Saturday 21 December 2019

On The River: The Big One II

The Day Of Their Return.

As the Jade Gate swerves around an obstacle in the rapids between the Cimmerian Mountains, Jao explains:

"'Nothing here is ever twice the same.'" (14, p. 177)

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.”
Heraclitus 
-copied from here.

The Riverfolk risk wreck to reach their rendezvous ritual place because:

"'The danger is part of the ritual, Rolf. We are never so one with the world as when - Ai-ah!'" (p. 178)

Jao is interrupted by the approach of another kind of danger, Terran marines.

There is plenty more to post about the River. I had thought that Heraclitus' river was on the James Blish Appreciation blog but can't find it there right now.

Addendum: The quote from Blish about Heraclitus is on this blog here.

5 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

A man should be at least aware that he is a man, and that his life goes thru distinct stages or phases. A river, as such, is aware of nothing and knows nothing.

Albeit, some have personified rivers: such as Father Tiber and Father Thames.

Ad astra and Merry Christmas! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,
And "Old Man River...He must know somethin'..."
Paul

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

From one of the works of Mark Twain, such as THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN?

Ad astra and Merry Christmas! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,
A song by Paul Robeson from the film, SHOWBOAT, 1936.
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Thanks! I was thinking of Huckleberry Finn's journey down the Mississippi River in Twain's book.

Ad astra and Merry Christmas! Sean