The Length of the Vosk

By Hersius

Introduction

The length of the Vosk is crucial for determining the westward distance of the northern plains. As discussed earlier, Norman used Turkish and Aegean references for Gorean places, and to some extent, Turkey becomes a model for the continent. As the Gor series progresses, it becomes apparent that a model more resembling Africa better describes the totality of the Gorean supercontinent. TGV March 2003, Oct 2003. Once a gently-curving west coast model is supplanted by a projecting northern coast model, the question becomes how far the projection occurs. Online maps are based on a model in which places neighbor each other closely and in which the coastline squiggles in a more or less north-south line. An African-looking model dispels that image and relocates places farther apart on a more planetary scale. The length of the Vosk is key to understanding those distances. Your mileage will vary considerably depending on how far out you place the various Vosk River settlements.

Settlements may be grouped in ways having nothing to do with their geographic proximity. For example, a political alliance may be based on strategic locations. It is possible that Vosk towns become referred to as a group becuse they ally in order to commonly patrol or organize commerce along a stretch of river. Such details are not expounded in the Books, however, and the geographer is left with geographic concerns to make whatever interpretive insights can be made.

To get the scale of the Vosk, one must decide how to locate the settlements along it. The settlements can either be bunched up, stretched out, or spaced somewhat evenly while keeping groupings in mind.

The appearance of settlement groupings is important for two reasons.

The first is the idea that settlements within the grouping have to be spaced far enough apart to be independent places with their own territories of influence while being spaced close enough together to be a recognizable logical grouping. How close is too close? At what distance do settlements not become distinguished on a map? At what distance do places no longer seem appropriately grouped together? Recall that at 50N one degree of longitude covers about 55 pasangs of ground. TGV July 2006. Are 1 or 2 degrees of distance apart sufficient to give a place some elbow room while keeping its neighbors part of the neighborhood?

The second is that settlement groupings and settlements not belonging to a group have to be spaced far enough apart to make them recognizable as distinct groupings or as un-grouped settlements. How far is far enough? If settlements group at one or two degrees of longitude, would a distance between five and ten degrees work to show non-affiliation with a group? What distance apart would result in unbelievability?

Note that the length of the Vosk cannot be shortened much by making it “meander.” The sheer volume and continued enhancement by feeder rivers keeps it flowing strongly. It is said to flow westward, and when Norman means southwest or northwest, he says so. The Vosk breaks up only at the delta, where it splits up into flooding an area as large as, well, refer back to TVG May 2003 for an idea of how much water must be acarried by the Vosk. I picture a more or less direct flow more resembling Australia’s Darling, or Indochina’ Mekong minus the mountains that bend it for a bit, or the United States’s Mississippi.

Using the estimates below, the Vosk covers some 80 degrees of longitude, which represents some 4,368 pasangs. TGV July 2006. With the Vosk extending to 85W and the delta occupying the planet’s surface westward beyond that, the continental landspace becomes even more extended westward, and a model more resembling Africa takes shape for the supercontinent. The delta extends from east to west for anywhere between 600 and 800 pasangs. TGV May 2003. Twenty degrees of longitude at 50N covers 819 pasangs. TGV July 2006. One could therefore place Port Kar fifteen degrees beyond Turmus at 100W, with marshes along the shallow gulf to the north and south of Port Kar accounting for the remaining delta distances. Since the islands of Cos and Tyros are some 400 pasangs west of Port Kar, they would then be located at some 8 degrees west and so at about 108W.

Note that 180 degrees of longitude is half a globe’s worth. With the island ubarates at 50 N 108W and the southeastern corner of the Tahari previewed here at 11N 69E, the supercontinent from known west to known east can be seen to cover the entire longitudinal distance of half the globe.

Vosk Settlements

The west-to-east ordering of towns, minus Ar’s Station, is found at Book 16 Page 235. Most of the major settlements along the Vosk are on its northern bank. Book 23 Page 442.

These articles estimate the Vosk leaving the Voltai at 52N 5W.

Lara, White Water, and Tancred’s Landing seem to constitute a grouping. Lara is the easternmost settlement named on the Vosk. It is located at the confluence of the Olni and the Vosk, between the Vosk on its south side and the Olni to its west. The flows of the rivers establish that Lara is the highest in elevation of the Vosk settlements. These articles place Lara at 52N 6W. Book 14 Pages 171, 172; Book 15 Pages 15, 38, 44, 62; Book 16 Page 124; Book 23 Page 442.

