Orsinian Tales - Orsinia

Orsinia

The stories are set in a fictional country somewhere in Central Europe, at different times in the period 1150-1965 (though only two take place before the 20th century). This country, "Orsinia", appears in Le Guin's earliest writings, and was invented by Le Guin when she was a young adult learning her craft as a writer. The names Orsinia and Ursula are both derived from Latin ursus "bear" (ursula = diminutive of ursa "female bear"; ursinus = "bear-like"). Le Guin once said that since Orsinia was her own country it should bear her name.

The history of Orsinia follows, in general, that of other countries of Central Europe, particularly those formerly part of Austria-Hungary. Formerly an independent kingdom (The Lady of Moge), by the 19th century it was a dependency of the Austrian Empire (Malafrena) It was involved in the First World War (Conversations at Night), and was thereafter independent for a while. Its fate in World War II is not mentioned, but in 1946 or 1947 it became a satellite state in the East bloc. A revolt was attempted in 1956 (The Road East), but was crushed and followed by reprisals (A Week in the Country), and remained a repressive police state for several decades. In November 1989, following a series of non-violent protests, the government fell, to be replaced by a transitional régime promising free elections (Unlocking the Air). Le Guin has not published any Orsinian stories dealing with its history since then.

The Orsinian stories borrow episodes from, and sometimes explicitly refer to, the history of the Czech lands, Hungary, and other countries of Central Europe - for example, it is landlocked and in the 19th Century rebelled unsuccessfully against Habsburg rule. It is not however, a mere fictionalization of any real country, but rather one imagined with its own unique characteristics and history, distilled from Le Guin's personal interpretation and reaction to historical events.