Merlin's Blade

by Robert Treskillard

  Eilyne — (EYE-line-uh) The oldest daughter of Uther and Igerna, and sister to Myrgwen and Arthur. She is thirteen years old. In the legends, she is Elaine of Garlot*.

  Eirish — (EYE-rish) The people from Erin, which is modern-day Ireland.

  Elmekow — (EL-meh-cow) A coastal British kingdom south-east of Rheged.

  Elowek — (eh-LOW-ek) The village blacksmith who died and gave his trade to Owain.

  Erbin — (ERR-bin) Tregeagle’s lictor and servant, he protects the Magister as well as executes his judgments.

  Erin — (ERR-in) The island of Ireland west of Britain.

  Fili* — (FILL-ee) The order of sages and poets within the wider order of the druidow. Filidow is the plural, and they are led by the arch fili.

  Fowaven River — (foe-AY-vehn) The stream that lies east of the village of Bosventor. It generally runs southward through Bosvenna Moor and, fed by many springs, it soon becomes a river, known today as the Fowey*.

  Fowavenoc — (foe-WAY-vehn-ock) A major town on the southern coast of Kernow where the Fowaven River spills into the sea. Modern-day Fowey*.

  Gana / Ganieda* — (GAH-nuh / gah-NYE-dah) Merlin’s half sister, who is nine years old; daughter of Mônda.

  Garrinoc — (GARE-in-ock) A village northwest of Bosventor built near the mountain of Meneth Garrow, which is today called Garrow Tor*.

  Garth / Garthwys* — (GARTH / GARTH-wiss) An orphan who lives at the abbey with Dybris. His father, Gorgyr, was a fisherman at Porthloc in Difnonia, and so Garth was raised on the sea. Red-haired and slightly chubby, he is always hungry.

  Gaul* — (GALL) Modern-day France, which was ruled by Rome for six hundred years.

  Gavar — (GAH-var) An old villager who volunteers to dive down and try to find Gwevian’s body.

  Gilroy — (GIL-roy) One of Mórganthu’s Eirish warriors.

  Glevum* — (GLEH-vuhm) The Roman fortress of Colonia Nervia Glevensium and the seat of Vitalinus’s kingdom. This is where Vortigern and Igerna grew up. Modern-day Gloucester*.

  Gorlas* — (GORE-lass) King of Kernow, whose fortress is Dintaga. He and Uther were rival suitors for Igerna’s love, and this rivalry colors their relationship to this day.

  Gorseth — (GORE-seth) A meeting place of the druidow, typically denoted by a circle of stones. In ancient times it would have been spelled gorsedd, the double-d pronounced like our th sound. In Merlin’s Blade it is spelled, like many other words, phonetically.

  Gorseth Cawmen — (GORE-seth CAW-men) The stone circle northeast from the village of Bosventor. Literally means “the meeting place of giant stones.” On modern maps, it is shown as the Goodaver Stone Circle*, though Merlin’s Blade describes it as having larger stones.

  Grannos* — (GRAN-nos) The Celtic god of water and healing. Represented by Saturn in the night sky. The Latin form of the name is Grannus*.

  Guotodin* — (goo-OH-toe-din) The most northern Brythonic kingdom. It was ruled by Atleuthun when Owain visited, and it lies between the two walls built by the Romans, just south of the land of the Prithager. Its principal cities are Dineidean (modern-day Edinburgh*) and the fortress of Dinpelder.

  Guron* — (GOO-ron) Saint Guron, who founded a monastery on the western side of Bosvenna Moor.

  Guronstow — (goo-RUHN-stow) The village where the first abbey established on the moor is located. Now known as the city of Bodmin*.

  Gwevian — (GWEV-ee-ahn) Merlin’s mother, the daughter of King Atleuthun. She drowned in Lake Dosmurtanlin when Merlin was young, and her body was never found. She is a merging of the legends of Vivian* and St. Theneva*.

  Gwyneth — A major kingdom in northwest Kembry. It includes the isle of Inis Môn, which is sacred to the druidow. Spelled Gwynedd* in Welsh.

  Herrik — (HAIR-ick) One of the monks, he works in the fields to provide food for the abbey.

  Igerna* — (ee-GERR-nah) The wife of Uther, she is Vortigern’s sister and therefore descended from Vitalinus Gloui, a former High King of Britain. Her children are Eilyne, Myrgwen, and Arthur. Gorlas vied with Uther for her hand in marriage.

  Imelys — (ee-MEL-iss) Troslam and Safrowana’s daughter.

