Γ The Book of the Long Sun
Since Silk's canon is rather complicated and not very well-known, I thought I'd put together a brief knowledge base to clarify some points and explain some of the interpretations I've made in picking up the character. And, well, so I don't have to dig through the book so much myself if i forget stuff >_>; I hope this answers any questions you've got about terms Silk uses without explaining, and if not please comment on this entry and I'll do my best to clarify things.
It's more than a little tl;dr, I'm afraid. ^^;
The Voided Cross, or Gammadion:
This is a religious symbol from Silk's world. Its significance and its actual shape have been hotly debated, because Wolfe is a little vague in describing it, and has largely left it to the imagination of the reader. When asked to describe the symbol in an interview, Wolfe stated the following:
A gammadion is any figure composed of gamma-shaped pieces. The most common gammadions are the swastika and the voided cross. (The swastika is ancient, by the way, and is found in both East Indian and American Indian art.) To make a voided cross, arrange four gammas, not touching, so that the points point toward a common centre.
Based on this description I've gone with the design on this post's user icon. There are a couple of others I actually find more compelling, but to be honest the one I like best looks too much like a swastika and while (as Wolfe points out!) that symbol has meanings far more ancient and far less inflammatory than many people realize, I thought it better to go with this one, which matches Wolfe's answer in the interview a little better, anyway.
The Whorl:
The Whorl is the name of Silk's world; it is in fact a huge generational ship. A ruler on the forgotten Urth- the "Short-sun whorl," as it is referred to by people of the Whorl- sent it out in to the universe. Eventually, he intended the dwellers to leave the ship when a habitable planet was found. Most individuals on the ship, however, are unaware of this; the first passengers had their memories altered to forget most of their lives on the old world, and those born aboard have only a dim comprehension of the short-sun whorl.
The Whorl is cylindrical, and the "Long Sun" of the title is a great band of light that goes through the middle. The cycle of day and night appears to be accomplished by a revolving band of shade, which blocks the sun on one part of the whorl while allowing it to illuminate the land opposite it. This means that the sky has no stars; beyond the band of shade, at night, the skylands are visible. Silk has seen stars, having been to areas of the Whorl where the true sky is visible, but does not entirely understand what he has seen.
Sacred Windows and Theophanies:
The 'gods' of Silk's world are essentially computer programs, based on the family of the ruler who sent the Whorl and its human cargo into space hundreds of years ago. Memories of the royal family proved too strong to be erased in the colonists' minds, and so the mythology of the gods was created. There are nine major gods (the emperor and his immediate family,) and a number of minor gods (concubines, friends, et cetera.)
The major gods are:
◦ Pas-- Ruler and father of the gods, builder of the Whorl and as such a god of mechanisms. Rules over the weather, releasing and witholding rain. Associated with cattle and birds of prey.
◦ Echidna-- Pas' consort and mother of the other seven gods. Echidna is a fertility goddess, but her jealousy is blamed for the requirement that augurs and sybils remain celibate. Associated with serpents and mice.
◦ Scylla-- Goddess of water, governing lakes and rivers. She is the patron of Silk's native city, Viron. Associated with horses, camels, and fish. She is pictured with numerous writhing arms. In reality, she was the Monarch's eldest child, strong-willed but unable to inherit the throne as she was female. Responsible for founding both the city and the religion of Viron.
◦ Molpe-- Goddess of the arts. Associated with movement, music, and all light things; also the patron of the insane. Her animals are songbirds and butterflies. She was a skilled musician and dancer, the Monarch's second daughter, but prone to fits of insanity; as such she is sometimes called Mad Molpe.
◦ Tartaros-- God of night, crime, and commerce. Associated with owls, bats, and moles because of their nocturnal nature, and with black animals of all types. His link to darkness is based on the fact that the emperor's son who became Tartaros was blind.
◦ Hierax-- God of death. Associated with carrion birds, jackals, and (like Tartaros) black animals of every type. In reality, this younger son was judged unfit to rule because of his raging sadism.
◦ Thelxiepeia-- Goddess of magic, mysticism, and poison. Provides protection against devils. Associated with poultry, deer, apes, and monkeys.
◦ Phaea-- Goddess of medicine and agriculture. Associated with swine.
◦ Sphigx-- Goddess of war and courage. Associated with cats, in particular lions. She "combined her father's fortitude with her mother's vile temper."
