Ğisvez

Ğisvez is the name for a legendary paradise on Sahar, a bucolic land said to be a place of pure peace and tranquility. The myth of this place was popularized and spread by merchants, sailors and writers from Balakia across the entire Kothlenosphere, that is, any country under the influence or control of the Balak Empire.

The land described is nowadays usually equated to an idealized version of Loheta, and hence Ğisvez is generally assumed to be a corruption of the Lohetan placename Gollisad. This interpretation goes back to a South Jutean expedition in 1917, where the myth came to hold special significance for South Jute, having been frequently used and alluded to in national and other cultural narratives, and is credited with being the origin of the enduring cordial relations between South Jute and Loheta, as well as, more dubiously, with the introduction of chopsticks to Ystel.

Origin

Centuries ago, sailors from the Balak Empire near Loheta end up in the small country, according to the legend due to a storm that forced them to land in Gollisad, now the only big city in the country, but then just a small fishing village.

While their ships awaited repair, and with nothing much to do in a small settlement where they did not understand the language well, the sailors traveled across the country and realized how sparsely populated it was, and noted the absence of pollution from industry, threats by bandits or the hecticness so characteristic of much urban life they had known at home. Instead, they encountered solitary farms and small villages with people whose daily rhythm was long and constant, but also slow-paced and meditative, tending to cattle and working in rice fields.

The seemingly idyllic nature of life in this country impressed them deeply, and once they had reached their homeland again, they began telling everyone about their experiences.

Spread

The myth slowly spread through the land and later across Vaniua and the colonies of the Balak Empire, until it reached first Thuyo and then Jute in the 19th century. From there, it traveled to the Ystelian mainland, shortly after the foreign rule by the Saruan Empire had collapsed there, taking root first in Laina, the main settlement of South Jute. Remaining commercial relations between Laina and the successor of the Saruan Empire, Nevira, led to the myth also being spread to Ekuosia.

The ensuing trade and general cultural exchange between Balakia and South Jute brought many new foods to Ystel, such as a number of vegetables (carrots, turnips, parsnips, celery), citrus fruits, but also grains such as oats. Pasta was one of the dishes introduced by these overseas merchants, but remained unpopular due to the required grains being costly to import, hard to grow in the Ystelian soil and pasta being difficult to eat in the traditional way, employing pancakes and an eating knife.

Balak merchants in South Jute boasted not just about their exotic foods such as carrots, turnips, parsnips or celery, but also their literary tradition. Loheta, as the location of a legendary paradise of peace and tranquility, had become entirely mysticized and stories about it been increasingly embellished or entirely based on speculation.

Growing interest in South Jute

The idea of a land that in some ways resembled South Jute in how small and secluded it historically had been, but in other ways also seemed to be the complete opposite to the so urbanized country caught the interest of some local native sailors, especially those looking for an adventure now that their land had become independent again. Particularly appealing was Loheta’s supposed peacefulness, and its economy and lifestyle rooted in tradition, unobstructed by colonization by empires, something a large amount of South Juteans desired to return to after a long period of foreign rule that had seen them forced to work on large construction works and naval exercises.

1917 expedition

A problem was that Loheta’s name had become obscured in these legends. While the modern-day country of Loheta was obscure, but certainly known to some academics and widely traveled seafarers, the connection to the mythical paradise was no longer apparent. As a result, many ventures failed to reach any land remotely resembling the descriptions they had heard of, until a group of literary experts, a merchant who had frequently visited the region surrounding Loheta, and experienced sailors managed to locate it using the sparse hints mentioned in the text. Even then, it took them months until they had reached their location and the merchant was very surprised to be seeing familiar landscapes.

While the team had to admit that the legend had exaggerated a lot and that life was not much more pleasant in Loheta than at home, using the merchant as interpreter they managed to bond with the local population over their similar cultural affinities while being fascinated by their differences, especially the urban-rural contrast.

Cultural transfers attributed to the myth

Rice, chopsticks as well as beautifully carved stones depicting local mythological beings are said to have been brought back to South Jute alongside new stories of the legendary paradise were brought back and permanent trade relations soon followed. Chopsticks could be used for noodles and pasta, which as a result both experienced a surge in popularity, especially noodles from local ingredients and rice, which had the benefit of being associated with a famous and desirable place. The mutual fascination between Loheta and South Jute continues to this day and is reflected in many literary and visual works as well as the frequent trips undertaken by both sides to visit each other.