Nativity & Religion

[Douglas Lannark]

Hello Terrance!

Last night I meant, and tried, to reply to your two mails from friday; but a combination of my myopic double left-handed one-finger typing on a small high-tech laptop, Murphy’s Law (natch) and any SNAFU imaginable kept on haunting me and after the third OnLine try vanished away just before completion (puff, puff), I gave up. Some Providence involved there ... ja, like nothing’s for free!

Now I am at home OffLine. Thank you for your extensive replies. I read all the info, short biographies, ect. and especially enjoyed the Henry Adams section. Extremely interesting, wasn’t aware of him, but I have lived in Europe since 1962 and not literally educated.

Now to your question concerning my remark about „if P. Had any
Catholic upbringing, it surely would be noticeable....“ You wrote: ‘Like what do you mean by noticeable?’  And that you have the opposite opinion.

Of the five or six people responding, you were the only one to take this standpoint - all others supporting a Congregational upbringing. Not to imply „strength by numbers,“ nor that, for my endeavour of casting TS’s most plausible nativity,TP’s religous upbringing was of any greater importance.

It is a good point, though, and you are right in pondering on why so many critics have neglected this theme. What I meant was TP’s upbringing and not influence. TP seems influenced by just about every direction - not only Catholic.

In GR, as I read it, most direct religous references are of a Puritan nature - TP calls the Sunday Service a „Sermon“ and not a „Mass“ and except for the „Eisheiligen“ there are as good as no references to Saints, but many to Ghosts -- or a I forgetting many passages?

Except the Mondaugen’s story, I have not re-read „V.“  since the
late 70's and cannot say much about the religous influence in this work at this moment. The same holds true for „Lot 49“ although the Thurn & Taxis (Catholic) family still exists in the Xth generation.

„Vineland“ I only read 1½ times, no desire to finish the second reading as I belonged to those who were disappointed and seriously doubted the authenticity of the authorship. On the other hand, as an Astrologer I loved „M & D“, which is TP’s most religous work - here we have a „Sino-Jesuit Affair. Nothing you’d even wish to understand“ -- perhaps you, Terrance, would and could!!

Otherwise I have never read (or seen) TP’s early stories so I’m
lost for words there. Maybe someone on the p-list can clear up, 
document, the religous upbring of TP . . . and maybe someone
could assist me in working out the birth date of TS...?!

Finally, loved that quote of M. McLuhan: „Satan is a very great electric engineer.“ What would he have said if he lived today?!

Douglas






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