The minor gods are not all named and described. The Chrasmologic Writings name 63 gods (presumably counting the Nine and the Outsider, leaving fifty-three other minor gods.) One of the more important ones to Silk is Kypris, a goddess of love and sexuality, often identified as the whores' goddess. Appropriate sacrifices for her include white rabbits and doves; it is suggested that, in life, she was a concubine of Pas'.
The week is divided into seven days, corresponding with ours: starting Sunday, they are Syclsday, Molpsday, Tarsday, Hieraxday, Thelxday, Phaesday, and Sphigxday.
There is little elaboration on the yearly calendar. One date-- 30th Nemesis, 332-- is given in the text, and it is mentioned that the months are named after gods. I'm following the theory that Nemesis corresponds to December, because that makes the Phaesday of Silk's enlightenment December 25th, which seems to be in keeping with the religious undertones of the novel. While there's no real evidence to support this, for the sake of simplicity I am assuming that the current calendar is maintained in the whorl. However, if any months other than Nemesis are mentioned in this journal, I've made up the name.
Because the gods are programs, they interact with humanity through giant screens in the manteions (churches) called Sacred Windows. Theophanies are very rare in Viron, at the time from which Silk hails; allegedly Pas appeared in Silk's manteion in his predecessor's time. Silk himself, however, experiences several theophanies, both in his manteion and in ordinary Glasses (something like a video phone.)
In terms of religious practice, the augurs (priests) of Silk's world practice regular sacrifice, and attempt to divine the future through their sacrifices. Silk is a fairly talented augur, but his divination is more based on instinct and guesswork than any real supernatural ability. He doesn't see the future in a psychic sense.
The Outsider:
A "minor" god called The Outsider also plays a major part in Silk's story. Unlike the Nine, the Outsider is a god who exists both within and without the world. He is the counterpart of the Christian God in the story, still present but reduced in stature (perhaps because the old religion, like the old government, couldn't be entirely wiped from the minds of the settlers!) Silk believes he has been enlightened by this god, and as such pays the Outsider special devotion.
This is probably the only pseudo 'fourth wall' breakage Silk might encounter, since I don't imagine any characters in-game would know his canon (though if you think yours would, do feel free to hit me up about it, I don't mind. ~.^) I know we have a few capital-gee Gods hanging around, if you are playing one and want to omnisciently acknowledge Silk's epiphany, feel free to infomod him on it.
Names:
Women in Silk's city are always given the names of flowers or plants (such as Mint, Orchid, Chenille, Nettle, or Rose.) Men are given the names of animals (as Lemur, Auk, Remora) or animal products (Silk, Horn, Blood, Feather.) 'Chems,' short for Chemical people-- androids, essentially-- are given inorganic names (such as Marble, Flint, or Sand.)
Because this is a strict standard, Silk will make an assumption if he recognizes your name as falling into one of these categories, so feel free to be offended and/or correct him if he does.
The Caldé:
From time to time Silk mentions something about the Caldéship of Viron, so I should probably explain the political situation a bit.
According to the City's charter, Viron must be led by a Caldé. The Caldé has the right to appoint his successor; if he appoints none, an election should be held to determine who ascends to the office. However, some twenty years prior to Silk's current time, the last Caldé, Tussah, passed away without declaring a successor. No election was held, however, because a successor had been named... He just was not identified.
In the interim, a group of Councillors took power, an unconstitutional new government referred to as the Ayuntamiento. These Councillors proved extremely power-hungry, and among other things sought to find Tussah's heir and have him killed in order to remain in power.
This all changed when Kypris appeared in the Sacred Window of Silk's manteion. This was the first theophany in Viron for many years, and coupled with the (accurate) rumor that Silk had been enlightened, served to spark the populace into rebellion. A large faction emerged intent on returning to the Charter, pulling down the Ayuntamiento, and installing Patera Silk as the new Caldé. [This is actually where the username comes from; 'Silk for Caldé!' is the motto chalked all over walls and doors in Viron, often accompanied by sketches of the augur and his pet bird.]
