Questions re Lexicon Urthus

adam louis stephanides · 08 Jul 1998, 14:34 · from urth-v0016.mbox · original

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From: adam louis stephanides <astephan at students.uiuc.edu>
Subject: (urth) Questions re Lexicon Urthus
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 14:34:33
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I recently bought _Lexicon Urthus_--an amazing feat of erudition, both
concerning the New Sun cycle and in general.  But there are a couple of
things in it I had questions on.  These questions are mainly for mantis,
though of course anyone is welcome to answer.

1) The entry for "Atrium of Time" refers to it as "a time-traveling
structure."  What is the basis for this?  I don't see any suggestion of
this in the passages where Severian visits the Atrium of Time.

2) The entry for Valeria states that "she becomes regent during the
decades of [Severian's] absence."  I don't think this is correct.
In _Urth_, ch. IV, p. 27 (hardcover), Severian says: "'I was the
Autarch--the ruler--of the Commonwealth; now I'm the surrogate of Urth,
and its ambassador.'"  Later, there's this dialogue: "'Then you still
claim you're really the Autarch?'  'I was,' I told him." (ch. XVI, p. 115)
These passages indicate clearly that when Severian left Urth, he ceased to
be the Autarch.  That being the case, Valeria could not have been
Severian's regent.  Furthermore, Eata refers to Valeria as being Autarch
before she marries Dux Caesidius. (ch. XLVI, p. 328)

3) My copy of Lexicon Urthus came with a copy of _Additions, Errata
&cetera Volume II_, but not Volume I.  Is Volume I available anywhere?

--Adam

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