Difference between revisions of "Old Besokian World Map"

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Markings on the map are schematic, with squares used to represent mountains and hills, long horizontal or vertical lines to represent water, and loosely hatched areas presumably representing woodland. Islands are given as large rectangles, lakes as ellipses, and rivers as lines. The map itself is circular and centred on Nishûnâc, showing a mountain range to the (presumed) north and a large body of water with two islands, presumably the sea, to the south. East and west are filled by plains, bordered by a forest in the west and three lakes in the east; mountains and sea are bent into a crescent shape and meet in the far east and west, producing a world entirely surrounding by mountains and water. A river (the Besokan) is shown emerging from a mountain on one edge and traversing the map in a straight line before discharging into the sea. Several additional details are shown, including minor rivers, forests, and mountain ranges. The map has no primary direction, labels roughly rotate around Nishûnâc.
Markings on the map are schematic, with squares used to represent mountains and hills, long horizontal or vertical lines to represent water, and loosely hatched areas presumably representing woodland. Islands are given as large rectangles, lakes as ellipses, and rivers as lines. The map itself is circular and centred on Nishûnâc, showing a mountain range to the (presumed) north and a large body of water with two islands, presumably the sea, to the south. East and west are filled by plains, bordered by a forest in the west and three lakes in the east; mountains and sea are bent into a crescent shape and meet in the far east and west, producing a world entirely surrounding by mountains and water. A river (the Besokan) is shown emerging from a mountain on one edge and traversing the map in a straight line before discharging into the sea. Several additional details are shown, including minor rivers, forests, and mountain ranges. The map has no primary direction, labels roughly rotate around Nishûnâc.


