Glossary G–N

Author's Note: The terms explained in this glossary pertain to the imaginary world of Earda, the setting for my books. If you are looking for a ‘correct’ definition, I suggest you try the Oxford English Dictionary, or a dictionary of mythology or fairies.

GEIA

Name, originally Lantean, for the planet Earth. Most people, including the Fir Domnan, used the name Earda, referring to the known lands; Lantis had achieved mythic status and other continents were unknown to mortals.

HOBYAH

Type of Firbolg, genetically incompatible with other races. (Crosses sometimes occurred, as Mirdz, but were always sterile.) They were relatively large (averaging 1m 80) burly, and extremely strong. They possessed yellowish skin, protruding fangs, hunched backs, and long arms not hinged quite like humans’, with eight fingers on each hand and seven-toed feet. They were generally quite intelligent, though a larger than normal proportion of them were born idiots.

ISCAIR

In full, Iscair Elfionar, 'Sea Fortress of Fionn's People'. To the East it looked down on the deep vale of Toremath, to the West it viewed the ocean, beyond whose rim lay the immortal isles of Lantis, to which Fionn and his followers were forbidden to return.

KEEP-SAFE

A type of talisman made by many Fir Morian groups, usually consisting of a small bag stuffed with supposedly "lucky" herbs. Among Shean this had mainly lost its superstitious overtones, but was made and given to another (often a sweetheart) as a token of well-wishing. The Herders of Ardonal, on the other hand, set great store by such things, especially when fashioned by a practitioner of power such as Kenfig's daughter.

KHAKAN

Head of a Duergh clan. (A clan was a group of several families with close ties.)

KRIST

Elfionar name for a particular type of knife, invented by the swordsmiths of Toremath for their wars against the Renegades. A few swords of similar type were made, but smaller knives were easier to craft, and served their purpose as well. Their powers were many, some not now known; the chief was to kill subverted Ellantari, which due to their regenerative ability was virtually impossible in a fight with ordinary weapons, however good. Each krist had a jewel set in its hilt which warned of danger, changing colour according to the nature of the enemy. When one was owned by an individual it was said to bond to him, the stone taking on a soft colour when at rest, and brightening or dimming according to circumstances. Holt’s krist helped him often, and sometimes, no doubt, in ways unperceived.

LANTADEION

Lantean title, "Lords of Lantis".

LANTEAN

Popular name for the descendants of those ellyl who had gone to Lantis and been genetically enhanced by its Lords. Also their language.

LANTIS

See Lords of Lantis

LEMAN

Lover. I have used this archaic word to translate the Lantean term melaer, which had the sense of "pledged sexual partner". (As opposed to melcar, which conveyed a similar bond but platonic.)

LIARAS

Arbutus, 'Strawberry-tree'. Native to the Mediterranean region and also to the south-west of Ireland.

LIHAR

A stringed instrument, something like a mandolin. Holt was familiar with the small, popular seven-stringed type. There were others, the largest with twenty strings, which was played standing.

LINNATH AVALL'CHAIN

Lantean, "Pipes of the Children of Avallach". The plural '-ath' was common in the tongue of the Elfionar, also the elision of vowels between words and in compound words (Avallach + -ain, children). Note that CH in the Lantean language, and words derived from it, is always pronounced as in German "bach" (think of the composer J S) - an "h" sound with the back of the tongue raised. It is less guttural than Scots "loch", but if you can say "Auchtermuchtie" you've got it. Otherwise, just pronounce as a strong "h", never as in "church"!

LIRA NE MALINNA UOLAIN LHIANNON

Lantean, 'Malinna's Lay of the Fight of Lhiannon'. I have translated lira as "Lay", which sounds better than "cantata" or even "opera" which would be more accurate translations. The name "Malinna" means "Golden-voice", suggesting, as Holt came to realise later, that this work had been written by Rillodan himself. If so, its composition and performance must have gone far to help him come to terms with the tragedy, a therapy denied to him after the later destruction of Aurdene.

LLANTKARRUN

Duergh word for Lantean.

LORDS OF LANTIS

The name given to the star-faring race that settled on Geia (Earth). These may have visited the planet a number of times, to boost and guide the developing ecology. Somewhere around 200,000 years ago a group made up their minds to settle here, choosing for their base the chain of islands that then straddled the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. (This was during a glacial period. It was their intention eventually to control the advances of the ice.) They created new species, probably including those which, today, seem to have no record of their origin. Later, they chose the ellyl to people their future world, and persuaded several tribes to go to Lantis for improvement, their reward being freedom from hardship, pain and death.

However their scheme began to go seriously wrong when one of their new creations, Fionn, wished to know more than they would teach him, and took by stealth the knowledge they would not give. Though Earda was not yet ready to be populated, they exiled him there, believing it was better to remove him than have him spread dissension among his folk in Lantis. But this had already occurred, and many of his people in fact went with him; so also did Danai, Lady of Lantis, who had come to love her wayward pupil. Soon after, several of the Lords who were discontented with the cautious approach of the rest, broke away. Called the Renegades, they too came to Earda and set up realms that exploited its resources, leading eventually to war and the destruction, not only of much of Earda, but of Alta Lantis (Greater Lantis) itself.

MANAUDAN

"First among equals" of the Lords of Lantis.

MELCAR

Lantean, "heart-friend". See Leman.

MERCY-BLOW

Shean, like most of the peoples of Earda, believed in euthanasia as an option when treatment was unable to prevent a lingering death. Often administered in the field, in the case of mortal accidents, the usual method was by hunting-knife, by the senior male present.

MERIGARTH

A sheading of the Shean Commonality, the first to be settled. The name was often used by other races to denote the whole, even by Fir Domnan administrators, who should have known better.

NINE REALMS

The provinces under the protection of the High King. Loigris and Lioneis were ruled by him directly, the rest largely kept their own systems. They covered an area from the west coast of what is now Ireland to the borders of Wales, north as far as the Solway Firth and south to the English Channel. Much that was then dry land is now sea.

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