Patera Inire

Jeff Wilson · 18 Jul 2010, 07:41 · from 2010-July.txt.gz
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From: jwilson at io.com (Jeff Wilson)
Date: Sun, 18 Jul 2010 02:41:57 -0500
Subject: (urth) Patera Inire
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W10AD946D2DD363CCA6F587CFBE0 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W10AD946D2DD363CCA6F587CFBE0 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <4C42B045.2090204 at io.com>

On 7/18/2010 12:13 AM, Lee Berman wrote:

> More specific counter-evidence from the text:
>
> 1. Inire has built a Byzantine (pagan) society in which religion has little
> importance and is based on elaborate ritual rather than faith. If he was
> highly involved in bringing the New Sun I think we'd see some association of
> him with the Pelerinnes but we don't.

This seems ambiguous to me; the religion doesn't have to be sincere or 
true to achieve the ends of the people that promulgate it. Perhaps the 
Pelerines are on the opposite side of some scism or reformation, and are 
now fellow travelers, like the Eastern Orthodox and Roman catholic 
churches. Inire's objective seems to be the literal bringing of the New 
Sun, which can be  served by a front in the religious sphere as well as 
the impasse with the Ascians in the secular sphere, and the subversion 
of Vodalus' movement in the political sphere.

> 2. We do not see Inire openly present in Urth's past, at the end of Typhon's
> rule, when he should have been there getting the New Sun cult started.

He doesn't need to get the New Sun cult started, the Concilliator did a 
good job of that himself.

> 3. Inire's 1000 year rule behind the throne produced only two attempts to bring
> the New Sun before Severian, both failures. Moreover, both Inire's letter and the
> words of the Old Autarch make it fairly clear they are maintaining the war with
> the Ascians in equilibrium, propping up the enemies of the New Sun such as the
> Vodelarii (and perhaps the Jungle Sorcerers), ensuring they remain to keep
> balance/stasis between the contending forces.

This can be a form of cynical cold war strategem, to keep the hot war at 
the fringes while letting both sides appear to their masters to be doing 
something productive while trying to bankrupt the other side's economy 
or stall for time to have some greater strategem put in place. Once the 
Yesodis had a report of Sev on the Throne at some time, it was all about 
keeping the path open for him and preparing him for the judgment, with 
less than a century before the white fountain's advent it was either 
Severian or the hawkfaced guy.

And while Inire only delivered three candidates to Yesod, that doens't 
mean there weren't other candidates that Master Ash's posse might have 
gotten rid of, like the mysteriously unreturned Sulpicius.

> 4. We do not see any hint of Father Inire when Severian returns to the Flood Day
> the last day of Urth (first day of Ushas). Valeria has been ruling without his
> assistance. If Inire's sole purpose was bringing the New SUn, doesn't good story
> telling demand some mention of him at the fruition of his life's work? What does
> his absence on this important day suggest?

Er, that he died before Sev got back?

> 4. It seems implied that the Old Autarch used a version of Father Inire's mirrors
> to travel to Tzadkiel. Inire shares mirror-using with Hethor (along with some
> other traits). Using mirrors does not seem to be a good way of impressing Tzadkiel
> or bringing the New Sun. Severian notes that Inire's mirror chamber is marked with
> a "terratoid" (monsterous) symbol.

...meaning "Danger", perhaps, like the skull and cross bones used to 
warn people from household poisons. As for mirrors not impressing 
Tzadkiel, perhaps they don't but he is not adverse to using them himself 
as Zak.

> 5. Cyriaca gives us this cryptic quote about the mirrors, "...cacogens had landed
> somewhere in the north [Baldander's Castle, we learn]... I suppose they must have
> wished to avoid the mirrors at the House Absolute so they could escape the eyes of
> the Autarch. I think this suggests B, F and O don't like the mirrors, and Inire,
> either. We certainly never see them working with Inire. The closest they get is
> watching Eschatology and Genesis and that is probably to see Severian perform. If
> Inire is the cowled servitor then both he and the hierodules are well wrapped and
> disguised in their closest encounter.

We know there is some sort of complicated double masquerade going on 
both literally and figuratively at the House Absolute apparently 
involbing both galactic aliens (the proper cacogens) and the Yesodis who 
find it convenient to adopt their guise. If Cyriaca's guesswork is 
revelatory, that doesn't require it to be straightforward or even 
particularly insightful. Perhaps FB&O want to give the appearance of 
cacogen activity in the north to allow Inire to pressure the Exultants 
of that region to concede to searches or increased garrisons or hjigher 
taxes, or just to take the heat off of some other region that has been 
more cooperative, or...*insert spy novel intrigue here*

> 6. During the story of his travels, Severian's foreshadowing makes it clear he does
> not use Inire's or the Old Autarch's mirrors to complete his New Sun quest. He
> travels to the stars on a ship, as UotNS later confirms.

The mirrors have a transformative element - once Severian is at his peak 
of readiness, they would not want to risk turning him into a ghost or a 
caveman or Good Kirk/Evil Kirk twins. The ship gets you there the way 
you are, even if  where you come back to is kind of different.


> 7. Severian has been chosen to bring the New Sun because he has his so-called perfect
> memory and/or because he was raised as a torturer and has the capacity for such a
> genocidal act. Either way, I don't see evidence that Father Inire is working to create
> or develop or recognize or recruit these talents in Severian before his ascension. (after
> his ascension there is an interesting exception, listed below). His interest in Severian
> seems only to serve, once again, as vizier, as the power behind the throne.

Does Inire need to do this in a way that would be detectable? They know 
there's a "Severian the Torturer" who ascends the throne, and if they 
have to take steps to make sure Sev is born with perfect recall, that 
job's obviously done before Severian is available to observe and narrate 
it.

> 8. Inire's letter to Severian is all about war and political intrigues but there
> actually is one hint of recognition there about Severian's divine role. The letter
> addresses Severian, among other things as, "Helios, Hyperion, Surya and Savitar". These
> deity names are Greek and Vedic parallels for the male gods of the sun and of light.
> This is surely a recognition of Severian's New Sun role. But this recognition does not
> imply to me that Inire is working toward the New Sun goal, especially light of #1-7.
> Moreover these are pagan gods and I think Inire (as a pagan god allusion himself)
> just doesn't get the Judeo-Christian  role Severian will play.

He can't call him J-C names because the conceit of the Book is that this 
is a world where they are unknown. Pagan and non-specific labels like 
"Theoanthropos" are all that's left to compare with.

> FWIW- Inire's letter also calls Severian "Messenger of Dawn". In context, this must refer
> to the female god of the Dawn, the Greek Eos/Roman Aurora, daughter of Hyperion, sister to
> Helios. Is this Inire's acknowledgement of Severian's Thecla side?

Oy, I am reconfronted with the image of John Hurt as Caligula prancing 
about as Dawn in the BBC's _I, Claudius_.

-- 
Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com
IEEE Student Chapter Blog at
< http://ieeetamut.org >
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