god(s) and gods

Gerry Quinn · 30 Nov 2010, 03:31 · from 2010-November.txt.gz

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From: gerryq at indigo.ie (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:31:38 -0000
Subject: (urth) god(s) and gods
References: <SNT123-W258B0AF627213FA19D715CCF240 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <AA8007FAC2F84FEC9BB156F535545050@jill>

From: "Lee Berman" <severiansola at hotmail.com>
> 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 think that's quite a stretch - the text pretty much spells out what the 
Shadow Children are.

> 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.

Not the most essential of points but: "There were strange scars about his 
neck and ears".  Baldanders has already provided himself with gills in 
preparation for the time when, even with the aid of his anti-gravity belt, 
the land can no longer carry him.

Later he discards his belt and leaps into Lake Diuturna after the fight with 
Severian, and thereafter is seen no longer on land.

- Gerry Quinn

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