Argo Cycle 2: Characters, Archetypes, and Other Beings
II. Character Types and Cosmological Entities
A. External Archetypes
Lafferty does not treat archetypes as psychological products. They do not arise from inner mental states or from individual subconscious activity. Instead, in his fiction they appear as external forces—ontologically real, active, and hard to avoid, though characters may shift between roles or embody multiple archetypes. Characters are buffeted by their basic presence and strong influence. The members of the Dirty Five are not only compared to mythic figures but openly named as such. They are the Argonauts (Iason, Orpheus, Peleus, Meleager, Euphemus) and other figures from myth and legend, including Dionysus, Apollo, Mercurius, Friar Tuck, and others. These are linked to Finnegan, Hans, Vincent, Henry, and Casey, whose earlier lives and mythic identities the narration provides [A:38–39]. This technique presents archetypes as ontologically potent external realities rather than internal psychological symbols, forcing the reader to engage with mythic structures as inescapable forces shaping character destiny. It amplifies the narrative's cosmic scale while questioning conventional notions of individual agency and psychological motivation, suggesting that identity itself might be participation in, rather than generation of, these foundational patterns.
In the “Promantia” of The Devil Is Dead, Lafferty writes one of his best known lines: “the monstrous and wonderful archetypes are not inside you, not in your own unconsciousness; you are inside them, trapped, and howling to get out” [D:6–7]. Here, the mental is redefined as part of a broader system. Conflict with figures such as the Devil (Papadiabolous [D:23]), giants under Duffey’s control [M:5, M:15], or mermaids like Anastasia [D:34 to 36] is not symbolic of inner turmoil. These are face-to-face meetings with forces that exist apart from the self. The Argo [M:403 to 405] is not only a ship but also a theological object that crosses the boundaries of known reality.
Certain locations also carry this external weight. The "Green Islands" [A:35, 88] and the "Land of the Cyclops" [A:189, A:201] are archetypal places. Even bodily states such as different kinds of "flesh" or "blood" reflect given forms rather than inner traits. The Devil Is Dead begins with a statement of this view. Its opening, called the “Promantia,” does not offer a full myth or symbol system. Instead, it presents a “structo set”: the Devil, the ogress, the mermaid, the buried body, the marked wrist, and the suitcase [D:6 to 7]. Readers are asked to arrange and make sense of these pieces, but also to recognize that they may themselves be involved, as possible victims, as referred to in the mention of the “different flesh” [D:7].
This warns the reader. It suggests that stories, especially those built from such real, fixed shapes, carry risk. Lafferty removes the archetype from the inner world and places the reader within its range. The result is a new view of story itself: not only as structure or symbol, but as a field that holds the reader in place, with both danger and meaning.
B. Creation and Making (Theopoiesis and Anthropopoiesis)
In Archipelago, The Devil Is Dead, and More Than Melchisedech, creation is not presented solely as a one-time act. While God's presence is acknowledged [M:109, M:443, M:478; A:1], the focus shifts to a shared process in which other beings, such as magi and giants, take part [M:5]. This participatory creation is clearest in Melchisedech Duffey's character, whose evolution from supporting figure to central cosmic player across the trilogy forms a key narrative arc. In More Than Melchisedech, readers see him as Magus, Boy King, King of Salem, and the “Unique” [M:5, M:17–18, M:120, M:166].
Duffey exists across repeated early lives and overlapping timelines [M:6]. He holds unusual powers: he can control unseen giants [M:5], enter minds and draw on memory [M:5, M:35], and change the world around him through a golden touch [M:5]. One of his most notable actions involves using a specific object, a “talismanic device,” to form new people or leave his maker’s imprint on still-forming human beings [M:5]. These tools—physical items such as sticks charged with lightning [M:10–11], or linked to the Argo in Teresa’s account [M:178–179]—serve as instruments in this shaping work. They give out marked traits, gifts, blessings, or forms [M:18], and they help define both the nature and path of the ones shaped [M:120].
