symbolism: Terminus Est / Ratio / Divisor

sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org · 09 Oct 2008, 23:14 · from 2008-October.txt.gz

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From: sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org (sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org)
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:14:03 +0000
Subject: (urth)  symbolism: Terminus Est / Ratio / Divisor
Message-ID: <W9400414288148751223594043@webmail14>

re: Terminus Est & Baldanders

My friend was telling me he saw Baldanders as a man of science trying to become TheNew Sun by his arts. I didn't understand that at first, but I think itfinally sunk in.

It seems he's a counterpoint to Severian, whowould be sort of an unwitting, yet willing servant of God, a more orless Revelatory path.
Later, the Cacogens describe Baldanders asaccumulating knowledge and ancient machines and techniques, growing,and soon the weight of his knowledge and time here would render hisbody too huge and useless to keep living. So Baldander's path would be a path ofQuantity and Materialism.

so, the immediate chapter afterTerminus Est, is Baldanders. Terminus Est as a chapter, also is adividing point in his life. The next night, " The first night out ofthe Matachin Tower that I could recall", he shares a bed with Baldanders, and the image of is the two of them lying there in bed, with Terminus Est between them.Here is the dichotomy of Revelation Vs Reason. I'm not necessarilysuggesting that this situation reconciles that dichotomy, but perhapsit does later in their duel. And in the dream hehas, he obviously defeats the giant, though the giant lives on.

oneother aspect of that dream is that we get one of our first, and onlyglimpses of Abaia and whatever Gods/Creatures are in the ocean. It'snot direct. they are things he sees at a distance. 
Quote
"things hundreds of times larger than a man...; one was a living head without a body; one had a hundred heads."
Isthis then a symbol of other pagan conceptions of Gods? One has onebeing and many heads, a polythestic hindu style diety. Another, allhead and no body, the remote god with no real active principle,perhaps. or at least a God that would not debase himself with a body.Perhaps Islam or Judaism there. I don't suppose a specific mappingmatters because the symbols are potent enought.

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