Father Inire as Dionysus

Lee Berman · 24 Oct 2011, 15:20 · from 2011-October.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:20:35 -0400
Subject: (urth) Father Inire as Dionysus
Message-ID: <SNT123-W515D05A048B577177F7B96CFEF0 at phx.gbl>

>Andrew Mason: Having checked the passage, it seems to me that Merryn , who is the
>one who actually uses the name, is most naturally read as referring to
>a divine or somehow spiritual being: 'Those who, like the Mother, have
>learned to enter the same state while waking live surrounded by their
>own lives, even as the Abraxas perceives all of time as an eternal
>instant' (something frequently said about God).

Yes there is that Merryn quote. But my own memory was of a quote where the Cumaean 
is asked something or she wonders something and mutters, "perhaps the Abraxas will know" 
or something like that. I don't have my books with me and I can't find the quote online. 
Apologies if I've relied too heavily on my faulty memory.

>Now, it's interesting that just a few pages earlier we get what I
>think is the only actual use of the word 'gnostic' in the cycle, where
>Severian says that the wall of the Witches' Tower were decorated with
>gnostic designs....it seems likely to me that the use of the name 'Abraxas' here is meant 
>to reveal something specifically about the witches.

I agree but with the stipulation that there is a connection between Father Inire and witches.
There is the blunt and open association Severian makes between Inire and The Cumaean. Also there
is Hildegren who links Vodalus to the Witches. And Vodalus connects to Father Inire because
he (as Jungle Guide shaman) is part of Vodalus' party. And another term for a shaman is 
"witch doctor".  Just as Wolfe believes in the reality of pagan gods, he also (stated in a
quote) believes in the reality of witches who are acolytes of those dark powers.

In parallel to the gnostic symbols marking the Witches Tower, I think, are the teratoid (monster)
symbols marking Father Inire's mirror chamber. I think this mirror-monster association makes
the connection to Hethor extra clear.

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