“Nah. That’s my human name, the one my parents gave me.”
“What’s your other name then?”
Mischief flashed in his eyes.
“You wouldn’t be able to pronounce it.”
She gave him a little punch, then donned her helmet and sat behind him.
He kicked the bike into a roar, and they sped away.
As they turned the corner, onto the road that led up into the town, Laurel cast a last glance over the sea. Where the morning mist mingled with the sunlight, a vision shone on the waves. The White Lady upon her pale horse. Though she was far in the distance, on the rim of the horizon, Laurel could see her features. At first she thought she was looking at Honor’s face. Then she realized she was looking at her own.
a leanbh (aah laan-iv)—my child, little one (vocative)
A stór (aah store) – sweetheart. Literally, “treasure”
abú (aah-boo)—forever!
Agus fasann úlla agus géaga cumhra ar an chrann is ísle bláth. (aw-gus faw-sunn oo-laah aw-gus gay-gaah kooraah air awn ‘hrawn iss eesh-leh blaw)—And apples and fragrant blossoms grow on the low branch. A line from an anonymous love poem c. 1800, “An Draighnéann Donn,” The Blackbird. See An Leabhar Mór, The Great Book of Gaelic (Canongate Books, 2002).
An bhfuil Gaeilge agat? (awn will gwale-guh aah-gut?)—Do you speak Irish? Literally, “Do you have Irish?”
An grá a théid fán chroí, cha scaoiltear as é go brách. (awn graw aah hade fawn cree, haw squeel-tur awss ay goe brock)—When the heart finds what it loves, it will never lose it. A line from an anonymous love poem c. 1800 called “Tá Mé i Mo Shuí,” Sitting Up (All Night). See An Leabhar Mór, The Great Book of Gaelic (Canongate Books, 2002).
An Réilt (awn rale-t)—The Star
An Sasanaigh sibh? (awn sass-a-nig shiv)—Are you English? (you, plural)
boctogaí (bock-togue-ee)—the word used on the western coast of Donegal (and here moved a bit south) for fairies who live in the sea or in caves by the shore. They are known to be wilder and far less friendly to humans than their counterparts further inland.
Bruíon Amhra (bree-un ow-ra)—The Wonderful Strife, term used for Faerie warfare.
Bunadh na Farraige (bun-naah naah fair-uh-guh)—The Kindred of the Sea, i.e., sea fairies
Caisleán Riabhach (cawsh-lawn ree-a-vock)—anglicized to Castlerea, literally “Brindled Castle”
Ceol as binne de gach ceol. (key-ole awss bi-neh jeh gock key-ole)—Music sweeter than all music. A line from the poem “A’Chomhachag” by Dómhnall mac Fhionnlaigh Nan Dán, c. 1540–1610. See An Leabhar Mór, The Great Book of Gaelic (Canongate Books, 2002).
Cill Dara (kill darr-aah)—Anglicized to Kildare, literally “Church of the Oak Tree.”
cluricaun—anglicized version of clúrachán (clew-raa-cawn), also lucharachán (lew-cur-aah-cawn)—literally,“puny creature, pigmy, dwarf.” Belonging to the class of solitary fairies, cluricauns are distant cousins of leprechauns, but they are not shoemakers by trade, rather they are distillers of poitín. They hide barrels of whiskey the way leprechauns hide pots of gold. Preferring to dress in red as opposed to the leprechaun’s green, cluricauns are known to be better-humored than leprechauns and friendlier to humans, perhaps because they are usually inebriated. See note concerning the Fir Dhearga and Santa Claus.
Cónaímid i spreach solais
Mear mar eite fáinleoige
Lá grianmhar is lá pianmhar.
Ansin titeann an contráth:
Agus eitlíonn an t-éan abhaile san oíche.
Sheol mé long dúghorm an stuimine óir
Thar sáile áiféalta réalta go brách,
Thrasnaigh mé imeall tine an chaomhnóra
Is ghaibh mé isteach sa Bhrionglóid.
(cawn-aah-midge jeh sprack saw-liss
marr mair etch-uh fown-loy-guh
law gree-un-varr iss law pee-un-varr.
awn-shinn titch-unn awn cawn-traw
aw-guss etch-leen awn chain aah-wallya sawn ee-huh
hy’ole may lawng doo-yorrum awn stuh-minn-uh orr
harr soil aah-fale-tuh rale-tuh goe brock
h’rass-nee may im-uh’l chinn awn c’weeve-norr-aah
iss yaw-iv may iss-chalk saah vreen-gloyd)
We live in a flicker of light
Swift as swallows’ wings,
A day of sunshine and pain.
