Palgolak

Palgolak is the god of knowledge in China Miéville's fictional universe Bas-Lag, who features in the novel Perdido Street Station. Palgolak is typically depicted as either a human or a Vodyanoi (sort of a fat "Creature from the Black Lagoon"-type humanoid), sitting in a bathtub that floats mystically across the cosmos' infinite dimensions, observing and learning.

Here, he is introduced:

"Palgolak was a god of knowledge. ... He was an amiable, pleasant deity, a sage whose existence was entirely devoted to the collection, categorisation, and dissemination of information. ... Palgolak's library ... did not lend books, but it did allow readers in at any time of the day or night, and there were very, very few books it did not allow access to. The Palgolaki were proselytisers, holding that everything known by a worshipper was immediately known by Palgolak, which was why they were religiously charged to read voraciously. But their mission was only secondarily for the glory of Palgolak, and primarily for the glory of knowledge, which was why they were sworn to admit all who wished to enter into their library."

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu