The Cornflowers of Mellowdene

It is a Cornflower tradition that, when a child reaches a particular age, they are celebrated with a siorda - a recognition of their official inclusion into the inner family. I don't fully understand it but that isn't really a concern - it is part of the travelling community's history, and although this particular branch of the Cornflower family have left the nomadic life, young Brady was due to be honoured.

Actually, he is physically a little young for the siorda - the Pause currently delaying our Sylvanian ageing - but it was considered unfair that he suffered the delay, waiting an unspecified period. His parents - Wester and Betsy Cornflower - argued that he had waited long enough and that Brady had mature outlook for his age. The current Cornflower elder - Wester's brother Trafalgar - agreed and a date was set.

Why am I telling you this? Well, putting aside that the Cornflowers are distantly related to the Buttergloves, Cecile is personally involved because she has made the celebratory siorda cake.

Wester and Betsy had arrived at Butterglove House to collect the cake, and as it was an opportunity for a minor family gathering, Trafalgar and his wife Athaliah had come from their shared home with my brother Newton. They had brought tiny Nugget so that he could play with Russell. 

 

In addition, Wester's sister Tabitha - her husband being my cousin Jonathan - had crossed the Field separating their home from ours.

 

Everyone admired Cecile's cake and then we settled down, Nugget and Russell entertaining us with the noises that - we were convinced - were their own private language. 

 

Small talk over, Brady was the first proper subject of conversation. But it evolved.  

o 0 O 0 o

"His grandfather would have been proud of him," said Wester. "He has that curiosity of wanting to know what's around the corner."

"Aye," said Trafalgar, "he would have made an excellent scout in our travelling days."

 

"Is he still infatuated with the forest?" asked Tabitha. "I remember a couple of years ago you saying he kept disappearing into there."

 

 

"Isn't that dangerous?" said Cecile. "Tall Tree Forest has a reputation."

Trafalgar harumphed. "It's an odd place, granted. But not dangerous."

Betsy nodded. "I was a little concerned at first. The forest is so dense there was a fear he might get lost, but we soon realised that the odd aspect of the forest actually prevents that happening."

"That's right," said Wester. "Walk a number of yards and one loses all sense of direction but if you keep going, you find yourself walking out of the forest, not too far from where you entered."

 

Trafalgar smiled. "Odd, as I said. I know there are crazy tales about it being haunted, some even claiming a hint of distant voices, but branches creak in the wind, leaves rustle, and woodland creatures aren't always silent in their activities. No. The oddness is that you can't pass through it. I like to think of the forest protecting us from getting lost."

"And that's why I have no fears about Brady playing there," said Betsy. 

 

"I don't see the attraction," said Athaliah, looking up from Nugget and Russell who were entertaining each other by puffing out their cheeks and blowing air at each other. Each time they made a noise they would giggle.

 

"Well, he thinks he might be able to understand the forest if he can map out how entry and exit points relate."

I listened to this with interest. I was aware of a mild superstition of the forest. You may recall Vivienne Honeydew being a little frustrated about her son Button venturing there. Accompanied by Brady, now I think of it. I also remember Merlin's description of "The Year of the Rabbit" when Mellowdene's four founding families couldn't pass through the forest and had to circumnavigate it further inland.

"So how did the Cornflowers originally reach Mellowdene?" I asked. "Not through the forest, I'm guessing."

 

"You know our family used to live in wagons," said Wester.

 

Sylvester Cornflower with his five children

 

I nodded and he continued.

 

 "Our father drove our wagon through the pass.You probably know the one. It's an established road separating Tall Tree Forest from other, less unusual woodland."

"Right." I suspected that this would be the same route taken as the four families, now developed into a more hospitable road. A thought occurred. "What prompted your father to take that road? Do you know?"

Trafalgar raised his brows. "Have we never said? Hmm, maybe not. I suppose you need to understand our father."

 

Tabitha smiled sadly. "He was a lovely dad. After we lost mum he took care of the five of us but it became difficult as we grew, packed into one wagon."