Then dusk falls:
And the bird flies home in the evening.
I have sailed the blue ship with the silver prow
Over the sea of eternal stars,
I have crossed the guardian’s rim of fire
And passed into the Dreaming.*
*English poem by O.R. Melling, translated into Irish by Findabhair ní Fhaoláin.
craic (krack)—Conversation, chat, but now generally means “fun.” Often used with ceoil (kee-ole)— “music”—e.g. people go out for night of craic agus ceoil—“fun and music.” Note the difference an accent can make: cráic (crock) means “buttocks” or “anus”!
crannóg (krawn-ogue)—ancient fortified lake dwellings built on pilings to form a manmade island, literally “piece of wood, wooden pole”
curach (kurr-uck)—“currach” in Hiberno-English, a coastal rowing boat “as old as Ireland herself.” With a frame constructed of wood and originally covered with animal skins, currachs are now covered with tarred canvas, giving them their distinctive black beetle look. They can vary in size from six feet to twenty-six feet and also in shape, each style having the name of the area in which they are built, e.g. the Achill currach or Kerry currach. According to ancient manuscripts, St. Brendan the Navigator sailed to North America in a large currach in the sixth century A.D. before the Vikings got there. In 1976–77, the Irish adventurer Tim Severin proved that this was possible when he sailed from Ireland to Newfoundland in a leather boat! See The Brendan Voyage, by Tim Severin.
eejit—Hiberno-English slang word for “idiot” (but less offensive and often affectionate)
Éist nóiméad. (aysht noe-made)—Listen a minute.
Fáinne na Gréine (fawnya na grane-aah)—Ring of the Sun
Fir Dhearga (feer yarr-i-guh)—Red Men or Red People, i.e., a particular clan of fairies who like to drink to excess, thus having red faces and red noses. Another name for a cluricaun. Note: the Fir Dhearga claim Santa Claus as their most famous son.
Fir-Fia-Caw (fur fee-aah caw)—author’s anglicized version of Fir Fiacha (Dubh) (fur fee-aah caw doove), literally, “Raven Men” or “Raven People.” Ruarc is Captain of the first troop of seven brothers, the other six being Fráecc, Duarcán, Affric, Feradác, Uillecc, and Ceartacc. The second troop of seven brothers is led by Cádac, the other six being Adarcc, Fecíne, Cellacc, Fiacc, Máedoc, and Corcc. Note: the word fiacha (fee-aah-caw) means “raven” either alone or with the added word dubh (doove or doo) meaning “black.” Fiacha is also the Irish word for “hunter.” Ravens are known to be the companions of golden eagles and wolves, with whom they may hunt.
Gairm slógaidh (geer-um slow-geh)—call to arms, hosting, mobilization
Gile na gile (geela naah geela)—Brightness of brightness. The first line of an aisling (ashling) or “vision” poem by Aogán Ó Rathaille, c. 1675–1729.
girseach (geer-shuck)—young girl
Go cinnte (goe kinn-cheh)—Certainly! Indeed!
Go hálaínn! (goe haw-leen)—Beautiful!
“Go mbhfearr léi lán loinge de Chloinn Conroi agus de Chloinn Mic an Allaidh ná lán loinge d’ór.” (go marr lay lawn ling duh clinn cawn-ree awgg-is de clinn mick awn alley nawh lawn ling deh orr)—“I’d rather have a shipful of Conroys and McAnallys than a shipful of gold.” (Words historically attributed to Grace O’Malley, c. 1530–1603.)
Gráinne na gCearrbhach (grawn-ya naah gair-vock) Grace of the Gamblers
Gránuaile (grawn-ya-wale)—shortened version of Gráinne Uí Mhaille, Grace O’Malley, literally “Grace, a female of the O’Malleys.” Note: Grace is not an invention of th
e author, but a real historical figure. The usual dates given for her are c. 1530–1603.
Inisbófin (in-ish boe-finn)—Island of the White Cow
Leitir Bhreac (letcher vrack)—Anglicized to Letterfrack, literally,“Speckled Hillside.”
Loch Béal Séad (lock bale shade)—Lake of the Jeweled Mouth
Mná-Fia-Caw (muh-naw fee-aah caw)—author’s anglicized version of Mná Fiacha (Dubh) (muh-naw fee-aah caw doove), literally, “Raven Women.” Aróc is Captain of the troop of seven sisters, the other six being Ceara, Fuince, Cearcc, Fiacca, Créde, and Duarcca. Note: the word fiacha (fee-aah-caw) means “raven” either alone or with the added word dubh (doove or doo) meaning “black.” Fiacha is also the Irish word for “hunter.” Ravens are known to be the companions of golden eagles and wolves, with whom they may hunt.
mo chara (mo harr-ah)—my friend, but there is also a sense of “dear one.”
