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Calyptra

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'Certain knowledge cannot be learnt by any entity below the rank of Know - outside the covenant of the Watchman's Tree. The enforcement of this rule is Calyptra. The three who enforce it are Calyptra also.'
'The Three and The Three: St Chiavi Manuscript'


The Calyptra is a triad of Hours associated closely with the Chancel, Janus, and the Watchman's Tree.[1][2] They are responsible for enforcing the law which forbids certain knowledge outside of the Libraries of the Watchman's Tree to be learned by any being that has yet to solve the Stag Door's Riddle.

The Flowers of the Watchman's Tree[]

The Calyptra are often referred to as the "Flowers of the Watchman's Tree"[2] which are white,[3] black,[4] and red[5] in color.

The Black Flower is the Velvet.[6] It is associated with Moon,[4] is described as "the night unwounded"[4] and as a doom or geas.[7] It appears to be the concept of keeping secret knowledge from being spoken of, lest it be revealed.

The Red Flower is the Mare-in-the-Tree.[8] It is associated with Forge,[5] and is described as "the fire fuelled by truth"[5] and as "the temptation of suffering".[9] It appears to be the concept of destroying any record of secret knowledge, to ensure that it is not discovered by those who lack the right to it.

The White Flower is the Madrugad.[10] It is associated with Winter,[3] and is described as “the silence that is given"[3] and "the death of wisdom".[11] It appears to be the concept of forgetting secret knowledge, ensuring that it cannot be used or spread further.

In "the time when nothing was forgotten", the Golden Flower occupied the White Flower's place in the tree.[12] The true nature of this flower and the reason for its replacement are currently unknown.

The Flowers of the Watchman's Tree are also described collectively as "Paper, Ink, Flame",[13] "blood, soot, and snow", and as "Night, Dawn, Eclipse".[1]

Relationships[]

  • The Watchman: The Calyptra both works closely with and is in conflict with the Watchman over the Covenant of the Watchman's Tree. They enforce the covenant, but they would destroy the Watchman's Tree if they could. If the Watchman could destroy the Calyptra, he might. [1]
  • The Chancel and Janus: There are contradictory claims that the Hours of the Calyptra are elected by either Janus or the Chancel.[1][14] One source is explicitly stated to have been censored by the Church, so the claim that Janus elects Calyptra is probably closer to the truth.
  • Suppression Bureau: The Nocturnal Branch, the precursor of the Bureau, have been called 'the lackeys of Calyptra'[15] and overall, the organization's goals of restricting and suppressing occult knowledge could be seen as an enforcement of Calyptra's rules.
  • House of Lethe: One phrasing of the Iron Chain states that the purpose of oath is to avoid the attention of the Chancel and Calyptra.[16]
  • The Vagabond and The Moth: At some point in the 1930s, the Vagabond and the Moth (along with an unknown third Hour) were forming an alliance to oppose Calyptra and expose the knowledge it would keep secret to the world.

Real-World References[]

The word "Calyptra" likely comes from from the Greek “kalyptein” meaning “to cover", which would be fitting for a triad of Hours responsible for hiding forbidden knowledge from mortals. It may also be a reference to the Calyptra moth, also known as the vampire moth.

It is possible that the colours of the Calyptra comes from the alchemical Great Work, or Magnum Opus, the alchemical process leading towards the Philosophical Stone. This alchemical process has three steps: the Blackening, which represents dissolution, putrefaction and death at a spiritual level; the Whitening, which represents purification, distillation and washing away the corruption; and the Reddening, which represent sublimation, renewal and self-awareness. An interesting fact is that some older versions of the Great Work include a fourth step between the Whitening and the Reddening: the Yellowing, consisting of the dawning of the inner solar light, maybe corresponding the the ancient Golden Flower.


Theories and Questions[]

  • Given the Calyptra's role as enforcers of Law, it's particularly strange that the triad would include a god-from-Nowhere like the Mare.


Sources[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Three and the Three (Chiavi Manuscript)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Three and the Three (Kerisham Manuscript)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 White, the First Flower
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Black, the First Flower
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Red, the First Flower
  6. ↑ Commit Edicts Inviolable to Preservation
  7. ↑ The Black Book of Brittany
  8. ↑ Commit Edicts Inviolable to Horomachistry
  9. ↑ The Red Book of Brittany
  10. ↑ Quell Witchworm Contamination
  11. ↑ The White Book of Brittany
  12. ↑ The Golden
  13. ↑ Journal of Thomas Dewulf
  14. ↑ The Three and The Three (Vatican Manuscript)
  15. ↑ Velletri Interviews
  16. ↑ The Iron Vault
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