From: m.driussi@genie.com
Subject: (whorl) Orchid's Manteion
Date: Sat, 15 Mar 97 04:00:00 GMT


[Posted from Whorl, the mailing list for Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun]

Reply:  Item #5705130 from WHORL@LISTS.BEST.COM@INET02#

Tercel,

I think I agree with you, since I've been working on the idea that
Orchid's "profaned" manteion is actually not so very profaned--that
it was and is a manteion dedicated to Kypris-the-party-girl, or, as
you put it (bringing Chicago geography into the picture) the "Playboy
Manteion."  (The profanity involved, making bawdy fun of the
imperious ruler, makes perfect sense for a saturnalia, or "satyrnalia"
if you prefer.)  This has echoes with mytho-historical practices--Love
Goddess temple prostitutes in the ancient Middle East; societies where
a girl earned her own dowry by serving as a temple prostitute; and
stuff like that.

An argument agin' it: the manteions we see are not so specialized,
rather they serve all the gods.  Shrines, yes (specialized); manteions,
no.  Then again, it is an interesting notion and it sure answers "Why
did Kypris show up there?" in a big way!  (It is =her= temple where
her favored rites are still being practiced, feeding whatever psionic
godfood into her divine person--via patented Wilhelm Reich Orgon
collecters, no doubt <g>.  As opposed to the Moloch crowd--they've
been on a diet.)

(Hey, wait a second--did you title yours "Thought for the day"
because today is =Friday=?  Very clever!)

=mantis=

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