Kerguelen
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| This article is a proposal
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Montreiano / Tejano Castaways
I'm taking up Tom Chapel's idea of placing Justin Canon's castaways on Kerguelen rather than send them to sure death on Antarctica. For now, I'll just *pouf* the fact that there were sufficient men and women and enough skilled and knowledgeable folks to make up a decent and self sufficient settlement.
I would alter the proposal to have them originally heading for Madagascar but perhaps got caught up in the Circumpolar current, landing in stead on Kerguelen.
Damaged ships kept them from trying to go on and the decision was made to stick it out, perhaps awaiting rescue, on the seemingly barren islands at the ends of the Earth.
The castaways don't affect the competing French and English claims on the islands. The little wood brought in their ships would become an instantly rare and precious commodity -- buildings would probably be made from stone and peat turves (think of an old Irish or Mid-Western Irish-American cottage to get an idea). Some notes have already been made regarding possible foodways for these people: cabbage, seaweed and perhaps some kind of beet or potato soup augmented by fish, crawdads, local fowls and sea mammals (sealion, etc). Clothing might be made from seal fur and the skins of any of the introduced animals (rabbit, cat, etc).
While some kind of blended language would form, I don't think it would be too far from either. Religious matters might be a bit of a poser. There would be no way to support a celibate clergy neither any bishops to ordain new priests (if they had a priest with them). There would be no grain for bread and no grapes for wine.
Their form of religious practice would be very interesting indeed! I suspect that personal and familial devotions in the chapel would replace the mass that could no longer be properly celebrated. Such settlers as could read and had a Bible might turn out to be teachers for the others. I'm sure that devotions to Mary (in whatever guise she was brought to the islands) would still be quite strong.
Their lives would undoubtedly be very hard, likely short and there would be little to no outside contact until the GWII era. Once the Australasians introduce electricity, radio, television and a century's worth of outside world doings, it's anyone's guess how this would affect the Natives. Undoubtedly, a number of young Kerguelens would opt to leave for better lives elsewhere. Many would stay behind, once they realise that there is money to be made (and thus the ability to have that better life right here at home) once they realise foreigners will pay large sums to sit on wind-swept rock formations to watch penguins or to hike the hills in near furacano force winds.
The Name "Kerguelen"
For now, I'm leaving the article as is. But it should be noted that Kerguelen *here* is a Breton name, and I'll have to figure out what it means and how it should be in Brehonecq.
