Where the Bears Were

The land

Gently rolling ground under tall evergreen needleleaf forest, 175 m up; brooks and springs in the folds of the ground; far from any sea; cold snowy winters, no dry season.

Cover

tall evergreen needleleaf forest

Elevation

175 m

Relief

gently rolling ground

Fresh water

brooks and springs in the folds of the ground

The sea

far from any sea

Climate

cold snowy winters, no dry season

The patch

about 1.85 km north to south and 0.87 km across; 1,853 m north to south, 872 m east to west, 1.62 km²

Centre

61.9417°N 55.4250°E

What the land offers a builder

Of this land: timber, living plant, earth, stone, hide, bone, cloth, rope, fire. The land allows: ground, stilts, canopy.

Now

Wind and bitter here, 07:22 local, late autumn, full dark.

The wild

Animals here this month: brown bear (denning), caribou (wintering), moose (wintering), wolf (passing), elk (migrating), eagle (feeding).

This season: a caribou passage.

The lay of the land

• The low knoll (knoll): a rounded rise with a clear view across the surrounding patch
• The north hill (hill): a broad shoulder of high ground dry underfoot after rain

What stands here

THE TIMBER HUT — on the low knoll. House-sized, about 6 m. Timber, living plant, stone. On the ground.
"A stout timber hut roofed with living plant, set low out of the wind with a central hearth"
A roof of living plant atop the top: pitched low to shed rain and heavy gusts. A hearth of stone inside the centre: set with flat stones to hold the embers through the night. A doorway of timber facing the south: fitted with a heavy latch on the leeward side. A storage rack of timber along the north side, hung with dry provisions, cordage, and spare gear.
Of this land: timber, living plant, stone.

THE WAY SHRINE — beside the north hill. Small, about 4 m. Timber, rope, bronze. On the ground.
"A quiet timber enclosure with a carved post and a sheltered offering shelf"
An altar stone of timber inside the centre: worn smooth by salt air and rain. A lantern hook of bronze at the front: lit at dusk when travellers are abroad.
Of this land: timber, rope. Carried here: bronze.

The story, as E. Doyle tells it

Of the place

• Narrow Run was laid out by Eamonn Doyle, who marked the low knoll first and set the timber hut to face out of the prevailing weather.

Of the people

• They keep a dry stack of fuel beside the timber hut and share the first meal at the hearth with any traveller who crosses the low knoll. (heard when a people lives here)
• Before winter sets in they check the lashings and stones of the way shrine and sing the names of the first four who came. (heard when a people lives here)

The people

THE PEOPLE OF WHERE THE BEARS WERE — hunters, gatherers, and herders, seasonal, in hearth households.
Names from their own tongue. They hold the forest sacred.
They keep: winter stories; sky burial on a platform; the midwinter feast; wariness before strangers; the hearth never cold.
They like timber, snow, elk, and frost. They dislike mosquito, heat, and fog. Wary to strangers.
Their words: hearth jömla, river or sea unä, winter or the rains samjö, the dead ömohi, home vojatä, stranger ale, feast hamtolvu, child nenu, old one vomnu, the place Rutavo, the beast valhummö, the sky vamönu.
Their herd: caribou.
Founders: four. Lore: 2 lines.

Ways

hunting, gathering, herding

Settlement

seasonal

Kinship

hearth households

Marriage

either

Naming

given names

To strangers

wary

They hold sacred

the forest

They keep

winter stories; sky burial on a platform; the midwinter feast; wariness before strangers; the hearth never cold

They like

timber, snow, elk and frost

They dislike

mosquito, heat and fog

Their herd

caribou, 3 head

Founders

4

Counted

4 named folk, a household of 0, 0 born here, 0 died here

Founded

6 November 2026

Their words

hearth jömla, river or sea unä, winter or the rains samjö, the dead ömohi, home vojatä, stranger ale, feast hamtolvu, child nenu, old one vomnu, the place Rutavo, the beast valhummö, the sky vamönu.

Their lore

• They keep a dry stack of fuel beside the timber hut and share the first meal at the hearth with any traveller who crosses the low knoll.
• Before winter sets in they check the lashings and stones of the way shrine and sing the names of the first four who came.

Named folk

The chronicle

Every line is a record the land wrote; the names in quotes are the owner's words. What the chronicle does not say did not happen.

Year 1

The annals: 4 carcass; 1 founders; 1 people founded; 8 tracks; 1 ways changed.

• Late autumn, the first year of Where the Bears Were: the birds were at a dead caribou on the low knoll.
• Late autumn, the first year of Where the Bears Were: the moose left a line of prints over the north hill.
• Late autumn, the first year of Where the Bears Were: the ways of the people changed: name. kept
• Late autumn, the first year of Narrow Run: wolf tracks across the low knoll.
• Late autumn, the first year of Narrow Run: wolf tracks across the north hill.
• Late autumn, the first year of Narrow Run: a moose lay dead on the low knoll; the birds came.
• Late autumn, the first year of Narrow Run: wolf tracks across the low knoll.
• Late autumn, the first year of Narrow Run: a caribou lay dead on the low knoll; the birds came.
• Late autumn, the first year of Narrow Run: moose tracks across the north hill.
• Late autumn, the first year of Narrow Run: wolf tracks across the low knoll.
• Late autumn, the first year of Narrow Run: wolf tracks across the north hill.
• Late autumn, the first year of Narrow Run: a moose lay dead on the low knoll; the birds came.
• Late autumn, the first year of Narrow Run: four came to Narrow Run and lit the hearth. The net-mender "Ovo", the fire-keeper "Vältö", the keeper of the shrine "Vilo", the lamp-lighter "Reläre". kept
• Late autumn, the first year of Narrow Run: wolf tracks across the low knoll.
• Late autumn, the first year of Narrow Run: Eamonn Doyle called a people to Narrow Run: the people of Narrow Run. kept

Here now

the net-mender "Ovo" (folk) · the fire-keeper "Vältö" (folk) · the keeper of the shrine "Vilo" (folk) · the lamp-lighter "Reläre" (folk)