Dragaera

questions about Paarfi

Joy Jennifer Nicholson jjnichol at MIT.EDU
Wed Jan 12 07:25:10 PST 2005

This is the first I've heard of the theory that Paarfi is Sethra.
I like better the idea that Sethra has been feeding Paarfi an accurate
account of the histories which he is relating.  It seems very like her
to want to have the correct info out there, but in a form that very
few people would actually believe to be entirely true.  Even the more
fantastic parts of Paarfi's tales may have come from Sethra.  The right
people, those who would understand the truth and know what to do with it, 
will read it and see it for what it is.  The other readers are just an 
incidental side-audience.  In this way, she can disseminate vital information 
without it being obviously attributed to her.

I like this theory.

 
> On Wed, Jan 12, 2005 at 05:55:27AM -0700, Howard Brazee wrote:
> 
> > He means Lavode. You've never read Philip's theory that Sethra is
> > Paarfi? . . .
> 
> Two points:
> 
> First (and not aimed at Howard in particular) -- I was cracking a joke
> that when Philip said 'one Paarfi, accurate and indivisible, of which the
> triune aspects are Paarfi the Historian, Paarfi the Romancer, and Sethra'
> one of the three aspects he used was ambiguous.  Especially after he
> was so careful to call out specific incarnations of Paarfis.  Jeez.  :-)
> 
> Second, as for the theory - yes I read it, yes I conveniently ignored
> it while cracking a joke, and finally, no, I don't buy it.  I *like*
> it, but I don't buy it.  IMHO, it's unproven.
> -- 
> "There's a lot of my personality in my characters. I think that's why
>  smart-asses are over-represented."
>     Christopher Moore, in http://www.chrismoore.com/world_domination.htm