Sea monsters

Andrew Mason · 28 May 2011, 20:33 · from 2011-May.txt.gz

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From: andrew.mason53 at googlemail.com (Andrew Mason)
Date: Sat, 28 May 2011 21:33:27 +0100
Subject: (urth) Sea monsters
Message-ID: <BANLkTin1O89wUn0DnVbw6kN4PFFC3Vxn3w at mail.gmail.com>

There's an interesting passage in _Urth_ which I think illuminates the
recent discussion.

UOTNS 37: Severian talking to his followers in prison (the speech
which was transcribed by Canog).

'... the ice in the south is already gathering new strength. To this
ice of ten chiliads will be added the ice of the winter now almost
upon us, and the two will embrace like brothers and begin their march
upon these northern lands. Great Erebus, who has established his
kingdom there, will soon be driven before them, with all his fierce,
pale warriors. He will unite his strength with Abaia's, whos kingdom
is in the warm waters. With others, less in might but equal in
cunning, tehy will offer allegiance to the rulers of the lands belong
Urth's waist, which you call Ascia; and once united with them will
devour them entirely.'

Several things here: .
a. There are two big monsters and an indeterminate number of little
monsters - perhaps as many as fifteen, though we can't know that.
b. It explains what Erebus is doing so far north, though his base was
in the south.
c. It explains how they came to dominate the Ascians - by originally
offering themselves as servants.
d. It shows that the monsters were already established on Urth in
Typhon';s time - which fits _Short Sun_, but does not seem to fit, on
a natural reading, Typhon;s words in SOTL. Come to think of it, this
might be relevant to the question of a changing chronology.

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