ATDDTA (8) Towers of Silence (209:26)

[David Morris]

One reason would be for contrast with the Persian version.  In
Jeshimon the ritual is perverted to a more Western end.
"Sophisticated world travelers" would be western tourists, or possibly
soldiers.  This would be their "export" of the Persian ritual.

David Morris

On 5/2/07, Keith <keithsz at mac.com> wrote:
> I would agree. So why do you think Pynchon tosses in a reference to the Persian ritual 'quickly identified by sophisticated world travelers' right in the middle of the all the Biblical and Lutheran references?
>
> On May 2, 2007, at 7:48 AM, David Morris wrote:
>
> The elevated dead at Jeshimon seem more of the Christian kind: torture, execution and humiliation.