From: mary whalen <marewhalen@yahoo.com>
Subject: (urth) Re:  Inire and the Cumaean
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 18:00:21 


This is Sean Whalen (prion).

Robert Borski proposed the theory of many of the Hierodules having two
names, or an associated meaning.  He also proposed that the Cumaean's
name was Camoena and that Inire's name was Abraxas.  I have a slightly
different interpretation on their names.

Since Ossipago, Barbatus, and Famulimus have the names of Roman gods,
it seems probable that the others do, too (or at least an
association).  Inire, with the second i being long, is the Latin word
for "to begin, to enter, to come/go in" (as in "initial").  Not a
noun, the infinitive form of a verb.  Cumaean, with a long u, is not a
noun either, it's an adjective.  The first sibyl was called the
Cumaean sibyl because she supposedly came from the city of Cumae. 
These are indications that those are not their real names, or else
that a further association might be sought.

Now, here's my theory.  Inire come from Latin in (in) and ire (to go).
 The Roman gods associated with the verb ire are Abeona (abeo, "I go
away" from abire), the goddess of a child leaving home for the first
time, Adeona (adeo, "I approach"), the goddess of that child's return,
and Ianus (Janus), the two-faced god of beginnings, doors, gates, and
passageways.  His name means "covered passage, gate, barbican"
(similar to ianua, a door).  He had almost no part in mythology.  I'm
betting that Ianus is the main association/name meant to be seen (as
I've mentioned before, I wouldn't look so deeply if Wolfe didn't use
so much symbolism).  The two faces figures in with all the twin images
in the book (and furthers Borski's genealogical theories), and Latin
for Two-Faced is Bifrons (root Bifront-), which sounds much like
Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge of Norse myth which was used as the
passage to Asgard (Godland, like Yesod) which would tie in with
Inire's mirrors that are passages to elsewhere.  Ianus being the god
of beginnings and endings (January) gives a closer connection to the
word inire.  Looking into a mirror causes a person to become
two-faced.  Each part of the book begins and ends at a gateway.  Ianus
was connected with his Greek counterpart Kronos, who was mistaken for
_Father Time_ because of the similarity of their names (kronos/khronos
(cronos/chronos)).  Ianus was often considered to be the father of
Iuno and Iuppiter/Iovis (Juno and Jupiter) who were both siblings and
spouses (connecting Borski's theories about Barbatus and Famulimus). 
He was also said to be the father (with his wife Camise) of Tiberinus,
after whom the River Tiber is names, as he drowned in it (like
Severian and the namesake of Palaemon).  Ianus was married to Cardea,
or Carna, or Camise (it's confusing and is probably muddled, sometimes
they're all considered one person or different people).  Cardea was
the goddess of hinges (the Latin word for hinge is cardo, root
cardin-) and domestic life.  The others have associations with canere,
to sing.  Anyway, Cardea, or whoever, supposedly seduced men to follow
her into a cave and then ran away (what's the point?).  When she tried
this with Ianus, he saw her leaving with his second face and caught
her.  They actually completed the act, and Ianus decided to give her
the power to chase away the vampires of the night (alga...?).  They
had a child, Proca, the king of Alba Longa (Long White, whatever
that's supposed to mean), and Cardea used her power to protect him. 
Proca's children where Numitor and Amulius.  Numitor was the father of
Rhea Silvia and grandfather of Romulus and Remus (connecting to "A Boy
Named Frog").  Amulius overthrew Numitor, but Romulus and Remus
restored him to his throne.  The Cumaean may be associated somewhat
with Cardea, Carna, and Camise.  Also associated with song are the
Casmenae/Camenae, the goddesses of wells and springs, which sound more
like Cumae and Cumaean.  Hopefully these theories can help in
interpreting some of the meaning of the symbolism and naming.

prion



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