god(s) and gods

Lee Berman · 29 Nov 2010, 03:36 · from 2010-November.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2010 22:36:57 -0500
Subject: (urth) god(s) and gods
Message-ID: <SNT123-W258B0AF627213FA19D715CCF240 at phx.gbl>

Ack, so many new threads. Had to pick one subject line to respond to all. 
*god(s) and gods* seemed most inclusive.

With regard to Inhumi on Urth, I guess I should clarify that I meant I think 
beings corrupted by inhumi have populated Urth. By corrupted I mean had their 
consciouness shared via blood feeding as we see in Short Sun. (Gerry the nature
of Shadow Children has been discussed before; I think it is safe to say there is debate 
on the issue. I tend to think they are not human but a first attempt to imitate humans 
by a predatory native spirit/creature. Abos are a more successful imitation, but with 
that success they have mostly forgotten their true nature).

I was just reading Borski. He thinks Blue is the home planet of Typhon (based in 
part on the muliplied body parts). I might agree. I think Blue is the home planet 
of the megatherians, based on the giant Mother creature there. I am guessing seeds 
of this giant being (or beings) made it to Urth in the form of pinched-off buds in 
human form (what else could fit in a spaceship?). Once on Urth they were able to 
start the process of gaining great size and godhood, eventually necessitating their 
oceanic abode. I think the end of RttW sort of demonstrates this as Typhon's daughter, 
the girl, Cilinia/Scylla, goes out to meet her alter ego, "Great Scylla" in the ocean 
who is in the process of budding off her own little army of undines. They are wearing 
black robes which I think is a play on words- the Islamic black robe called an Abaya used 
to hint at great beast Abaia.

Interesting debate on whether some Nephilim giants survived the flood by breathing 
underwater or whether new ones were created after the Flood as we contintue to be
plagued by fallen angels/demons. The example of Baldanders living under water seems 
relevant.  I assume it has been discussed somewhere in the history of this board that
part of the legend of mermaids is that their kiss can convey the gift of underwater
breathing to drowned sailors. Surely Juturna's offer to Severian is related to this. We
can probably find significance in the fact that Severian was able (with Dorcas' help)
to resist the offer while Baldanders, perhaps, did not. Anyway, I think Wolfe continues
to use giants, be they nephilim, Nod, Baldanders or godlings, to convey the idea of 
transitional (false) god-figures.

The origin of the name Pas is certainly a thorn in my side. The text hints that it is related
to the god Pan, though I suspect Wolfe knows Pan's name has more of a connection to the word 
"panic" than the prefix for "all". Pan's name may have a connection to "pastoral" and that is
the source of the name of Pas. But I also note the connection between Typhon and his Persian 
cognate Pazuzu. "Pas" could be short for that nasty wind god/demon. But I think I'm alone in 
that guess.  Even James Wynn and his attraction to the wind aspect of Typhon doesn't share my 
interest in Pazuzu here.

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