Re: Some geography and culture

[Padraic Brown <agricola@wam.umd.edu>]

On Wed, 14 Jan 1998, Andrew Smith wrote:

> Last night I finished reading The Age of Arthur and making notes.  It took
> me several months but it has been worth it.  The book explores British
> history between 600-800 so it gives a foundation to what Kemrese history
> would become.

Sounds like an interesting book.  I'm currently wading through King
Arthur, the Real Story.  I'm mostly looking for tidbits about Cornwall,
and have gotten a fair amount with respect to King Mark and Tristan.

Anyway, I thought I might add a bit about Dunein, which in large part
seems to mesh rather well.  Comments are of course welcome.

> 
> The king of Kemr is not just a rhui, he is ill Terruin.  As an adjective
> terruin means 'of the land'.  King Gereint XIII is not just a lord, but he
> is the overlord of the land.  The Chomro use this title exclusively for
> the King.

A question: does his title include rhui? or is it just terruin?

The "overlord of the land" bit fits nicely, as the kings of Kerno and
Dunno long ago took the Cambrian King as their liege lord.

> 
> The aristocracy still exists, an exhausted force in modern democratic
> Kemr.  Many lords are still addressed as _illystr_, most honourable.  The
> traditional extended family, once the basis of Kemrese social law, has
> taken a beating in the last two hundred years.  But in some areas the
> selection of a _cabient_, the chief of the kindred, still endures.  The
> right of representation to the _centref_, the hundred-town assembly, has
> been lost, but the cabient still has ceremonial and social prestige.

Alas for the high and mighty!  The current king of Dumnonia (ill rech
Dunnor) sponsors a powerhouse rugby team from Esca, and several Youth
Leagues around the province, while his two sons are quite happy with
careers in the Navy.  It's said that he also plays the horses a wee bit
too much for his own good.  The king of Cornovia (il rix Cornor), in
semi-retirement now for several decades, owns a pub in Trurow not far from
the University.  It's said he brews a wicked cyder; you should drop by for
a pint or three if your in town.  When not tending the pub he can usually
be found at the railway station greeting visitors or chatting and playing
chess with the local _sendo_, or old men.  (Perhaps not too unlike our own
Emperor Norton used to do in San Francisco.)  Every now and then he takes
the train to Bodmin (the capital of Kernow) to harangue the Town Council
or perhaps to taste the local brew.  His daughter lives in Paris with
little likelihood of returning. 

Under these kings are dukes (s. dux, pl. duques), which anciently were
military leaders responsible for mustering the armies.  Cornovia has
three, Dumnonia has four.  Their function now is to lead the Procession of
the Knights of the Realm during the openings and closings of various fairs
and appearances at other official functions, such as coronations,
elections, important meetings, etc.

Anciently the Duke of Bodmin was the most important of the three Cornovian
dukes, as his responsibility was readying the army for fighting the
continuing struggles against Dumnonia.  If the king's daughter doesn't
return and produce an heir, the Duke of Bodmin shall become king.

Finally, the lesser kings (y rhoys camulor), though not of the aristocracy
per se, are accorded some honor; but have to work for it.  These positions
descend from ancient kingships of small tribes and regions, and are now
usually mayorships of towns or wardenships of more empty areas.  Several
towns have shifted to elected kings, but many still hold onto the
hereditary system. 

If by the election of the _cabient_ you mean election of a tribal king,
two of the five recognised tribes have such positions available.  Shortly
after New Year, but before Mar. 15, the Dumnonii and the Iceni (the one
being the "natives" the other having moved in during the Saxon invasions)
elect a king and a queen for a term of one year.  Their function is to
preside over fairs and to judge cattle thereat.  The main criteria to
attain such august status within the tribe are: be able to dance well, be
good looking (and single), get along with your consort and know something
about cattle.  Anciently, of course, the tribal king was really a king;
and this is really little more than a vague memory of those times. How the
mighty have fallen indeed.

> 
> Some placenames that can be identified:
> 
> Castreleon: the capital, the city of legions.
> Gwent: the home province, where Castreleon is.
> Termorgan and Defed: the provinces west of Gwent.
> Dunein: the great southern province, home of the Kernu.  It stretches from
> Land's End to Bournemouth and north to Bristol.  Both the Avon Rivers form
> its landlocked borders.  Glastein, the home of the Church of Kemr is in
> Dunein.

Dunaint in the local tongue.  Or _pays dunnor_.

Some places can here be added: in addition to Glastein, the three
principle cities are Esca Dunnor, or simply Esca, famous for Roman ruins,
temples and churches; Bodmin; and Trurow, famous for the utterly
remarkable St. Perran's University (est. 1653), the altar of which
contains the "millstone" the good Saint sailed upon from Ireland. The
railway (Eysornmearch Kernu) will take you from the vicinity of Land's End
all the way to Caerleon, and really is the only way to see the country, as
the paved road from Glastein ends at Esca, and everything west of there is
scarcely maintained stone paved roads based on Roman models and dirt
roads.

Thanks to the territorial addition of Salisbury, I'll have a bit more
geography to explore.  (The old working eastern border was somewhere west
of Glastein.)

The two remaining kingdoms that make up Dunein are Lundy and Scilly.  I
don't know anything about them apart from the fact that they're small and
even more out-of-the-way than the rest of the province.

Note that the rather liberal use of the term "king" doesn't and never has
necessarily implied much in the way of "power", except anciently for the
two national kingships.  _Rech_ has always been little more than a generic
term for a person in some sort of official position; much the way
"president" is used here (president of the company, board, US, club, etc.)

> Brechelch: the Limestone Hills, the Sefren valley province between

Ah good, a buffer zone to keep out the Provincials no doubt. ;)

> Dunein and Gwent.  Important cities include Glew and Dorgorn.
> Ill Paes: the Country, inland mountainous province divided from Gwent and
> Termorgan by the Brogaen Hills.
> Gwenedd: northwest province of Kemr.  Mont llo hEghil is in Gwenedd.
> Aberddui: second largest city in Kemr, on the northern river Dui.
> Gwrigon: largest town in the eastern border marches on the headwaters of
> the Sefren.

Is the Isle of Man one of our possessions?  It seems to be in a rather
strategic location, half way between Ireland and northern Kemr, and were a
shame if we let Those People get their grubby claws on it.

Have you any thoughts for a Dialect Map?

Also, is the area around Chippenham/Avebury in Kemr or England?

> 
> Each of the provinces has an elected governor, the Rheithur.
> 
> Hope you found that interesting.

Very much so, indeed!

> 
> - andrew.
> 
> Andrew Smith                                  <hobbit@earthlight.co.nz>
> Life is short, so am I...
> 
> 
Padraic.