The myths help us understand Gethenian culture by giving us a look into what ancient Gethenians thought were important. For example, the myth about the two brothers who separated and remet in the Place Inside the Blizzard gives insight as to some small aspects of Gethenian culture. We learn that incest rules are different there in that siblings can have a child together but not more than one. We also learn that suicide is incredible shameful. Another important aspect is that the cold often has some presence in the myths. The cold is everywhere in Gethen, and so it shapes many of the ancient myths. The mysterious place where the brothers had remet could have been a different place in different climates such as a desert oasis, behind a waterfall, deep in a cave, or any other geological feature that could be significant to a people. The Gethenians live in a cold environment, and this part of the myth takes place inside of a blizzard. I’m not sure what could be in the middle of a blizzard, but since blizzards are so hard to see through, it would make sense for ancient Gethenian storytellers to set mysterious things inside of one.
Jacob Zollinger
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