Mucor, Marble, Mother

Andrew Bollen · 26 Jan 2003, 02:37 · from urth-v0301.mbox · original

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From: "Andrew Bollen" <abollen at internode.on.net>
Subject: (urth) Mucor, Marble, Mother
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2003 13:37:17 +1100
Message-ID: <urth-v0301-2819 at digest.urth.net>
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This was probably obvious to most, but it only occurred to me on =
re-reading OBW. Prior to the opening, Mucor had made contact with the =
Mother, and as the story opens, Mucor (and probably Marble) have become =
Mother-worshippers, out on their little island. Horn says this pretty =
explicitly, of his first meeting: a fourth presence on the island (not =
counting Babbie), explained by considering an island as a mountain =
reaching down into the sea.=20

This is, I guess, the reason the fish jump for Horn, at acolyte Mucor's =
intercession, and the reason why sailors come to consult the pair from =
time to time. I imagine the Mother's sending Seawrack to Horn is also =
due in part to inormation provided by Mucor. Seawrack appears to Horn =
kind of trumped up like an expensive whore, which would fit with Mucor's =
limited experiences from Blood's mansion.

Remora I think knows. He speaks to Horn in New Viron in terms suggesting =
that there are indeed gods on Blue; that perhaps on the one hand the VP =
were scourged by these gods; and on the other, perhaps the VP have =
retreated to the ocean. He points out that Horn's single prayer on his =
way from Lizard to New Viron was efficacious: his loneliness was =
relieved, by the appearance of the leatherskin, and a wind was given to =
him. I think that perhaps Remora expelled Mucor & Marble, when he =
learned of Mucor's dealings with the Mother. SilkHorn's admonition at =
the wedding sermon in RTTW - to respect & fear, but not worship the =
Mother; and to worship the Outsider above all - is I think directed =
particularly at Remora. Theocratically, it's a way for the community to =
avoid the "Scylla & Charybdis" dilemma of worship for the (powerful, =
efficacious) Goddess, versus worship for a reinstated Pas at some time =
in the future. =20

A question which bothers me about this: If Mucor communicates with the =
Mother, why does SilkHorn need to Have the intercession of Great Scylla =
on Urth to regain Seawrack? Perhaps it's just that a direct request =
needs to go from "sister" to "sister" (we know these beings are not =
bound completely by space or time). Or perhaps "the favor" granted by =
Great Scylla is more than just Seawrack?

Another question: Why doesn't SilkHorn meet with Mucor at the end of =
RTTW? What happens to her? Obviously, he has had communication with =
Mucor's astral form, so perhaps a physical meeting is unnecessary, but =
it still seems odd.=20

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This was probably obvious to most, =
but it only=20
occurred to me on re-reading OBW. Prior to the opening, Mucor had made =
contact=20
with the Mother, and as the story opens, Mucor (and probably Marble) =
have become=20
Mother-worshippers, out on their little island. Horn says this pretty=20
explicitly, of his first meeting: a fourth presence on the island (not =
counting=20
Babbie), explained by considering an island as a mountain reaching down =
into the=20
sea. 

This is, I guess, the reason the =
fish jump for=20
Horn, at acolyte Mucor's intercession, and the reason why sailors come =
to=20
consult the pair from time to time. I imagine the Mother's sending =
Seawrack to=20
Horn is also due in part to inormation provided by Mucor. Seawrack =
appears to=20
Horn kind of trumped up like an expensive whore, which would fit =
with=20
Mucor's limited experiences from Blood's mansion.

Remora I think knows. He speaks to Horn =
in New=20
Viron in terms suggesting that there are indeed gods on Blue; that =
perhaps on=20
the one hand the VP were scourged by these gods; and on the other, =
perhaps the=20
VP have retreated to the ocean. He points out that Horn's single prayer =
on his=20
way from Lizard to New Viron was efficacious: his loneliness was =
relieved, by=20
the appearance of the leatherskin, and a wind was given to him. I think =
that=20
perhaps Remora expelled Mucor & Marble, when he learned of =
Mucor's=20
dealings with the Mother. SilkHorn's admonition at the wedding sermon in =
RTTW -=20
to respect & fear, but not worship the Mother; and to worship the =
Outsider=20
above all - is I think directed particularly at Remora. Theocratically,=20
it's a way for the community to avoid the "Scylla & Charybdis" =
dilemma=20
of worship for the (powerful, efficacious) Goddess, versus worship for a =

reinstated Pas at some time in the future.  

A question which bothers me about this: =
If Mucor=20
communicates with the Mother, why does SilkHorn need to Have the =
intercession of=20
Great Scylla on Urth to regain Seawrack? Perhaps it's just that a direct =
request=20
needs to go from "sister" to "sister" (we know these beings are not =
bound=20
completely by space or time). Or perhaps "the favor" granted by Great =
Scylla is=20
more than just Seawrack?

Another question: Why doesn't SilkHorn =
meet with=20
Mucor at the end of RTTW? What happens to her? Obviously, he has had=20
communication with Mucor's astral form, so perhaps a physical meeting is =

unnecessary, but it still seems odd. </BODY></HTML>

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