Through these means, Duffey brings about the rise of his “creations,” a group he calls his “progeny” [M:121]. These are the so-called “Animated Marvels” [M:162], a set of people including Finnegan, Casey, Hans, Henri, Vincent, Teresa, and others [M:76, M:161, M:183]. The process is real, not as a figure of speech, and it joins the Marvels through a common point of origin and shared path. The narrative later qualifies Duffey’s creation of the Marvels as occurring only “to some extent and in some aspects” [M:446]. This path includes their place in the Argo group and the ability to recover lost knowledge or identity through Recollection [M:178]. Despite his status as Magus and his profound creative capabilities, Duffey is sometimes depicted as fallible, subject to interruption, liable to misread events (as in the prizefight with Dandy Dan [M:51]), or meeting attempts at coercion [M:302–303]. This shows the limitations even of the central creative figure within Lafferty's contested cosmology, where God retains final control.
Still, Duffey does not fully grasp or manage this work. Other beings try to influence his work. One such case involves the Devil attempting to force him to create [M:303]. The system itself allows for wide variation and trouble. The world shown here has several layers, may shift in its foundations, and includes overlapping versions of events or beings. Examples include side-by-side worlds [M:279], paired or fractured identities [M:146], and individuals with more than one self [M:477 to 479].
There is also mention of beings whose human, inhuman and ghostly natures overlap [D:26; A:39]. The sequence known as the “Great Day” even hints at a violent breaking apart of the world’s order [M:481 to 493].
Casey Szymansky, one of Duffey’s talisman-shaped children [M:120–121], reveals much of this uncertainty. He holds several identities, including Peleus, Kasmir Gorshok [A:39], and Prince Casimir [M:535]. He places strong focus on the Problem of Evil [A:154], creates imagined worlds from within himself [A:156 to 161], and in one role, builds artificial human forms out of concern for lice [M:535–536]. Because of his deep link to dark forces, some, like Hilary Hilton, suspect that he may be a kind of Antichrist within a self-aware or partially real narrative cycle [M:378].
In Lafferty’s view, many agents carry out making using real and unreal tools. The results are lasting and personal but remain open to change, disorder, and the push and pull of other forces. At its most intense, this is Lafferty's theme of demiurgery.
C. Primordial Beings & Forces (Devils)
Lafferty's cosmology across the Argo cycle presents the Devil not as a single entity but as a complex involving historical figures and the powers of mimicry and substitution, including both adversaries and a disguised ally [D:278–289]. The Devil Is Dead focuses on the mystery surrounding these figures as Finnegan experiences it. Mr. X's account at the end of The Devil Is Dead reveals the lineage; More Than Melchisedech develops further confrontations with the Devil.
Papadiabolous I (Gregory McIfreann): Identified by Mr. X as Gregory McIfreann, the Asiatic son of Ifreann Gregorovitch [D:285]. In The Devil Is Dead, his primary significance is as the figure Finnegan recalls helping Saxon Seaworthy bury in a graveyard the night they first met [D:75-76, D:84]. Seaworthy's recurring dream of this event [D:72–77] and Finnegan's gradual recovery of this suppressed memory [D:71, 75-76] form a major plot thread. He is buried in his father's grave, marked I.N.C.G.P. Bogovitch [D:277, D:284, D:288], the site of the setup for the big confrontation. X explains Bogovitch as a euphemism for Chortovitch ("Son of the Devil") and attributes the 1830 birth to the father, Ifreann [D:277–279]. Papadiabolous I is born at the turn of the century and later becomes the group's uneasy head after his father's burial in 1930 [D:285, D:288].
Papadiabolous II (Gregory McColum, alias Noonan / "Papa Devil" / "Papa D"): The "Devil" figure encountered throughout the Brunhilde voyage in The Devil Is Dead [D:15, 23, passim]. He is large, heavily built, with a purplish complexion, wears purple shirts, has a reddish fringe of hair [D:23], and employs a "red-eyed trick" [D:22]. His appearance terrifies Seaworthy [D:14-15] and Finnegan [D:15, 22]. Anastasia identifies him as Mr. Papadiabolous and suggests he may rank above Seaworthy [D:23]. Throughout the voyage, he is a figure of authority and menace, interacting with the crew, overseeing activities [D:22, 40, 54], and concealing what he knows (e.g., having watched Manuel the stowaway swim aboard [D:54]). Finnegan suspects him of killing Doppio di Pinne [D:64] and realizes he is an imposter wearing a mask [D:62, 88], confronting him during the Atlantic crossing [D:87-89]. This figure, who never sleeps [D:51], is revealed by X in The Devil Is Dead to be the Irish cop Noonan [D:154, D:287] who was masquerading as the original P.I [D:288–289]. He is killed during the Naxos climax [D:146]. His ability to perfectly mimic P.I fools most associates for months [D:154, D:289].
