Ayuntamiento

Map of the Whorl

Ayuntamiento A ruling body of five appointed by the Caldé to rule Viron. In tBotLS, the original five (at the beginning of the story) are from the same family and are named after species in the Lemur family. Later after the complete deaths of Lemur and Loris, Kingcup and Newt are added. Commentary Each member of the Ayuntamiento is thematically a serpent; moreover each is a water dragon. A newt, as an an amphibious salamander, is a dragon of the water. "Water Dragon" is another name for the flower "kingcup." All the Lemur family have, snake-like, shed their skins, and their hidden headquarters is under the waters of Lake Limna. With the addition of Newt and Kingcup to the Ayuntamiento, it becomes, thematically, the seven-headed beast of the Book of Revelation that rises from the sea and draws it’s power from the "Dragon," Scylla of Lake Limna as I explain in Apocalypse of the Long Sun.

	Lemur The president of the Ayuntamiento. Definition Any of several small arboreal, mostly nocturnal prosimian primates chiefly of the family Lemuridae of Madagascar and adjacent islands. They have large eyes, foxy faces, and a long furry tale. Etymology
	Lemur is Latin for ghost. The Lemur of tBotLS is a chemical person intended as a puppet of the consciousness of the original biochemical Lemur. Unknown to the chem copy, the original has died. By his own definition which he has applied to the gods of Whorl, this makes the chem-Lemur a ghost. Actually, Loris and (probably) ALL the members of the Lemur clan are dead with the exception of Potto. See the following reference for Potto. Commentary A lemur is also a primitive primate. This is important in tBotLS being a re-telling of the story of Aristeas. In the Aristeas theme, Lemur plays the role of Proteus (the first man). Lemur = primitive primate = “first man” = Proteus (of Greek mythology)

	Loris Successor to Lemur in the Ayuntamiento
	Definition Any of several small, slow-moving, nocturnal prosimian primates of the genera Loris and Nycticebus of tropical Asia, having dense woolly fur, large eyes, and a vestigial tail. Etymology Loris is a comes from the French `loer`, from the Latin `luridus` meaning pale’ (perhaps as in “ghost”, since Loris is as much a “ghost” as Lemur).

	Galago Member of the Ayuntamiento of the Lemur family Definition A genus of African lemurs dense woolly fur and large eyes and ears. Also called a “bush baby”. Members of this genus range from the size of a cat to the size of a mouse. Etymology Galago is the African name for these species.

	Tarsier Member of the Ayuntamiento of the Lemur family.
	Definition A genus of East Indies lemurs with large round eyes, a long tail, and long fingers and toes tipped with soft disk-like pads. It is the only primate species that is entirely insectivorous and carnivorous. One of the species of this genus is the “spectral lemur”—once again suggesting a ghost. Etymology This genus is named for their elongated tarsal (ankle) bones.

	Potto Member of the Ayuntamiento of the Lemur family. Unlike the other Lemur Ayuntamientos, Potto biochemical body has not died.
	Definition
	A genus of West African lemurs of the genera Perodicticus and Arctocebus, with a pointed snout, large eyes and ears, and a stump-like index finger and tail. A nocturnal arboreal carnivorous South American mammal (Cercoleptes caudivolvulus). Also called a kinkajou, or honey bear. It is about the size of a cat, with a prehensile tail and lives in trees. It is the only representative of a distinct family distantly related to raccoons. Etymology “Potto” is a name of Niger-Congo origin, possibly meaning “tailess monkey” or “fierce monkey”.	kinkajou
	Commentary Potto’s name suggests both relatedness and unrelatedness to the Lemur family. Potto is a name for a type of Lemur, but it is also a name for a mammal that is totally unrelated to lemurs albeit similar in appearance: the kinkajou or honey bear. In fact, the kinkajou is not closely related to any other species, exemplifying Potto’s self-proclaimed disengagement from all humanity. Also, since a kinkajou is not a lemur (that is, not a “ghost”), presumably he is the only one of the lemurian Ayuntamiento whose original body has not died. Finally, the alternate name for kinkajou – honey bear – infers Potto’s intent to plunder the welfare and freedom of the people (the people of the Whorl, of Viron, and of Silk’s mantaeon represent the bees in the major Long Sun theme, the Aristeas story).

	Newt A Juzgado bureaucrat in charge of all fiscal transactions in Viron, selected by the Guard to fill open slots in Ayuntamiento. Definition Small usually brightly-colored semi-aquatic salamanders of North America and Europe and North Asia. Kingcup A Vironese owner of a livery, selected by the Guard to fill open slots in Ayuntamiento. Definition A swamp plant of Europe and North America having bright yellow flowers resembling buttercups; also called water dragon, marsh marigold, or cowslip.