Lictor

Marc Aramini · 18 Feb 2018, 15:40 · from 2018-February.txt.gz

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From: marcaramini at gmail.com (Marc Aramini)
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2018 15:40:09 -0000
Subject: (urth) Lictor
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Message-ID: <CAF1072wUjSsnEQKFfK=YLKfNMcEK0G4xJQy1ujAV_Le6UtcwXw at mail.gmail.com>

This is the issue with allusions in Wolfe - sometimes the extratextual ones
are essentially external confirmation of our suspicions, but they are
usually chosen around a unifying theme. Given the prominence of Sun rebirth
death sacrifice etc etc etc in new sun any conceivable connection to a cult
of Mithras in incidental details is intentional and reinforcing at best and
aptly coincidental at worst- still worth mentioning. It is when theme does
not arrant it tht we travel the slippery slope of, for example, navigator
as jfk.

On Sunday, February 18, 2018, David Stockhoff <dstockhoff at verizon.net>
wrote:

> Severian's position in Thrax bears only the slightest suggestive
> resemblance to that of a Roman lictor. There is no "as such" here.
>
> Wolfe does not mention God or Borges either.
>
>
> On 2/18/2018 12:50 AM, Gerry Leb wrote:
>
>> In Thrax, based on the letter from The Guild, Severian is appointed
>> Lictor. As such, he is the chief law enforcement officer of Thrax,
>> responsible for the prison, the barbican, the personal security of the
>> Archon, and also, in the final scene of his holding of the office, he is
>> detailed to perform the murder of a subject, Cyriaca. He refuses to kill
>> her, and flees. In the book, as far as I can recall, there are no
>> references to Severian in any context that could possibly be connected to
>> the earthly faith of Mithraism.
>>
>
>
> ---
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