Serpents and Undines

Jeff Wilson · 29 Jul 2010, 20:44 · from 2010-July.txt.gz

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From: jwilson at io.com (Jeff Wilson)
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:44:47 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: (urth) Serpents and Undines
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> Doesn't the cumaen shed her face at some point to show the reptilian mask
> beneath? Isn't the Cumaen a cacogens also? Severian compares Inire to her
> if I recall.

She appears as a clump of many serpents to Severian's second sight, the
way Dr Talos's face looks like a stufffed fox's. She doesn't actually
unmask, other than sword-swallowing the rod that should be too big for a
human being to do so. The rod remains visible in the swarm, making a kind
of living caduceus, or a kind of fasces or post-fasces.

There are a couple of constellation serpents mentioned, IIRC, and maybe a
simile with a stream or river.

I think Abaia counts as a serpent in the same figurative way dragons are
called serpents and worms, plus rivers are serpentine and Maxellendis'
uncle describes the commanding voice coming from the river itself.

That last related tale puzzles me. The very large, very pale "pandours"
suggest armed and armored siblings of Idas. But why are they being
smuggled on a boat? Are the scorpions and voulges too heavy to swim with?

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