Subject: New Names in Winter's Heart (spoilers) (FAQ worthy?)

From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2000 13:25:04 GMT

This is a can o'spoilers, so beware.

Okay, that should be enough space.

First of all, this one twigged my mind when I first read it, yet I
neglected to mention it.

Semirhage's alias "Anath" is in perfect keeping with RJ's tradition of
using vaguely sinister mythological references to name the Forsaken.

Anath was a Canaanite deity, a war goddess, a goddess who was believed
to insatiable in her lusts. She was also linked to Baal(Bhaal?) as his
sister. Now, Bhaal was one of the Canaanite pantheon that the Hebrews
had such a fun time demonizing. However, those fun Canaanites worshiped
Baal by sacrificing children to him, so he didn't need much villifying
anyway.

Needless to say, in the Hebraic pantheon, the gods of Canaan were Bad
News(tm).

It's also neat that the name "Anath" fits with the Seanchan naming
pattern (ala "Suroth")

Birgitte's new surname "Trehelion" also catches my memory, but I'm not
sure if there is any other signifigance to it besides simply "Helios."
I'm not sure how the Sun-god fits Birgitte in anyway with her
accompanying mythos. Except the archer thing (Helios became syncratized
with Apollo, who was the sister of Artemis, the archer with the silver
arrows, but that's quite a stretch).

Tuon's dresser-jackbooted thug "Selucia" seems an effort on RJ's part
to interweave a Greek flavor with the Seanchan (Seluciud Kingdom).

Tuon's middle name was lifted right out of Greek mythology. "Kore" was
another name for Persephone, and means "daughter." It's interesting to
note that Persephone was abducted by Hades, who later became her
husband.

Nice one.

RMB

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

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From: "Erik Milosevic" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2000 18:57:22 GMT

<[email-masked]> wrote in message news:[email-masked]...
> arrows, but that's quite a stretch).

Apollo was the god of archery.

> note that Persephone was abducted by Hades, who later became her

I agree.

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From: "Richard M. Boye'" <[email-masked]>
Date: 12 Nov 2000 00:31:49 GMT

> > Okay, that should be enough space.

[...]

> Apollo was the god of archery.

Hmmm. That might work. It's still pretty tenuous, though.

> I agree.

Meanwhile, we were also talking about Tuon, I was thinking about her
personal sigil which is an ancient war-cart being pulled by golden
lions, and was discussing it with Elio and his fiancee, and we have
picked up on some intriguing references.

First of all, the Norse goddess Freya was known to have a wagon driven
by cats, and Freya was also known to have a cape/cloak/mantle that
allowd her to assume the guise of a bird of prey. This would work well
if Freya was known to adopt a hawk, for the golden hawk is the symbol of
the Seanchan Imperial family, yet it seems that Freya was more likely to
be traipsing about as a -falcon. Oh well.

There are other references, though. Artemis/Diana had a chariot pulled
by lions, and of course, Artemis/Diana were goddesses of the -moon- so
that links up.

However, the final reference that we think works well is that of the
titaness Rhea, mother of the the Olympians, and wife to Cronus. She was
commonly shown as driving a chariot pulled by lions. As a fertility
deity, she was also linked to the moon.

-- 
Richard M. Boye'	  * 	     [email-masked] 
http://www.webspan.net/~waldo/           UIN:9021244
"Some men lead lives of quiet desperation. 
	My desperation makes a pathetic whining sound."

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From: Matthew Hackell <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2000 20:46:51 -0500

>From the book of Richard M. Boye':
> Erik Milosevic wrote:
> > 

[snip] 

> deity, she was also linked to the moon.

Yet you don't take it to the next step.

The archetype of the ancient fertility goddess is a bloodthirsty 
huntress, who rides on the backs of lions or leopards, or is associated 
with serpents. She is often linked to the moon as well. She demanded 
blood sacrifices, often human.

Examples: Artemis, Diana, apparently Freya and Rhea, Kali, Cybele, 
Sekmet, Inanna, Astarte (or Anath--hmmm).

Only later was this goddess "cleaned up" to become the sensual fertility 
goddess, the mother, or the agriculturalist.

Source: Barbara Ehrenreich, _Blood Rites_

Yes, the same Ehrenreich who gave an impassioned pro-Nader statement in 
the NY Times a week or so before this election.

There's definitely a predator-woman in the Seanchan psyche.

-- 
Matt

Winner of the Rose Bruford Medal for Effort