  Inis Avallow — (IN-iss AV-all-ow) The largest island in the marsh. It has an old tower and broken-down fortress surrounded by an ancient apple orchard. Legend says this was built by a pilgrim and tin merchant known only as the Pergiryn. Its name means “Island of Apples,” and it is known in legend as Avalon*.

  Inis Môn* — (IN-iss MOAN) The sacred island of the druidow. Gaius Suetonius Paulinus* broke the power of the druidow and destroyed the shrines and sacred groves on the isle of Inis Môn in AD 61.

  Kallicia* — (kal-ih-SEE-ah) Literally “the forest people,” from what is now known as Galicia* in northwest Spain. Many scholars think they are of Celtic origin. You can still hear bagpipes played there today.

  Kembry — (KEM-bree) The land stretching from the Kembry Sea in the south to the isle of Inis Môn in the northwest. It is made up of multiple kingdoms. Modern-day Wales*.

  Kernow* — (KER-now) The kingdom that lay on the peninsula of land in southwest Britain, between Lyhonesse and Difnonia. Ruled by Gorlas from his fortress, Dintaga, which is on an island on the northern coast. Kernewek is their local dialect of Brythonic. Modern-day Cornwall*.

  Kernunnos* — (kare-NOO-nos) A Celtic horned god of hunting.

  Kiff / Kifferow — (KIFF / kiff-ER-ow) Owain’s best friend in the village. A carpenter who drinks too much.

  Kudor — (KOO-door) A man who accuses Pennar of stealing his cattle in a trial before Uther.

  Kyallna — (kee-ALL-nah) An elderly widow who lives near Safrowana and Troslam. She is Garth’s favorite because she likes to cook soup and share it with him.

  Kyldentor — (keel-DEN-tor) A village a few leagues southeast of Bosventor, which hosted Uther before he came to Bosventor.

  Loyt — (LOYT) One of the monks who cooks and bakes for the abbey. He is known for his very prominent nose.

  Lundnisow — (LUND-nih-sow) A city taken by the Romans in AD 43 and named Londinium. Because of its river and harbor, they made it the capital of their provinces in Britain. Modern-day London*.

  Lyhonesse — (ly-OHN-ess) A thin peninsula of land stretching even farther out to sea from the western tip of Kernow. It is sparsely settled by the Eirish. The name literally means “the lesser.” Known as Lyonesse* in legend.

  McEwan Mor — (mik-YOU-ahn) One of the Eirish warriors in the service of Mórganthu. He is almost seven feet tall and very strong.

  McGoss — (mik-GOSS) Another Eirish warrior who serves Mórganthu. He has a voice that rattles, and the other warriors consider him bloodthirsty.

  Megek — (MEH-geck) An elderly fishmonger who cleans and smokes fish for sale to the villagers. His shack is near the docks built out into the marsh.

  Melor — (MEH-lore) A monk who gives witness before Uther.

  Meneth Gellik — (MEN-eth GELL-ick) The mountain upon whose southern side the village of Bosventor is built. Halfway up on a plateau sits a fortress and beacon, which is familiarly known to the villagers as the Tor. The mountain is over 1,100 feet above sea level, its tallest point is 100 feet above the marsh, and it is the third highest in Kernow. The term Meneth means “mountain,” and Gellik means “brown”, making its name “the Brown Mountain.” Lake Dosmurtanlin is situated just to the north. Today it is known as Brown Gelly*.

  Merlin* — (MER-lin) The son of Owain, the village blacksmith/swordsmith. His face was badly scarred by wolves at the age of eleven when he tried to protect his younger sister, Gana. The attack also damanged his eyes, half blinding him. He can see smudges of color and motion, and with the careful use of his staff and his acute hearing, he can generally take care of himself. The Latin form of his name is Merlinus.

  Migal — (MIH-gale) A monk who sometimes helps Loyt with the cooking and baking.

  Mogruith* — (mog-ROO-ith) Mórganthu’s older brother. A druid, he was imprisoned and killed by the Romans.

 
Mônda / Môndargana — (MOAN-dah / moan-DAR-gone-ah) Owain’s wife, she is the daughter of Mórganthu, the arch druid, and mother to Ganieda. She is Merlin’s stepmother, but she despises his Christianity. Her full name Môndargana means “Prophetess of Inis Môn.”

  Mórganthu — (more-GAN-thoo) The arch druid and son of Mórfryn. He is father to Môndargana and Anviv and grandfather to Ganieda. His name is a merging of the name Mórgant with huder, which means “magician.”

  Muscarvel — (musk-AR-vel) Arvel from the prologue. Seventy years later, he lives deep in the marsh to the west of Bosventor. The inhabitants think he is crazy and give him the epithet “Musca.”

