Dreaming the Serpent-Spear
Page 55
The wider world has changed in ways far more dramatic than my own. When I began writing Eagle, the new millennium had just begun, full of hope for a different future. Since then, war and natural disasters have plagued the earth. In particular, I have watched the governing powers of my country launch a war against a distant state that, whatever one thinks of its legality, bears remarkable resemblance to the Roman invasion of Britain nearly two millennia ago. From the shifting reasons for invasion to the attempt to harness local resources for distant profit, to the failure to imagine insurrection amongst the native population, the invasion of Iraq has in my view mirrored the legions’ progress in Britannia.
We don’t, of course, have to follow the path laid down two thousand years ago. History does not have to repeat itself unless we choose it, or allow it to happen by default. Our land may be ruled by the natural inheritors of Rome. They may have spread their influence across the globe, with their need to control all that they do not understand. But those of us who dream with and of the land can believe that their grip is beginning to loosen, and that there is hope that a different way of seeing the world might emerge; that we could learn from who we were and so change who we might be.
The world would be a very different place if Boudica had won her final battle. She lost and we live with the consequences. It is too late to go back and remake history. It is not too late to go forward differently.
Suffolk, Autumn 2005
For those interested in the dreaming, the author’s website, http://www.mandascott.co.uk, carries details of contemporary dreaming workshops, recommended reading and other resources.
CHARACTERS AND PRONUNCIATION OF NAMES
The language of the pre-Roman tribes is lost to us; we have no means of knowing the exact pronunciations although linguists make brave attempts, based on known living and dead languages, particularly modern and medieval Breton, Cornish and Welsh. The following are my best attempts at accuracy. You are free to make your own. The names of characters based in history are marked with an asterisk.
TRIBAL CHARACTERS
Airmid of Nemain—Air-med. Frog-dreamer, lover to Breaca. Airmid is one of the Irish names of the goddess.
Ardacos—Ar-dah-kos. She-bear warrior of the Caledones. Former lover to Breaca.
Bellos the Blind—Bell-oss. Former slave boy of the Belgae. Brought to Hibernia and then to Mona by Valerius. Now a dreamer of Mona.
*Breaca—Bray-ah-ca. Also known as the Boudica, from the old word “Boudeg” meaning Bringer of Victory, thus “She who Brings Victory.” Breaca is a derivative of the goddess Briga.
Braint—Braynt. Warrior of Mona who fought with Breaca in the invasion battles. Lover to Cygfa.
*Caradoc—Kar-a-dok. Lover to Breaca, father to Cygfa and Cunomar. Co-leader of the western resistance against Rome.
Civilis—Sivilis. An officer of the Batavian wing of the auxiliary cavalry who fought with Valerius in the invasion battles.
*Cunobelin—Koon-oh-bel-in. Father to Caradoc, now dead. Cun—“hound,” Belin, the sun god. Hence, Hound of the Sun or Sun Hound.
Cunomar—Koon-oh-mar. Son of Breaca and Caradoc. His name means “hound of the sea.”
Cygfa—Sig-va. Daughter of Caradoc and Cwmfen, half-sister to Cunomar.
Dubornos—Doob-ohr-nos. Singer and warrior of the Eceni, childhood companion to Breaca and Bán.
Eburovic—Eh-boor-oh-vik. Father to Breaca and Bán, now dead.
Efnís—Eff-neesh. Dreamer of the Eceni.
Eneit—En-ate. Soul-friend of Cunomar. His name means “spirit.”
Graine—Gran-ya; the first “a” is pronounced like the “o” in bonfire. Daughter of Breaca and Caradoc.
Gunovar—Goon-a-var. Daughter of Gunovic and a dreamer of the Dumnonii.
Hun—Hugh. A warrior of Mona, renowned for his skills with the sling. Fought with Valerius in the western wars against Longinus Sdapese’s cavalry.
Lanis—Lan-is. Mother of Eneit, and a dreamer of the Eceni.
Longinus Sdapeze—Long-guy-nus. Formerly of the auxiliary cavalry, now fighting as the Boudica’s war host. Lover to Valerius. His cracked and broken gravestone was found in Camuodunum (Colchester) during excavations.
Luain mac Calma—Luw-ain mak Kalma. Elder of Mona and heron-dreamer. A prince of Hibernia.
Macha—Mach-ah. The “ch” is soft as in Scottish “loch.” Bán’s mother, now dead. Macha is a derivative of the horse goddess.
Madb—Maeve. A warrior of the Hibernians.
Valerius—dreamer and warrior. Breaca’s half-brother, son of Macha and Luain mac Calma. Until recently an officer in the auxiliary cavalry. Formerly known as Bán.
ROMAN CHARACTERS
Latin is rather closer to our language, although we would pronounce the letter “J” as equivalent to the current “Y,” “V” would be “W” and “C” would be a hard “K” in all cases. However, this is so rarely used that it is simpler to retain standard modern pronunciation of these letters.
*Decianus Catus—procurator of all Britannia under Nero.
Flavius—standard-bearer to Ursus’ troop.
*Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, a.k.a. Nero, emperor of Rome.
Petillius Cerialis—legate of the IX legion.
Quintus Valerius Corvus—prefect of the Ala Quinta Gallorum.
Sabinus—standard-bearer to the first troop, directly under Corvus’ command.
*Seneca—adviser to Nero, emperor of Rome.
*Suetonius Paulinus—governor of all Britannia.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MANDA SCOTT is a veterinary surgeon, writer, and climber, not necessarily in that order. Born and educated in Scotland, she now lives in Shropshire. Known originally as a crime writer, her first novel, Hen’s Teeth, was shortlisted for the Orange Prize. Her subsequent crime novels are Night Mares, Stronger than Death, and No Good Deed, which was nominated for an Edgar Award for Best Novel. Her three previous novels in the Boudica quartet, Dreaming the Eagle, Dreaming the Bull, and Dreaming the Hound, are available in paperback from Dell. She is at work on a new novel, The Crystal Skull, which Delacorte Press will publish in 2008.
ALSO BY MANDA SCOTT
HEN’S TEETH
NIGHT MARES
STRONGER THAN DEATH
NO GOOD DEED
BOUDICA: DREAMING THE EAGLE
BOUDICA: DREAMING THE BULL
BOUDICA: DREAMING THE HOUND
DREAMING THE SERPENT-SPEAR
A Delta Trade Paperback / May 2007
Published by Bantam Dell
A Division of Random House, Inc.
New York, New York
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved
Copyright © 2007 by Manda Scott
Illustrated map copyright © David Atkinson
Delta is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Scott, Manda.
Dreaming the serpent-spear / Manda Scott.
p. cm.
eISBN: 978-0-440-33689-1
1. Boadicea, Queen, d. 62—Fiction. 2. Great Britain—History—Roman period, 55 B.C.–449 A.D.—Fiction. 3. Great Britain—History, Military—55 B.C.–449 A.D.—Fiction. 4. Romans—Great Britain—Fiction. 5. Women soldiers—Fiction. 6. Britons—Fiction. 7. Queens—Fiction. 8. Iceni—Fiction. I. Title.
PR6069.C593D76 2007
823'.914—dc22
2006036821
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