The Two Katharines

Jack Smith · 16 Aug 2010, 06:34 · from 2010-August.txt.gz

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From: jack.smith.1946 at gmail.com (Jack Smith)
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 02:34:12 -0400
Subject: (urth) The Two Katharines
In-Reply-To: <4C68C108.9000604 at io.com>
References: <SNT123-W49A451D02CC1BE257D6C0FCF9B0 at phx.gbl>
	<4C68C108.9000604 at io.com>
Message-ID: <AANLkTikWhAzQfkzc19v0d6eAj4NFNwME-2z+cmBC69zA at mail.gmail.com>

And the maid comes back to life after the ritual beheading.  If she was
really beheaded, she would really have to be resurrected too.   I don't
think the text indicates real resurrection in this instance.



On Mon, Aug 16, 2010 at 12:39 AM, Jeff Wilson <jwilson at io.com> wrote:

> On 8/15/2010 10:59 PM, Lee Berman wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>  Jeff Wilson- the blade of execution is wood and tinsel.
>>>
>>
>> Yes a thin wooden batten with lightweight tinsel.
>>
>> Yet when Severian first takes up the sword, "It was very heavy".
>>
>> When he lifted the sword, "I feared it would overbalance me".
>>
>> Using all his available strength, he sends the "false" blade down.
>> For an instant it seemed to meet resistance then thudded into the
>> block, which fell into two. The maid's head, all bloodied,
>> tumbled forward..
>>
>> I used to think it was just Severian being drunk. Now...
>>
>> Well, there are certainly some theatrics going on. I just can't
>> be sure which audience is being fooled. Would the guild really
>> use fake blood from a wax head as their most sacred chrism?
>>
>>
>
> There's no indication or reason that the *blood* is fake. It might be
> animal blood if no recently dispatched clients or willing donors were
> available at the time.
>
> Severian can't have been completely fooled into really beheading a person
> because he's supposed to turn the blade aside to *avoid* striking the maid,
> and he's not drunk because the feasting comes after. But the importance of
> the day is not to be underestimated in its effect on human perception; as I
> recall from my wedding day, that  little ring was heavy like a barbell and
> slick as an eel.
>
> --
> Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com
> IEEE Student Chapter Blog at
> < http://ieeetamut.org >
>
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-- 
Best wishes,
Jack
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