Typhon's nature

larry miller · 12 Oct 2011, 18:02 · from 2011-October.txt.gz

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From: biglar1984 at gmail.com (larry miller)
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:02:32 -0400
Subject: (urth) Typhon's nature
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W88482AF2B953D9F118299CFE30 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W88482AF2B953D9F118299CFE30 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <CAMBsQ=JCREqOOtifDzcR7J60BPh-wA9x5q1v=746tpZzWspRjA at mail.gmail.com>

I think calling it a fetus my be a mistake on Severians part.  I think
the Mandragora may in fact just be small.  It tells Severian it was
deformed- maybe in reference to its stunted growth?  Maybe thats why
Typhon never transfers into it. While Im thinking about it does anyone
have an idea what the "emerald bench" Severian mentions in the same
chapter could be?

On 10/12/11, Lee Berman <severiansola at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>>Larry Miller:
>>As I posted before the Mandragora was likely a proto chem Typhon built
>>to download into.  Theres a point in Long Sun where Silk having
>>discovered that the Gods can possess chems and I remember Echidna
>>mentioning a Prime Calcula in the Citadel.  Im sure this was a
>>reference to the mandragora.  This would also keep with Wolfes naming
>>conventions as Calculas is I believe the latin word for stone.
>
> Sorry I missed your post Larry. Some interesting ideas! There are a few
> Latin words for stones and rocks. "Calculus" is most specifically for
> "pebble"
> which became associated with math via the use of pebbles in a Roman
> abacus-type
> calculator. Anyway, with both the stone and computing aspects of the word,
> it
> becomes a fantastic option as a name for a Chem. Not sure why Wolfe wanted
> to
> feminize it by spelling it "calcula".
>
> Pursuing that thought, I can't agree that the Mandragora is a good candidate
> for the prime calcula of the Citadel. It seems to be a purely biological
> being;
> a fetus, immersed in preserving fluid. Severian gives us no hints of any
> mechanical parts. Rather than being a "prime calcula" it is so ineffectual
> it just wants to die.
>
> Moreover, I think all of BotNS is contains a subtext of more biological SF,
> like cloning and chemical memory.  It was written in a time before
> electronic
> downloads, when computer memory was encoded on magnetic tape and paper punch
> cards. 5HoC does have Mr. Million but his mental upload was a fatal process
> and
> apparently not subject to further up/downloads.
>
> Anyway, if Wolfe meant the "prime calcula" to refer to a chem being in BotNS
> I think we only have two or three characters who qualify as mechanical
> beings:  Jonas, Sidero and Ossipago.  None would seem to have any
> association
> with the Citadel, unless.....
>
> Perhaps we could extend some latitude to Borski's idea that Ossipago is
> Father
> Inire in disguise.  The identification is based largely on the idea of
> obscured
> eyes (eyes being the window to the soul, which chems don't have?). The role
> of
> "bone grower" and "father" are not so far apart.
>
> If we can accept this idea, we now have a "prime calcula" who has been the
> power
> behind the throne of the Commonwealth for a millenium, is the architect of
> the
> House Absolute and likely the Citadel (given the mystic pathways between
> them),
> and is the boss of Barbatus and Famulimus, directing their "hammer" and
> "tongs"
> actions which forge humanity.
>
> Moreover, Inire's name can be connected to the god Pan (from whom Pas seems
> to
> have derived his name) and thus Dionysus, who is associated with The
> Outsider in
> RTTW. I find some substance to these connections and find them helpful to my
> own
> understanding of the text. Thanks for the inspiration, Larry! (even if not
> shared, heh) 		 	   		
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