the phial, Severian's mother, and also Urth of the new Sun

Lee Berman · 12 Jul 2010, 19:44 · from 2010-July.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:44:44 -0400
Subject: (urth) the phial, Severian's mother, and also Urth of the new Sun
Message-ID: <SNT123-W63E1B7F7E020C42B918070CFB80 at phx.gbl>

Cliff Judge: I
>think the act of waving this at the young Sev, combined with a look of
>honest friendliness, was meant to show that Severian's visit to the House
>Azure was something of a test to see if he was really to be the next
>Autarch. Though that is a strange test. Anyway, this was something i came up
>with when trying to figure out how how and why Severian was selected to be
>the next Autarch and New Sun.

I don't think the old Autarch is involved in picking Severian. He is a failed
New Sun-bringer himself. I think he is old and wants to glean just a bit of
glory or recognition or one-upsmanship as his era ends and Severian begins
"heh, heh, I know you are next, but you don't!"

If the House Azure was a test I think it was passed by Severian in that
he could not be diverted from his adoration for Thecla by a cheap imitation.

>That might be a good explanation for why this lady never seemed to get any
>older to the young Severian - it was a different khaibits every year. Or,
>perhaps, it was the exultant herself, who was kept young by the blood of her
>khaibits. Anybody else think this way?

Yes, it has been discussed before. But only by the craziest, most speculative
nutjobs willing to take ridiculous leaps of faith to interpret this story.

Anyway, I had a discussion with Dave Tallman about it a few years ago. He thinks
Catherine and her clones are referenced in Dr. Talos' play. Surely the Contessa
Carina in that play is associated with Catherine in some way. Dave noted that the
Contessa's three maids, Lybe, Solange and Kyneburga, were all named for saints who
had been beheaded. His theory is that Severian (and perhaps others in the past) have 
been tricked into thinking that, at elevation, the sword is fake (why is it so 
unexpectedly heavy to Severian?) and that the maid is really beheaded. A new clone
each year?

I dunno. But I do think the dark haired corpse in the coffin that Vodalus and his
crew exhume is also a version of Catherine (because of the hair and the pale gown).
Perhaps killed by Allowin's Necklace (livid face). I also think severian seeing her
face in Ultan's is significant.

>I cannot figure out what is going on in the scene where Severian is captured by the
>jibers. They bring him into a room where a holographic projection of himself
>waves and walks forward, and they command him to do the same or else they
>will kill him. What is going on here? Are they trying to identify him as the
>Autarch? I am not aware of any clues to suggest that this would require him
>mimicking the gestures of the hologram. Are they trying to duple his
>likeness or something.

I can't figure it out either. Surely one of the most mysterious sequences in the 
story. But perhaps one day some light will be shed by some insightful soul. Maybe you
are on the right track. Maybe that scene was fake and it was really some sort of scan 
to allow the hiero-types to be able to copy Severian into an eidolon later.

I think it must be significant that a guy who looks like (a younger version of?) Hethor
is participating. Perhaps it is a malevolent rite after all? Or perhaps Hethor is really
a benign person in disguise? A little, twisted alien being who carries mirrors and has 
an attraction to pretty, young human girls...never mind, never mind. 		 	   		  
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