The Endless Knot
A
CCLAIM FOR
S
TEPHEN
R. L
AWHEAD'S PAST WORKS
“[T]he narrative has the excitement of a fantasy novel, a vivid historical setting, and a lengthy, credible, and satisfying plotâjust the right elements, in fact, that have made Lawhead a commercial success time and again.”
â
Publishers Weekly
review of
Byzantium
“In a style reminiscent of Tolkien, Lawhead presents a world of vivid imagery. This book is a delight.”
â
Bookstore Journal
regarding
The Paradise War
“
Patrick
is unfailingly sympathetic and believable, and his story of losing and finding his faith will resonate with a wide spectrum of readers.”
â
Publishers Weekly
“Celtic twilight shot with a brighter, fiercer light, and tinged with modern villainy . . . savagely beautiful.”
âMichael Scott Rohan, author of the
Winter of the World trilogy regarding
The Endless Knot
“Though Lawhead brilliantly creates an authentic and vivid Arthurian Britain, he never forsakes the sense of wonder that has graced the Arthurian legend throughout the ages.”
â
Publishers Weekly
regarding
Pendragon
“Lawhead invests his often poetic vision of a Celtic land living ancient laws with charm and dignity.”
â
Publishers Weekly
review of
The Silver Hand
“An epic struggle between Light and Darkness . . . well paced, exciting and well researched.”
âMick Norman, author of
Forbidden Planet
regarding
The Silver Hand
“This graceful combination of Atlantean legend, Celtic myth, and Christian message [is] reminiscent of C.S. Lewis. Highly recommended.”
â
Library Journal
review of
Taliesin
: Book One of the Pendragon Cycle
“Lawhead's [
The Iron Lance
] displays the author's deep convictions as well as his storytelling expertise.”
â
Library Journal
“Rich in historical detail and peopled with a wide variety of believable characters, this novel of simple faith and high adventure should appeal to fans of Christian fantasy.”
â
Library Journal
review of
The Black Rood
: The Celtic Crusades Book 2
“Lawhead pulls off a genuinely moving parable of good and evil.”
â
Publishers Weekly
regarding
Avalon
: The Return of King Arthur
THE ENDLESS KNOT
OTHER TITLES BY STEPHEN R. LAWHEAD
The Dragon King Trilogy:
In the Hall of the Dragon King
The Warlords of Nin The Sword and the Flame
Dream Thief
Empyrion I: The Search for Fierra
Empyrion II: The Siege of Dome
The Pendragon Cycle:
Taliesin
Merlin
Arthur
Pendragon
Grail
Avalon
Song of Albion trilogy:
The Paradise War
The Silver Hand
The Endless Knot
Byzantium
The Celtic Crusades:
The Iron Lance
The Black Rood
The Mystic Rose
Patrick, Son of Ireland
Hood
SONG OF ALBION ~ BOOK 3
THE ENDLESS KNOT
STEPHEN R.
LAWHEAD
© 1993, 2006 by Stephen Lawhead
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansâelectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherâexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected]
Publisher's Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Lawhead, Steve.
The endless knot / Stephen Lawhead.
p. cm. â (Song of Albion ; bk. 3)
ISBN 978-1-5955-4221-2 (pbk.)
1. Mythology, CelticâFiction. I. Title. II. Series: Lawhead, Steve. Song of Albion (WestBow Press) ; bk. 3.
PS3562.A865E54 2006
813'.54âdc22
2006014635
Printed in the United States of America
09 10 11 12 13 QW 9 8 7 6 5
For Jan Dennis
CONTENTS
Many of the old Celtic words and names are strange to modern eyes, but they are not as difficult to pronounce as they might seem at first glance. A little effortâand the following rough guideâwill help you enjoy the sound of these ancient words.
Consonants
â As in English, but with the following exceptions:
| c: Â Â Â Â Â | hard â as in cat (never soft, as in cent) |
| ch: | hard â as in Bach (never soft, as in church) |
| dd: | a hard th sound, as in then |
| f: | a hard v sound, as in of |
| ff: | a soft f sound, as in off |
| g: | hard â as in girl (never soft, as in George) |
| ll: | a Gaelic distinctive, sounded as tl or hl on the sides of the tongue |
| r: | rolled or slightly trilled, especially at the beginning of a word |
| rh: | breathed out as if h-r and heavy on the h sound |
| s: | soft â as in sin (never hard, as in his); when followed by a vowel it takes on the sh sound |
| th: | soft â as in thistle (never hard, as in then) |
Vowels
â As in English, but generally with the lightness of short vowel sounds
| a: Â Â Â Â Â | short, as in can |
| á: | slightly softer than above, as in awe |
| e: | usually short, as in met |
| é: | long a sound, as in hey |
| i: | usually short, as in pin |
| Ã: | long e sound, as in see |
| o: | usually short, as in hot |
| ó: | long o sound, as in woe |
| ô: | long o sound, as in go |
| u: | usually sounded as a short i, as in pin |
| ú: | long u sound as in sue |
| ù: | short u sound as in muck |
| w: | sounded as a long u, as in hue; before vowels often becomes a soft consonant as in the name Gwen |
| y: | usually short, as in pin; sometimes u as in pun; when long, sounded e as in see; rarely, y as in why) |
The careful reader will have noted that there is very little difference between
i
,
u
, and
y
âthey are almost identical to non-Celts and modern readers.
Most Celtic words are stressed on the next to the last syllable. For example, the personal name Gofannon is stressed go-FAN-non, and the place name Penderwydd is stressed pen-DER-width, and so on.
Since all the world is but a story,
it were well for thee to buy
the more enduring story rather than
the story that is less enduring.
THE JUDGMENT OF ST. COLUM CILLE
(S
T.
C
OLUMBA OF
S
COTLAND
)
H
ear, O Son of Albion, the prophetic word:
Sorrow and be sad, deep grief is granted Albion in triple measure. The Golden King in his kingdom will strike his foot against the Rock of Contention. The Wyrm of fiery breath will claim the throne of Prydain; Llogres will be without a lord. But happy shall be Caledon; the Flight of Ravens will flock to her many-shadowed glens, and ravensong shall be her song.
