Typhon and Quetzal

Lisa Schaffer-Doggett · 05 Sep 2003, 07:17 · from urth-v0309.mbox · original

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From: Lisa Schaffer-Doggett <harlekin at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: (urth) Typhon and Quetzal
Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 00:17:47 -0700
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On Thursday, September 4, 2003, at 06:59 PM, James Wynn wrote:

>>  Anyway, the inhumi are the fabled Pajaro Cu, which was created=20
>> without
> feathers (that is, without personality), and took the feathers from the
> other creatures around him. You seem to be suggesting that they *do*=20
> come
> with personalities. On top of this, is Wolfe's stated claim that=20
> Typhon did
> not know about the inhumi (granted that I believe Wolfe lies, but not=20
> in so
> blatently).
>

If Silk and Typhon are the same it would only be necessary for=20
Quetzal's mother (or do I have the morphology wrong?) to have fed on=20
Silk.  Or his mother could have fed on Typhon without his knowledge. =20
This also handily explains how Quetzal knows so much about Typhon.  =20
Still there is the resolution of Quetzal's age vs. Silk.  A problem for=20
sure.


> Finally, associating Quetzal via cloning is overly complex. Quetzal=20
> could
> just as well become another Silk by feeding on him (which I'm=20
> convinced he
> did).
Wouldn't this still be the equivalent of his being "born" from the=20
blood of Typhon?  That actually solves the first problem.

> If you are convinced that Quetzal is to be thematically *identified*
> with Typhon/Pas rather that "merely" associated with him (as Moses and
> Alexander the Great are associated), I'd be curious to know what are=20
> your
> other reasons for this. I think identifying Ladon with Pas is so much
> cleaner.
See above.  Thematically Pas and Quetzal are the same.  Pas is a=20
download of Typhon.  Quetzal is a download (according to your theory)=20
of Silk.  Silk is Typhon (redeemed).
>
> BTW if you can explain how Severian and Typhon can be clones and yet=20
> look so
> different -- ideally if you can name some textual suggestion that it is
> possible --it would be helpful to your Typhon-Severian theory, and=20
> would
> make me extremely receptive to it. But mythopoetically speaking,=20
> shouldn't
> Severian and Typhon be brothers? Cloning would make them the same=20
> person, or
> father and son,  as I understand Wolfe's POV on it. Unless Typhon is a
> fellow clone.
I think we have a misunderstanding here.  I believe Typhon is the=20
father of Ymar and Severian is Ymar's clone.  Thus Typhon is Sev's=20
father.  Silk is a clone of Typhon, so genetically they're twins, but=20
chronologically and biblically (to borrow from Nutria) they are father=20
and son.  So Silk is Typhon's "son" and Sev is Typhon's "son" making=20
them brothers, but genetically Silk is Typhon and Sev is Ymar so they=20
are also father and son.  Whew!  I see why GW hid this.  Prosaically it=20
is awkward.  Poetically however I think it is beautiful.

regards
Don



--=20

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