Lake of Birds

David Stockhoff · 20 May 2012, 19:30 · from 2012-May.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Sun, 20 May 2012 15:30:01 -0400
Subject: (urth) Lake of Birds
In-Reply-To: <4FB94396.7050704 at hyraxes.com>
References: <CAHPveYaQo9iYV1+3uHmvZcVpt2p9qgHhk=iNK=NBDOyzP+F27g at mail.gmail.com>
	<F9E76414D3194AAEB84EED9D12732DE2@Rover>	<4FB90582.4050606 at verizon.net>
	<4FB91007.80709 at verizon.net> <4FB94396.7050704 at hyraxes.com>
Message-ID: <4FB94639.1080605 at verizon.net>

On 5/20/2012 3:18 PM, Dave Lebling wrote:
> I have always felt that the Cumaean is in fact the same as the Roman 
> one, as literally as it is possible to be in an ostensibly different 
> universe. It has been argued multiple times that she is an alien 
> (cacogen/heirodule/...). In our history the Cumaean Sibyls were famous 
> for holding the books of prophecies which she ("not a native of the 
> country") offered to King Tarquin of Rome, with instructive results, 
> then "disappeared." How SFnal can you get without an actual spaceship?

I like it. There is of course no Cumae in BNS and no explanation of her 
name.

>
> Given what goes on in the Botanic Gardens, the idea that the Cumaean 
> and her cave might be a survival from a history not unlike our own 
> seems an easy step.
>
> As for the idea that the medieval belief that the Cumaean prophesied 
> Christ, and that that is "the link," where does she do so in TBotNS? 
> It is not all about Christ; TBotNS is not a Christian apologetic.

She doesn't that I can see, and she doesn't need to, for the reasons you 
give. But I think BNS is all about existence before-Christ, as Lee has 
commented.

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