Tristolaria Day 4 - Creative Writing

Day 4: “All Hail Anktu”.  This seemed to be the main form of greeting between everybody, whether formal or informal in Tristolaria, - "the greeting of choice".

This caused me to resolve to find out more about Anktu Robircha. As I mentioned in an earlier
posting, Anktu had obtained the methodology of using moss to make bread from Finland. This was
seen as a daring escapade in Tristolanian mythology, perpetrated by a man who had become a
national hero. In truth, I suspect that the Finns were glad to get rid of it. It was only ever used as a last
resort for example during times of great hardship as in a situation such as the second world war.

On the plus side however in Tristolaria, the situation had been dire. Starvation was ever present as
food crops would not grow easily in the climatic conditions and animals were even rarer.

Birds did breed in the country usually nesting on the ground as trees were few and far between. This
later fact meant that arrows were not easily come by (you need fairly long straight branches to make
arrows that hit the target) and as explosives were unreliable due to the weather ( yes you guessed!)
hunting birds was basically done by slingshot. A hit and miss method, unfortunately more miss than
hit in the hands of the Tristolarians.

Gastropods (snails to you) were plentiful, and frogs were everywhere but after a very unsuccessful
trip to France, the eating of snails and frogs legs was banned by  A.T. Zalekiat, whilst he was still
Chief Minister and was never revived. And frankly who could blame the population.

In this situation, the ability to make bread from moss was a real godsend, manna from heaven, you
could say. It was no surprise to find that an image of Anktu had been put slap in the middle of a new
currency note. A decree from on high had introduced a new high denomination note, just to please
the man (and woman and child and - more of this later) in the street and score a political point from the "victory over hunger campaign". This led to a career for Anktu from which followed to the
introduction of several further uses for moss elevating his national popularity to previously unheard
of heights.

The growth of industry and the raising of living standards for the whole population led to his
becoming a legend in his lifetime. His present project is the search for a waterproof fabric
manufactured from moss, or its products. A subsidiary project is the search for a potential candidate
as a food animal i.e. one that could exist on moss, rather than grass. In this latter project, rumour
had it that he has again been in Finland. But more of his life's works in a later posting. For now here is the 1024 bryta note in all its glory:-

I did manage to obtain an old copy of the original image used for the note, I was absolutely sure there was something about this face (that hat, that beard) , that pipe and that shillelagh that I thought that I  recognised ..... but couldn't put my finger on it at all. More to come on this issue I expect.

After a little thought, I pencilled in a little more hair…..which seemed to belong on the face. And did I say that he was only 3feet 11 inches tall (without the hat).

Photographs of Moss -- Tristolaria

Day 3 ( later):

I found some travel brochures with pictures which I feel certain may have come from
Tristolaria, perhaps. (All these photos have been given creative commons licenses
on Flickr their creators Flickr ID is given.)

Thanks to Ecstaticist

Thanks to Greg Hefner

Thanks to Geir Helvorsen

Thanks to Pictoscribe Digitally

Thanks to Martin Labar

thanks to pipistruler


I had always iintended to use the photos as prompts for a little more writing but
I ran out of steam. Included here for completeness

See last few posts for more info

Day 3: 

 On the morning of my first full day in Tristolaria, I looked out of the bedroom window after a relaxing night's sleep, and saw a garden which almost exclusively consisted of moss. There were a few ferns here and there and the odd dead tree trunk in the distance, which of course were covered in moss like all the walls and other features which lay before me, giving the impression of green waves in a green sea. Where moss wasn't growing, there were lichens and liverworts and hornworts.

The whole landscape was a glorious mixture of green, green and bluey-green; punctuated only very rarely with reds and oranges. Glorious in their complementary nature.

I eventually reached the bank and managed to change my high value ( old and reviled) currency for a selection of notes in more useful denominations. I include here a glimpse of these notes. It would appear that the notes were redesigned after the fiasco, and the tradition of using portraits of prominent Tristolarians was discontinued. The main image was now one of the local bird life. This was quite important in Tristolaria, there were no animals to speak of and the off-shore and local flocks of birds were a major, if secondary source of food and other essentials. It was drizzling, just another day in Tristolaria, and the forecast was for rain, drizzle and heavy showers. Following my ablutions, I went down to a breakfast of mossy toast and jam (don't ask!) followed by a bacon mossy sandwhich and something the landlady, bless her heart, called moffee.

I eventually reached the bank and managed to change my high value ( old and reviled) currency for a selection of notes in more useful denominations. I include here a glimpse of these notes. It would appear that the notes were redesigned after the fiasco, and the tradition of using portraits of prominent Tristolarians was discontinued. The main image was now one of the local bird life. This was quite important in Tristolaria, there were no animals to speak of and the off-shore and local flocks of birds were a major, if secondary source of food and other essentials.

