Baptism and Confirmation: Shadow of the Torturer: Chapter I

Lee · 22 Aug 2014, 18:04 · from 2014-August.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee)
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 14:04:30 -0400
Subject: (urth) Baptism and Confirmation: Shadow of the Torturer: Chapter I
Message-ID: <BLU175-W852EC8315B9D53BC2D8B5CFD00 at phx.gbl>

>Brad Harvey: For what its worth, this description is very close to both the New
>Testament (baptised into christ's death, etc...) understanding of baptism
>and the Catechism (that develops more fully the connection between the
>noah-flood, the arc, and baptism).

I think Severian's flooding of the Vincula and Silkhorn's cleansing of the sewer

on Green serve a similar connective function.

Moreover the mythological cleansing of the Augean Stables was done by an oft-

cited pre-cursor to Jesus: Heracles.

>Gerry Quinn: I'm not convinced by the connection between Severian and the woman - 
>might she not simply be the mother of the peasant who wanted to guard 
>her corpse that night?

I'm good with the association of this corpse with Severian's mother, who is likely

represented in Dr. Talos' play as the Contessa Carina. 

I think the evidence is against this corpse being a random commoner. Why would

Vodalus and Thea risk their lives just to be able to eat the flesh and live

the memories of a peasant's mother? The long, pale gown doesn't seem very 

peasantish either.

Moreover, Severian later sees her face in the face of the exultant Ultan. Plus, 

the corpse's livid face might indicate she had recently been tortured to death

by Allowin's necklace (which receives an otherwise inexplicably detailed description).

Given that Cyriaca was later sentenced to strangulation for the crime of adultery, I 

suspect this was also this woman's crime. If the connection of this corpse to

severian's mother is valid, it adds insight to the brief relationship between

Catherine and Ouen.

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