Home Fires questions

David Stockhoff · 12 Oct 2011, 00:41 · from 2011-October.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:41:23 -0400
Subject: (urth) Home Fires questions
In-Reply-To: <4E90C694.8000509 at verizon.net>
References: <4E5D0815.70902 at gmail.com> <4E8F7022.7020700 at verizon.net>
	<4E90C694.8000509 at verizon.net>
Message-ID: <4E94E233.9010202 at verizon.net>

Seriously. Has no one read Home Fires?

On 10/8/2011 5:54 PM, David Stockhoff wrote:
> Apologies for all the links the Wiki paste put in there. Here is a 
> cleaner version.
>
> On 10/7/2011 5:33 PM, David Stockhoff wrote:
>> (1) What the hell was that about Ellen Woodward, Connell, and 
>> Auciello? The leader she shoots is not the hijacker's, because he (I 
>> can't find his name) is subdued by Soriano. Was Skip once someone 
>> else? (Why did Chelle think he had a cane at one point?)
>>
>> (2) Charles is emphatically Chelle's father (unless he is not). At 
>> the formal dinner, his family reunites. All three have trouble 
>> recognizing one another (except when they don't). Two are known to be 
>> not entirely who they think they are. Surely the third is also not 
>> entirely who he is. It has been suggested Blue is an Os, but surely 
>> the Os are not sexually/genetically compatible with humans. Was 
>> Charles abnormally tall previously? Chelle says he would do anything 
>> to get ahead; he was quite old. To complete the trio of "spirit 
>> mounts," is Mr White Charles in an Os body (or some Os-tech amalgam 
>> that lets him keep his blue eyes)?
>>
>> (3) Someone mentioned the loa; someone else also wondered about a 
>> mythic family containing a resurrected mother and a tricksy father. I 
>> don't know about that but has anyone checked out the Ogun angle? From 
>> the Wiki:
>>
>> (a) In a ritual the Loa are summoned by the Houngan (Priest), Mambo 
>> (Priestess) or Bokor  (Sorcerers) to take part in the service, 
>> receive offerings, and grant requests. The Loa arrive in the 
>> peristyle (ritual space) by mounting (possessing) a horse (ritualist) 
>> - who is said to be "ridden." ....
>>
>> Certain Loa display very distinctive behaviour by which they can be 
>> recognized, specific phrases, and specific actions. As soon as a Loa 
>> is recognized, the symbols appropriate to them will be given to them. 
>> For example Erzulie Freda will be given a mirror and a comb, fine 
>> cloth or jewelry (Vanessa?!); Legba will be given his cane, straw hat 
>> and pipe (Charles?); Baron Samedi will be given his top hat, 
>> sunglasses (Charles again?) and a cigar.
>>
>> Further, as to why Wolfe would suddenly write a voodoo novel:
>>
>> (b) As a way to keep their European masters from interfering, and to 
>> appease the authorities who prevented them from practising their own 
>> religions, the African slaves  in Haiti syncretised  the Loa with the 
>> Roman Catholic  saints - so Vodoun altars will frequently have images 
>> of Catholic figures displayed. For example, Papa Legba is alternately 
>> St. Peter  or St. Lazarus, Ayizan  is Saint Clare, and so on. 
>> Syncretism also works the other way in Haitian Vodou  and many 
>> Catholic  saints  have become Loa in their own right, most notably 
>> St. Philomena, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Jude, and St. John the 
>> Baptist.
>>
>> And finally:
>>
>> (c) The Rada Loa are generally the older, more beneficent spirits, 
>> and are associated with the gods of Africa. They include Legba, Loko, 
>> Ayizan, Anaisa Pye, Dhamballah Wedo, and Ayida-Weddo, Erzulie Freda, 
>> La Sir?ne, and Agwe. Their traditional colour is white (as opposed to 
>> the specific colours of individual Loa).
>


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