Who is the Long Sun?

James Jordan · 06 Sep 2003, 14:31 · from urth-v0309.mbox · original

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From: James Jordan <jbjordan4 at cox.net>
Subject: Re: (urth) Who is the Long Sun?
Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2003 09:31:36 -0500
Message-ID: <urth-v0309-4036 at digest.urth.net>
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At 01:40 AM 9/6/2003, you wrote:
>There is an obvious analog to Auk in the New Sun books - Hildegrim the
>badger.
>
>Like Auk, Hildegrim is tall, heavy, dark and strong,  starts out as our
>hero's mentor, is morally ambiguous, and comes to a bad end.
>
>And there is a near-"twinning" in the scene with Apu-Punchau in the dead
>town
>
>Auk/Hildegrim seems to be the *false* brother
>
>
>     hartshorn

There is Biblical background for this also, with Cain and Abel, and even=20
more, the twins Esau and Jacob. Behind these pairs are Lucifer and the=20
Angel of Yahweh, who wrestle for the soul.
         There seem to be some differences between Wolfe's two narratives.=20
Severian is a morally ambiguous man who is becoming better; Hildegrim is a=20
morally ambiguous man who becomes worse, iirc.
         Auk is a bit more like a Peter to Silk's Jesus. If Auk is the LS,=20
perhaps it is because he is "in union with" Silk, and Silk is the more=20
foundational LS. Perhaps it's relevant that Mucor confuses Silk and Auk in=20
*Exodus,* which is after the resurrection of Silk, when, so to speak, his=20
spirit is going forth to unite others to him.
         Of course, that does not explain why Auk thinks of himself as the=20
LS in *Calde.*
         Of course, in a narrative full of clones, there is probably more=20
to it than that. Hmmm. Speculation: Auk is a clone of the god who controls=20
the LS, who is a son of Typhon/Pas. Silk is a clone of Typhon/Pas. They are=20
son and father, clonely. That would fit with the theme of Silk acting as=20
father (patera) to Auk.
         This would lead to saying that Pas and Silk are the LS, and the=20
god and Auk are "son of" the LS.
         Don't know if this advances things any.

Nutria

Nutria


--=20

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