Father Inire

Gerry Quinn · 09 Jan 2012, 19:28 · from 2012-January.txt.gz

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From: gerry at bindweed.com (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2012 19:28:17 -0000
Subject: (urth) Father Inire
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W54D2B0BB14CD9E3AFCC8BBCF970 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W54D2B0BB14CD9E3AFCC8BBCF970 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <34B50189658E48BE96A83CC74648C137@Rover>

From: Lee Berman 

> David Stockhoff: 
> > However, I can't say I've noticed a motif of describing characters in terms of animals.

> I think we do see this and it is associated with characters which are higher beings than
> humans. Tzadkiel and The Cumaean are explicitly shown in an animalistic form. 

The megatherians are, by definition, beastial.  

Since we don?t know who the megatherians were, that is hardly certain.  While the name suggests beasts, the fact of a biography suggests otherwise.

> Melito's angel takes an eagle form. The 
> armiger's daughter has her lark form.  We must wonder about "Mother Pyrexia" and what
> she turned into while confined.

The first two aren?t characters.  That said, the humans Rudesind and Fechin are also likened to monkeys.  And Agia turns gracefully like a cat.  I don?t think there?s any particular motif there, though.  People in life and in books are not infrequently likened to animals.

> I think an extrapolation of this theme makes it almost necessary to wonder what monkey
> form Father Inire might be taking. Why would other aliens take animal form and not him?

He is described as looking like a monkey (admittedly he is so described by someone who has never seen him).  But can it really be considered unusual for aliens to be described in terms of animal analogies?  A non-human living creature is likely to remind us of some sort of animal. 

> I find Talos' vulpine nature and some animalistic comparisons for other characters to be 
> invitations to speculate on their alien/angelic/pagan god nature.

On the other hand, the undines don?t seem to be likened to any particular animal, nor are the sea monsters Abaia etc.  Nor is Typhon.

> IMHO, the snake and bird and fish (and Pig) associations found in Long/Short Sun for 
> superhuman characters continue this theme.      

Some of the gods have strong animal associations, but others don?t have anything much.

- Gerry Quinn

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