Appearances of Inire

Lee Berman · 30 Jun 2010, 12:37 · from 2010-June.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:37:33 -0400
Subject: (urth) Appearances of Inire
Message-ID: <SNT123-W32DAF1B5ED381E34741C14CFCC0 at phx.gbl>

Roy-
>Huh. And I thought I might have been too sarcastic.

That is your value Roy! Even in sarcasm and skepticism you
are very helpful as a sounding board. Your comment did force
me to consider the gender aspect of shape changing a bit further.
Improving my personal understanding of Wolfe books is a self-indulgent
exercise but if putting it in print provides food for thought or
fodder for amusement or even derision in others, I am content
with any of that.

In trying to understand an SF story such as this I find it to be more
fiction than science. So I expect metaphor and allusion to have a more 
important role than, say, a book on astronomy.  Thus I have trouble with
an argument that a character with the angelic name Tzadkiel is not an angel
but is rather a Hierogrammate. Why not both? 

Since Biblical angels are arranged in a tiered hierarchy, why can't hierodules
be lower-tiered angels in our story? For me, Severian's recognition that Father
Inire's portals are a lesser version of Tzadkiel's portals is a way of expressing
the relationship. And I find that recognizing "fallen angels" is essential to my
understanding of this story. But I know that is not the case for everyone.

brunians-
>These guys are not gods. They are angels or fairies or some such.

David stockton did use quotes to address your concern. You are using
the lower-case g for your "gods". Is this not sufficient?

Is it possible that ancient pagans confused aliens/angels (fallen or not)
with gods, fairies, monsters etc.? Or, more to the point, is it worth 
considering that Gene Wolfe has explored this possibility in his writing?

[some excerpts from articles about angel heirarchy]-

>The Dominions (lat. dominatio, pl. dominationes), also known as the Hashmallim,
>hold the task of regulating the duties of lower angels. It is only with extreme
>rarity that the angelic lords make themselves physically known to humans.  The 
>Dominions are believed to look like divinely beautiful humans with a pair of 
>feathered wings, much like the common representation of Angels.

>In rabbinic writings Zadkiel belongs to the order of Hashmallim (equated with the
>Dominations or Dominions), and considered by some sources to be chief of that order
>In Maseket Azilut, Zadkiel/Hesediel is listed as co-chief with Gabriel.

>The Principalities (lat. principatus, pl. principat?s) are shown wearing a crown
>and carrying a sceptre. Their duty also is said to be to carry out the orders
>given to them by the Dominions and bequeath blessings to the material world.
>Their task is to oversee groups of people.They are the educators and guardians
>of the realm of earth both individuals, as well as groups. As beings related to
>the world of the germinal ideas, they are said to inspire living things to many
>things such as art or science. 		 	   		  
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