Na Daoine Maithe (na deeny maw-haw)—The Fairy Folk, literally “The Good People.”
Na Daoine Sídhe (na deeny shee)—The Fairy Folk, literally “The People of the Fairy Mounds.”
Ní cladhaire í. (nee kly-raah ee.)—She is no milksop.
Ní hea. (nee hah)—No.
Níl sé ’na lá, níl a ghrá
Níl sé ’na lá, na baol ar maidin
Níl sé ’na lá, níl a ghrá
Solas ard atá sa ghealaigh.*
(neel shinn law, neel aah graw
neel shinn law, naa bwale air mawh-jinn
neel shinn law, neel aah graw
saw-lis ord aah-taw saa gy’alley)
It is not yet day, it’s not, my love
It is not yet day, nor yet the morning
It is not yet day, it’s not, my love
For the moon is shining brightly.
*Traditional, collected on Tory Island, off the north coast of Donegal by members of Clannad.
Oró! sé do bheatha ’bhaile! (3x)
Tá Gránuaile ag teacht thar sáile.*
(oh-roe! shay doe vaah-haa wawl-ya!
taw grawn-ya-wale egg chawk’t harr soyle-ya)
Oho! head home for your life!
Gránuaile is coming over the sea.
*Though it is little known these days (even among the Irish), this song was written by Padraic Pearse (1879–1916), schoolteacher and leader of the Easter Rising or Irish Rebellion in 1916. He was executed by the British. The author has taken some liberties with the song by replacing the last line of the chorus with a line from one of the verses. Also Gráinne Mhaol has been anglicized to the more commonly known Granuaile.
pisreog (pish-rogue) or piseog (pish-ogue)—a fairy charm or spell
Pog mo thóin (pogue moe hone)—Kiss my ass.
poitín (puh-cheen)—home-distilled (illicit) whiskey, poteen, i.e., Irish moonshine
Raidió na Gaeltachta (raah-dee-oh naah gwale-tawktaw)—Irish-language radio station founded in 1972 to serve the Irish-speaking areas of Ireland, now listened to countrywide.
ruaille-buaille (rool-ya bool-ya)—uproar, commotion, tumult. In Hiberno-English becomes “roolie-boolie” or “roolye-boolye.”
scáth (scaw)—shadow
Sídhe (shee)—plural word meaning “fairy folk” that can be used as a noun or adjective. It is understood to be related to the Old Irish word síd used for a mound or hill-fort, in which the fairy folk are said to dwell. Sídhe is a variant spelling of the more modern sí.
Slievemore (shleeve-more)—Anglicized version of Sliabh Mór, “Great Mountain.”
súgán (shew-gawn) —straw rope. The súgan chair, made of wood with a straw rope seat, is a handcrafted piece of country furniture found all over Ireland in both Irish and Scots-Irish traditions.
Tá sí sa leabhar ag an bhfiach dubh. (taw shee saah l-ow-er egg awn vee-uck duv)—literally “She is in the book of the raven.” An old way of saying “her days are numbered,” or “her time is up.”
Tánaiste (tawn-ish-tuh)—Tanist, second-in-command, heir presumptive; in modern Ireland this is the title of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Teach Faoi Thalamh (chock fwee haw-luv)—House Under Ground
Trian Láir (tree-in lawr)—middle of nowhere, literally “middle of a third”
Togaidh sinn ar fonn an ard,
Togaidh sinn ar fonn an ard
’S ged ’tha mi fada bhuat
Cha dhealaich sinn a’chaoidh*
(togue-ee sheen’yair fown awn aarrd
togue-ee sheen’yair fown awn aarrd
iss keh taw mee faa-taa woo-ah
gaw yaa-lee sheen’ya k’wee)
We will lift up our voices
We will lift up our voices
Although I am now so far from you
We will never sever.
*Scots Gaelic—song by Celtic folk rock band Runrig, founded in the Scottish Outer Hebrides, with a Canadian from Cape Breton as lead singer.
Tulach Mhór (tuh-luck vorr)—anglicized to Tullamore, literally “Great Hill.”
uisce beatha (ish-kaa baah-haa)—literally, “water of life,” i.e., the best Irish whiskey!
