reckless speculation on Typhon and Quetzal

Lisa Schaffer-Doggett · 05 Sep 2003, 00:28 · from urth-v0309.mbox · original

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From: Lisa Schaffer-Doggett <harlekin at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: (urth) reckless speculation on Typhon and Quetzal
Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 17:28:55 -0700
Message-ID: <urth-v0309-4015 at digest.urth.net>
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On Thursday, September 4, 2003, at 03:12 PM, James Wynn wrote:

>
> The importance of archetypes in understanding what is going on in the=20
> Long
> and Short Suns can hardly be overemphasized. And I agree that the=20
> serpent
> Ladon the is to be found on the Whorl.  The thing is that Quetzal is=20
> not the
> only serpent on Whorl (he's not even the only inhumi). There are lots=20
> and
> lots of them.

Yes, but Quetzal is the only inhumu who is a Sun archetype, Dionysus. =20
This singles him out as being somehow related to Typhon and Silk (and=20
Severian) imo.  According to Graves there are only two, one for each=20
half of the year.  Mr. Wolfe is an amazing exploiter of the disconnects=20
between various versions of a myth, using science fiction as the glue. =20
For example, one of the fatal (and annoying) problems with Graves is=20
that he supports an argument with the myth of Cronos and Zeus (father=20
and son) one minute and butresses the rest of the argument with the=20
myth of Set/Typhon and Osiris (brothers) ignoring the obvious problems=20
this poses.  Cloning solves this problem in the Sun cycle.  If Typhon=20
is Severian's genetic father then Silk (as Typhon's clone) is also=20
Severian's father (Cronos and Zeus).  However Silk, as Typhon's clone,=20
is also in a sense his son and thus he and Severian could also be=20
considered brothers (Set/Typhon and Osiris).  I'll belabor my point=20
with something I thought of yesterday.  I'm not sure if this has been=20
discussed but one of Severian's obvious archetypes is Apollo, or=20
Apollon as I keep seeing it lately.  Well Apollo is connected to=20
Apollyon the Destroyer who is not really a fallen angel but the=20
righteous angel of Hell's pit.  Severian the Destroying Sun.  So to my=20
way of thinking (which I know many discount) it makes perfect sense=20
that Mr. Wolfe would identify Quetzal with Typhon by identifying him=20
with Dionysis (though there are a myriad of other reasons for that in=20
addition.  What a genius!) and also identify him as the serpent of=20
Colchis through the biology (two or three books later, good lord!) of=20
the inhumi's reproductive cycle.

> On Thursday, September 4, 2003, at 03:32 PM, Chris wrote:

> You said a mouthful. I just read "There Are Doors" and was playing=20
> around tracking references to Attis/Dionysus/etc. looking for more=20
> keys that I hadn't picked up. In the process I found lots of alternate=20
> stories of Attis I hadn't known about, many of which contradict each=20
> other, and Wolfe appears to have been using ALL OF THEM, sometimes at=20
> the same time. His grasp of myth continues to impress me.
>
>
Indeed!  It's maddening.  Speaking of which, I'm being told I have to=20
go to my room and take my medication now.
Don

--=20

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