Quadrifons & Juturna

Andrew Bollen · 21 Dec 2002, 02:57 · from urth-v0212.mbox · original

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From: "Andrew Bollen" <abollen at internode.on.net>
Subject: (urth) Quadrifons & Juturna
Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2002 13:57:14 +1100
Message-ID: <urth-v0212-2504 at digest.urth.net>
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Did anybody ever work out what the deal with Quadrifons is? Going  back =
thru the archives, I see suggestions that Quadrifons is the name of a =
cherub. I'm sure that's true, but I'm also sure that the more relevant =
association is with Janus, in his four-faced aspect - Janus Quadrifons. =
After all, the text describes Quadrifons as "the god of doors and =
crossroads, and much else", which sounds pretty much like Janus to me.=20

Assuming the connection with Janus is intended, why "Quadrifons" rather =
than the more usual "Bifrons"?=20

Janus was married to the nymph Juturna, the goddess of springs and =
wells. Wolfe presumably knows this, but what's it supposed to mean?  =
Like all of these speculations, anything you can make of it is based on =
the flimsiest textual evidence; but I wonder if Juturna is the Undine =
Scylla and Silk speak with at the end of RTTW; and whether somehow =
Juturna's interest in Severian stems form this? Dunno!=20

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Did anybody ever work out what the deal =
with=20
Quadrifons is? Going  back thru =
the=20
archives, I see suggestions that Quadrifons is the name of a cherub. I'm =
sure=20
that's true, but I'm also sure that the more relevant association is =
with Janus,=20
in his four-faced aspect - Janus Quadrifons. After all, the text =
describes=20
Quadrifons as "the god of doors and crossroads, and much else", which =
sounds=20
pretty much like Janus to me. 

Assuming the connection with Janus is =
intended, why=20
"Quadrifons" rather than the more usual "Bifrons"? =

Janus was married to the nymph Juturna, =
the goddess=20
of springs and wells. Wolfe presumably knows this, but what's it =
supposed to=20
mean?  Like all of these speculations, anything you can make of it =
is based=20
on the flimsiest textual evidence; but I wonder if Juturna is the Undine =
Scylla=20
and Silk speak with at the end of RTTW; and whether somehow Juturna's =
interest=20
in Severian stems form this? Dunno! 
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