Note on the reintroduction of the Golden Eagle to Ireland: A five-year project is underway “to re-establish a viable breeding population in the northwest of the Republic of Ireland” with young birds from Scotland. See www.goldeneagle.ie. Not all that is gone is gone forever.
The historical speech of the Irish people is a Goidelic Celtic language variously called Gaelic, Irish Gaelic (as opposed to Scots Gaelic), and Erse. In Ireland, it is simply called the Irish language or “Irish.” For over two thousand years, Irish—Old, Middle, and Modern—was the language of Ireland, until the English conquest enforced its near eradication. Today it is the official first language of Eire, the Irish Republic. Recently it has been awarded official status in the Six Counties of Northern Ireland through the Good Friday Agreement.
As a native language or mother tongue, Irish is found only in a number of small communities called Gaeltachtaí, located chiefly on the west coast of Ireland. Sadly, these communities are declining due to economic factors, reduced rural population, social disintegration, intermarriage with non-native speakers, attrition, and the settling of non-native speakers in the areas. Some estimates put the demise of the Gaeltachtaí within the next few generations, a loss that would be of incalculable magnitude to Irish culture and society. It must be said, however, that native speakers ignore these rumors of their death with characteristic forbearance.
Meanwhile, the knowledge and use of the Irish language is increasing among the English-speaking population of the island. In the most recent census of 2002 (preliminary results), over a million people in the Republic and 140,000 in Northern Ireland reported having a reasonable proficiency in the language. Census figures for the use of Irish continually increase. Globally, study groups and language classes are popular not only among the Diaspora—those Irish and their descendants who have emigrated throughout the world—but also among non-Irish peoples such as the Japanese, Danish, French, and Germans. In the United States (Na Stáit Aontaithe), Irish language classes are available throughout the country, while the Internet lists countless sites that teach and encourage Irish.
Back home in Ireland, the grassroots phenomenon of Gaelscoileanna—primary and secondary schools teaching in Irish—is widespread and rapidly growing, despite tacit resistance from successive Irish governments. These schools guarantee new generations of Irish speakers whose second language is fluent Irish. The longstanding Irish-language radio station Raidió na Gaeltachta continues to broadcast from the viewpoint of native speakers, while the new television station Teilifís na Gaeilge (TG4) caters to both native and second-language speakers. Many institutions both private and public support the language, the most venerable being Conradh na Gaeilge (www.cnag.ie).
There are several dialects within the Irish language which express regional differences among the provinces of Munster, Leinster, Connaught, and Ulster. Also extant is Shelta, the secret language of the Irish Travelle
rs (nomadic people who live in caravan trailers) which weaves Romany words with Irish Gaelic.
In whatever form, long may the language survive. Gaeilge abú!
Verse from Runrig song on page 52 “Faileas Air An Airigh” words & music by Calum & Rory MacDonald © 2003, Chrysalis Music Ltd. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Verse on page 55 is from the poem “Connemara,” from The Collected Poems of Oliver St. John Gogarty: Constable, 1951.
The lines on page 130 are from “The First Elegy” copyright © 1982 by Stephen Mitchell, from The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, translated by Stephen Mitchell. Used by permission of Random House, Inc.
The poem on pages 124 and 140 and extracts from “The Colloquy of Fintan and the Old Hawk of Eacaill” in Chapters Eleven and Twelve are taken from Achill Island: Archaeology-History-Folklore by Theresa McDonald (IAS Publications, Tullamore, Ireland, 1997), reprinted with the kind permission of the author.
In addition to the above, there are two traditional Irish-language songs on pages 160 and 195–196 as listed in the glossary.
The lines on page 334 are from “The Stolen Child” by W. B. Yeats.
All other poems and songs written by the author.
O.R. Melling was born in Ireland and grew up in Canada with her seven sisters and two brothers. A champion Irish dancer, she has a B.A. in Celtic Studies and an M.A. in Medieval Irish History. She lives in her hometown of Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, with her teenage daughter, Findabhair. Visit her Web site at www.ormelling.com.
The print version of this book was designed by Jay Colvin and art directed by Becky Terhune. It is set in Horley Old Style MT, a Monotype font designed by the English type designer Robert Norton. The chapter heads are set in Mason, which was created by Jonathan Barnbrook based on ancient Greek and Roman stone carvings.
he stepped through the spinney of tangled trees that crept over the back of the small mountain by the sea. The earth felt cool beneath her feet. The green hem of her gown brushed the damp grasses. Stopping to press her ear to the bole of an old hawthorn, she closed her eyes to listen. With a smile, she sang the refrain that coursed through its veins.
The Summer King Page 26