The Becoming Trilogy Box Set (Books 1-3) (109 page)
Read The Becoming Trilogy Box Set (Books 1-3) Online
Authors: Jess Raven,Paula Black
Fostbrodir
- Old Norse for blood brother or
sworn brother.
Haven
Law
- An ancient pact, agreed between
the Ancient gods and the Fomorians, establishing the sacred ground of the Dubh
Linn as neutral ground, following the Morrigan’s prophecy that to spill Fomor
blood on the site would bring about an apocalypse for all humanity.
Laeknir
- Old Norse term for a healer.
Latent
- A human female believed to be a carrier of Fomorian
bloodlines. Identified by the presence of the genetic anomaly of tapetum
lucidum, or eyeshine. On reaching maturity, latent females develop a
sensitivity to the full moon and are drawn to sites on the surface of the earth
where the male wolves appear. Rumoured to be the offspring of Thegn who have
broken their vows of celibacy and mated with human women.
MacTire
- Gaelic word meaning wolf, literal translation, son
of the earth. The king of the Fomorian race. Pierced nipples denote his royal
status. In ancient Ireland, suckling the King’s nipples was a demonstration of
submission.
Mo
ghrá
- Gaelic for ‘my love.’
Morrígan
- Mythological Irish Goddess of battle. Fought with
the Tuatha Dé Danann against the Fomorians and prophesied the end of the world.
Has been known to take animal form, as a raven or a wolf, and has appeared in
Irish mythology as a beautiful young woman and as an old crone. Sometimes
depicted as a trio of female Goddesses. She foretold the death of the hero Chú
Chulainn (see Setanta), with whom she had a complicated love-hate relationship.
Ól
- Gaelic word for
drink. An alcoholic beverage brewed from the ouroboros roots that grow in
Fomor.
Olc
– An ancient Irish word for wolf,
also meaning evil.
Ostara
– A Pagan festival occurring around
March 21
st
and corresponding to the Spring Equinox
Oweynagat
- Oweynagat ("the cave of the
cats"), south-west of Rathcroghan Mound, is a souterrain beneath an old
road leading into a dark, narrow limestone cave. This cave was believed to be a
gateway to the otherworld with many creatures emerging that generally caused
havoc across the country.
Plamás
- Gaelic word for smooth-talking manipulation.
Rave
- The human explanation for the addiction that has
taken root in Dublin city is that a new, mind-altering drug, Rave, is circulating,
one that causes nail discolouration and renders users sensitive to the effects
of the full moon, leading to violence and rampant sexual activity. Users are
referred to as C’ravers.
Ravener
- A hideous, harpy-like creature with a curved beak
and razor talons, resembling a mutated raven. They are the piranhas of the
skies, the Morrígan’s guardians keeping the Fomorians in line. They hunt from
the Fomor skies.
Setanta
- Mythical Irish hero, who, as a
child, killed Culann’s fierce hound in self-defence and offered to take the
dog’s place, gaining him the name Chú Chulainn (hound of Cullen). Mortally
wounded, Chú Chulainn tied himself to a stone with his own entrails so he could
die upright, and it was only when a raven landed on his shoulder that his enemies
believed him dead. The Raven was understood to represent the Morrígan in animal
form, guarding the hero’s death.
Sláinte
- Gaelic word meaning ‘health.’ A traditional
drinking toast.
Skil
- A
mystical blade of severance, forged from Elatha’s
steel and hardened with the blood of
the Fomorian ancestors.
It's cut is
said to sever mating ties
.
Skuldalid
- Derived from the old Norse word for family, the
members of the Fomorian King's elite vanguard are collectively known as the
Skuldalid. Viciously loyal to MacTire. Originally six, Brandr, Fite, Rún and
Tyr are the four remaining members. Crys was killed by the Morrígan’s slayer,
and Knutr, his félag, driven insane, was imprisoned in Fomor for the safety of
all.
Tá
brón orm
. Maith dom é, mo ghrá - Gaelic
for ‘I am sorry. Forgive me, my love.’
Tapetum
lucidum
- A reflective layer found
behind the retina of many nocturnal, hunting animals. It improves night vision
and causes a characteristic eyeshine when a light is shone on the eyes in the
dark. The colour shows inter-species variations. Not normally found in humans.
Thegn
- Genetic runts of the Fomorian race,
their human traits are dominant and they lack the ability to take Varg form.
Not subject to the Morrígan’s curse, the Thegn can walk the earth, independent
of the full moon, and like the Vargs, they are immortal, unless they lose their
heads or have their hearts ripped out. The defect becomes apparent at puberty,
at which time the Thegn are forced into a monk-like existence, living to serve
the Vargs and endure a life of celibacy, in order to prevent the weakening of
the Fomorian blood line. They can be freed from their oath and allowed to
reproduce with humans, but all ties to the Fomorians are severed. They cannot
return to Fomor.
Thrall
- A human who has been bitten and is
addicted to the
eitr
in a Varg’s bite. Characteristically, Thralls are
affected by the full moon, are attracted to the colour red and develop a black
staining of the half-moons of the nail bed. The Thrall become subservient, sex-crazed
slaves to their wildest urges. In some, especially bitten men, the
eitr
unleashes deep-seated, violent impulses. Many Thrall are driven insane by the
addiction, which may have contributed to the lore of full moon madness and
lunacy.
Tír
na nÓg
- Translates from Gaelic as
‘land of the young’, a mythical land of eternal youth and beauty, without
sickness, but if an inhabitant were ever to set foot on Ireland’s soil again,
it would result in rapid ageing and death.
Trí
Dé Dána
- Goibniu, Creidhne and
Luchta are the three gods of craftsmanship and members of the Tuatha Dé
Danann.
Tuatha
Dé Danann
- Mythological race of
pre-Christian Irish Gods, who defeated the Fomorians and drove them beneath the
sea.
Untame
- Fomorian beasts in their most primitive
incarnation. These are the creatures who did not merge their souls with those
of humans, therefore they lack the humanity of the hybrid Fomorians and are
feral. They were caged and pitched against one another in dog-fights for the
amusement of the Fomorians.
Varg
- A Norse word for wolf, used to describe Fomorians
in their beast form. Red-eyed, they have limited colour vision, but see the
colour red vividly.
Vargrliker
- Old Norse for one who takes on or
assumes a wolf’s body. An insult, with the implication that they are not a true
wolf, but an imposter. Also used to mean a traitor.
Front cover images: Copyright Coka, Aleksandr Doodko,
2013
All images used under license from Shutterstock.com
and Fotofolia.com.
Wolf image used with permission from Lupas-Deva on
Deviantart.com
With heartfelt thanks to our families, friends,
twitter supporters and beta readers - for your encouragement, continued support
and much-valued feedback
The writing duo of Jess and Paula met
online through their mutual love of paranormal and urban fantasy romance. They
sparked creatively and have been writing together for the past four years.
Paula lives in Dublin, Ireland with her family. She set aside a career in
medicine to raise her three children. Jess lives in Manchester, England with
her mother and dog, Simi. When she isn’t writing up worlds with Paula, she’s
has a career in retail
.
www.RavenandBlack.blogspot.com
@RavenandBalck
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