Baptism and Confirmation: Shadow of the Torturer

marcobadie at katamail.com · 24 Aug 2014, 14:29 · from 2014-August.txt.gz

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From: marcobadie at katamail.com (marcobadie at katamail.com)
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 16:29:43 +0200
Subject: (urth) Baptism and Confirmation: Shadow of the Torturer
In-Reply-To: <mailman.367.1408740371.311.urth-urth.net at lists.urth.net>
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Message-ID: <NATEXJ$3E69E45C4839C737E2C92EC04F372651 at katamail.com>

I repost my previous post, revised. Sorry, I made a mess.

Marc Aramini wrote:
>I don't think Vodalus is important enough with his false coin
> to warrant a confirmation before sev gets his diabolical Eucharist.
Gerry Quinn wrote:
> Severian was arguably baptised, confirmed and 
> received the Eucharist of the Church of Abaia/Vodalus as you say - but 
> in the end he abjured that faith...

Of course, of course, this is the essential point (and I have missed it in my post): 
the power bestowed to Severian is so measureless that the sacraments administered by Abaia 
and his followers are irrelevant.

Marc Aramini wrote:
>I don't think the imagery at the start is simply baptism imagery, though certianly 
that might be one part of it.

The meaning of baptism is rebirth (from sin). 
The resurrection of Severian from water represents his admission 
in the ranks of the followers of Abaia. At this baptism the Undine is his godmother.

This is Severian's rambling on the power of symbols (the coin with the face of Autarch): 
"We believe that we invent symbols. The truth is that they invent us; we are their creatures, shaped by their hard, defining edges. When soldiers take their oath they are given a coin, an asimi stamped with the profile of the Autarch."
At confirmation Catholics confirm the pledge of allegiance to Christ made at baptism 
by their godparents, becoming ?soldier of Christ"; and Severian confirms his baptism 
 declaring himself a vodalarius, a ?soldier of Vodalus". 
 The choice is sealed by the symbolic power of a false chrisos. 
 Like for the Gild of Torturers, Severian will break this oath of allegiance.

>Usually confirmation is fully adult - I wouldn't expect it right after the
> baptism unless we had an adult convert. ( Wolfe may have been, BUT ...)
Personally, nine years old, I receveid Confirmation Thursday and First Eucharist next Sunday. 
This was the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church, at the least in Italy; today also, I think.

Gerry Quinn wrote:
>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?

Hildegrin is searching for Severian, with him are Vodalus and Thea, the leaders of the insurgency. Why Hildegrin would be interested in a peasant's woman?
Moreover, the necropolis is organised by social rank: higher there are the masoleums of the optimates, lower the burial mounds of peasants and labourers. Severian is watching the scene behind a calcedony angel, the grave of the dark-haired woman is the grave of an armigette, at least.

Thanks for your comments.

Marco Cecchini

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