Ifreann Gregorovitch (Father of the Papadiabolous Twins): Detailed in Mr. X's exposition at the end of The Devil Is Dead [D:278–281, D:285–288]. Born near Krakow in 1830 to Katie Noonan and, according to X, "The Devil" [D:278–279], he is a "monster," involved with the Paris Commune, and father of the twins P.I and P.II [D:280–281, D:285]. X identifies Ifreann's father—the manifestation of the Devil—as his own grandfather and the great-grandfather of Finnegan and Anastasia [D:279]. Ifreann's grave, shared with Papadiabolous I, is the central location in the final chapters [D:277, D:284, D:288]. More Than Melchisedech separately depicts the "Loosed Devil" whose proposed covenant with Duffey forms the Sixth Contingency [M:301–303].
Related Figures and Concepts:
Casey Szymansky: His role intersects complexly with the Devil figures and the theme of evil. Archipelago confirms his Argonaut identity as Peleus [A:39] and his medieval aspect as Kasmir Gorshok [A:39]. Casey views the Problem of Evil as the world's only significant problem [A:154]. Demetrio Glauch attributes this fixation to an extreme compassion he suspects may itself be sinful [M:518–519]. His elaborate childhood dream worlds include imagined careers and darker impulses, including sadism and revenge [A:156–161]. His WWII conflicts, particularly with Absalom Stein, foreshadow his later antagonistic relationship and ideological battles. This engagement leads figures like Hilary Hilton to interpret him as filling an Antichrist role within a "cycle of quasi-fiction" [M:378]. He claims to sacrifice himself for demonic creatures, though Hilary rejects that claim [M:378]. “Promontory Goats” explicitly describes his lifelong concern with the Final Redemption of the Devil [M:518–519]; Stein reports his announced aim to trade souls with the Devil and release him from Hell [M:538]. Absalom Stein says that he and Casey have traded souls, qualifying both the trading and the souls [M:202]; Stein later describes the exchange as one of their personal goblins or kabouters [M:537–538]. The supplemental story “Promontory Goats” gives commentary on his motivations [M:538].
Absalom Stein: Acts as a key figure interacting with both Casey and Duffey, blurring lines between ally and antagonist. Archipelago establishes his presence during WWII as a sergeant with Special Service Press [A:19], where he delivers lectures, runs the Anopheles Network radio station [A:46-47], and becomes a target of Casey and the Dirty Five (the "Tania" incident [A:51-55]). Casey identifies him as the "torpedo" in Duffey's letter, who once used the name Hugo Stone [A:39–40], an identification Margaret disputes [M:111–112; M:202]. He joins the Pelican Press group in New Orleans [A:120] and serves as publisher [A:120]. His later commentary in “Promontory Goats” analyzes Casey's soul-trading and motivations regarding the Devil [M:538]. His commentaries in MTM provide important context [M:185, M:188, M:291].
Mr. X: Is the key, though perhaps unreliable, narrator for much of the Devil lineage backstory in The Devil Is Dead. He claims that Ifreann's father was his grandfather [D:279] and explains how Papadiabolous I was buried in Ifreann's grave [D:288]. Archipelago confirms his physical presence in the post-war New Orleans era, interacting with the group by visiting Duffey at the Pelican Press [A:135], leaving file cards [A:137], mentioning a wife in Milano [A:140], and later sending letters [A:265–266]. The detailed account distinguishing Papadiabolous I and II originates primarily from his narrative in The Devil Is Dead [D:285–289]. In The Devil Is Dead, he appears as a trickster figure who aids Finnegan's escape [D:173-178] and provides plot exposition [D:152-157, D:288-289].
Devil's Tetragrammaton: In Duffey's vision, the Slant-Faced Men cut the design onto Sebastian Hilton's chest. When Duffey examines the body, however, he finds plague sores forming the same design, not knife cuts [M:226]. This discrepancy hints at deeper demonic influence or symbolism within the narrative's conflicts.
