do the Hierogrammates care about the megatherians?

Nick Lee · 25 May 2011, 19:08 · from 2011-May.txt.gz

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From: starwaterstrain at gmail.com (Nick Lee)
Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 14:08:30 -0500
Subject: (urth) do the Hierogrammates *care* about the megatherians?
Message-ID: <BANLkTik1FwgvThZ6ZM=enJ3gpoXwn9kzTg at mail.gmail.com>

From: "Gerry Quinn" <gerryq at indigo.ie>

> But UotNS didn't exist at the time, and wasn't intended.  In my view,
there
> is no substantive evidence that either Typhon or Ymar play any role in the
> Tale of the Boy Called Frog.  I have said that I could imagine in
principle
> that Spring Wind could contain echoes of Typhon, but I don't see any real
> indication that he does.  Mars is Spring, and Spring Wind has all the
> characteristics of Mars.  All you and James have to go on is 'Wind' (pun
> unavoidable).  My view is that "Spring" was simply too short and cryptic a
> name, too obviously fraught with symbolism.  So Wolfe added the second
word,
> which can allude both to the life-giving rain-bearing wind of Spring and
the
> destructive winds of war.  The first was Early Summer's intention, the
> second was the interpretation of Spring Wind's men.  And if there is any
> incorporarion of Typhon in the story, a pun on 'Typhoon' here is probably
> the extent of it., i.e. a historical general whose name sounds a bit like
> 'Wind'.  In general the history and behaviour of Spring Wind are those of
> Mars, cleaving quite close to the traditions of the original story - and
not
> at all those of Typhon.

Certainly the tale of Mars, Romuls, and Remus, lends a lot to "The Tale of
the Boy Called Frog." I don't know whether or not Andre-Druissi first came
up with this bizarre derivation for "Spring Wind," but Wolfe didn't need to
make it up. "Spring Wind" refers to a completely different deity. I believe
that Wolfe intends this connection. He certainly alludes to it in UotNS, and
there may be a connection with "The Tale of the Master and His Student," you
know, *Thesis*.

Certainly these stories can have multiple meanings. I don't think they are
simply there to fill the pages, and they may help in understanding the books
they inhabit.

For a while, I thought Frog might refer to Severian and Fish to Baldanders.
One being liminal and capable of living on land and underwater, the other
eventually growing too large/evil to survive on land. It also solves the
Severa problem if Baldanders is Severian's brother (or sister. . .
Baldanders as transgendered: soon another), but I don't think there's enough
textual evidence to make this connection. It's just a fun theory for now.
Also, Borges's Baldanders has the tale of a fish. Some species of fish
change their sex. So do some Frogs, but Severian is a known bisexual. Also
consider Typhon. He could be Spring Wind, but in an allegorical sense he is
only *trying* to be. Spring Wind has more heads, for instance. Severian is
the one who succeeds in becoming an avatar of that deity.

Just some thoughts.

-Nick
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