Wind god

Jack Smith · 04 Nov 2010, 11:53 · from 2010-November.txt.gz

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From: jack.smith.1946 at gmail.com (Jack Smith)
Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2010 07:53:41 -0400
Subject: (urth) Wind god
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W4973EBD08BF2675960C1C9CF4B0 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W4973EBD08BF2675960C1C9CF4B0 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <AANLkTimUkQNwXU=QiboiPMR-J65G73nf2ywdRG4bJEx0 at mail.gmail.com>

Typhon is boring?  Why do you think so?


On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 7:43 AM, Lee Berman <severiansola at hotmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> > Gerry Quinn -
> > I read the Short Sun trilogy recently.  I noticed Pas was associated
> > with a whirlwind once or twice, but that's all I remember - certainly
> > not being hit hard with it.  And a whirlwind is different from a
> > typhoon or sirocca. I don't really see why the association would be
> > important anyway, though. What, if anything,does it tell us about
> > him?
>
> I'd have to check but I think there are at least 3 remarks on the wind
> stuff. I
> agree with James that the very fact of the mention of wind here has
> meaning. Starting with Sword of the Lictor, Wolfe has had 10 books in which
> to deal
> with this Typhon/Pas character. Why, finally, in the tenth is wind
> mentioned?
>
> Perhaps it is just a late attempt to add a bit more decoration and color to
> a
> boring character? If that rings true for you then it is a good hypothesis.
> For
> me it seems almost impossible for that to be Wolfe's only intention with
> this.
>
> It seems like a pointer that shouldn't be ignored. To James it points to
> Spring Wind
> To me, mythological Typhon and his cognates. The mythological connection
> does suggest
> things to me about the character. First that he is connected to the
> Mandragora. Next
> that mythological Typhon's status as a Titan might relate to a current
> Olympian
> status of the "gods" on Urth. A shame there seem to be 17 instead of 12 but
> hey, can't
> be TOO obvious. Some other stuff too.
>
> I was more skeptical of James' spring Wind theory at first but I can see
> the slim but
> still supporting evidence. Moreover it seems to bolster the theme of
> exaggerated legend-
> religion that Wolfe seems to address. We are explicitly shown that
> Severian's modest
> accomplishments as Concilliator (a few healings, a resurrection, maybe some
> geological
> manipulation) are exaggerated into a society altering cult-figure. Not hard
> to see
> how the same process could take Urth's Typhon and turn him into a
> hundred-headed man-
> dragon. Or a benign demiurge on the Whorl.
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-- 
Best wishes,
Jack
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