The Celtic Symbol

by V M Jones

  Dr. Ryan called the team over for a quick briefing. He outlined the scope of the excavation and what he anticipated to find. He also made it clear to the team the importance of secrecy involved with the project at least for a period of time.

  Dr. Ryan was anxious to determine if the tower was a single structure or perhaps part of a larger structure. He wondered if the buried structure was in decay or still in decent condition. The whole estate was now part of the archaeological dig.

  Over the course of the next few days, both Dr. Ryan’s excavation team and the IPP team worked tirelessly on uncovering the tower. They had to be careful not to dig too much behind the tower to avoid more of the mountainside sliding down onto the excavation site.

  Dr. Ryan had come across what could be one of the most important new archaeological discoveries in the area. As much as he would like to let the archeological community become aware of the find, he knew how important it was to keep it a secret until Tevan could be found. He worried that news of the new find would become public and make excavation and research of the project more difficult.

  He called the museum to bring over the ground penetrating radar (GPR) equipment to map out the structure beneath the ground. He cautioned the museum curator on keeping the new find as quiet as possible.

  The equipment arrived the next day. The GPR confirmed what Dr. Ryan had already suspected. There was a stone wall on the south and west ends of the tower. They were looking at a buried castle. Dr. Ryan couldn’t contain his excitement as he let out a yell.

  The tower appeared to be the northeast corner of the castle. It was difficult to tell how tall the castle walls and tower were. His goal was now to excavate enough of it to get inside and explore its chambers and secrets. Since the castle was underground Dr. Ryan felt there was a very good chance that it might be well preserved. This prospect excited him even more. It would be rare to find a castle like this in such good condition.

  He contemplated what kind of artifacts they would find, the history they would uncover. Then he remembered the reason he had been brought in. Somewhere was a young man, scared and alone, wondering where his family was. He contained his excitement and concentrated on the task at hand.

  Although the new discovery would contribute to the history of the area, it also brought many new and unanswered questions.

  “There are a couple of things that bother me about this castle,” said Dr. Ryan to Dr. McNamara reflecting on its existence. “Who commissioned the construction of it and what is its relationship to Cahir? How did this structure become completely covered and undetected for so many centuries?”

  From what he could remember, he had no knowledge of any ancient writings referring to a structure in this area. At this point in the excavation, they had no idea how large of a castle lay buried beneath the earth.

  The excavation and research progressed over the next couple of days. Scaffolding was placed around the stone structure. The excavation team carefully scraped off the dirt from the stone with small picks and hand shovels. The work was tedious and slow but they wanted to be sure to preserve the integrity of the structure. Dr. Ryan closely watched the work being done to be sure no damage was done to the stone.

  Within a couple of days a large section of the stone structure was visible. Dr. Ryan was excited. Here was an unknown medieval stone tower in relatively good condition. It stood boldly on the small plateau overlooking the valley below.

  The mountain slope still covered the back portion of the tower and part of the top. Uncovering this part of the stone structure would be the most dangerous.

  The GPR equipment showed that the north wall ran from the tower into the mountainside. The curve of the steep mountain slope cut across castle wall at a 45 degree angle leaving the northeast tower exposed.

  Excavation of this castle would be a long, tedious, and dangerous job as a mountain landslide could easily bury the excavation team and any progress they made. Because the majority of the structure lay buried beneath the mountainside, it was difficult to get an idea of its size and shape. By exploring the castle from the inside, if possible, Dr. Ryan would be able to get a general idea of its design and layout.

  One thing that remained foremost in the minds of everyone during all the excavation done over the past week was to find an answer for the Murphy family as to the disappearance of Tevan and what could be done to re-unite him with his family.

  The Murphy family had watched intently from their home over the past several days desperately awaiting any word of Tevan. They could see the progress being made uncovering the tower and couldn’t wait for a rescue team to go in and get him.

  Ansley cried herself to sleep every night longing to hold him in her arms and kiss the top of his head. Patrick felt helpless as he watched Ansley cry.

  “It’s been a week without food or water. What if he’s already dead?” she said as tears streamed down her cheeks.

  Patrick wanted to get into the tower himself and bring back Tevan but knew he needed to be patient.

  7 revelations from the past

  At the beginning of the second week of excavation, Dr. Ryan left oversight of the dig to his assistant Brian Corrigan with explicit instructions to let Dr. McNamara and the IPP team have access to anything they needed in their research.

  Dr. Ryan returned to the Museum of London to research two things: the metal artifact retrieved from the excavation site and any historical information on the area in Cahir that might help identify the buried structure. Judging from what he had seen at the dig site, as well as what history he knew of the area, he estimated that it dated back to somewhere around the 13th century.

  He scoured the museum’s archives looking for any documents that would identify the Celtic shield knot and the structure. He found an old book that had been taken from the Cahir Abbey during the dissolution of the monasteries around 1540. The ancient book dated back to the 13th century and was in delicate condition.

  Dr. Ryan carefully removed the book from its casing and began reviewing its writings. The book had been written by the Augustinian Monks who had built the abbey in the region.

