Urth-Earth links

Lee Berman · 18 Oct 2011, 12:57 · from 2011-October.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2011 08:57:10 -0400
Subject: (urth) Urth-Earth links
Message-ID: <SNT123-W6F83C7BD7894FAD2EDC46CFE50 at phx.gbl>

>Jeff Wilson: Before the Short Sun rerconnage, the final word from on high 
>was in URTH where the Yesodis say there was no extraterrestrial higher life 
>in Briah, only Man and Man's modifications of himself and lower animals, and 
>their modifications, etc.

I tend to agree with this. There is some suggestion that the Hiero race was
formed from a lower species (the watery origin of Barbatus and Famulimus?) but
generally I think there is an implication that all sentient life in Briah is of
human origin.

>This potentially if improbably allows increasing their size a million times but 
>is more than enough to achieve the mountainous size claimed by Jonas.

Not to mention the island-sized bulk of Tzadkiel reported by Severian for his 
first sighting of him/her in the big mirror book.

>Don't forget that Inire is a Yesodi but supplies both mechanisms and 
>biology in the form of the numerous animal hybrids.

I think it is fair to say Inire is/was a hierodule but I don't think he
was a Yesodi. It is my view that Inire was a crewman on Tzadkiel's ship,
rising as high as First Mate, but instigated a mutiny, was defeated by those
loyal to Tzadkiel (including Severian) and exiled to Urth. I think Inire's
lack of all heavenly accoutrements possessed by the other hiero-types suggests
he was off the ship before it arrived in Yesod.

> There are no Hieros left to be in contact with, just Hierodules.

>David Stockhoff- It's an abbreviation.

Yeah, it is confusing but perhaps intentionally and to be expected. The nomenclature
for the hierarchy of angels in Earth religion is even more confusing. I think the text
does call the Homo superior race created in Briah as "Hieros". It also mentions
Hierodules, Hierogrammates and Hierarchs. Was it Dan'l who took to using the term
"hiero-dudes" as a generic term for them all? I borrowed the concept but use the more
sober term, "hiero-types".

>...More importantly, it fits their proposed (observed?) ability to squeeze 
>off undines, making psionic powers unnecessary to postulate. It also 
>seems to fit the "horror" theme of mindless, almost cancer-like growth 
>that pops up here and there.

I agree, though by the time of Short Sun writing, Wolfe seems to have softened his view of
such women. Seawrack does not possess the inherent repulsiveness of Juturna. (since mythology
conflates undines, mermaids and sirens I am pretty sure Wolfe meant there to be a connection
between these two seductive, aquatic characters).

>And it makes Baldanders a straightforward key to the Beasts' nature. It explains the lack of 
>any hint of personality among the Beasts. In fact see no reason to assume they were 
>originally "individuals" at all except in a technical sense.

I agree. Though I still think it is a good bet that Cilinia gave rise to Great Scylla (who might 
be Abaia).

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