Kernevon people
| | |
 Kernevons in Casse-glace festival | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 798,790 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Hurmu |
798,790 |
* Normandie |
713,432 |
| Languages | |
| Norman, Kernevon | |
| Religion | |
| Reformed Norman Church mostly | |
The Kernevon people are an ancient coastal ethnic group indigenous to the northern highlands and sea-facing provinces of Normandie. Distinguished by their unique language, rich oral folklore, and enduring maritime traditions, the Kernevons are one of the oldest cultural communities within the Grand Duchy. Despite waves of imperial rule and cultural dilution, they have preserved a vibrant identity deeply rooted in seafaring life, clan loyalty, and cyclical ritual practices.
History
The Kernevons trace their origins to prehistoric coastal settlements established along the wind-beaten cliffs and forested bays of Normandie’s northern rim. Though their early history is mostly unwritten, archaeological findings suggest a society built on fishing, farming, and megalithic worship. By the first millennium AN, they had developed a sophisticated oral legal system, seasonal chieftain councils, and long-distance trade routes with neighboring island peoples. Unlike the central plains of Normandie, the Kernevon region resisted early feudal integration due to its difficult terrain and fierce tribal independence.
Though the Varjan people claim descent from a separate revolutionary tradition, most scholars agree that the Varjan population was historically absorbed into Kernevon society after the fall of the Varjan republic in 1484 AN. Today, Varjans exist as a cultural offshoot within the broader Kernevon region, particularly near the Arpad frontier. While they preserve some unique oral legends and festivals, linguistic and cultural distinctions are minimal. Kernevons themselves often view Varjans with a mix of familial sympathy and cultural skepticism, seeing them as “kin who never quite came home.”
Culture
Clothing
Kernevon dress is noted for its heavy woolen cloaks, hand-woven in deep greens, blues, and blacks — said to mimic the colors of the sea and cliff. Men traditionally wear wide belts and embroidered vests, while women adorn lace-trimmed bonnets, silver brooches, and heavy skirts with symbolic stitchwork representing clan origin or sea creatures. Festival attire often includes shellwork, dyed linen sashes, and cloaks lined with seabird feathers for ceremonial dances.
Cuisine
Kernevon cuisine is rustic and sea-based. Staples include:
- Salted fish stews with wild coastal herbs
- Barley cakes with fermented butter
- Stone-baked mussels, often layered with seaweed
- A fermented cider-like drink known locally as Gwilenn, brewed with crabapples and honey
Their most iconic dish is Braenn-Eog, a smoked trout dish wrapped in kelp and slow-cooked in buried embers.
Festivals and Folklore
Kernevon folklore abounds with tales of seal spirits, rock guardians, and storm witches. Their calendar is marked by ancient solstice rites and harvest festivals, such as:
- Feast of the First Net (Brenn Anet): honoring the year's first successful sea catch
- Night of Wyrd Fires (Nozh Tanwir): midsummer fire-dance to ward off sea demons
- Last Leaf Rite (Darnan Gozh): late autumn offering to ancestral spirits
Each village typically maintains a ritual circle of standing stones, believed to focus the sea’s protection and guide sailors.
