Urth Digest, Vol 110, Issue 10‏

Lee Berman · 11 Oct 2013, 11:54 · from 2013-October.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2013 07:54:03 -0400
Subject: (urth) =?windows-1256?q?Urth_Digest=2C_Vol_110=2C_Issue_10=FE?=
Message-ID: <BLU175-W417C196625FE9F558BE20ACF1F0 at phx.gbl>

.Andreas Johansson: Was going to ask also about the chronological work-out between 
>the Whorl and Urth, since Typhon's reign seems to be much more than three centuries 
>past from Severian's age (if the astral projection to Urth isn't a time travel as well), 
>but then I realized: time dilation & relativity. Ship time doesn't equal planet time - who 
>knows how long the Whorl was really out there, and how far they've travelled?

Yes, among those who scour the text for timeline clues, many arrive at a figure of around
1000 years of age for the Commonwealth, so Typhon's reign was at least that much earlier
than Severian's time.

Moreover, at the end of RTTW, Hoof comments that some Typhonian artifact on Urth 
(the Red Sun Whorl) seems older than 300 years, and SilkHorn confirms that it is,
indeed much older. Time dilation seems a likely explanation to me.

>Typhon sent the Whorl to colonize another planet, seems reasonable that he should send it to 
>a planet that resembles a pristine Urth...

>...And come to think of it, Urthlings in our deep future/Severian's deep past travelled all across 
>the galaxy, right? Are Horn & the other whorlings necessary the first humans to reach Blue & Green?

In BotNS it is implied that the human race expanded out from Urth and changed/evolved. So some,
(perhaps all) of the alien "cacogens" are really evolved humans who have returned to their
planet of origin.  Thus B, F and O start with ill-fitting human masks which reveal horrific
faces underneath. But when the horrific masks are removed, faces of superhuman beauty are
revealed.

So, perhaps The Neighbors had a human origin?

Some wonder whether Typhon had his origin on Blue and was using the Whorl to send human worshippers
(tribute of fair women and boys?) back to his home planet.  Perhaps also back to the "Mother"?. 

(The "Mother" representing Echidna in some fashion, the mythological Echidna being the "Mother
Of All Monsters" while her mate Typhon was the "Father Of All Monsters". We do see electronic Echidna
having a zest for human sacrifice in Long Sun and The Mother on Blue enjoying drowned sailors.)

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