The Light-Bearer's Daughter (37 page)

Spéirbhean
(speer-vaan)—Lit. “Sky-Woman.” A type of fairy lady.

Suas
(soo-uss)—up

Tá an croí á réabadh sa ghleann, sa ghleann
,

Tá an croí á réabadh i ngleann na ndeor
;

Ceo is gaoth sa ghleann, sa ghleann
,

Ceo is gaoth i ngleann na ndeor
.
⁵

(taw awn cree aw ray-bah saah g’lann saah g’lann

taw awn cree aw ray-bah iih ing’lann na nore

ky’oe iss gee saah g’lann saah g’lann

ky’oe iss gwee iih ing’lann naah nore)

The heart is torn in the valley, in the valley,

The heart is torn in the Valley of Tears;

Mist and wind in the valley, in the valley,

Mist and wind in the Valley of Tears.

Tá an oíche seo dubh is dorcha
,

Tá an spéir ag sileadh deor’
,

Tá néal ar aghaidh na gréine
,

Ó d’imigh tú, a stór
.
⁶

(taw awn ee-huh shaw duv iss durra-kah

taw awn spare egg shee-laah jore

taw ny’aal air aye naw grane-ah

Oh jimmy too aah store)

This night is cold and dark now;

The sky is weeping tears;

The sun is eclipsed in shadow,

Since you departed.

Tá fáilte roimhe do cine anseo
.
(taw fawl-chuh riiv doe kinnah awn-shaw)—Your people are welcome here.

Tá grian gheal an tsamhraidh ag damhsa ar mo theach
.
(taw gree-on gyal an sour-oo egg dow-soo air mo heeach)—The summer sun is dancing on the roof of my house.

Táimse a foghlaim gaeilge
.
(Taw-iim-shuh aah foe-lumm gwayle-guh)—I am learning Irish.

Tánaiste
(tawn-ish-tuh)—Tanist, second-in-command, heir presumptive; in modern Ireland this is the title of the Deputy Prime Minister, second in line to
An Taoiseach
(awn tee-shawk), the Prime Minister.

Tá tú ag imeacht ar shlí na fírinne
.
(taw too egg immawk’t air shlee naah fear-nuh)—You are going on the way of truth. This is a literal translation of the phrase Irish-speakers use to refer to the dead. They will say
Tá sí ag imithe ar shlí na fírinne
(taw shee ag immuh-heh air shlee naah fear-nuh)—“She is gone on the way of truth”—to say “She is dead.”

Note on the Battle for the Glen of the Downs:
In 1997, the Irish government approved the widening of an existing road that ran through the Glen of the Downs. To allow greater speed for a three-minute journey, it was decided that a four-lane highway would be built through the Nature Reserve, with more than two thousand hardwoods cut. The tree-house protest undertaken by Irish and international eco-warriors covered a three-year period of court battles and campaigns. The incident described in the book—wherein members of the public helped to stop an early cull—did occur. But though the battle was won, the war itself was lost. In 2000, the protestors were forcibly removed from the site. Thirteen were imprisoned without charge, some for up to two months. The cost of upgrading the small stretch of road was a staggering 85 million euro.
⁷

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 Travellers (nomadic people who live in caravan trailers) which weaves Romany words with Irish Gaelic.

In whatever form, long may the language survive.
Gaeilge abú!

O.R. Melling was born in Ireland and grew up in Toronto with her seven sisters and two brothers. At eighteen, she hitchhiked across Canada to California, seeking adventure. A year later, she was off to Malaysia and Borneo on a youth exchange program. That set her motto for life, “to travel hopefully.” She has a B.A. in Philosophy and Celtic Studies and an M.A. in Medieval Irish History. To date, her books have been translated into Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Czech, and Slovenian. The next book in her
Chronicles of Faerie
series is
The Book of Dreams
. She lives in her hometown of Bray, in Ireland, with her teenage daughter, Findabhair. Visit her Web site at
www.ormelling.com
.

The print version of this book was designed by Vivian Cheng and Jay Colvin and art directed by Chad W. Beckerman and 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.

ot long after Dana left Faerie, a young woman appeared beside Edane in a flash of light. Her skin was golden, her eyes sky-blue, and her fair hair was crowned with a wreath of red holly. Though she wore the shining raiment of Faerie, she seemed somehow a little more solid than Edane.

“Your Majesty,” said Edane, greeting her with a slight bow.

Though Dana’s mother was a queen in her own right and formal
courteisie
was usually reserved for the Court, still this was Honor, the High Queen of all Faerie.

“Hi,” said Honor. “At ease or whatever.”

The two giggled. Honor was not long the High Queen and rarely said or did things properly. This made her very popular with her subjects.

“So, your daughter was here again? And she still won’t visit me?”

Edane shrugged. “We spend our days in revelry, then she takes her leave. Her humanity pulls her back to the Earthworld. If I mention going to the Court she always suggests some other diversion. I tried to speak of the matters you mentioned, but it was of no use. I do not fathom her at times and when this happens I think to myself, ‘This must be her mortal side.’”

“Thirteen is a difficult age,” Honor observed.

Edane looked perplexed a moment, then her features cleared.