V2nd, C3

[David Morris]

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07477a.htm

The most important of all the military orders, both for the extent of
its area and for its duration. It is said to have existed before the
Crusades and is not extinct at the present time. During this long
career it has not always borne the same name. Known as Hospitallers of
Jerusalem until 1309, the members were called Knights of Rhodes from
1309 till 1522, and have been called Knights of Malta since 1530.

On Tue, Jul 20, 2010 at 9:08 AM, David Payne <dpayne1912 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Ian noted Stencil's 8 skins & the 8 points of the Malta cross.
>
> Each point on the cross corresponds to one of "the eight obligations or aspirations of the knights, namely 'to live in truth, have faith, repent one’s sins, give proof of humility, love justice, be merciful, be sincere and whole­hearted, and to endure persecution'".
>
> Does this compare Stencil's quest with knightly quests? The 2 knightly quests that first pop to my mind are the quest for the holy grail and Quixote's quest for love.
>
> If we push the idea perhaps further than we should: Does each of Stencil's 8 projections embody (or correspond with) 1 of the 8 knightly obligations/aspirations?
>
> In section 4 (the train scene), for example, does Waldetar (Stencil's 4th projection) achieve or aspire to "give proof of humility"? Perhaps Waldetar/Stencil does this in philosophizing that "soul cannot commend no-soul" and in thinking that souls are "at the mercy of the earth and the seas" and that souls "need a God to keep them from harm"? (Which, by the way, is part of why it is so creepy when the "human" turns out to be an electric doll....)
>
> Another idea that is easy to push farther than it should probably be pushed: A chessboard is 8x8...
>
> On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 10:45:25 -0700, Ian (igrlivingston at gmail.com) wrote:
>> The Maltese cross has more relevance to this chapter than is apparent.
>> Here is a bit of explanation:
>>
>> http://www.guidetomalta.net/malta-history/maltese-cross/
>>
>> Note especially paragraph three and the discussion of the eight points
>> of the cross, keeping in mind Stencil's eight skins in this chapter.
>> Also, Malta, as Michael notes, is in the center of the Mediterranean.
>> That alone made it strategically desirable to the lords of
>> intercontinental warfare in times past.
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