These distinctions, particularly between the buried Papadiabolous I [D:75-76; D:288] and the mimicking Papadiabolous II on the Brunhilde [D:88, D:148], are important. Their confusion, exploited by Papadiabolous II and certainly amplified by Mr. X's elaborate accounts, creates narrative tension and highlights the theme of deception versus reality. X’s genealogy thus distinguishes the ancestral Devil, the elder Ifreann, and Ifreann’s two sons: the revolutionary Papadiabolous I and the undercover policeman Papadiabolous II [D:278–281, D:285–289]. Archipelago sets the stage by introducing the core group known as the "Dirty Five" – Finnegan, Hans, Henri, Vincent, and Casey [A:38-39]. Finnegan's interactions with Papadiabolous II form one of the main conflicts in The Devil Is Dead.
D. The "Other People" / Teras / Variants
A quasi-human category, overlapping with ordinary humanity, appears throughout Lafferty's cosmology in the Argo cycle [D:26]. More Than Melchisedech questions the distinction itself, treating Human and Teras as intermingled peoples of God [M:181]. Their origin remains unclear, even within the narrative. A fictional review in The Devil Is Dead discusses Royce Rollins's The Return of the Neanderthal, which links them to surviving Neanderthals or Grimaldi as “interior aliens” [D:240–242]. The reviewer, Charles O. A. Harrington, questions this claim, suggesting the theory may itself be pathological [D:240–242]. The ambiguity remains unresolved. Melchisedech Duffey lists “Gargoyles, Neanderthals, Boogers, Vagaries, Variants” among those with “variant blood” [M:170].
Characters within the Argo cycle acknowledge this difference. Anastasia’s grandmother identifies Finnegan as one of “the violent ones, those of the other blood” [D:128], and Archipelago notes that he has “other blood or the double blood” [A:39]. X, while remaining undecided about alien flesh, speaks of “a race that cuts across the races” [D:156]. The term Teras is applied to Finnegan by Askandan [A:258], and associated with Anastasia [D:139] and Giulio, Finnegan’s father [M:107]. The label Arracht also appears in Archipelago as a related classification [A:39].
This group is marked by unusual traits and abilities. Harrington's review of Rollins's book mentions characteristics such as “poltergeistic manifestations, apparitions, doubles or fetches, second sight” [D:241]. Examples throughout the cycle include Finnegan’s clairvoyance, as when he draws Henry’s dream ship without having been told the dream [A:121], ghostly presences (notably in Ward Fourteen [A:85, 87]), and the motif of multiplicity, seen in Finnegan’s description of “an upper and a lower life” [D:11] and in doubles like Doppio di Pinne [D:64, A:111].
Their relation to time and reality reflects the cycle’s broader cosmology, which accounts for multiple lives for all people [M:475–479]. A spectral presence often accompanies them. Physical differences also appear. Patricia, Finnegan’s sister, moves in a way “not quite human,” a trait she shares with Finnegan [A:174]. He refers to his own face as a “comic mask” [A:56]. Hans encounters the Cliff People, who resemble Finnegan in form and movement [A:59], suggesting they share a type. A key moment comes when Sulem, a native carver, notes Finnegan lacks tujuan (life-direction or destiny) despite having semangat (soul), concluding he is not a “human man” [A:60].
Many characters with these traits are also identified as Argonauts [A:38–39], crew members of a ship that operates outside normal time and space [M:178–179].
Finnegan is the group's central figure. Askandan calls him a Teras [A:258]; in Sulem's account, he lacks tujuan but has semangat [A:60]. He accepts his strangeness, describing himself as a “changeling of no ancestry” [A:56], a “defective ghost” seeking a misplaced soul [A:56], and feeling like a stranger in his own body [A:92]. Patricia calls him a “changeling” and says they were “always strangers” [A:175]. The child Nauti calls him tao-bunduk, suggesting an ancient mountain being [A:64]. His duality, seen in the recurring figure of Doppio di Pinne [D:64, A:111, A:174], is developed further in The Devil Is Dead, especially during the Brunhilde voyage [D:90–91]. Finnegan eventually affirms, “I am a Teras” [A:258].
Other figures strongly associated with this group include:
Giulio the Monster: Finnegan’s father. Called a Teras by Countess Margaret [M:107], referenced as Finnegan’s father in Archipelago [A:173, A:244], and named “The Monster Forgotten” [A:244].
