Claw = Fang?

David Stockhoff · 26 Nov 2012, 13:08 · from 2012-November.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 08:08:02 -0500
Subject: (urth) Claw = Fang?
In-Reply-To: <50B338EC.50208 at clueland.com>
References: <SNT123-W5499EE60BD14258AEB4B2CCF5A0 at phx.gbl>
	<BLU401-EAS4565A5258B5095FA13F9B80D4590 at phx.gbl>
	<50B16774.8090807 at clueland.com> <50B2E0EE.9020405 at verizon.net>
	<50B338EC.50208 at clueland.com>
Message-ID: <50B369B2.9040705 at verizon.net>

Typhon was certainly THE Serpent, but was he A serpent?

Is Severian something like the thorn of the field raised up to the 
degree that Typhon/Satan is a raised-up serpent of the field? i.e., the 
better counterpart to him? Are the two of them hammer and anvil in 
shaping a more morally advanced humanity?

I'm just spitballing.

On 11/26/2012 4:39 AM, Jeff Wilson wrote:
> On 11/25/2012 9:24 PM, David Stockhoff wrote:
>>
>> On 11/24/2012 7:33 PM, Jeff Wilson wrote:
>>> On 11/23/2012 10:18 PM, the badger wrote:
>>>> This is a minor point but I noticed towards the beginning of Shadow,
>>>> during the Feast of Holy Katherine, at the climax of the ceremony the
>>>> torturer's wheel appears to be covered with serpents which turn into
>>>> roses (it's all an effect created by colored paper, as Severian 
>>>> notes).
>>>
>>> Good show locating this textev, Badger!
>>>
>>
>> You have to wonder how far to take this.
>>
>> If a rose is one of Severian's symbols, and a serpent is not, then what
>> does that mean? Is the thorn of the field at least an honest adversary,
>> encountered while toiling, and the rose the best of all the thorns? Was
>> Typhon a serpent?
>
> Typhon absolutely plays the serpent's part when he shows Sev all the 
> countries of Urth and offers him dominion over them in return for his 
> oath of fealty.
>
>

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