Despite their difficult struggle for survival, the ancient people of Ireland had a very structured way of life. Kingship came not from a single, royal family, but from the line of previous kings who had proven themselves in battle. This was their nobility and the fictitious heroes and heroines you meet in The Derbfine Series come from the line of the High King, árd rí, Brian Boru.
Their strong oral tradition kept their histories alive by the telling and retelling of events. That is not to say they were illiterate, just great story tellers. The Dark Ages may have cast a long shadow over most of Europe, but Ireland ensured the survival of many ancient texts by transcribing and re-writing them during this period. The actual treaty uniting my characters, however, is a work of fiction.
I’ve used authentic names and an occasional crude reference to convey the ancient and unrefined flavor of the times. A pronunciation key can be found at the back of this book along with a glossary for the levels of kingship and explanations for certain words.
Ashley