  Myrgwen — (MEER-gwen) The youngest daughter of Uther and Igerna, and sister to Eilyne and Arthur. She is nine years old. In legend, she is called Morgause*.

  Natalenya — (nah-tah-LEAN-yah) Tregeagle and Trevenna’s daughter, who plays the harp and sings. Merlin likes her but is very shy in her presence.

  Neot — (NEH-ot) A monk in charge of the farming; he doesn’t like Dybris.

  Nivet — (NEE-vet) One of the monks.

  O’Rewry — (o-REH-ree) An Eirish warrior in service to Mórganthu.

  O’Sloan — (o-SLOWN) The leader of the Eirish warriors in service to Mórganthu.

  Offyd — (O-fid) One of the monks who works in the fields to help feed the abbey.

  Olva — (OL-vah) Married to a pig farmer; her little son is very sick.

  Oswistor — (os-WEE-store) A strong hillfort in Pengwern*, Kembry, and a minor kingdom of the greater kingdom of Powys. Natalenya’s mother, Trevenna, has relatives here. Modern-day Oswestry*.

  Owain* — (O-wayne) Merlin’s father. He grew up in Rheged, north of Kembry, as the son of a chieftain. Owain’s first wife, Gwevian, drowned while they were boating on Lake Dosmurtanlin. His second wife, Mônda, is the mother of Ganieda, Merlin’s half sister. Owain is the blacksmith in the village of Bosventor and so is given the title of An Gof, which means “the smith.”

  Pádraig* — (PAH-dreeg) Saint Patrick, a Briton who first brought Christianity to the Eirish and then sent missionaries back to Briton.

  Pennar — (PEN-arr) A man accused in a trial before Uther of stealing Kudor’s cattle.

  Pergiryn’s Tower — (per-GIH-rin) All that is left of the fortress built by the Pergiryn on the island of Inis Avallow. Some say a light can sometimes be seen from its top-most window. The Pergiryn was an unknown tin merchant who, legend says, built the fortress and planted the apple orchard. Pergiryn means “pilgrim.”

  Picti* — (PIC-tie) The Latin name for the people who live in the wild lands of the north. They often raid the southern realms for slaves and plunder now that Hadrian’s wall has been abandoned by the Romans. Also known as the Prithager.

  Plewin — (PLEH-win) Allun’s mule, which he uses to turn his millstone.

  Podrith — (POD-rith) A novice druid who traveled to Bosventor with Trothek.

  Porthloc — (PORTH-lock) The seaside village in Difnonia where Garth grew up and met Dybris. Modern-day Porlock*.

  Powys* — A major kingdom in east-central Kembry (Wales).

  Prithager — (prih-THAY-girr) This is the Brythonic name for the Picti*.

  Priwith — (PRY-with) The village potter.

  Prontwon — (PRON-twon) The abbot of Bosvenna Abbey who taught Merlin about the Christian faith.

  Regnum — (REG-num) A Roman city on the southern coast of Britain. Modern-day Chichester*.

  Rewan — (REH-wan) A chieftain under Vortigern.

  Rheged* — (HREE-ged) A Brythonic kingdom in the north, it is situated northeast of Kembry and south of Guotodin. This is the land Owain is from.

  Rondroc — (RON-drock) Natalenya’s older brother.

  Safrowana — (saf-ROW-ah-nah) Mother to Imelys and wife of Troslam. They are weavers.

  Screpall —(SCREH-pall) A double-sided silver coin of Kernow worth three coyntallow. Equivalent to a Roman silver denarius.

  Sethek — (SETH-eck) One of Uther’s warriors.

  Stenno — (STEN-no) One of the many tin and copper miners in the village. His father recently died in a mining accident.

  Sydnius — (sid-NEE-oos) A chieftain under Vortigern.

  Tellyk — (TELL-ick) A wolf that has befriended Ganieda.

  The Stone — A strange stone that was found by Mórganthu at the edge of Lake Dosmurtanlin.

  The Tor — The fortress situated partway up the side of the Meneth Gellik. It has a timber-built tower with a beacon on top. Its formal name is Dinas Bosventor.

  Tregeagle* — (treh-GAY-gull) Magister of Bosventor and the surrounding tin-mining region. He is the village judge and collects taxes. He is also responsible for maintaining the fortress (the “Tor”) built on the Meneth Gellik, which includes a timber-built tower and beacon. His wife is Trevenna, and his children are Natalenya, Rondroc, and Dyslan. He takes pride in his Roman descent.

  Trevenna — (treh-VENN-nah) Tregeagle’s wife, and mother to Natalenya, Rondroc, and Dyslan.

