Mythic Women in BotNS

Lee Berman · 24 Jan 2011, 21:34 · from 2011-January.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:34:39 -0500
Subject: (urth) Mythic Women in BotNS
Message-ID: <SNT123-W3890C3B8FC8EB7B9F2AF2DCFFD0 at phx.gbl>

> (Agia does slap Severian, tearing his cheek. This could be a mythological reference to the ancient goddess
> Achlys, daughter of Nyx)          

James Wynn- Hmmm...what a nice obscure reference. I like it!

Well, there has been extensive discussion of Severian's lameness wound. I think some discussion in the past of
how Severian's chest wound mirrors a spear wound of Jesus. So, I'd expect there to be some mythic connection to
his cheek wound.

Searching, I didn't find much. Thetis, mother of Achilles, is mentioned as having "torn cheeks" by one poet. Might
relate to the word tear(drop) rather than tear(shred). The only other one I could find is for bloody-cheeked
Achlys, one of the Keres goddesses- ancient spirits of death, sisters to the Fates. Finding that they are the 
(non-sexual) daughters of Nyx might tie them to the Tale of the Student and the Son.

Speaking of which, James, we have previously discussed my idea that the old boatman looking for Dorcas resembles 
Charon enough to have achieved that nickname on this list. Charon is the son of two other Greek gods whose names
appear in BotNS, Erebus and Nyx, so perhaps it isn't so far-fetched to link the old boatman to an alien like
Father Inire.

You wondered if the daughter of Erebus and Nyx, Noctua in the Tale, might be Dorcas.  I suggested rather that 
if aliens and ancient gods are analogs then the most likely female partner of Charon/Inire would be The Cumaean.

I think you know that via Pan/Faunus/Bacchus connections I think Father Inire might be connected to a demiurge
form of the Dionysus that we encounter in Short Sun. I've since discovered some related connections that perhaps 
only you will be interested in.

First, we know the Student's Son in the Tale is an analog of Theseus, making Noctua an analog of Ariadne. What
I recently learned is that in Greek legend, Theseus dumped Ariadne and abandoned her on an island. She was miserable
but her life soon took a turn for the better. She ended up with an even better husband- whom else but..Dionysus!
Another bit possibly connecting Inire and The Cumeaean.

Regarding The Town That Forgot Fauna, in Roman myth Fauna or Fenta Fauna was actually the sacred name for the 
Roman goddess Bona Dea. She may have been the daughter and/or wife and/or sister of Faunus. This creates some 
interesting parallels to the daughter-brides of Abaia in trying to understand the relationship between Father Inire 
and the Cumaean. As Fauna, this goddess is often depicted as an old woman holding a snake.

FWIW, another name for Fauna/Bona Dea is Fenta Fatua. The "Fenta" part shows connection to a gaulic goat-goddess.
The "Fatua" part implies an oracular, prophetess role. Thus Fauna is related in Roman mythology to the Cumaean Sybil.
Fauna worship is also connected to the Temple of the Vestal Virgins. This might provide a mythic connection to
Rhea Silvia/Bird of the Woods.

James I know you have scoured the mythological tales in BotNS mostly for hints of Typhon. But I think these female
goddess connections might provide some evidence for the connection also between The Cumaean and Father Inire. To the 
monster gods of the oceans as well.  To find connections between three different mythic stories within BotNS seems 
important in and of itself.

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