Temethely

Temethely is a term used in speculative fiction and experimental digital ethnography to denote a collaborative memory practice. It describes both the process by which a community gathers, records, and preserves memories, and the resulting archive that encodes shared memory beyond individual recollection. The concept is employed to examine how collective memory is constructed, transmitted, and renegotiated across generations and social contexts.

Temethely is a neologism created for narrative purposes. It draws on syllables from invented languages used in associated works, and has no established linguistic lineage in real-world languages outside those fictional contexts.

In practice, a temethely session centers on storytelling, recounting episodes, and attaching artifacts such as audio clips, photographs, sketches, or written notes to anchor events in time and place. A facilitator helps organize contributions, resolve conflicting memories, and assemble an evolving archive that remains accessible to the community. Ethical guidelines emphasize informed consent, rights to one’s personal narratives, and governance mechanisms to protect sensitive material and regulate access.

Within its fictional deployments, temethely is used to explore tensions between individual memory and collective narratives, the politics of whose memories are archived, and how memory adapts to change. It serves as a lens for discussing memory fragility, intergenerational transmission, and the role of technology in shaping personal and communal identity.