Eva (Ewaglouwshkoul): Accepts “Neanderthal Eve” as a possible nickname [M:400], linking to the Neanderthal theory.
Anastasia Demetriades: Descended from the “mermaid family of Naxos” [D:36], said to have “other blood” by her grandmother [D:128], called a “water-witch” [D:31], and closely connected to Finnegan on an otherworldly level [D:69]. Finnegan draws her near the end of Archipelago [A:278].
E. God
God acts both through direct, though subtle or mysterious, involvement and through indirect means, establishing the fundamental order against which the narrative's central conflicts unfold. Direct divine engagement, while rare, occurs at pivotal moments. A key instance is when God Himself comes onto the Argo to address the skeletal remains of Melchisedech Duffey, confirming his role as an Argo Master despite physical death [M:443]. The eternal-priesthood quotation ('You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedech') appears separately as the Book Four epigraph [M:109]. The Pyramid Lord and the dolphin recount God’s Pact with humanity [M:593–594]. Characters also originate from or have contact with divine states, such as the Edenic allusions at the start of Archipelago [A:1]. More frequently, divine influence operates indirectly. Providence is implied to guide events, and intermediaries like the Magi, most notably Melchisedech Duffey himself [M:5], act as agents, wielding creative or restorative powers. Duffey’s power to bestow talismans that confer "gifts or blessings or graces or formations" [M:18] suggests he acts as a conduit for a higher source. Special realms like Zabotski's "Pristine World" (operating on a faster, more essential time scale) [M:279] and the overarching concept of Eternity (a single, perfect instant outside of time) [M:468] can be understood as reflections of the divine state or origin, alongside the Terrestrial Paradise [D:233–235; A:1]. Mary Virginia invokes legends of God fashioning and then abandoning earlier worlds ("the nine discarded worlds") before creating the current one, while denying them scriptural authority [M:291–292]. Character perceptions of God vary; Absalom Stein describes God as "tricky," "remarkably good-natured," and "highly inventive" [M:478]. Though the central creative force, this presence often acts through secondary causes, allowing subordinate powers (Magi, Devils, Animated Marvels) to operate and creating complex conflicts [M:298–304, M:475–479]. The struggle is thus framed as the preservation or rebuilding of this divinely originated world against forces, particularly the Devil [M:169, M:242], seeking its corruption or negation [M:298–304, M:475–479].
F. Giants
Giants function within Lafferty's Argo cosmology primarily as entities serving under Melchisedech Duffey's command [M:5]. They represent a significant aspect of his power as a Magus, existing initially as invisible forces that can be commanded to act physically in the world or assist in creation [M:5; M:21]. Duffey estimated he had "about a dozen that I've used" and believed "there will always be as many as I need" [M:15]. Their primary role is to carry out Duffey's will, acting as extensions of his capacity to effect change and perform miraculous tasks. Specific examples include:
• Assisting Duffey in ringing a heavy church bell when he lacked the physical strength [M:15].
• Being capable, under Duffey's command, of bringing about the "Slaughter of the Kings" [M:18].
• Aiding in crafting items, such as props for magic tricks, referred to as "faber-giants" [M:21].
• Summoned during Duffey’s fight with Dandy Dan Dillard; in Duffey’s experience, they are driven away, although he wins the bout [M:50–51].
• Moving a mule through the air, an event captured, albeit ambiguously, by photographers and witnessed by multiple people [M:131-132].
Their appearance varies. Sometimes they are entirely invisible [M:5]. But when performing tasks, parts of them, specifically their hands, can become visible. The "giant hand" that seized the bell rope was clearly seen by witnesses, although the giant itself remained invisible [M:15]. Similarly, some photographic evidence shows the hands that lifted the mule [M:132]. A different sort of entity, "four black giants of demiurgic appearance," carry Casey Szymansky as a head-only person in Duffey’s projection from Adam Scanlon’s painting [M:381], suggesting that the 'giant' concept may encompass different types or metaphorical figures beyond those commanded by Duffey. While powerful, the giants are not invincible. In Duffey’s prizefight with Dandy Dan, he sees the "invisible giants whimpering away like beaten puppies," yet discovers that he has won the bout unmarked [M:51]. Their nature blends immense physical force with an unseen or partially manifested presence, serving as key instruments of Duffey's magical influence on the world.
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