The Contessa

Robert Borski · 07 Apr 1999, 20:00 · from urth-v0025.mbox · original

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From: "Robert Borski" <rborski at coredcs.com>
Subject: (urth) The Contessa
Date: Wed, 7 Apr 1999 20:00:42
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> > 3) Who was the beautiful, weeping woman Sev saw in the loggia of the
> > Secret House, being led away by six Praetorians? Ch. XLI, _Urth_ This
was
> > right after resurrecting the dead assassin and right before emerging
behind
> > the throne. He can't recall who she is.

> She's the Contessa in Dr Talos's play, who relates seeing a mysterious
> figure as she was led away by guards.

Tony Ellis is quite right in stating this, but neglects to add that the
Contessa's name in Eschatology and Genesis is Carina.

Change the C to K and you have Karina, a Danish variant for Katherine, so
clearly (as I've argued before) the woman is linked to either Saint
Katharine, patron saint of the Torturer's guild, or Catherine, Severian's
mother.=20

Whether you think the arrested woman is literally Katharine or Catherine, I
lead to the individual to decide.

Robert Borski

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