Inire as a hierodule

Lee Berman · 16 Jul 2010, 14:34 · from 2010-July.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:34:08 -0400
Subject: (urth) Inire as a hierodule
Message-ID: <SNT123-W236606DA930C3EC8833C4BCFBC0 at phx.gbl>

>A.P.M.- Second, he twice mentions his 'cousins'. Not his brothers nor his makers. I 
>suspect he's not a hierodule. Something related to them, but not one. Not 
>that it matters terribly.

I agree. If Inire was described as really tall and beautiful there might be an obvious
case for him being a hierodule. But he is seems significantly different than B, F 
and O. Severian just doesn't seem to be sharp enough to be able to identify the distinction
between various different classes of cacogens/aliens/angels- whatever they are. And B, F 
and O are not inclined to educate or correct him on this.

I think it can matter a lot. Borski assumed Inire was a hierodule and consequently short-
lived and consequently only able to move backwards in time and consquently an obedient 
servant of the hierogrammates, etc. He took his error (I believe it to be one, though 
Andre-Driussi doesn't) and ran so ridiculously far with it, he undercut much of the 
credibility of his Solar Labyrinth book IMHO. 

As is obvious, I find an exploration of pagan gods and hierarchy of angels, fallen
or not, to be more heuristic than Borski's simple Moses analogy for Inire. How could he so 
thoroughly ignore Eschatology and Genesis? 

So, where does The Cumaean fit into the scheme of things? Borski casts her as sort of a 
Mother Inire, a paired, parallel but less important than Inire hierodule character. 
But she isn't tall and beautiful nor short-lived. Any others have thoughts on her?

Perhaps Ossipago is worth discussing here. Borski thinks he is Inire. I don't. I think he
is one of the machines that humanity built which then created the hierogrammates. The phrase
"deus ex machina" is hinted at toward the end of Citadel and I've always liked how Ossipago's
role in the story fits both the literal and theatrical meaning of that phrase.

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