Brook Madregot runs between

Lee Berman · 11 Aug 2010, 03:48 · from 2010-August.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2010 23:48:43 -0400
Subject: (urth) Brook Madregot runs between
Message-ID: <SNT123-W126C3D66EC364580D81527CF960 at phx.gbl>

Well, this has been an even more surreal discussion than normal here. I think
there may be something of an old guard, keepers of the flames of truth from the earlier
years of this forum to be protected from whippersnappers. But the strong association with 
certain theories and fierce loyalty has me questioning if I even know the meaning of 
simple words in English or perhaps I am  going insane. Roy C. Lackey I must single you
out as a prime culprit, ;- ) while still recognizing the undisputed depth and breadth of
your knowledge of Gene Wolfe's writing.

When Roy takes the phrase "*Yesod, the universe higher than our own*" to unequivocally
mean it is a separated entity, I just don't understand. To me "higher" implies connection;
a comparison of two points on the same scale, ladder, spectrum, whatever. Perhaps the 
separation part it is a social class issue and I am too plebian to get it ;- ).

I had a similar fear that I was going illiterate when Roy attempted to prove the same point 
with: 

>The Brook Madregot runs *between* the universes Briah and Yesod (285), so of course 
>they are apart.

Another WTF moment for me.  But giving it some thought I realized he was thinking of the word
"between" differently than I was. For him it is a separation word like "The Danube flowed 
between the towns of Buda and Pest". For me, in this context, it is a connection word like, 
"Interstate 5 runs between Seattle and San Diego".

I can see that if one has always assumed Yesod to be separate and distinct from the sequence
of universes, each statement in the text becomes twisted to mean that very thing. Likewise for 
me and perhaps others who have always assumed that Yesod was connected in a sequence to Briah.

I think that this particular textual passage (below) seems to argue for sequential connection not 
separation. But perhaps others will disagree.

>Severian- "But this place is Briah, or part of it. It's a passage in your ship, the one you showed
>me when you led me to my stateroom"

>Tinkerbell Tzadkiel- "If that is so, you were near Yesod when you were with me on our ship. This is
>the Brook Madregot, and it runs from Yesod to Briah".

>Severian- "Between the universes? How could that be?"

>Tinkerbell Tzadkiel- "How could it not be? Energy gropes for some lower state, always..."

>Severian- "But it's a stream, like the streams of Urth"

>Tinkerbell Tzadkiel nods- "Those too are of energy seeking a lower state...."

I'm not sure if I understand Roy and Tony and Jeff and others' view correctly- is Yesod to be 
viewed as a lonely orphan universe sticking off to the side of Briah? Or does it go through its own 
Bangs and Gnabs? Either way seems messy but I am open to the possibily that this might be the intended
interpretation. 

I think the text also allows for my view that Briah is destroyed, giving rise to Yesod. I find it 
simpler and more elegant. Yesod is higher than Briah, both in energy and spirituality.  Like Dan'l I am 
pleased that this view allows Yesod to be our own universe and suggests a reason why our Earth is 
spiritually more advanced than Urth (Jesus).

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