Two Ships

James Jordan · 13 Aug 2003, 15:42 · from urth-v0308.mbox · original

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From: James Jordan <jbjordan4 at cox.net>
Subject: (urth) Two Ships
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 10:42:51 -0500
Message-ID: <urth-v0308-3885 at digest.urth.net>
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         I don't think your Whorl =3D OneShip hypothesis can stand close=20
inspection, as Crush has pointed out. Thematically, however, there may be=20
something Wolfe intended. The One Ship is related symbolically to the=20
Church: seven sided, existing throughout all of time, moving between the=20
heavens and the Briah-world. The Church-as-Ship is just WAY too common=20
historically for us not to consider it, and Wolfe certainly positions the=20
One Ship in such a way as to point to Church-symbolism.
         But that brings up Typhon's ship as a counterfeit, of course,=20
housing false pastiche religions that he established as a way to control=20
the people inside of it. Given that this is indeed the case, Wolfe may have=20
loaded Whorl with "counterfeit equivalents" to the features of the One=20
Ship, for thematic reasons. This might be worth exploring, building on the=20
parallels you have mooted.
         There has been speculation here to the effect that Typhon intended=20
Whorl to make a circular journey and come back to Urth/Lune at a time after=20
the Flood so he could take over the world again. (To wit: that Blue/Green=20
is a later form of Urth/Lune, or vice versa.)  If that theory ever is fully=20
borne out, the notion of a circular journey would be another point of=20
comparison.
         You know, just for fun: Various fringe Christian sects have said=20
that the Great Pyramid is a key to all of human history, and that it was=20
built before the Flood and is the one human artifact to survive the Flood.=20
Now, consider Typhon sleeping on the highest mountain on Urth, perhaps=20
intending to awaken and take over after the coming Flood. Assuming for the=20
nonce that this was Typhon's intention, perhaps Wolfe had this old Pyramid=20
myth in mind....

Nutria


--=20

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