  As he glanced through its various pages he came across one that had a drawing of a symbol very similar to the one taken from the tower loophole. He carefully read the pages and reviewed the various drawings related to the symbol.

  The old book referred to the symbol as a protective shield knot that was designed by the church to protect its priests and monks from evil forces. A few of the kings in the region adopted the symbol in some of the shields of their personal guards. These guards were specially trained to battle forces of evil that attacked the kingdoms from time to time. He noticed a page that depicted a battle with royal guards holding round shields. He noted on the following page the same round shields glowing when in a battle against demons.

  Dr. Ryan came to the conclusion that the symbol was designed to repel evil. The next question he wanted answered was why this particular symbol was found above one of the loopholes of the tower. What evil were the inhabitants of the tower trying to repel? Whatever evil force it was, it must have been responsible for the complete burial of the structure they were now in process of excavating.

  Dr. Ryan carefully photographed the pages of the ancient book containing the information he had researched for documentation and further study. He returned the book to the ancient archives section of the museum.

  Dr. Ryan next turned his attention to finding any information that may lead to identification of the structure that lay buried beneath the Murphy estate. He enlisted the help of his colleagues at the museum to see what if any information existed as to the identity of the structure.

  Later in the day, one of his colleagues came to Dr. Ryan very excited.

  “I found a writing that makes reference to another book that was written by a priest from the Augustinian Canons in the 13th century. It’s an ancient book with a wax seal by the abbey priest. Since it was written about the same time period it’s very possibl
e it will have a history of the region,” he said hardly taking a breath.

  “Good work John,” said Dr. Ryan shaking his hand.

  The group searched the archives of the British museum for the document but found that it was owned and held in the archives of the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.

  Dr. Ryan contacted the curator of the museum in Dublin and requested permission to review the archives there. The curator seemed irritated and reluctant to allow Dr. Ryan access to the Irish national archives. The London curator, Nigel Smith, noticed that Dr. Ryan seemed to be having trouble and asked to take the phone.

  “Hello Jace, its Nigel.”

  “Hello Nigel. How’s the family?”

  “They’re fine thanks. I need your help. You have to allow Dr. Ryan access to your archives.”

  “I’ll think about it. It may take some time though.”

  Dr. Ryan was getting concerned as he could tell that Nigel wasn’t getting anywhere with the Irish curator.

  “Jace, I hate to do this but I’m going to call in a favor. Remember Cairo?”

  “I figured you’d bring that up some day. Fine. I’ll give him two days to access the old archives. Mind you, they’re very fragile. I’ll hold you and the London museum responsible for any damage.”

  “Thank you Jace. You know Dr. Ryan’s credentials. He’ll be very careful. Bye.”

  Nigel nodded to Dr. Ryan as he hung up the phone.

  “Thanks Nigel,” said Dr. Ryan perplexed as to why there was a problem getting access in the first place.

  The old curator nodded and responded, “It’s a long story but it has nothing to do with you. Go find your book.”

  Dr. Ryan left the museum and called Dr. McNamara to give him an update on what he had found.

  “The answers to our questions can be found in the National Museum of Ireland,” he said proudly as he stepped into the rental car. “I will give you more information when I get to Cahir tomorrow.”

  He also talked with Patrick Murphy and updated him on his findings.

  “We’re getting closer to figuring out what happened to Tevan,” he said trying to reassure Patrick. “We’ll find him and bring him home. It will take time but we’re making progress.”

  Dr. Ryan felt it wise to return to the Murphy home and coordinate his research as well as review the progress on the dig with his team, the IPP, and most importantly, with the Murphys.

  Dr. Ryan flew to Dublin the following day and within a couple of hours arrived in Cahir. He called a meeting to discuss his research with everyone. He provided the photographs and his research on the religious symbol from the tower.

  “From what I have read and what I can piece together, my theory is that whoever was in the castle was trying to keep evil forces away from it. Whatever that evil was, it caused the avalanche and was buried along with the castle. It has now taken Tevan. I still don’t know why,” said Dr. Ryan apologetically as he shrugged his shoulders.

  “I’m going to Dublin tomorrow to find the sealed book. It should give us more information on the castle and how it got there. Liam, can you give us an update on your work?”

  “We’re continuing to monitor the tower and its surroundings for any paranormal activity. We’ve been getting positive readings from the tower loophole. But we need to get into the tower to get more readings,” said Dr. McNamara hoping to get access soon.

  “Brian, can you give us an update on the status of the excavation?” asked Dr. Ryan as he turned to his foreman.

  “We’ve made progress excavating the exposed side of the tower. We’ve been able to excavate down about two meters. Excavating the sides of the tower has proven to be more difficult as we have to dig into the mountain itself. We’re extracting larger sections on each side and building wooden supports to hold back the dirt from falling back onto the tower. It’s going to take some time before we find an entry point. Since the castle is possibly from the 13th century perhaps the best access to the castle will be from the top of the tower. Hopefully we can clear it within a day or two,” reported Brian as he crossed his arms.

