The Shadows by Megan Chance
There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colours gay.
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down to Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shalott.
And moving thro’ a mirror clear
That hangs before her all the year,
Shadows of the world appear . . .
. . .
“I am half-sick of shadows,” said
The Lady of Shalott.
“The Lady of Shalott”
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson
[AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE]
Grainne Alys Knox [GRAW-nya]—Grace
Aidan Knox—Grace’s brother
Maeve Knox—Grace’s mother
Brigid Knox—Grace’s grandmother
Patrick Devlin
Lucy Devlin—Patrick’s sister
Sarah Devlin—Patrick’s mother
Diarmid Ua Duibhne [DEER-mid O’DIV-na]—Derry O’Shea
Finn MacCumhail [FINN MacCOOL]—Finn MacCool, the leader of the Fianna
Oscar
Ossian [USH-een]—Oscar’s father
Keenan
Goll
Conan
Cannel Flannery—Seer
Rory Nolan
Simon MacRonan
Jonathan Olwen
Daire Donn [DAW-re DON]
Lot
Tethra
Bres
Miogach [MYEE-gok]
Balor
Tuatha de Dannan [TOO-a-ha dae DONN-an]—the old, revered gods of Ireland, the people of the goddess Danu
Aengus Og [ENGUS OG]—Irish god of love, Diarmid’s foster father
Manannan [MANanuan]—Irish god of the sea, Diarmid’s former tutor
Lir [LEER]—god of the sea, Manannan’s father
Brigid [BREED]—Irish goddess
The Morrigan—Irish goddess of war; her three aspects: Macha [MOK-ah], Nemain [NOW-nm], and Badb [BIBE]
Danu—Irish mother goddess
Domnu—Mother goddess of the Fomori
Cuchulain [COO-coo-lane]—Irish hero
Etain [AY-teen]—Oscar’s wife in ancient times
Neasa [NESSA]—the Fianna’s Druid priestess
Cormac—ancient High King of Ireland
Grainne [GRAW-nya]—Cormac’s daughter, promised in marriage to Finn, eloped with Diarmid
Fia—Finn’s son
Senach Síaborthe [SEN-awk SEE-bora]—legendary demon warrior
King of Lochlann—Miogach’s father
Tadg [TYG]—Diarmid’s Druid teacher
Rose Fitzgerald—Grace’s best friend
Timothy Lederer—neighbor and friend of the Knoxes
Mrs. Needham—“friend” of Mrs. Knox
the O’Daires—investors in the Irish uprising
Jerry—Patrick Devlin’s stableboy
Leonard—Patrick Devlin’s driver
Dr. Eldridge—Grandma Knox’s doctor
Almhuin [Allun]—the keep of the Fianna, aka the Hill of Allen
ball seirce [Ball searce]—the lovespot bestowed on Diarmid
Beltaine [BAL-tinna]—ancient Celtic festival, the first of May
cainte [KINE-tay]—one who speaks/sees, Druid poet
dord fiann [Dord FEEN]—Finn’s hunting horn
Dubros—an ancient woods in Ireland where the legendary Diarmid and Grainne find refuge
geis [GISE]—a prohibition or taboo that compels the person to obey
Magh Tuiredh [Moytirra]—location of the great battle between the Dannan and the Fomori
milis [MILL-ish]—sweet, an endearment
mo chroi [Muh CREE]—my heart
ogham—ancient form of Irish writing
Samhain [SOW-in]—ancient Celtic festival, October 31
sidhe [Shee]—fairies
Slieve Lougher [Sleeve Lawker]—location in ancient Ireland
veleda—ancient Druid priestess