time warping of botanic gardens/ female flowers

maa32 · 18 Apr 2003, 06:12 · from urth-v0304.mbox · original

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From: maa32 <maa32 at dana.ucc.nau.edu>
Subject: (urth) time warping of botanic gardens/ female flowers
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 23:12:08 -0700
Message-ID: <urth-v0304-3218 at digest.urth.net>
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I had always assumed that the thematic implications of the botanical garden=
s=20
were to demystify Severian's facility in transcending time.  Of course the=20
religious sentiments expressed by Isangoma are from South America - they ar=
e=20
also from a religious practice that forbid females from participating and=20
actively saught to kill any females that saw the rituals. Their evil deity=20
fits nicely with Agia.

As Agia and Severian approach the garden, she talks about the Conciliator=20
being the master of time, then we get a big story about how the mirrors of=20
father inire can actually fold space, or at least create beings of light wh=
ere=20
reflections meet.  One of the properties of reflected light is that in a=20
vacuum its movement would be indicative of the negation of time.  These=20
gardens are supposed to be thematically tied to different time periods. =20
Notice what happens to Severian when he finds the one with the bush that wi=
ll=20
sprout the claw of the conciliator - the passage of time is negated for him=
,=20
and he doesn't realize how long he's been there.  Here, the claw meets itse=
lf=20
for the first time - he is carrying it with him, and it is on the bush.  To=20
me, it seems clear that the mirrors bend time as well as space, and that in=20
Wolfe the two are closely related.  Remember that short story about the dol=
l? =20
I think Severian really casts a spiritual reflection back into the past tha=
t=20
Isangoma can perceive - it is one of the properties of the conciliator, the=20
master of time, as Agia just said.
Wolfe also said that a reflected bit of light that left the universe would=20
cause an object to be formed in the new universe to reflect it.  Light from=20
the past can therefore influence creation.

On a different tack, we know that the flowers of the text tell us something=20
about the women who wear them.  Thecla is associated with death lilies and=20
death roses because she will die, and shoot up from her own grave in severi=
an=20
as those flowers bloom over graves.  Agia is associated with the poisonous=20
Avern because she is a poisonous woman who seeks out heat and excitement. =20
Dorcas is a mutable expression of both experience and innocence, so she=20
changes her flowers - she seems young but she is dead, she seems virginal b=
ut=20
she has had a son and sleeps with her probable grandson, she seems faithful=20
but she leaves Severian, etc.

Given that these women are associated with flowers (an association=20
strengthened with the Long Sun books) does the fact that Agia's Avern is fr=
om=20
outer space tell us anything about Agia?
Remember that her brother wears a death's head mask, but after he removes i=
t=20
the straps are in place.  The cacogens wear two masks - one of normality an=
d=20
one of ugliness to hide their beautiful faces.  Is there any other indicati=
on=20
that Agia might be extraterrestrial in nature?  Or is that thematic link a=20
dead end?  Anybody commented on this before?  I'm sure it's come up.  Is Ag=
ia=20
an evil Cacogen opposed to Inire?

Marc Aramini

--=20

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