god(s) and gods

Gerry Quinn · 30 Nov 2010, 03:41 · from 2010-November.txt.gz

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From: gerryq at indigo.ie (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:41:46 -0000
Subject: (urth) god(s) and gods
References: <4CF1C33F.9020801 at sky.com><AANLkTi=3kJgND5TgU20LaYZwg7i8e5JVbcZC2p7yR4aJ at mail.gmail.com>
	<4CF43A31.70601 at gmail.com>
Message-ID: <A73A9344827A4077A8FE880737127427@jill>

From: "Ant?nio Pedro Marques" <entonio at gmail.com>
> Jack Smith wrote:

>> I think "Pas" is a corruption of "Pan", the Greek god of rustic places.
>> "Pan" means everything, as in "pandemic" or "pandemonium".  Scylla,
>> possessing Chenille, explains about the gods being members of Pas'
>> family on Urth and says "with Daddy to be the god of everything--that's
>> what his name meant--and boss over everybody."   (LotLS, ch. 11)
>
> A little too straightforward to be true, inn'it?
>
> To this day I haven't found an explanation I like for Pas. At the same 
> time, the name makes an enormous amount of sense to me. I can't help 
> thinking there must be some obvious association we're missing completely.

I'm okay with the Pan theory (but then I like simple theories).  Wolfe 
allows that names will change over time: Allah is never written Ah Lah at 
this time, but will be recalled under that name.

Maybe Wolfe simply thought that 'Pan' has too many invalid connotations for 
modern-day audiences - sure he is an important God, but we think of him as 
the dancing guy with the flute.  So he changed the name to something else 
that sounds similar but does't have this direct link to Pan.

- Gerry Quinn

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