Silk, although he's a natural leader, has no political ambition. He does, however, acknowledge that the Ayuntamiento is corrupt, and that they do not have Viron's best interests in mind. He is willing to accept the position of Caldé in order to restore the peace. It's important to note, though, that he'd be equally willing to surrender to the Ayuntamiento if that would ensure an end to hostilities-- he's not interested in power, only in quelling the rebellion without further violence.
It's more than a little tl;dr, I'm afraid. ^^;
The Voided Cross, or Gammadion:
This is a religious symbol from Silk's world. Its significance and its actual shape have been hotly debated, because Wolfe is a little vague in describing it, and has largely left it to the imagination of the reader. When asked to describe the symbol in an interview, Wolfe stated the following:
A gammadion is any figure composed of gamma-shaped pieces. The most common gammadions are the swastika and the voided cross. (The swastika is ancient, by the way, and is found in both East Indian and American Indian art.) To make a voided cross, arrange four gammas, not touching, so that the points point toward a common centre.
Based on this description I've gone with the design on this post's user icon. There are a couple of others I actually find more compelling, but to be honest the one I like best looks too much like a swastika and while (as Wolfe points out!) that symbol has meanings far more ancient and far less inflammatory than many people realize, I thought it better to go with this one, which matches Wolfe's answer in the interview a little better, anyway.
The Whorl:
The Whorl is the name of Silk's world; it is in fact a huge generational ship. A ruler on the forgotten Urth- the "Short-sun whorl," as it is referred to by people of the Whorl- sent it out in to the universe. Eventually, he intended the dwellers to leave the ship when a habitable planet was found. Most individuals on the ship, however, are unaware of this; the first passengers had their memories altered to forget most of their lives on the old world, and those born aboard have only a dim comprehension of the short-sun whorl.
The Whorl is cylindrical, and the "Long Sun" of the title is a great band of light that goes through the middle. The cycle of day and night appears to be accomplished by a revolving band of shade, which blocks the sun on one part of the whorl while allowing it to illuminate the land opposite it. This means that the sky has no stars; beyond the band of shade, at night, the skylands are visible. Silk has seen stars, having been to areas of the Whorl where the true sky is visible, but does not entirely understand what he has seen.
Sacred Windows and Theophanies:
The 'gods' of Silk's world are essentially computer programs, based on the family of the ruler who sent the Whorl and its human cargo into space hundreds of years ago. Memories of the royal family proved too strong to be erased in the colonists' minds, and so the mythology of the gods was created. There are nine major gods (the emperor and his immediate family,) and a number of minor gods (concubines, friends, et cetera.)
The major gods are:
◦ Pas-- Ruler and father of the gods, builder of the Whorl and as such a god of mechanisms. Rules over the weather, releasing and witholding rain. Associated with cattle and birds of prey.
◦ Echidna-- Pas' consort and mother of the other seven gods. Echidna is a fertility goddess, but her jealousy is blamed for the requirement that augurs and sybils remain celibate. Associated with serpents and mice.
◦ Scylla-- Goddess of water, governing lakes and rivers. She is the patron of Silk's native city, Viron. Associated with horses, camels, and fish. She is pictured with numerous writhing arms. In reality, she was the Monarch's eldest child, strong-willed but unable to inherit the throne as she was female. Responsible for founding both the city and the religion of Viron.
◦ Molpe-- Goddess of the arts. Associated with movement, music, and all light things; also the patron of the insane. Her animals are songbirds and butterflies. She was a skilled musician and dancer, the Monarch's second daughter, but prone to fits of insanity; as such she is sometimes called Mad Molpe.
◦ Tartaros-- God of night, crime, and commerce. Associated with owls, bats, and moles because of their nocturnal nature, and with black animals of all types. His link to darkness is based on the fact that the emperor's son who became Tartaros was blind.
◦ Hierax-- God of death. Associated with carrion birds, jackals, and (like Tartaros) black animals of every type. In reality, this younger son was judged unfit to rule because of his raging sadism.
◦ Thelxiepeia-- Goddess of magic, mysticism, and poison. Provides protection against devils. Associated with poultry, deer, apes, and monkeys.
◦ Phaea-- Goddess of medicine and agriculture. Associated with swine.
◦ Sphigx-- Goddess of war and courage. Associated with cats, in particular lions. She "combined her father's fortitude with her mother's vile temper."