White Water is the next settlement named westward on the Vosk. The change in elevation from Lara is dramatically shown by the rapids that characterize the Vosk near White Water. White Water is on the northern side of the Vosk. These articles place White Water at 51N 8W. Book 15 Page 62; Book 23 Page 34; Book 23 Page 442.

Tancred’s Landing seems to be the place where the elevation-related characteristics change into the predictable, long-term pace and grandeur of the Vosk as it works its way to the marshes at the coast. These articles place Tancred’s Landing at 50N 10W. Book 15 Page 62.

The next settlement named westward on the Vosk is Iskander, and the one following that is Forest Port. Ar’s Station follows. Ar’s Station can be located at about 50N 37 W. TGV Aug 2005. (Note here a long-overdue correction: Luther questioned the Book reference of Book 23 Page 24, and that pointed out a typo: the Book reference for the length of the Viktel Aria comes from Book 23 Page 54. Thanks, Luther!) If Tancred’s Landing is at 10W and if Ar’s Station is at 37W, then Iskander and Forest Port have to occupy the intervening distance. In order to spread the two out, these articles estimate Iskander at 20W and Forest Port at 30W. Forest Port is on the north side of the Vosk. Book 15 Page 62; Book 21 Page 164.

Ar’s Station is the next settlement named westward on the Vosk. Since it is the end-point of the Viktel Aria, it is on the south side of the Vosk. It controls the eastern portion of the Vosk. Book 15 Pages 63, 120.

Jort’s Ferry and Point Alfred seem to be a grouping westward on the Vosk. Jasmine and Siba are said to be “centrally located” on the Vosk, so these articles estimate Jasmine at 45W. This means that Jort’s Ferry and Point Alfred have to be grouped within 37W and 45W. These articles therefore place Jort’s Ferry at 40W and Point Alfred at 42W. This centralizes the group with three degrees of longitude on either side and two degrees between the two of them. Jort’s Ferry is on the north bank of the Vosk. Book 15 Page 315; Book 21 Page 164; Book 23 Page 34.

Jasmine, Siba, Sais, and Sulport seem to be another grouping along the Vosk. With Jasmine located at 45W, these articles then locate Siba at 46W, which keeps Jasmine and Sais close together, and then place Sais at 48W and Sulport at 50W. Siba is the shipping port for regional Sa-Tarna fields. Book 15 Pages 272, 299; Book 16 Page 134.

Note that if Ar’s Station is at 37W, and the Vosk starts at 5W, then the Vosk covers some 32 degrees of longitude before it arrives at Ar’s Station. By having to place a grouping west of Ar’s Station before arriving at Jasmine, one must locate Jasmine close to or farther west than where these articles locate it. Using 45W for Jasmine means that the Vosk has some 40 more degrees of surface to cover before ending at the Vosk delta. This places Turmus at some 85W.

Turmus and Ven are the two settlements at the terminus of the Vosk and the beginning of the delta. Turmus is on the north side of the Vosk and Ven is on the south side of the Vosk. These articles locate Turmus at 85W and Ven at 84W. Book 14 Page 264; Book 15 Page 65; Book 23 Pages 34, 424.

The remaining task is to locate the settlements along the intervening distance between Sulport at 50W and Ven at 84W.

Hammerfest and Ragnar’s Hamlet are the next settlements westward and seem to be somewhat grouped. Following them, Fina, Victoria, and Tafa are definitely tightly grouped. Note that Victoria is located on the western stretch of the river where Port Cos holds sway. Port Cos and Tetrapoli appear to not be grouped. Tetrapoli, as the Books tell it, is itself a unification of settlements in extrememly close proximity to each other. Book 15 Pages 63, 65; Book 23 Page 34.

These articles place Hammerfest at 57W and Ragnar’s Hamlet at 60W. That keeps them at an intermediate distance between the Jasmine-Siba-Sais-Sulport grouping and the Fina-Victoria-Tafa grouping. These articles can then use the idea of a five-degree separation to locate Fina at 65W. Hammerfest thereby becomes found seven degrees west of Sulport and eight degrees east of Fina.

With Fina located at 65W, Victoria can be located next to it at 66W, and Tafa can be located next to Victoria at 67W.

Locating Tafa at 67W allows for Port Cos and Tetrapoli to be spaced between 67W and 84W. If the five-degree idea is employed, Port Cos would be found at 72W and Tetrapoli would be occupying 77W. That places Tetrapoli at a respectable distance of seven degrees from Ven, which keeps Port Cos and Tetrapoli nearly evenly-spaced within their confines while keeping Tetrapoli “much further west” of Ragnar’s Hamlet and reinforcing the idea that Ven and Turmus really are the end of riverine civilization before the marshes. Book 15 Page 63.