 

"It's true," Wester added. "Sylvester Cornflower was the best dad. He had travelled all his life but he knew that he couldn't care for us properly whilst we were on the road. He'd heard of of Mellowdene and by chance we were near to a road that led here. As children we didn't fully understand his reasons at the time, but his decision to settle made sense. As newcomers we were welcomed by some lovely people. That helped the change in our lifestyle."

 

The word "newcomers" sent my mind into another direction. The Umberhounds had been referred to in those terms after their arrival into Sylvania. Some robed figures had brought them to our shores - the figures I now suspected were of the Sylvanian Order, should Mulder Honey-Fox's theory be correct. Had Sylvester Cornflower been such a newcomer? 

 

I wanted to be tactful in my questioning, and an affectionate Russell gave me time to shape my words.. 

"So - how far can you trace back the Cornflower family tree? Do you know - or would the travelling make that difficult?"

"Oh, there are many generations of Cornflowers," said Trafalfar. "I couldn't name them, but we go back to a time in the Sylvanian middle ages when we separated from the Buttergloves."

"That long ago?" Well, that scrapped the Sylvanian Order idea. In any case, how could it have been true if our two families are connected? I felt like an idiot.

 

"There's even documentary evidence of our connection, dear, distant cousin!" Trafalgar laughed. 

  

"Really?"

"It's stored in our out building. I suppose we should really donate it to the Hansel Museum. Keep it safe and consolidate our Mellowdene connection while we're at it. Merlin would have a field day. What do you think, Tabitha, Wester?"

The two siblings agreed, Wester saying, "It's a family decision so we should ask Boswell and Godolphin but I'm sure they'd be happy with that."

o 0 O 0 o

They were. The museum received a tapestry and some parchment documents. 

Merlin was, as expected, excited. He suspected the tapestry depicted the time when the Cornflower family separated from the Buttergloves, perhaps even recording the time they took the Cornflower name. It wasn't local history; it was beyond Mellowdene - possibly a significant medieval event.

"What about the documents?" I said, once Merlin had accepted them from Trafalgar and had given them a brief but efficient examination. "How have they survived given their age? Trafalgar said they'd been stored in an out house and before that they would have been stuck somewhere in their wagon."

"I understand your curiosity, Jack. It's a good question. Kelvin Waters has the original copy of some early Mellowdene journals that wouldn't survive handling by most paws. We have copies, but Kelvin won't release the originals from their sealed case."

"So, what about these parchments? They are much older aren't they?"

"Oh yes. But they've been kept away from sunlight and preserved in shallow boxes lined with keepmint. Have been for most of their existence. The same preservative that Kelvin now has in his case and that we use in the library. It prevents moisture damage and rot."

 

I had forgotten about the gentle fresh odour that pervaded in Mellowdene County Library. The library shelves were treated to supposedly eliminate any fusty smells from old books but I hadn't really considered that this herb had another purpose. That said, the old-fashioned name keepmint was a giveaway.

"That's fortunate, then," I said. "What about the contents? Is there lots of useful information?"

Merlin scrunched his muzzle. "Sadly, there's not a lot I can understand. Most is written in charak, a language used by some travellers. We'd need someone to translate."

"Don't any of the Cornflowers read it?"

"Not really. Sylvester Cornflower couldn't read and he only had a rudimentary knowledge of the contents. His wife was more literate, and the tradition was that she would teach charak to their children when they reached their siorda day. But that didn't happen. None of the children were old enough when their mother passed."

"That's sad," I said, thinking of our own dear mother. "Does that mean you can't learn anything about the Cornflower history until you find a translator?"

"Trafalgar knows a smattering from a few things Sylvester revealed, but by and large, the documents are a mystery - for now. Well, except for the oldest two. There is a sort of certificate and an accompanying parchment. That was before the Cornflowers fully adopted the travellers' way of life."

"And you've read them?"

"Yes. And they are interesting."

I saw a twinkle in his eyes. I suspected 'interesting' was an understatement. He continued by summarising the contents of the medieval parchment.