The minor gods are not all named and described. The Chrasmologic Writings name 63 gods (presumably counting the Nine and the Outsider, leaving fifty-three other minor gods.) One of the more important ones to Silk is Kypris, a goddess of love and sexuality, often identified as the whores' goddess. Appropriate sacrifices for her include white rabbits and doves; it is suggested that, in life, she was a concubine of Pas'.
The week is divided into seven days, corresponding with ours: starting Sunday, they are Syclsday, Molpsday, Tarsday, Hieraxday, Thelxday, Phaesday, and Sphigxday.
There is little elaboration on the yearly calendar. One date-- 30th Nemesis, 332-- is given in the text, and it is mentioned that the months are named after gods. I'm following the theory that Nemesis corresponds to December, because that makes the Phaesday of Silk's enlightenment December 25th, which seems to be in keeping with the religious undertones of the novel. While there's no real evidence to support this, for the sake of simplicity I am assuming that the current calendar is maintained in the whorl. However, if any months other than Nemesis are mentioned in this journal, I've made up the name.
Because the gods are programs, they interact with humanity through giant screens in the manteions (churches) called Sacred Windows. Theophanies are very rare in Viron, at the time from which Silk hails; allegedly Pas appeared in Silk's manteion in his predecessor's time. Silk himself, however, experiences several theophanies, both in his manteion and in ordinary Glasses (something like a video phone.)
In terms of religious practice, the augurs (priests) of Silk's world practice regular sacrifice, and attempt to divine the future through their sacrifices. Silk is a fairly talented augur, but his divination is more based on instinct and guesswork than any real supernatural ability. He doesn't see the future in a psychic sense.
The Outsider:
A "minor" god called The Outsider also plays a major part in Silk's story. Unlike the Nine, the Outsider is a god who exists both within and without the world. He is the counterpart of the Christian God in the story, still present but reduced in stature (perhaps because the old religion, like the old government, couldn't be entirely wiped from the minds of the settlers!) Silk believes he has been enlightened by this god, and as such pays the Outsider special devotion.
This is probably the only pseudo 'fourth wall' breakage Silk might encounter, since I don't imagine any characters in-game would know his canon (though if you think yours would, do feel free to hit me up about it, I don't mind. ~.^) I know we have a few capital-gee Gods hanging around, if you are playing one and want to omnisciently acknowledge Silk's epiphany, feel free to infomod him on it.
Names:
Women in Silk's city are always given the names of flowers or plants (such as Mint, Orchid, Chenille, Nettle, or Rose.) Men are given the names of animals (as Lemur, Auk, Remora) or animal products (Silk, Horn, Blood, Feather.) 'Chems,' short for Chemical people-- androids, essentially-- are given inorganic names (such as Marble, Flint, or Sand.)
Because this is a strict standard, Silk will make an assumption if he recognizes your name as falling into one of these categories, so feel free to be offended and/or correct him if he does.
The Caldé:
From time to time Silk mentions something about the Caldéship of Viron, so I should probably explain the political situation a bit.
According to the City's charter, Viron must be led by a Caldé. The Caldé has the right to appoint his successor; if he appoints none, an election should be held to determine who ascends to the office. However, some twenty years prior to Silk's current time, the last Caldé, Tussah, passed away without declaring a successor. No election was held, however, because a successor had been named... He just was not identified.
In the interim, a group of Councillors took power, an unconstitutional new government referred to as the Ayuntamiento. These Councillors proved extremely power-hungry, and among other things sought to find Tussah's heir and have him killed in order to remain in power.
This all changed when Kypris appeared in the Sacred Window of Silk's manteion. This was the first theophany in Viron for many years, and coupled with the (accurate) rumor that Silk had been enlightened, served to spark the populace into rebellion. A large faction emerged intent on returning to the Charter, pulling down the Ayuntamiento, and installing Patera Silk as the new Caldé. [This is actually where the username comes from; 'Silk for Caldé!' is the motto chalked all over walls and doors in Viron, often accompanied by sketches of the augur and his pet bird.]
Silk, although he's a natural leader, has no political ambition. He does, however, acknowledge that the Ayuntamiento is corrupt, and that they do not have Viron's best interests in mind. He is willing to accept the position of Caldé in order to restore the peace. It's important to note, though, that he'd be equally willing to surrender to the Ayuntamiento if that would ensure an end to hostilities-- he's not interested in power, only in quelling the rebellion without further violence.