Urth Net
Silk's Void Cross
↰ answers David_Lebling
· by quotation
Dave writes:
22 quoted lines
[Posted from Whorl, the mailing list for Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun]
A few minutes with the encyclopedia both illuminates and obscures. Silk's cross is referred to as a "gammadion," and as a "voided cross." As it happens, and has been already pointed out, the swastika or "fylfot" is a gammadion (because it is made up of four gammas). (A voided cross is one with a hole in the center of it.)
However, there's another definition of a gammadion (from the OED): "voided greek cross," where the gammas are "back-to-back." Unfortunately, there is no picture. However, a greek cross is one where the arms of the cross are equal in length (a roman cross, more commonly seen, has the lower arm longer).
Silk's cross has an "X-shaped void" in it, according to Nightside. So, there are several possible looks one could imagine. The only one I could come up with that matches all the criteria is:
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This looks rather like the cross one used to see on German warplanes (WWI vintage, for example).
It has the problem that the gammas aren't attached to each other, but that's a small drawback, easily cured by a small connector at the end of each arm.
Dave Lebling
(david_lebling at avid.com)
Dave,
I like your diagram it does seem to allow for the void-cross, and
it is a nice plus-sign shape. I can find two things to take exception. One: The disconnected gammas which you mentioned. It would be more elegant if the gammas were self connected, not needing a framework to keep them together. Two: Gammas do not have arms of equal length. They look like an upside down capitol "L".
XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXX
XXXX
XXXX
XXXX
XXXX
XXXX
XXXX
Here is my best guess for Silk's gammadion:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOO
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOO
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOO
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO XXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO XXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO XXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO XXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXX OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXX OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXX OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXX OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
OOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
OOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
OOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
This has the advantage of being connected and built exclusively from four gamma shaped objects. One can see how Silk could use a gamma as a screwdriver for tightening the power connections on a window.
Question: What is a "fylfot"?
=Doug Eigsti=
douge at nti.com
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