Old Now Is Urth, and None May Count Her Days

Charles Dye · 12 May 1998, 14:26 · from urth-v0011.mbox · original

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From: raster at highfiber.com (Charles Dye)
Subject: (urth) Old Now Is Urth, and None May Count Her Days
Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 14:26:15
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>From: "Dan'l Danehy Oakes" <DDANEHYO at us.oracle.com>

>> And finally the "newer" mountain ranges are recognisable as
>> such because they are sharp and rugged - in contrast to the
>> 'old' mountain that have all be carved into the likeness of
>> past Autarchs (rather than being softened from weathering).=20
>
>Those are monarchs (or emperors), not Autarchs (Severian only
>thinks so as he sees them because he does not know their
>history).

They're Autarchs.  Urth, chapter 38:

"All around us ragged, faceless peaks loomed through pent clouds.
We were among mountains, but mountains that had not yet put on
the carven likenesses of men and women -- such unshaped mountains,
then, as are to be seen in the oldest pictures."

Typhon appears to have started this charming little fad.  It's
certainly consistent with his colossal (Satanic?) ego.  Also note
the unstated implication that such mountains are not to be found
*outside* of old pictures ....

>> Did Typhon start the fashion, or was he mearly the aprotheosis
>> of it?
>
>Since he appears to have been the last of the monarchs, I'd say
>he was its apotheosis.  After him, came Ymir the Almost Just,
>first Autarch.

Given his background, and his role model as First Autarch, it's
astonishing that Ymar came within an "Almost" of Just!

raster at highfiber.com

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