Lives of the Great Beasts

Gerry Quinn · 03 Jul 2010, 19:51 · from 2010-July.txt.gz

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From: gerryq at indigo.ie (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Sat, 3 Jul 2010 20:51:30 +0100
Subject: (urth) Lives of the Great Beasts
References: <SNT123-W48D04E7E5C75069C9DD6E3CFCE0 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <913AE74CEFC14B18844618335D1D1A8E@jill>

From: "Lee Berman" <severiansola at hotmail.com>

>>Jonas tells Severian that they were brought to Earth, possibly in the
>>zoetic tower, to replace the extinct fauna.
>
> I don't remember this. Is it in reference to megatherians? My vague memory
> is that might refer to creatures like the alzabo; but that could surely be
> faulty.

I don't think so eitrher.  The alzabo was brought to Urth "as many other 
things,for the use and benefit of Man" [quoting from memory]. All I know of 
the undersea monsters, if they are indeed the Megatherians, of which I am 
not certain, is the story of the beans.

I assume this beans story to have some basis in truth, but it may be 
historically twisted or even metaphorical.  Hmm... could Erebus/Abaia be 
some kind of feminist revenge on the race of Men, as the story might 
suggest?  Their only acolyhes we meet are female, and we are not really told 
the gender of the giant monsters, even if we tend to assume them male.  [Nor 
are any serious hints given about their sexual proclivities, but after the 
Wizard Knight, I am inclined to feel that this may be for the best.]

- Gerry Quinn

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