Weaveworld - Religious Aspects

Religious Aspects

The novel contains several religious references, particularly in the form of character names:

• Immacolata's name is a reference to an epithet of Virgin Mary, in association to the Immaculate Conception, a central belief of Roman Catholic Church. Immacolata is often described by Barker as a perverse version of Virgin Mary. She persists on her "virtue" by keeping her virginity. She is also called in the novel by the alias Black Madonna.
• One of Immacolata's ghost-sisters is named "the Magdalene". The Magdalene is a lusty, nymphomaniac ectoplasm. Her namesake denotes a contrast to the "chastity" her sister's name declares, by having a vague association with Mary Magdalene, disciple of Christ. Mary Magdalene has often been identified with the nameless adulteress whom Christ saved from an angry crowd, as chronicled in the Bible.
• The Scourge is a being of unknown origin, whose mission was to guard a garden, wherein the Seerkind were born and remained captives, until their escape. Immacolata mentions that different religions have called the garden different names, including Christianity which has acknowledged the fabled garden as the Garden of Eden.
• The Scourge presents itself to Shadwell as if it is the incarnation of the angel Uriel, with the mission to punish the Seerkind due to their escape from the Garden of Eden.

"The Scourge rose from its throne of sand, and in an instant it grew blindingly bright. Shadwell covered his eyes, but the light shone through flesh and bone, and into his head, where the Scourge was pronouncing its eternal name. I am called Uriel, it said. Uriel, of the principalities."

• Jerichau's name is a reference to Jericho, the city of Israel that is mentioned in the Bible.
• Nimrod's name is a reference to the evil Mesopotamian king, Nimrod, who built the city of Babel.