23 locations are annotated with short labels written in the Besokian abugida and a later form of Proto-Besokian. It is unclear whether these labels are meant to give proper names or merely descriptions of locations; many are strikingly general terms, so ''kîrîmin'' ‘mountains’ for the mountain range presumed to represent the Reknaya. Given the language and the locations included, the map is usually dated to around 2200 B.E.B., making it the second oldest extant evidence of Besokian writing, roughly 700 years younger than the Besokian Cosmogony. The inscriptions are consistent with those of the latter in both writing and language, leading to the general classification of the language represented as Proto-Besokian; this identification has been criticized mostly based on the historical distance of the two inscriptions, suggesting a form of Old Besokian with a conservative orthography might be a better interpretation of the find. Nonregarding the language used in its labels, the map is almost invariably dated to the early Old Besokian period, hence gaining its appellation.
22 locations are annotated with short labels written in the Besokian abugida and a later form of Proto-Besokian. It is unclear whether these labels are meant to give proper names or merely descriptions of locations; many are strikingly general terms, so ''kîrîmin'' ‘mountains’ for the mountain range presumed to represent the Reknaya. Given the language and the locations included, the map is usually dated to around 2200 B.E.B., making it the second oldest extant evidence of Besokian writing, roughly 700 years younger than the Besokian Cosmogony. The inscriptions are consistent with those of the latter in both writing and language, leading to the general classification of the language represented as Proto-Besokian; this identification has been criticized mostly based on the historical distance of the two inscriptions, suggesting a form of Old Besokian with a conservative orthography might be a better interpretation of the find. Nonregarding the language used in its labels, the map is almost invariably dated to the early Old Besokian period, hence gaining its appellation.
==Analysis==
==Analysis==
The map is often assumed to represent the world as known to the Besokians in the early years of [[Besokian peoples#history|their explorations]]. It is focused on the sacred complex at Nishûnâc and includes detailed depictions of its surroundings, including Lake Marin, Tár, Pár, and the Forests of the Besokan. The large body of water shown in the bottom, labelled as ''urenân'' ‘sea’, is presumed to be the Gulf of Seligon, with the two islands possibly representing  Golim and Kirospel or Margnan. Two hills are marked by the estuary, one on each side. The western location is labelled ''menârîmor'' ‘holy site’ and usually identified with the hill of Telassin near Nendrem-Tinar; the eastern label reads mênârûnû ‘halidom’ and has been identified with the hills of the Gnangar, the Besokan estuary, and even the Beahal of Loskilón.
The map is often assumed to represent the world as known to the Besokians in the early years of [[Besokian peoples#history|their explorations]]. It is focused on the sacred complex at Nishûnâc and includes detailed depictions of its surroundings, including Lake Marin, Tár, Pár, and the Forests of the Besokan. The large body of water shown in the bottom, labelled as ''urenân'' ‘sea’, is presumed to be the Gulf of Seligon, with the two islands possibly representing  Golim and Kirospel or Margnan. Two hills are marked by the estuary, one on each side. The western location is labelled ''menârîmor'' ‘holy site’ and usually identified with the hill of Telassin near Nendrem-Tinar; the eastern label reads mênârûnû ‘halidom’ and has been identified with the hills of the Gnangar, the Besokan estuary, and even the Beahal of Loskilón.
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Alternatively, Mt. Kûrima might be a late incarnation of the Sen, seeing as both fulfil similar roles (foremost among the mountains) and their names have similar meanings (''Sen'' ‘the big one’ and ''kûmrîmor'' ‘tall mountain’). In a similar vein, the hills to both sides of the Besokan estuary could be, and have been, identified with the First and Third Hill from the Cosmogony. Finally, while this is strongly indicated by the placement of water and mountains, the map might not be intended to show the world as a whole, and absent locations could have been assumed to lie outside of known geography.
Alternatively, Mt. Kûrima might be a late incarnation of the Sen, seeing as both fulfil similar roles (foremost among the mountains) and their names have similar meanings (''Sen'' ‘the big one’ and ''kûmrîmor'' ‘tall mountain’). In a similar vein, the hills to both sides of the Besokan estuary could be, and have been, identified with the First and Third Hill from the Cosmogony. Finally, while this is strongly indicated by the placement of water and mountains, the map might not be intended to show the world as a whole, and absent locations could have been assumed to lie outside of known geography.
===List of places indicated===
===List of places indicated===
* '''Kîrîmin''' ‘mountains’, the Reknayan mountains
* '''Kônôwîs î-Ten''' ‘great mother’, the Besokan
* '''Kûmrîmor''' ‘tall mountain’
* '''Menârîmor''' ‘cult site’, the hill of Telassin
* '''Mênârûnû''' ‘halidom’ ''(identification uncertain)''
* '''Mînokehôram''' ‘land of wind’, the Ilse of Golim
* '''Mînokehûnon''' ‘land of rocks’, an island to the east of the Besokan estuary, either Kirospel or Margnan
* '''Nâkerânat''' ‘boundless’, the Rouningwood
* '''Nâlac''' ‘hand’, the Narya mountains
* '''Nishûnâc''' ‘home’
* '''Nôrâshet''' ‘land of summer’, Old Seligon
* '''Rûtûkin''' ‘forest’, the forest of Parmirgeb
* '''Rûtûkinetû''' ‘floodplain’, the Forests of the Besokan
* '''Tûkegûl''' ‘small water’, Lake Marin
* '''Tûkehôrgul''' ‘rocky river’, the Carrbeck
* '''Tûkekôloc''' ‘brushwood river’, the Estennil
* '''Tûketûnish''' ‘straight river’, the Nellac
* '''Tûnûshetan''' ‘plain’, Plain of Tár
* '''Tûnûshetêsh''' ‘trough’, Valley of Pár
* '''Tûnûshetor''' ‘marshland’, Belkondíl
* '''Urenân''' ‘sea’, the Gulf of Seligon
* '''Urgulorebelûn''' ‘three great lakes’, Amasia or the Amasian Lakes
[[Category:Maps]][[Category:Besokian culture]]

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