Tzadkiel/Melek Taus

Lee Berman · 09 Jul 2010, 14:22 · from 2010-July.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2010 10:22:53 -0400
Subject: (urth) Tzadkiel/Melek Taus
Message-ID: <SNT123-W12E6B4CF1E9CDBCCE9EB60CFB50 at phx.gbl>

>M.T.- When I first came to the conclusion that Tzadkiel was a liar and a no-good,
>it put me vaguly in mind of a satanic peacock-angel that I'd read of (in a
>Patrick O'Brien novel?) in connection with some middle-Eastern sect.
>Tzadkiel's eye-wings always struck me as peacock-ish.

I was checking on this and found that Melek Taus is specifically associated with
Azezel the fallen peacock angel. Similar name but distinct from the non-fallen
Tzadkiel. It looks like the Yazidis find him as redeemed from his fall and worthy
of worship. But this redemption is not recognized by Judeo-Christianty
(he is the demon from the Denzel Washington movie- Fallen. Worth seeing)

Anyway, I think Peter Wright joins in your conclusion that there are no good guys
in BotNS, certainly not among the powerful. However I think he interprets from
the perspective of an atheist/socialist so this is not surprising. I don't know
your own religious/political persuasions but I am pretty sure Gene Wolfe is not
an atheist/socialist.

That's if Gene Wolfe's intentions are important here. They need not be. I do not
think Gene Wolfe's opinion of angels is more valid than Peter Wright's or yours
from a human perspective. But as author of the worlds we are discussing, Wolfe's
opinions may take on some exalted status, being those of The Creator, I suppose.

The "real" Tzadkiel is of the angelic order Hashmallim. But I suspect wolfe has
combined his description with another angelic order, the Cherubim. They have wings
spangled with eyes and one of their duties is to defend the entrance to the Garden
Of Eden. When Severian first sees Tzadkiel in the mirror-book, it happens because
he has requested to go to The Garden.

Re-reading that section I notice that Severian recognizes that the winged being
he sees in the book is as big as an island. I feel confirmed in my guess that
the giant being Severian sees on the throne and captain's chair is a small piece of
a much larger being.

>G.Q.- But here is an obvious question which should have an answer within the text:
>if your theory is correct, where in BotNS/UotNS is the counterpart of The Outsider?
>And what Urthly presences/powers stand against the New Sun? Vodalus? Who, Mr.
>Thallassocrat, is standing for what you say is Good?

I think the BotNS analog to The Outsider is The Increate. I am not the best religious
philosophy scholar but I think those who deeply consider the question end up coming
to the conclusion that, while we humans are supposed to choose "good", God is
infintely above such conflict. In fact God/The Outsider/Increate uses both good
and evil; pitting them against each other to accomplish His unknowable divine goals.

As we read Long Sun we see The Outsider get promoted in Silk's mind from minor deity
to top dog. However the "truth" is that The Outsider is far more than top dog, the 
boss of all gods. In fact he has created Pas and Scylla and Echidna and The Whorl
and Blue and Green and Urth and uses them to accomplish His goals. Right?

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