Dragaera

Musings, Aliera

Gregory Rapawy grapawy at yahoo.com
Sat Jul 27 10:08:27 PDT 2002

(Warning: _Issola_ spoilers.)

--- Jose Marquez <jhereg69 at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Damien Sullivan wrote:
[...]
>> [Aliera] was Kieron's sibling (we don't actually
>> know her old gender) and Kieron (and Dolivar) were
>> Dragons.  With dragon genes.  The house of the 
>> Phoenix has phoenix genes.  Dolivar founding the
>> Jhereg is an exception.
[...]
> I now recall that a) the Jenoine genetic experiments

> established the genes that determine House (except
for
> Jhereg); and that b) the "tribes" or Houses were
> already more or less established. So unless there is

> some way for a genetic Dragon to also be a
> Phoenix, and also be the first Phoenix empress, my
> little theory won't wash.  Oh, well, it was fun
while > it lasted.

After _Issola_, I think we must consider Aliera's
explanation of Dragaeran genetics in _Jhereg_ to be
suspect.  First, Sethra tells Vlad that there were
originally not seventeen but thirty-one tribes. 
Second, Sethra also tells Vlad (corroborated somewhat
indirectly by the Serioli in _Dragon_) that the
Dragaerans were originally of human stock -- and,
specifically, that Aliera refuses to believe this.
It could be, of course, that Aliera's account is
substantially true but lacks some details.  For
example, there might have been thirty-one tribes
constructed from thirty-one animals, almost half of
which were wiped out or assimilated to the Teckla or
Jhereg.  It could also be that the concept of House
(Phoenix and Dragon equally with Teckla and Jhereg) is
socially constructed[1] -- a myth with slight or no
basis in biological fact that is used to support
certain social practices and institutions.  Most
likely, I think, there is some biological basis for
the prevailing concept of House (and the distinction
between Dragaerans and Easterners; there is
considerable ambiguity concerning Vlad's relationship
to the Paths in _Taltos_) but not nearly so much as
Aliera would lead Vlad to believe, or as she herself
believes.

I have found generally that the Dragaera books contain
a very interesting treatment of race and class in the
fantasy context.

-- Greg

[1] Please forgive my use of an sometimes-abused and
often-mocked phrase.  At times specialized language,
whatever its defects, is the easiest way to express an
idea quickly.


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better
http://health.yahoo.com