"There was a largeish number of Butterglove rabbits getting ready to settle in a calm strip area where a number of other critters were establishing a community. A few of the Buttergloves were uncertain about the location, hearing of nearby swamps appearing from nowhere. There followed a difference of opinion. 

"They couldn't agree on a compromise. During the discussions a caravan of 'flower travellers' passed through the area. One of those who didn't want to settle - Jolean Butterglove - realised that there would never be an agreement with those who did wish to remain, and asked to join the flower travellers. The travellers agreed, but a prerequisite was that those that joined would adopt a new surname - that of a flower - in order to show commitment. Cornflowers grew nearby, so those Buttergloves who left became known by that name."

He showed me the certificate.

I stared at my brother. Was he thinking what I was thinking? That the descendants of the Buttergloves abandoned by the Cornflowers were our direct ancestors? The ones who became some of the Mellowdene founders?

"Was... was the community... the one the Cornflowers left... was it named?"

Merlin shook his head and came out from behind his work desk. 

 

"No. And I suspect the charak documents won't name it either, being more concerned with the travelling life and traditions."

I nodded. I began to air my disappointment but stopped. Why was I bothered? I wasn't a historian. Maybe it was because evidence of Buttergloves living in a medieval era did give a feeling of satisfaction and, of course, it would have been nice to know more. But's let's not be greedy - what I'd already learned should be enough. The feeling that we were an established part of the world was something worth smiling about. I felt the corner of my mouth lifting.

Merlin grinned. 

Confirmation that it was good enough. My brother was happy.

o 0 O 0 o

The Lore of the Land (3 of 3)

When I presented my last couple of blog writings to Darcy Fielding for publication, he literally giggled.

"What's funny, Darcy? Share the joke."

He struggled to straighten his face. "You. I never thought you'd become an investigative reporter. I must be a bad influence upon you. And look at your face!"

"What?" I regarded his amused visage and realised he was right; I was frowning. "Oh, alright. I was curious about the Treefellows and I suppose I felt I was in danger of being manipulated."

"So you did something about it. I'm proud of you, old friend."

He continued to type in my words into his computer thing, talking as he did so.

"It was interesting that Mulder Honey-Fox came up in your chat with Newton. Have you met him?"

"A little small talk at one of Frasier's barbecues. Not a proper conversation. Why?"

"Because I think your investigations are worth taking further. Find out about owls' part in the origins of Sylvania. What Newton called the lore of the land. I'm interested and I'd be happy to come with you to see Mulder. We had a good chat a few months ago and I get the impression he likes to talk about his work."

 

And so arrangements were made to call on him early that evening. 

o 0 O 0 o

"The owls?" said Mulder as we settled in his unusual office. "Yes, all records I've seen suggest they were amongst the first settlers, dedicated to establishing Sylvanian codes of conduct. I can't say they were the very first settlers but they are mentioned amongst a few others."

 

"What others would there be?" asked Darcy.

"From memory, there were a couple of rabbit families - Wildwoods and Babblebrooks, I think. Some ancestors of the Evergreen and Timbertop bears, Thistlethorn mice... I'd have to check my files for a longer list."

He seemed confident and I wondered how that came to be. "How do you know this?"

 

"Ancient writings from different sources independently mention them."

"What do we know about the other families?" said Darcy, to the point as usual.

"They will have arrived later. I get the impression these initial families were the Sylvanian pioneers."

"That poses a couple of questions," said Darcy, "namely, how did the pioneers and their successors get here, and how did they know to come here?"

Mulder looked at us both. "How much do you know about the creation of Sylvania? What lies deep below us, the mysterious energies?"

I had to drag the words out of me. "Speed tunnels?"

Mulder nodded. "Okay. You're not completely in the dark. There are things most Sylvanians don't know, don't wish to know and are happy with that. If you are aware of the tunnels linking all the mountains of Sylvania, that they have unusual properties, then it will be easier to describe the best theory we have about the origins of our land. How it came to be populated with critters with the desire to love and respect both nature and each other."

