The Mythology Behind Kersten Hamilton's Goblin Wars Series, Plus a Giveaway!

Today I have something special for all of my readers here at Starting the Next Chapter.  It is November 22, meaning that the latest installment in Kersten Hamilton's Goblin Wars series, In the Forests of the Night, has just hit store shelves!  I recently received an email from Kersten Hamilton who has been so kind of offer up a special prize for one lucky STNC reader.  More about that later, though.  First up, I have written a little something regarding the mythology behind the characters and places in the Goblin Wars books.  Having long been a mythology and folklore buff, especially when it comes to mythology of the Irish persuasion, I thought I would prepare a little glossary of some of the names and terms found within the series for all of you so that you will have a better idea of just what the inspiration of Tyger Tyger and In the Forests of the Night is.  Remember to keep reading, as there will be a giveaway announcement at the end of the post!

photo from The Ireland Newsletter

Finn MacCumhaill - pronounced Finn MacCool; hero of the Fenian cycle of Irish lore; legendary chieftain in charge of the Fianna Éireann, a band of warriors renowned for their hunting and battle prowess and whose purpose was to protect the Ard Rí na Éireann (high king of Ireland); said to possess gifts such as poetry, second sight, and healing; often portrayed as a giant and is associated with the creation of the Giants' Causeway in Northern Ireland, which he is said to have created in order to aid other giants in making the crossing between Ireland and Scotland


Mag Mell - "plain of joy;" believed to be a paradise that plays home to the dead; described as either an idyllic island or a grand place found at the bottom of the ocean; believed to be ruled by Mannanan mac Lir, a sea god associated with the Tuatha dé Danann; also known as Tir na n-Og ("land of youth")

photo from Mike's Blog

Phooka -  Irish goblins known for their shape-shifting capabilities that are often believed to take on the form of a goat, dog, or bull; also known for being vicious tricksters with destructive ways; it was believed that to leave a crop unharvested after Samhain (pronounced "sow-wen" and the basis for what is now known as Halloween) was to lose the crop altogether, as it was then believed to belong to the phookas; to attempt to cut a phooka's crop was to invite the death of one's cattle





Fear Doirich - "dark man;" the druid known for having turned Finn MacCumhaill's future wife, Sabdh, into a deer; though Finn spared her (having been alerted to her human status by his once-human hounds) and returned her to her human state, Fear Doirich turned her once again into a deer, after which she vanished; she gave birth to their son, Oisin, during this time, who Finn was later reunited with after seven years


Fir Bolg - "bag men;" known in Irish mythology as one of the races to have inhabited Ireland prior to the arrival of the Tuatha dé Danann; fought in the battle of Mag Tuired against the Tuatha dé Danann, where they were defeated and granted possession of either Connacht or the Aran Islands


Amergin - name of two famous Irish poets; one was a druid, bard, and judge, the other, a warrior poet; credited with having supernatural talent; the first Amergin is that who is credited with the creation of "The Song of Amergin," one of Ireland's most prized poems; the second Amergin is described as having a honeyed tongue and was the chief bard of Ulster (Northern Ireland)

photo from Sluagh

Sluagh - a flock of evil spirits said to have been barred entrance into the afterlife; often described as dark birds that fly from the west in an attempt to capture the souls of the newly dead; thought to be the Irish version of the Wild Hunt








What do you think?  Pretty interesting stuff, huh?  There is so much more to learn about Irish mythology and folklore.  I highly recommend seeing what is out there!  You're probably wondering what the big giveaway is, though, so why don't we move along with things?  Kersten Hamilton has offered up something special for one lucky reader.  I will be hosting a giveaway for Kersten, for which the prize is one, brand new copy of her book 1 of the Goblin Wars series, Tyger Tyger.

Very generous, no?  This is another US only giveaway, as Kersten will be taking care of the purchase of the book.  What do you have to do?  Simply enter via the handy Rafflecopter widget below the page break.  I have given you several chances to earn entries, so good luck to all of those who will be vying for this prize!  However, be sure to enter your GFC name in the main entry box, otherwise I have no way of verifying readership. 

P.S. Don't forget to check out my reviews of both books.  Comment on one or both and earn extra entries into the giveaway!  You can find my review of Tyger Tyger HERE and my review of In the Forests of the Night HERE.

Special Note

For a limited time, you can get the ebook format of Tyger Tyger for $2.99 from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple.  Step lively, all you ereader aficionados!  Make sure you don't miss out on this one, because it will be gone after November 29th!