Others were dour, with their eyes made almost scary in the shadows of the candlelight. A few were even baleful, and these, he noted, wore finery such that marked them as supporters of Bors the Elder — of a generation that knew nothing of Uther and the good years that characterized his reign.
“. . . pig-snot,” one even dared to whisper, and Arthur winked at the man as he passed. Warriors such as these would have to be won over by deeds — and no mere torc would convince them of Arthur’s right to rule.
The bagpipe music swelled, and Arthur’s heart began to beat faster with every step.
Then he saw Gwenivere, and his stride almost faltered.
She stood on the left next to Culann, and the man had his arm draped tensely over her shoulder. She looked upon Arthur quizzically, as if he were a wooden puzzle that might be solved and put away in a bag.
Arthur met the challenge of her gaze, but her stare unnerved him and he looked away.
Directly before him in the center of the feasting hall, Dybris opened his arms in greeting, a slightly lopsided smile on his tan face and gentle eyes sparkling in joy above a thick beard.
Arthur stepped up onto the dais and, as instructed prior to the ceremony, kissed the back of the priest’s outstretched hand.
Garth finished the tune and expertly cut off the sound of his single drone.
Together, then, Arthur and Dybris knelt before the simple altar and its three candles.
This humble kneeling was meant to represent servitude to God Most High, but for Arthur, it was more than a show. Desperately, he prayed for the strength to lead these people. Their situation was perilous, and great wisdom was needed lest they all meet a swift death at the end of a Saxenow blade or a Pictish spear.
They both rose, and Arthur turned to face the priest.
Dybris reached into a bag at his side and pulled out a copper flask with a wooden plug. Unstoppering it, he decanted a palmful of oil and anointed Arthur on his forehead, cheeks, and bristly chin, all the while chanting:
Kýrie, eléison. Kýrie, eléison. Kýrie, eléison!
And the chorus of voices answered:
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy on us!
At this cue, Merlin began walking down the aisle, holding aloft the torc of Uther mab Aurelianus for all to see. Some in the audience gasped, and Arthur nearly joined them, for though the tale of Dybris
keeping the torc secret all these years had spread like honeyed oatcakes throughout the land, this was the first time Arthur had been able to behold it himself.
But that made this moment all the sweeter.
Made of solid gold, the thick braids flashed in the dim light as if the very rays of the sun had been tamed and bent by Merlin’s hands. As well, the amethyst eyes of the twin eagle heads sparkled with purple fire so that the combined effect was astonishing.
When Merlin reached the front, he bowed and placed the torc into Dybris’s hands.
The monk raised it aloft, and its metalic beauty enthralled Arthur. Was this really happening? Was he about to receive his father’s torc? He bit his tongue in anticipation.
“As priest of God Most High,” Dybris said, “I solemnly charge you, Arthur mab Uthrelius, with the task of guarding your people, the Britons, against all enemies. Remember well that you are not the High King
of Britain
, but rather
of the Britons
. The land is not yours — rather, it belongs to God first, and is given by Him as a goodly blessing to all His children who tend it.”
Dybris paused here and looked heavenward. “Your kingship, then, is a call of protection, not overlordship, and God will bless your reign if you will always remember these truths. Many will whisper in your ear to use your power for selfish gain, but heed them not! The Mighty King over you stands at the door with a great sickle in His hand, and if you but stray He will end your reign as swiftly as He has given it.”
Dybris sighed, and then continued.
“So in light of these admonitions, do you, Arthur — son of Uthrelius, son of Aurelianus, son of Constans, and also of the uncorrupted line of Vitalinus — willingly accept this torc of the High Kingship?”
Arthur nodded. “Truly, I do.”
Spreading the ends of the torc, Dybris placed it upon Arthur’s neck.
The severe weight of it upon his collar surprised Arthur, and it was then that Dybris’s fretful words were made manifest to him.
This thing did not mark him for privilege — rather it was a burden that he must bear. The heavy mantle of his father’s fallen throne. The mantle of all those that had worn the purple before him.
Arthur let out his breath. Yes, he would try.
Dybris embraced him in congratulations, and then took Arthur’s right hand and turned him slowly around in the dais to face all the people. Merlin stepped up and took Arthur’s left. Lifting their joined hands together, Dybris and Merlin shouted:
HERE IS YOUR KING!
In silence, the people blew out their candles so that only the three candles on the altar in the very center remained lit.
And then, from the darkness came the shout of a familiar voice. It was Taliesin, standing on a bench, and his words shocked the assembly. “Look! Up there!”
Everyone glanced to where he pointed, but this was behind Arthur, and he had to turn to look out the high central archway that faced westward.
There floated something unlike anything Arthur had ever seen in the sky. It appeared to look like a star falling toward the final glow of the sunset, but it was suspended in the heavens, unmoving, with two tails — one straight, and the other curving away toward the left.
Colvarth had once shown Arthur a scroll with drawings of such celestial portents, and so he knew this was a Dragon Star . . . a dread omen that had not been seen during his lifetime.
Fear swam in Arthur’s gut until his legs began to shake and his eyesight blurred. The room tilted and Arthur fell upon the hard floor, his arms outstretched before the altar.
