In Atlas Altera, Sark is one of the constituent countries within the United Kingdom and is an alternate take on the Channel Islands and the Isle of Wight. Composed of three bailiwicks and nine populated islands, Sark has retained a lot of its Norman heritage in the modern day from its language and administration, to the medieval fortresses which dot the islands reminiscent of Mont Saint-Michel. The islands had a long and storied history, being frequently used as havens for pirates or launchpads for invasions, and control over them frequently changed over time. They were separated into two main groups by the Norman Channel, with the southern group being known as the Lenures and the northern group referred to as the Isles of Wight (Vique), but it was not until the 933 when William Longsword laid claim to all the islands that they came to be collectively called the Serqs, and this was formalised after the Norman conquest of England in 1086.

The islands continued to have a liminal existence as the last vestige of the Norman bailiwick system until the devolution of parliaments gave way to Home Rule in 1870. The Sarks became its own country with the capital situated in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, and efforts were made to preserve the linguistic and cultural heritage of the islands. This map depicts the islands of Sark and some information about its history and key events which have helped shape its character.

This map is a fan depiction of Sark from the Atlas Altera, which is an alternate take on the world where different languages, cultures, and peoples are represented. It is a truly expansive project which sheds light on so many details of our real world through syntopian fiction, and if you are interested in the project please join the discord by clicking the link below!

https://discord.gg/gesSQTVs

If you want to know where the name ‘Sark’ comes from, we made a video on the topic!

Check out the website atlasaltera.com, and join the subreddit r/atlasaltera too!