The Nebraskan and the Nereid

Gerry Quinn · 18 Apr 2011, 10:56 · from 2011-April.txt.gz

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From: gerryq at indigo.ie (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:56:04 +0100
Subject: (urth) The Nebraskan and the Nereid
References: <1302999008.1802.16.camel@august><35AFC7E28F5E43209C81C07F92484FAE@jill><892310.57001.qm at smtp815.mail.ukl.yahoo.com><D2CC48D8D91A4450BFCDAC28A8A6F005@jill><4DAAF5B0.1060701 at web.de><276004.58855.qm at smtp820.mail.ird.yahoo.com><BA8ABAE168F34D73897626FCC914DEEA@jill>
	<632543.76294.qm at web114716.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <4602400C0BAF40418C708C16E1214CEE@jill>

From: "Jerry Friedman" <jerry_friedman at yahoo.com>
>> From: Gerry Quinn <gerryq at indigo.ie>

>> She gave her name as Thoe, who is the Nereis of waves or voyage.  (I 
>> can't
>>find any significance in 'Papamarkos', which seems to be an ordinary Greek
>>name.)
>>
>> Also, why would she sign her own initial beside the corpse of the  girl, 
>> unless
>>she had indeed killed her?
>>
>> So I still prefer the 'psyche'  theory.
>
> How about the other familiar Greek word beginning with a psi: pseudes, 
> "false",
> and "pseudein", to lie.  (Thanks to the AHD
> <http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/pseudo->.)  Has the 
> maid
> been false to her people or her god?  Has the Nebraskan been false to her?
> Maybe.

I don't think so.  Nor do I think she was false to the Nebraskan.  Certainly 
I see no reason to inscribe a symbol of falsity beside her corpse.

> But I think its main meaning is Poseidon's trident.

That could make some sense; it does look like one. But still, the letter pi 
is given to Poseidon earlier (perhaps even to contradict this 
interpretation?) - does he really need another?

I think a key element in interpretation (unless we assume a far more central 
and murderous role for the Nereid, which I don't think there's any 
justification for) is that the symbol pertains to the maid, not Thoe.  I 
don't see how the symbology associated with Poseidon or his trident fits 
Whereas psi (for psyche) seems appropriate enough to mark a tragic death.

- Gerry Quinn

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