Abaia and the undines

John Watkins · 09 Dec 2008, 19:31 · from 2008-December.txt.gz

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From: john.watkins04 at gmail.com (John Watkins)
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2008 14:31:47 -0500
Subject: (urth) Abaia and the undines
In-Reply-To: <W503031070535921228850600@webmail39>
References: <W503031070535921228850600@webmail39>
Message-ID: <93d4039f0812091131q1636d12ci5ade020edaa72b2 at mail.gmail.com>

Witz--I think your instinct is correct.  It's also worth noting that
the mythological Typhon had a hundred heads, and that the great,
ruined palace might be R'lyeh.

On 12/9/08, Son of Witz <sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org> wrote:
>
> >> This is Jonas'  story of the black beans:
> >
> >I can't make more of that than maybe they were quantum black holes that
> >ended up being chucked in the sun instead. Jonah is also our source for
> >the Great Beasts being mountain-sized.
>
>
> I believe we see Abia and Erebus in Severian's Undine Dream. Shadow 15
>
> """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> Far off loomed great shapes - things hundreds of times larger than a man. Some
> seemed ships, and some clouds; one was a living head without a body; one had a
> hundred heads. A blue haze obscured them, and I saw below me a country of sand,
> carved by the currents. A palace stood there that was greater than our Citadel,
> but it was ruinous,
> """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
>
> Hundreds of times larger than a man.
> Living head without a body,
> one had a hundred heads.
>
> This is a hunch of course.
>
> While these creatures seem to represent primordial and pagan entities, I think they also stand as a sort of theological critique.
> Living Head without a body: a distant God with no incarnated aspect.
> One had a hundred heads: Polytheism.
>
> ~witz
>
>
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