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The Emerald Isle: Land of Heroes
Author: Monica McCabe
Original Publication Date in Love Notes: October 2002
Romantically speaking, a lot of historical attention is given to the Scots.
Let's face it, anyone strong enough to survive a Highland winter dressed in a
kilt is great hero material. Combine that with a lyrical brogue and a
broadsword, he becomes nigh irresistible.
But land of Eire has just as much to offer. Ireland has given us St.
Patrick's Day, Irish whiskey and beautiful harp music. There is more to the
Emerald Isle — a solitary country with a wild and beautiful landscape, blessed
with many lakes, mountains, and glens. From peat bogs to the gray of ancient
stone, she is Mother Nature's masterpiece painted a verdant green. A land rich
with enchantment, full of mysticism and imagination, graced with a mythology
blurred by the passage of time.
Such a stark and breathtaking isle would foster heroes to die for. If this
sounds appealing, consider Irish folklore. It is full of fascinating ancestral
roots for any character. Though shrouded in time, stories give four main races
to fill the land of Erin.
The Fir Bolg, translated as "Bag-men" and later known as Iberian
Celts. Ancient legend has them as the first race of the Emerald Isle, possibly
invaders of Mediterranean ancestry. Dark hair, dark eyes, wiry and swift, they
lived primarily in the northern regions of Ireland. Romantically known as the
Black Irish, they have clear-cut features with the coloring and temperament of
fiery Greece.
Picts translates as "Painted Ones." These warriors were known to
extensively tattoo their bodies with artistic drawings, designed to intimidate
their enemies. Their descendants sport the traditional crown of tawny red hair
and greenish eyes they share with their Scots neighbors. They lived a in
matrilineal society, with descent defined in terms of the mother rather than the
father. Advanced culturally and artistically, they carved native stone in ornate
designs and sculpture.
Celts, a warrior race with a high respect of intellect. Their religion was a
complicated form of nature worship and rhythms of life, with priests and
magicians known as Druids. From them, the Irish earned their mystical
reputation. They gifted the Land of Eire with calendar festivals of Samhain and
Beltane, inspired tales of supernatural realms inhabited by faeries, pixies, and
leprechauns.
Gaels, valiant and war-like, with brown hair and bright eyes. Skilled in the
art of peace and battle, they are attributed with forming a logical system of
government containing a high-king and several smaller kings under him.
Considerably talented in fashioning gold, silver, and bronze, they crafted
chalices, jewelry and things of beauty. They were a civilized race that enjoyed
poetry and storytelling, not to mention hunting, drinking, and feasting. In
time, they gave their name to all the peoples of Ireland.
So the next time you search for a character with a brogue, consider the
Irish. The Enchanted Isle offers an intriguing blend of brooding, mystical,
warrior heroes guaranteed to delight your reader's sense of adventure. And
that's no blarney.
***
Historical romance writer Monica McCabe serves as MCRW's treasurer.
Love Notes, the official monthly newsletter of Music City Romance
Writers, is provided to paying members free of charge. If you are an MCRW member and would like to submit an article to
Love
Notes, visit the main newsletter page
for more information. If you would like to reprint one of these articles in your
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