Quadrifons

Christopher Culver · 14 Feb 2001, 23:37 · from whorl-v0012.mbox · original

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From: "Christopher Culver" <new_sun at hotmail.com>
Subject: (whorl) Quadrifons
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 23:37:18
Message-ID: <whorl-v0012-0231 at digest.urth.net>
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Hello all,

My first post after reading RttW. I'll admit that I'm somewhat disappointed=
;=20
the BotSS is no BotNS, but it's certainly much better than the BotLS.=20
Tormented first-person accounts are really Wolfe's forte, and I missed them=20
in the BotLS.

One of my biggest hopes was that RttW would clear up the mystery of who=20
Quadrifons is, but I admit I'm pretty stumped. My suspicion in OBW was that=20
he was the apotheosized Severian, who now is enjoying his own gifts of=20
teleportation. But IGJ totally discarded that theory.

Is Quadrifons the Son, i.e. historical Christ? Being the god of crossroads,=20
its understandable that he could also be the god of crosses. Horn's=20
performance of a quasi-Eucharist in Olivine's quarters supports this idea.

In IGJ, Horn mentions Quadrifons "whispering in his ear" in the Whorl. I=20
didn't catch any reference to this in RttW. What is it supposed to mean?

Reading again Horn's Eucharist scene at the Neighbor's altar in IGJ, which =
I=20
believe is one of the most moving things Wolfe has ever written, I was=20
suprised to see him mention that he "sacrificed for Olivine." I think it=20
will be interesting to go back through the first two books and put together=20
all the pieces now that we have RttW.

Christopher CULVER <new_sun at hotmail.com>

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