 

"The lore of the land?" prompted Darcy.

"In a sense," said Mulder. "Remember that it is but a theory - the best guess we have combining archaeology, geology and common elements of the many ancient creation myths Sylvanian critters have invented to explain our world."

"Understood," I said. Darcy nodded in agreement.

"Very well. Here goes."

o 0 O 0 o

There is a large world out there. Much larger than Sylvania. Humans tend to dominate the land masses but there are a host of other creatures. That includes rabbits, mice, foxes but not like us. Similarly, there are bears, cats, dogs and representations of every other critter in our land. The theory is that we developed from some of these creatures and ended up here.

Before you ask how that happened, I need to propose a popular theory on how Sylvania was created. It fits in with many of the creation myths, including that of your Snow Queen. Try and visualise this analogy.

A sandy beach represents the larger world. A crab - representing the Sylvanian mainland and all outlying isles - thrusts its arms into the dense sand. It takes a lot of power but the claws dig deep and grasp beneath the surface to maintain a hold. The sand is compressed.

Now compare that to Sylvania being grafted onto the larger world. Wild energies provide the power, and deep beneath the ground distances are compressed, creating subterranean cracks. These are the speed tunnels, as you call them. You can think of the crab arms equating to mountains.

If you ask how or why this happened, we don't really know. That's why we usually resort to creation myths - an attempt to explain the inexplicable. The Snow Queen is a good example. She became aware of the planet the humans call Earth. Your legends say this was via a chance encounter with a particular human, close to death, and she became curious about the world from which he came. She discovered that the world was rich with life and began to learn about the inhabitants. 

The Snow Queen particularly empathised with a host of critters who had a heartfelt need for a happy life but had no means to fulfil that need. She realised she could create a land for them, provide a means for them to reach the land and become transformed into a Sylvanians, versions of themselves but more prone to form a harmonious community. The problem was that it would take more than she could physically provide - unless she sacrificed herself in the process. Which she did.

 

She found a blighted area of land in the human world and melted herself to create the substance of Sylvania that grafted upon it. We don't know if Sylvania is now physically part of planet Earth or that passages connect the two worlds. I understand that some speed tunnels emerge into the human world.

o 0 O 0 o

Mulder paused from his monologue. "Does that sound reasonable?"

 

"I suppose so," I said.

"The Snow Queen part is more or less what we were taught," said Darcy, "but our lessons never adequately explained how the critters came here."

The side of Mulder's mouth twitched. "I haven't got to that part yet."

o 0 O 0 o

When I speak of wild energy, that isn't a casual description. However Sylvania was created, a portion of that energy remains and its effect shows itself in different ways. For example, it has caused geological changes that made chocolate grow in a cave - the chocolate mine, as we call it. Another rare but likely effect is that gateways to other realms can be created - one reason why there are guardians in the speed tunnels. 

There is also the belief that it is the catalyst that transforms animals into Sylvanians. There are views that this process must be controlled, and there are indications that this is done by a group of individuals commonly referred to as the Sylvanian Order.  I suspect that they live on one of the outlying islands but no one knows where. They supposedly bring newcomers to Sylvania. 

 

Logically, they must be the oldest inhabitants of Sylvania, predating the owls or the other pioneer settlers. Their origins are the real mystery. If you subscribe to the belief in the Snow Queen, maybe they are her final legacy - providing a way for Sylvania to be populated.

o 0 O 0 o

After we left Mulder Honey-Fox, walking along a sparkfly-lit alleyway, Darcy was pensive. "Not suitable material for the Mellowdene Examiner as I'd hoped. But interesting."

I agreed. "The owls were there at the beginning, which is good to confirm. I was surprised about the other pioneer families though. Do you think they had specific tasks like the Treefellows?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. The fact that owls fly gives them a unique perspective on the land."

 

"I suppose so." We walked in silence a while until I had a thought. "Hey, what about the Sylvanian Order?"

Darcy stopped, looked thoughtful, and then smiled.

"I'll have a pizza."

Trust Darcy.

o 0 O 0 o