Agia's Weapons

Lee Berman · 21 Dec 2011, 19:00 · from 2011-December.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:00:38 -0500
Subject: (urth) Agia's Weapons
Message-ID: <SNT123-W54D2FF4DE318D2071DB3ECCFA50 at phx.gbl>

>David Stockhoff: Truly, the theory is too strong for me.

I understand that. I think Jeff Wilson once said something similar,
like "it's too big and all-encompassing". It is quite a horse pill
to swallow when a piece of literature you love is expansively explained 
by someone else's thoughts, not your own.  But, since they are my own (mostly) 
it works for me. It feels like doing a jigsaw puzzle. How can I stop with a 
few pieces in the middle when I see a larger, holistic picture forming?

>Once one accepts further (asymptotic, in your phrase) Inire identities on the 
>principle of "always more and smaller Inires," how and where do you stop?

Good question! Theoretically, an asymtote never stops. But in practical terms
it stops where you run out of paper and can no longer see it. Same for me. It
gets fuzzy with Borski's assertion that Inire is Ossipago and Palaemon. I have
some trouble seeing that. And beyond that I see nothing..no Inire in Guasacht or
Declan or Pega, for example.

But if we are considering that Wolfe sees The Deity as a God who has unified and
broken apart in cyclical form throughout history, I'm not sure we are supposed to
see an end. I would like to get a peek at Ushas 1000 years after the Flood and 
learn what Severian's role is at that time (ancient myth or living god).

>Is this your answer to Jerry's question---that the manipulation is intended to kill 
>Severian over and over? if so, what counts/would have counted as success?

Yes, it is my answer but argh! What seems so clear to me is confusing to others. I
am suggesting that Severian has a power from the Increate which is beyond anything
that any other character, including Tzadkiel, can possess. Naturally superhuman 
alien beings on Urth are aware of this power and are jealous of it. (contrast with
B and F who kneel to Severian. 

The urth-bound aliens would like to have what Severian has.  So, when he is too young 
to understand his own power, they test Severian tempting him in various ways and trying 
to kill him in various ways and presenting him with injured friends and strangers to heal.

They know he won't die from the avern or anything else (though obviously the dupes
Agia and Agilus don't know that). They just want to see how he will manage to recover 
himself (hence the baboon guy who looks in on Severian as he convalesces). They wonder 
if he will unknowingly resurrect his own grandmother from a lake full of thousands of 
dead bodies. What would happen if he were duped into resurrecting his own former self
(Apu PUnchau)?  It all started in the past with Ceryx and Zama, imho. When the 
Conciliator disappeared they (not being pawns in time perception) knew he'd be back 
one day, and they were ready and waiting for severian with these tests.

And, yes, of course they failed. They had to. It was written. It would be as if Dionysus
became aware of this new guy, Jesus coming up and decided to tempt him in the desert
and make an ally of him or replace him or something like that.

And yes, the pagan gods are associated with evil. Not because of simple human morality.
Humans openly embrace evil as a moral positive during many periods of history. Evil is 
defined as separation from God. Isn't that separation what turned light-bearing Lucifer 
into evil Satan?

Do we know for sure that Dionysus and his Greek precursors and gnostic successors (like
Abraxas, Azazel etc.) were not, in some sense evil and satanic? Surely no matter what he 
did, Dionysus/Great God Pan/Green Man, etc. could never be as close to God as Jesus, right?

>How might Inire or Hethor derive personal benefit from whatever they find Severian to be, 
>if their desire is immortality?

They are immortal. But they are Urth-bound and separated from the Increate. Humanity may fear
them and become enthralled by them but they aren't worshipped as true Gods (like Jahweh). 
They know Severian is connected to something higher which they cannot achieve since their
fall from Grace.

Argh. I'm trying but I guess I am not doing a good job of explaining what seems clear to me.
Time for a new post, perhaps.

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