The Auditory Cortex, here as the island of Sonus, collects the signals received through our ears and analyses its features to allow us to make sense of the world of noise, and to pick out recognisable sounds.
Wernicke's Area surrounds the auditory cortex, and is deeply involved in the comprehension of language and the written word. This is where vocal sounds get their meaning and where we recognise individuals from their voices.
I've populated the land with some of the greatest and most distinctive practitioners of the language based arts. And some philosophers. You must never forget the philosophers.
Philosophers of Language
Grouped around Wittgenstein's Castle we find philosophers who investigate the relations between language, language users, and the world.
Mount Stereocilia
We perceive sound with specialised cells in the inner ear, delicate fibres called Stereocilia
Sonos
The Island of Sonos represents the Auditory Cortex, the 'low level' processing system of the brain - here sounds begin to get teased apart and recognised. In the brain, this area contains a topographic map of audible frequencies - the pitch of sounds, the essence of language and music.
I've populated primarily with onomatopoeic words to represent the inklings of language recognition, which begin here.
Poets
Poetry has existed since the dawn of language. Some of the earliest poetry can be traced back to 25th Century BC.
By utilising the inherent rhythmic and metaphorical nature of speech, poetry transcends the simple conveyance of meaning found in everyday speech.
Orators of antiquity
The ten Attic orators were considered the greatest orators and logographers of the classical era (5th–4th century BC).
Actors
All around Shakespeare's Bay, we find the actors. Those who transform the written word into embodied characterisation.
In the words of Glenda Jackson: "Acting is not about dressing up. Acting is about stripping bare. The whole essence of learning lines is to forget them so you can make them sound like you thought of them that instant."
Rappers
As Wikipedia says Rapping is "a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular"". However this seems to miss one of the more intriguing aspects of the craft - the destruction and reassembly of the very rules of language.
Slick Rick is one of my personal favourites.
Ring of Recognition
We can identify not only particular words, but particular voices with acute accuracy. I've surrounded this stone circle with some of the more distinctive vocalists, like Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin and David Bowie
Singers
The memories associated with sounds are deeply personal, and can elicit a range of emotions, unbidden from the subconscious.
Bringing words to music crosses modalities, in a unique way. Gifted singers are granted high acclaim in culture, and in this region I have collected singers from across the 20th Century, each with a distinct tone and style.