Witche

David Stockhoff · 03 Dec 2011, 14:23 · from 2011-December.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Sat, 03 Dec 2011 09:23:23 -0500
Subject: (urth) Witche
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W60FB99C2D0DD11BB9FACAACFB70 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W60FB99C2D0DD11BB9FACAACFB70 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <4EDA30DB.9000100 at verizon.net>

On 12/3/2011 8:11 AM, Lee Berman wrote:
>
>> David Stockhoff: It occurred to me that the Witches' patron saint might
>> shed light on them....(1) Mag/Maggie/Margaret is one of the Three Holy Maids
>
>
> Great research and insight David!

Hardly! We should all have the Saints website bookmarked by now....

> The "Three Maids" remind me of the three maids
>
> in Dr. Talos' play. Aside from beheading, I wonder if there is further connection
>
> to Lybe, Solange and Kyneburga.

The number 3 is symmetrical, echoing the Three Maids, but otherwise, to 
me, they mostly seem to reinforce the "beheaded virgin martyrs" motif. 
Katherines is at the center of this but I wonder if there is some 
additional symbolic significance to beheading.

>> (2) Saint Margaret is the patron of women in childbirth because she
>> prayed at her death that women in childbirth would, upon calling on her,
>> be safely delivered of the child as she had been delivered from the
>> belly of the dragon.
>
>
> My ears are going to perk up to dragon references- Typhon, mandragora, etc.
>
> Moreover, connecting saints and witches somehow brings the Pelerines to mind.
>
> There are some textual clues suggesting these two women's groups are associated.
>
>
>
>> Has anyone considered Valeria as a candidate to be the beautiful maid
>> who is beheaded annually at the Feast of St Katherine? This would
>> require that Severian suppress any recognition of her
>
>
> Valeria is Severian's age while the Holy Katharine maid is older. Also the maid
>
> has an olive or darker complection while Valeria's is "strawberries and cream" iirc.
>
> Still, Valeria's face and the maid's (and her possible clones) face are alike in
>
> that Severian repeatedly reports that they "tear at my heart". I've heard theories
>
> of Valeria being Catherine's daughter and others suggesting she is Catherine's mother
>
> with time travel stuff going on. I'm not sure. But I think there is a connection. 		 	   		

Right, they are different "colors."

Valeria bothers me. She plays almost zero role in the story and then he 
marries her. There's a fairy-tale symmetry there, but she's another 
absence, like Inire.

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