  “Excellent,” said Dr. Ryan. “That will get us into the tower in a few days.”

  Patrick asked to speak next. “My family and I want to thank you for all you’re doing. “We know you’re doing everything you can,” he said wringing his hands.

  Ansley nodded with tears in her eyes.

  Dr. Ryan left the next morning for Dublin. He arrived at the National Museum and met with its curator. He was an elderly man named Jace Houllihan. He was still visibly reluctant to give Dr. Ryan access to his archives.

  After the normal pleasantries, Jace led Dr. Ryan down to the basement where the old archives were located.

  “Here is a listing of our inventory of ancient writings that we have catalogued,” said the old curator holding the list. He defiantly held onto the list for a few seconds before letting Dr. Ryan take it.

  Dr. Ryan was irritated with the curator’s behavior but tried not to show it. Whatever rivalry there was between Nigel and Jace he wanted nothing to do with it.

  After reviewing the list, he identified the 13th century canon that he had been looking for.

  “Where can I find this record?” he asked with his finger next to the item on the list.

  Jace let out a big sigh and left the room without saying a word. He headed down into the lower level of the old museum. Dr. Ryan quickly followed him down the stairs into the old archives.

  Jace looked around the shelves of old books looking for the location per the list. He retrieved it from a collection of books that had been taken from the abbey during the Dissolution. He carefully held the old book up for Dr. Ryan to see. The book had a red wax seal with the abbey’s official stamp.

  “You realize of course that there’s a warning on the seal that it is not to be opened,” said the curator with an air of arrogance in his voice. “I’m not only worried about the warning but I’m also concerned about the age of the book and its condition. I prefer you didn’t open it.”

  “Aye, I understand. However I still need your permission to remove the seal,” said Dr. Ryan sternly. “I wouldn’t ask you in any other circumstance but it’s important. A boy’s life may depend on it.”

  Jace looked at him then let out a big sigh.

  “If it’s that critical then I’ll unseal the book for you,” he said as he held the book in both arms. “I have the proper tools in the restoration room.”

  Dr. Ryan followed the curator to the clean room.

  “It will be a delicate job but I’m sure I can do it” he told Dr. Ryan arrogantly.

  Jace sat down at a table with some small tools and a bowl filled with a solution. He carefully swabbed the solution around the wax seal until it loosened and lifted the ribbon alongside the old book.

  Dr. Ryan put on some latex gloves and carefully opened the book. Jace stood over his shoulder and adjusted his glasses so he could watch Dr. Ryan and be sure that as little damage was done to the book as possible.

  He slowly turned each page until he came across the writings of the old friar that kept a history of the area. The old friar made it clear that the book was the only remaining written history of the region and had been sealed to protect mankind. The writer warned the reader that continuing to read the following history could unleash an evil, supernatural force upon the earth.

  The friar described a great kingdom that once was a prosperous and beautiful place. The castle had been built by a great and mighty king named Brion who was loved by all of the people.

  He built his castle up the side of a steep mountain. One side of the mountain came to a point with cliffs on either side of the point. Below the point was a large plateau where a spring flowed which provided a continuous fresh supply of water. It was at this site that King Brion built his castle.

  The castle faced east and looked down to the beautiful valley below. The northwest corner of the castle was built into the point of the cliff. The west wall of the castle w
as also built into the cliff.

  King Brion was a just and noble king who concerned himself with the welfare of his subjects and administered justice fairly. There could not have been a happier people in Ireland.

  He had a son whom he named Nuallan. The boy grew strong and wise like his father.

  The king had several court ministers who lived throughout the kingdom and provided the court with information on affairs of the region at any given time.

  One of the court ministers named Suibhne had a daughter named Caoimhe. She was kind and beautiful and often accompanied her father to the castle when the court ministers were summoned to a monthly meeting to report to the king.

  Prince Nuallan and Caoimhe would often play together when she accompanied her father to the monthly meetings. Over the course of time they fell in love. As he grew older the Prince would often leave the castle on official business and would be gone for several weeks. Caoimhe waited patiently for his return. The Prince longed to return home to the castle to be with his beloved and back into her arms.

  The kingdom was divided into quarters, each with a court minister to handle affairs on behalf of the king. The western quarter, which was in the mountain part of the kingdom, was governed by a court minister named Dubhshlaine. He had once been one of the brightest court ministers but fallen into a state of jealousy and a thirst for power. He had been seduced by a witch named Faelan that lived near the top of one of the mountains. She had convinced Dubhshlaine that she could help him take over the kingdom and rule with complete power and fear.

  Since open rebellion was out of the question, they conspired to slowly poison the good king. The continuous doses of the poison made the king ill but would not kill him until combined with another potion. The king loved to eat berries from the mountain region, which Dubhshlaine always brought with him on his monthly trips to the court as a gift to him from his quarter. Over a period of six months, Dubhshlaine had administered poison to the berries that were specifically ordered to be given the king and him alone.