Tangle

Tangle is described as an ancient agricultural practice in which multiple plant species are interwoven so that each supports the others, producing abundant, varied food.

First Appearance and Context

During the closing days of Apert, the meadow at the Concent of Saunt Edhar fills for the communal Tenth Night Supper. At this season, hosts emphasize the richness of “tangle food,” which is singled out as more glorious than greenhouse fare. The timing is no accident: Apert in this era is held when tangles are at their peak so that the community can share their good fortune with neighbors extramuros.

Roles/Actions and Affiliations

• Seasonal anchor: Tangles are cultivated “since thaw” so that, at this time of year, they reach a vivid, flavorful peak; this abundance helps explain why the opening is scheduled now so visitors can partake.
• Shared meal and hospitality: The produce supplies featured dishes for the Tenth Night gathering and symbolizes intramuros generosity toward those outside the walls.
• Soil stewardship: Climbing legumes (podbeans) fix nitrogen for the stand, and additional species are included solely to replenish the soil, keeping the system productive without separate fallow intervals.

Descriptions/Characteristics

• Layered structure: A tall “cob” provides the vertical trellis; podbean vines climb it to supply protein and feed the soil. In the web of vines: high up, red, yellow, and orange tommets; in the middle, hollow pepperpods; along the ground, gourds; below ground, two kinds of tubers; leaf vegetables gather remaining light.
• Composition and efficiency: The original, ancient tangle comprised eight plants bred over millennia to work together “without tinkering with their sequences.” The version described locally is more efficient still and expands the guild to twelve plants, two added purely for soil renewal.
• Appearance and yield: In season the stand shows a profusion of colors and flavors that, as presented, are unavailable outside the walls.

Origins

The practice is said to have been invented long before Cnous by people living on the opposite side of the world from Ethras and Baz. Subsequent communities have refined it, but its core idea—mutually supportive interplanting—remains consistent.

Current Status/Location

Actively cultivated at the Concent of Saunt Edhar. At the described season, tangles grown since the thaw are “in their glory,” and their produce is shared during the open days of Apert.