contemporaries, and even
Leto himself agreed with its injustice.
It's entirely possible that what the Hierogrammates did to Urth was good in
the end, but that doesn't justify the way they did it.

> Cheers, David.

Paul
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