Land of the Long Teeth
The Land of the Long Teeth is a dreamlike alpine valley where time has no meaning. Towering peaks, idyllic forests, lush green meadows, the Emerald River – wherever you look, magic exists! It is one of the enthralling realms through which Anabell and her companion must travel to reach their destination.
The Land of the Long Teeth draws inspiration from the real-life Trenta Valley, a glacial valley located in Triglav National Park. The name Trenta is derived from the Friulian or Italian word trident meaning “three teeth” or “divided into three teeth.”¹ It reflects the local geography given the adjoining confluence of the Soča and Zadnjica Valleys, and the nearby confluence of the Zadnjica Valley and Beli Potok (“White Stream”).
The Trenta Valley, with its natural wonders, is a mecca for nature lovers and adventure seekers. It was also a place of pilgrimage for the famous Slovene mountaineer and writer Dr Julius Kugy.
Marko Snoj, Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen (Ljubljana: Modrijan in ZRC, 2009), 438.
Julius Kugy, Iz Minulih Dni (Maribor: Obzorja, 1971), 135. The translation is attributable to Daniel Goulding (2022)
Julius Kugzy, Delo, Glasba, Gore (Maribor: Obzorja, 1966), 216. The translation is attributable to Katja Pečnikar (2022).
Photo 225106258 © Evgeny Subbotsky | Dreamstime.com
“Wherever you look, Trenta’s garden is everywhere, as if everything is gathered in its honour. [Mount] Triglav cannot be seen, but you can feel it everywhere. It is present in the valley and in the highlands. The Soča [River] tells and tells, sings and sings. The magic of Trenta is everywhere!
Throughout Trenta, under the western and southern ridges of the Julian Alps, year and day, a primeval powerful voice emanates from countless mountain centuries that roars like an organ, now in rising, now in falling fairy-tale registers. This is a voice that overwhelms a person, shakes them and makes them unspeakably happy. Even today, even under the winter snow, my heart listens to her as it did then in eager anticipation of my spring times. Greetings once more Trenta, you valley caught in the mountains! She also knows the welcome, her proud white fortresses. Your names sound sharp, but your nobility is old, mighty. And greetings to you, green, bubbling Soča [River]!”