Upon stating a requirement to exchange some of my 237 bryta notes, she kindly directed me to the nearest branch of the Royal Bank In passing she did mention that these notes were not in common use because of the so-called fiasco caused by a certain Mr A T Zalekiat, a previous Chief Minister at the treasury, when he decided to design two notes including the 237 bryta note in order to take revenge on his wife. Of course, there was a different story from his wife but I don't intend to include tittle tattle in this serious travel journal.

There was actually no royalty in the dominion of Tristolaria, but the bank along with a number of other institutions had retained its title, for the sake of tradition. In fact, not only was there no royalty but little in the way of government officers any longer. There was at one time a distinct lack of funds to pay for such un-necessary frippery and as very little changed on a day-to-day basis in Tristolaria, life simply carried on as it had for centuries There was little need for new rules and regulations or laws which after all only caused problems when they were not upheld. There was no crime in Tristolaria, because people made up their own rules simply to get by on a daily basis. A very phlegmatic population, were the Tritolarians.

I eventually reached the bank and managed to change my high value ( old and reviled) currency for a selection of notes in more useful denominations. I include here a glimpse of these notes. It would appear that the notes were redesigned after the fiasco, and the tradition of using portraits of prominent Tristolarians was discontinued. The main image was now one of the local bird life. This was quite important in Tristolaria, there were no animals to speak of and the off-shore and local flocks of birds were a major, if secondary source of food and other essentials.

See previous posts for the beginning and explanation of this post

Tristolaria, day 2

Just reviewed the journal ( see last post) and because it is so very short, I am posting this without waiting.

TRISTOLARIA – A TRAVEL JOURNAL

Day Day 2: Managed to change a little of my currency notes this morning. I was struck by the design of the 1 (one) bryta note. Apparently Mr A.T.Zalekiat (a former chief Minister of Banking) was a bit of a joker, and had his wife's picture put on this note closely following the design of the 237 bryta note with his own likeness upon it.

TherThere is no record (known) of the reaction of Mrs A.T.Zalekiat to this design

I will wait a until tomorrow to ((day 3) to continue this journal

.

Just for the sake of posterity

I am aware of the time that has passed since my last post, unfortunately family illness mad it impossible for me to carry on as normal and so this blog was pushed to the sidelines. This is not yet
an attempt to rescue it from the grave, but simply to record a story which I once wrote (or at least
started to write) because of an art challenge. It was a somewhat unusual challenge but was based on
the idea of designing a set of banknotes for a fantasy country of your choice. The person who set the
challenge also mentioned that it might be fun to write about that country.

Well writing was not one of my interests at the time but I took up the challenge and started to write a travel journal based on the country I had imagined. I have just remembered this because of annother WRITING challenge and it took me some time to find it on my computer - actually archived on a external hard disc. So here are three posts which summarise this MY FIRST ATTEMPT at writing something other than song lyrics, which I hope will mean I can find it again should I decide to complete it just for fun.

TRISTOLARIA – A TRAVEL JOURNAL

Day 1: I have only just set out on a voyage of discovery to TRISTOLARIA, where the unit of currency is the BRYTA. I give an example of the 237 bryta note. This is the largest note in common circulation although for special purposes The Royal Bank of Tristolaria has issued a 1024 bryta note but which is rarely used in practice.

Other denominations of paper currency are 1, 4, 9. 16. and 52. I will post photos of these as I discover them. Like most bureau de change offices, I have only been given high denomination notes when I purchased my currency for this visit.


Tristolaria is a little known country in the southern tip of Eire, and it is possibly best known (amongst those who do know it) for its WET weather. It is almost perpetually raining or very damp. The humidity is the highest of any recorded anywhere in the world. Despite the so-called gazetteers claiming this record for tropical or mountainous regions of the world. Because of this persistent weather pattern, its main agricultural crop is moss. It is shipped from here to Japan and many other countries cultivating Japanese style gardens. It is also used in the production of whiskey but the main whiskey producing areas mostly grow enough of their own moss. There is little or no industry in Tristolaria, except sharpening gardening tools because they rust so quickly in the climate here.

Everywhere you go, the land is covered in moss and it is near impossible to grow any other crop. The constant threat of famine was raised when it was learnt that in Finland, peat mosses were used to make bread in famine situations there. A use which was seized upon by the tristolrians with great joy and rejoicing. Moss was hung as decorations on every spare wall and lamp post ( not many of the latter as the electricity fails regularly due to corrosion of the contacts) and then dried and converted into bread with a recipe stolen from the Finns by their great hero Anktu Robircha.

I must go know to claim my "bed" for the night ( stuffed with moss of course) as the dry ones go very quickly due to population pressures. There has never been so much food to go around. All hail Anktu.