There he beheld a vision of every clan and people of Britain gathered together. And all of them — from the youngest peasant to the dusty farmer, from the calloused-handed craftsman to the rotund, vassal king of Lundnisow — all worshiped the Dragon. Yet when they bowed, the white-scaled beast betrayed them and blazed upon their backs the green flames of death. All through the land it burned, and from within the flames, untouched, came the armies of
the stocky Saxenow and the painted men of the north — and these took the land as their own and killed the Britons who tried to resist.
Death. Death and destruction.
The souls of many wept, and within the flames a lone woman stood. She was Myrgwen, Arthur’s sister, and in a loud voice she called out:
Woe! Woe to Britain!
For the Dragon has come,
and who will save us?
(
To be continued in the Pendragon Spiral
)
The following helps are for British names, places, and terms and do not apply to Latin. If you find an easy way to pronounce a name, however, feel free to ignore the following. Your first goal is to enjoy the novel, not to become an expert in ancient languages.
Vowels
| a | short as in far , long as in late , but sometimes as in cat |
| e | short as in bet , long as in pay , but sometimes as in key |
| i / y | short as in tin , long as in bead , but sometimes as in pie |
| o | short as in got , long as in foam |
| u | short as in fun , long as in loom |
Consonants — the same as English with a few exceptions:
| c / k | hard, as in crank , not like city |
| ch | hard, as in Scottish loch , or sack , not like chat |
| f | f as in fall , sometimes v as in vine |
| ff | f as in offer |
| g | hard as in get , not like George |
| gh | soft as in sigh |
| r | lightly trilled when found between two vowels |
| rh | pronounced as hr , strong on the h sound |
| s | as in sat , not with a z sound |
Pronunciation Note:
The goal is for you to enjoy reading
Merlin’s Nightmare
, and so, where possible, easier spellings have been chosen for many ancient words. For instance, the word
gorseth
would more properly be spelled
gorsedd
, with the “dd” pronounced similar to our “th.” This is also true of the decision, in some words, to use “k” instead of “c.” The goal is readability. A pronunciation suggestion has been provided for each word. Again, please relax about how you say the names. If you are a language purest, then indulge the author, knowing he is well aware of the depth, history, and complexities of the Brythonic and Goidelic languages represented here.
Also, since this spiral of Arthurian stories begins and ends in Cornwall, Cornish has been chosen as a basis for many of the names and places. Though Welsh, Irish, or Scots Gaelic could have each served for this purpose, Cornwall is the nexus of the story line.
Historical Note:
Although many of the following explanations are based on history and legend, they are given to aid your understanding of
Merlin’s Nightmare
and thus are fictional. If you feel inspired, you can research Roman, Celtic, and Arthurian literature for a deeper appreciation of how they’ve been uniquely woven into the entire Merlin Spiral series. An asterisk has been placed next to those words that will yield a wealth of information.
Abransva
— (ah-BRAWN-sva) The meaning of the word is simply “eyebrow.”
Àille Fionnadh
— (EYE-la fi-OH-neyg) Natalenya’s pet name for Merlin, which Ector teases him with. It means “handsome hair.” This is the author’s version of the name Elffin*, who was the father of Taliesin in legend. Some think Elffin is based upon Aill Fion*, which means “bright rock.”
Allun
— (AL-lun) The name of Bosventor’s miller in
Merlin’s Blade.
Aquae Sulis
* — (OCK-way SUE-liss) The modern day city of Bath*, which includes hot springs and many Roman baths. This city is near to Glevum, and is Vortigern’s third-most important city.
Arthur
* — (AR-thur) The orphaned son of Igerna and Uther, and heir to the High Kingship. He is being taken care of by Merlin
and Natalenya. His sisters are Eilyne and Myrgwen. He is eighteen years old.
Atle/Atleuthun
— (AT-lee/at-lee-OOH-thun) The king of Guotodin in the far north that Merlin visited in
Merlin’s Shadow
, his fortress was at Dinpelder. He is Gwevian’s father and Merlin’s grandfather. In legend he is known as King Lleuddun*.
Aurelianus
* — (ow-rell-ee-AH-noos) the former High King, Uther’s father, and Arthur’s grandfather. He slew Vitalinus Gloui to revenge his father’s murder.
Bank and Ditch
— A simple method of making a fortress harder to attack by digging multiple ditches around it in concentric rings and throwing the dirt up on a bank. Sometimes wooden spikes are placed in the ditches.
Bedwir
* — (BED-weer) A former chieftain under Vortigern, he is pledged now to help raise, protect, train, and serve Arthur.
Bélre Cèard
— (BEL-rah KAIRGE) This is the “Speech of the Tinsmiths,” which Gogirfan, Gwenivere, and Gwenivach speak. As a cant language*, the Walkers use this speech as a secret way of speaking with each other using a twisted form of the common language in Britain. Today it is known as Beurla Reagaird*.
Bors The Elde
r* — (BOARS) A king of Silures, Kembry, he is a distant relation of Culann.
Bosvenna Abbey
— (bos-VENN-ah) An abbey of the Celtic church in Kernow, which was destroyed by fire in
Merlin’s Blade
. Bosvenna* (or Bos-menegh) means “the abiding place of monks.”
Bosvenna Moor
— (bos-VENN-ah) The highland area in central Kernow, covered with forests and marshes. Before the monks came, it was known as Tir Gwygoen, “land of the woodland moor.” Today it is called Bodmin Moor* and is cleared for grazing.