Entry 19: Those Enchanted Stones
Entry 19: Those Enchanted Stones
October 14, 2011
Regional Population: 7,348 (+7.2%)
Kanin Fjord Population: 3,642 (+1.1%)
Ny Kanin Fjord Population: 2,834 (+0.9%)
Nolborg Population: 223 (+9.9%)
The tricking of Rán: A God’s revenge
A thousand years ago there was a Fisherman who lived by the sea. He worked and lived on the ocean and was content with his life. The goddess Rán was envious of the Fisherman’s happiness. One day, she appeared in physical form on his boat and warned him to never sail on the sea again, or she would use her net to drag him down to her watery underworld for all eternity.
Out of fear, the Fisherman left the sea and fled into the mountains. Fishing was all he knew. He had no concept of living off the land, only living off the sea. All he had to eat was the fish from his last catch. This managed to sustain him for 10 days and 10 nights. On the tenth night, while eating his last fish, the god Loki appears to the Fisherman and offers a deal. (Loki, who had just been ejected from a feast hosted by Rán’s husband Ægir, was now after revenge) Loki wanted to anger Ægir and Rán, and he saw a perfect opportunity to use the Fisherman to his advantage.
Loki picked up a stone, fashioned it into a perfect sphere, and enchanted the stone with a displacement spell. The enchantment stone worked by rendering the Fisherman and his boat invisible to Rán and projecting an illusion of the Fisherman in another location. The idea was to keep Rán endlessly chasing a mirage every time the Fisherman went out to sea, causing her great anger and disappointment.
The Fisherman accepted the stone and traveled back to the ocean. He continued his life on the ocean, once again, and was quite content. For the remainder of his years, Rán was tricked every time the Fisherman sailed the sea. Her annoyance had no bounds, but she was never able to figure out Loki’s illusion, and the Fisherman died happy as an old man.
To believers of the Fisherman’s tail, the stone that Loki crafted into a sphere was taken from a land now referred to as Engavågen. For centuries, boat captains, fishermen, and sailors would land on the shore of Engavågen, and search for spherically shaped stones. The rounder the stone, the better protection it would offer. It is believed that these stones will shield one from Rán’s tricks and treachery. To this day, it is a town tradition for every ship captain to keep a rounded stone from Engavågen on their boat while on the water.
That New Old: Heimdall havn
Many of Kanin’s Fjord’s original villagers have succumbed to the rapid growth of the region, and even to buyouts from various developers. In order to preserve some of the village’s heritage, Kanin Fjord’s City Council hired a developer to recreate a traditional Northern Norwegian fishing village on the bank of Kaninfjorden. This would, once again, allow the original villagers to have a life on the sea free from the bustling expansion of the region. A small inlet on the shore of Engavågen was selected as the best location for such a project.
The new development was named Heimdall havn after the Norse god Heimdall. Inspiration for the design came from small fishing villages located on Norway’s northwestern coastline. While the layout may seem haphazard at first, the design is intentional, providing a sense of old ruggedness while being constructed to modern standards. The topography of the inlet consists of a small and shallow naturally protected harbor and rough and rocky terrain. Construction of the village required roughly a year and was completed in July 2011. Once complete, Heimdall havn provided housing for 125 of Kanin Fjord’s original villagers. Additionally, the village has a convenience store, general store, marine repair shop, and boat part manufacturing warehouse.
Engavågen
Prior to 2009, Engavågen remained largely uninhabited, and consisted of a single ferry crossing and road. In late 2009, that all changed. The topography of Engavågen was considerably more favorable for development compared to the steep terrain of Kanin Fjord. Additionally, a major road highway already ran through Engavågen, providing preexisting direct access to Norway’s road system.
Between early 2009 and the middle of 2011, Engavågen’s population increased from 6 to nearly 500 (624 including the population of Heimdall havn). By October 2011, Engavågen consisted of a mixture of low and medium density housing, several businesses, an orphanage, an elementary school, a library, and a soccer field. This was now the new hot spot for immigration into the Kanin Fjord region.
Kanin Fjord to the left, Ny Kanin Fjord to the right, and Engavågen in the center.
North-South Aerial Photo of Engavågen
Development along E220 in Engavågen, with Heimdall havn in the center of the image
Residential development on the west side of Engavågen.
Roads to Heimdall havn
Heimdall havn from E220
Heimdall havn
New school, library, orphanage, and medium-density housing.
Additional pics of the school and library
Closeup aerial
Small subdivision located along Høgholtet on the eastern side of Engavågen
Soccer has become quite a popular sport in Kanin Fjord with the addition of a third large soccer field.
Small subdivision behind the soccer field.
Exit off of E220 to Heimdall havn.
New roundabout at the intersection of E220 and Selsbanesgate
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