  Troslam — (TROS-lum) The village weaver. Safrowana is his wife, and Imelys is his daughter.

  Trothek — (TROH-theck) The old and infirm arch fili who wants the druidow to stick to their present laws and not regress to the ancient ways, which include human sacrifice.

  Uther* — (UTH-er) The High King of the Britons, he is descended from a long line of Roman governors and kings. His father was Aurelianus, his wife is Igerna. He has two daughters, Eilyne and Myrgwen, as well as his son, Arthur. His name in Latin is Uthrelius.

  Vitalinus Gloui* — (vi-TAL-ee-noos GLEW-eye) Usurper High King who slew Uther’s grandfather Constans. His grandson is Vortigern, and his granddaughter is Igerna, Uther’s wife. He was slain in battle by Aurelianus.

  Vortigern* — (vor-TUH-gern) The grandson of Vitalinus Gloui, who entered Uther’s service as his battle chief following the marriage of his sister, Igerna, and Uther.

  Vortipor* — (vor-TUH-poor) Vortigern’s son.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Nothing difficult can be accomplished alone.

  To God, who “rescued me from the dominion of darkness and brought me into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” And to Christopher Board and Gary Thomas Wood, who first told me the good news about Jesus Christ and his love for me.

  To Robin, my wife, best friend, joy of my life, and my number-one fan. This book could not have been written without you. To Adele, my faithful daughter and writing buddy — your fascination and understanding of the ancient world has kept me on track. To Leighton, my amazing son — thank you for your devoted support, your love of swords, and for applying your 3D artistry to helping promote Merlin’s Blade. To Ness, my cheerful youngest — your friendship, smiles, and love of books inspires me to keep on writing.

  To my mother, who passed away during the editing of this book. Thank you for choosing to give me life. Your love has been a shining light that saw me through many dark days. Thank you, also, for sharing your priceless library of old British, Scottish, and Irish books. My novels would be that much poorer without them.

  To my sister, Wendy, for all of your tireless genealogy work, without which I never would have known we were descended from a Cornish blacksmith. To my brother, Stuart, who encouraged Leighton and me to learn bladesmithing. And to all my other family members, you know that I care for you even if busyness and distance have gotten in the way.

  To my in-laws, Dick and Carol — your cheer and love have been immeasurable during the last six years of writing.

  To my growing-up friends, Mark and Richard — you helped me become strong in the faith and righted my ship more than once.

  The rough path to publication has also been smoothed by the many new friends I have met along the way. This is to them. If I have forgotten anyone, may God credit you doubly!

  Tegid, you have been a great advocate and encourager. Your generous confidence in the value of my tale spurred me on to keep writing and working toward publication. />
  To L. B. Graham: our regular author get-togethers have been nothing short of sanity saving. Thank you for the friendship, commiseration, critiques, belief, and help.

  To Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper — you guys are awesome! Your crazy wisdom and timely backing have helped make the difference. To Scott Appleton: thank you for helping clear a path through the jungle of publishing. To Douglas Bond: your careful attention to detail and historicity are an inspiration. To S. D. Smith: many thanks to a true friend and brother — may your quill and quiver never be found empty.

  And thanks to my other helpful critiquers: Brandon Barr, Keanan Brand, Marcus Goodyear, John Otte, and Daniel Struck. Your selflessness helped make Merlin’s Blade a better book. Thanks also to Jeff Gerke and Randy Ingermanson — you both got my novel on the right track with your expert advice.

  To Jeffrey Overstreet: thank you for being a kindred soul on the playground of paper and pen. Thanks also to Stephen Lawhead for your unique and expert critique. You have inspired me more than you can know.

  To all the Holy Worlders — you’re a fantastic bunch, and I appreciate all the help you’ve given to a new author like me. To the Lost Genre Guild — may this novel be one more signpost on the road to our genre being found by the masses. To all the ArthurNetters — I appreciate each and every discussion about Arthuriana, and I continue to be corrected and enriched by your scholarly points of view.

  To all my reviewers at Authonomy.com, especially Nichole White — thanks for the great suggestions and encouragement.

  To Nick Burns and everyone at Burns Family Studios — thank you for including Leighton and me as extras in Pendragon: Sword of His Father. To be the author of an Arthurian fantasy who has appeared, even if briefly, in an Arthurian film is a rare privilege.

  To all my loyal blog followers (you know who you are) — thank you for believing in me and my writing during the long years that it has taken to get to this point. Your faith has finally been rewarded.

  To Rebecca Luella Miller and the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour participants — one more of us has now graduated from fan to author. I appreciate all that you do to promote Christian fantasy and sci-fi. May there be many more graduates, and may the tour increase in influence and strength!