Ceryx (answer to Lee)

Sergei SOLOVIEV · 25 May 2011, 13:31 · from 2011-May.txt.gz
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From: soloviev at irit.fr (Sergei SOLOVIEV)
Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 15:31:21 +0200
Subject: (urth) Ceryx (answer to Lee)
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W3863446253D75EBFAF100CCF740 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W3863446253D75EBFAF100CCF740 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <4DDD04A9.8000106 at irit.fr>

Dear Lee,

Lee Berman wrote:
>   
>> Sergei Soloviev:  We know that there are many biblical parallels. Ceryx corresponds rather 
>> to Simon the Magus, who had a magical contest with St. Peter....By the way, the scene in the 
>> skill of the Typhon's monument (the mountain) in "the Sword of the Lictor"
>> has also a biblical parallel - Devil tempting Jesus in the desert. Devil had taken Jesus to 
>> the top of a mountain etc.
>>     
>  
> I don't see how the Biblical parallels undermine my view of the connection between Ceryx and 
> Typhon. I would say they bolster them. We have a Severian-Typhon encounter which echoes Jesus
> and The Devil. A Severian-Ceryx encounter which echoes Peter and Simon Magus. So, as Peter
> served Jesus, (and perhaps Simon Magus served The Devil), it isn't a stretch to conclude Ceryx
> served Typhon
>   
There is a connection between Ceryx and Typhon as it is between any 
evildoer and
the Diable. (But Typhon to me is not Diable, only more powerful 
representative.)
What I object, is that Ceryx is a direct subordinate, and can 
communicate directly
with Typhon. There is no proof of it.
>> Severian thinks that while he travelled to Yesod, Ceryx probably travelled to some other "dark" 
>> worlds. So Ceryx is compared (and opposed) to Severian in his humanity, he is not an "alien" like 
>> Father Inire. He is a sort of potential Antichrist who fails miserably before developing his full 
>> power.
>>     
>
>  
> First, I can't see travel to dark worlds as evidence for humanity. Quite the opposite. In my view,
> Severian's comparison should be taken more celestially. As Yesod (heaven analog) is the universe 
> higher than Severian's, I think he implies Ceryx has been to Abaddon (hell analog), the universe
> which is lower than Severian's. Again, a Typhon/Devil connection for Ceryx. 
>  
> Plus, as has been discussed previously, there is much in the text to suggest Father Inire's power is 
> dark and monstrous in origin. Moreover, he is a small, twisted, long-lived alien, who is highly
> involved in the intimate workings of the Commonwealth.  He is the exact opposite of the tall, 
> beautiful, short-lived, angelic Hierodules (B,F & O) who keep their distance from humanity. Again,
> the implication, for me, is that Inire is a fallen version of these angels. Hence another link between
> Inire and Ceryx.
And with all his power he cannot find Dorcas (who, as you believe, was 
his wife!).

>  
> Second, I am not so sure Severian really is 100% human. His ancestry is quite deliberately masked, 
> and we have a mysterious alien who is labelled "Father" but seems to have no religious function.
> Past discussions outline the elusive evidence I see that Inire is Dorcas' husband and thus Severian's
> grandfather. Moreover I've argued that over and over in legend, it is the "half-breed" who serves as
> The Conciliator between Man and God(s). Hercules and Jesus are fine examples. (It is for this reason
> I like James' theory of the tripartite nature of that other Wolfe Conciliator, Silkhorn) 
>  
> (hm...the Antichrist is supposed to be a half-breed also, yes?)
>   
To me, in Wolfe's books is very important the brilliant rendering of 
human psychology
and human existential problems. The presence of aliens, miracles, strange
world serve this purpose. What you are trying to do, is to transform 
everything
into myth about demi-gods, aliens etc and if you push it to the extreme, 
it will
have for me no human interest. Look - the old guy looking for Cas is 
interesting
because it is a poor old guy, living in a slum and looking for his lost 
wife and love
all fifty years or so. If he is father Inire in disguise - it is not 
interesting.
The Old Autarch is interesting because he is a weak old guy castrated by
aliens and he suffers. He failed as a representative of Humankind. He
would be not interesting, if he would himself be an alien. What
a castrated alien means, anyway? There is
no interesting psychology of aliens in the Book of the New Sun. They are the
"data", the powers, the symbols, but living characters are human. There 
is no
psychology of Abaia or Scylla or Mother because it didn't interest 
Wolfe. Baldanders
is human in his way to something else, in transformation, and as such he
is interesting. Doctor Talos is his "homunculus", probably clone, and in 
this also
human. Apheta in Yesod has no psychology, Tzadkiel - no, nothing 
interesting.
Maybe, from catholic (Wolfe's) point of view, they are not interesting 
because they have
no soul.

I think to some extent I understand the purpose of Wolfe and this is why 
I admire
him - and what you try to prove seems to me directly opposite to his 
purpose.
(Instead of discovering human side in myths you try to erase human part and
see only mythic.)
>> You forget the details - the group of soldiers had no intention and no order to take Severian to Typhon 
>> at the moment of his arrest. If not his miraculous powers, he would die - they had beaten him mercilessly.
>>     
>
> If their purpose had been to kill him, they would have just shot him (like bin Laden?). They were clearly 
> going for a capture and a trip to the torturers for questioning. Somebody wanted information from Severian, 
> not just his elimination. 
They just wanted to follow the rules - they didn't mind to kill him, 
otherwise
they would beat him less, how they could know that he will survive and 
recover?
They had no purpose of their own - it was totalitarian society - they 
had their
orders! Arrest, and if he will die of beating - well... If they had 
orders to
keep him alive whatever the price, they risked severe punishment themselves.

> I can agree that Typhon's immediate attention and audience was called from 
> Severian's recovery from the Disruptor at the Citadel more than the previous rumors, and I'll adjust my 
> theory accordingly!
>  
>  
> p.s. apologies for the misidentification. Plus I'm glad James is safe from the physical violence
> threatened by that other guy :- ). 		 	   		  
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>   
All the best

Sergei
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