Alba and Eire (Kushiel's Legacy)

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In Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series, Alba and Eire are the names given to the countries that lie across a northern strait from Terre d'Ange; Alba is a fantasy equivalent of early medieval mainland Britain, with lots of historical references from the most northerly part,Scotland; Eire is a fantasy equivalent of pagan Ireland. The chief city of Alba is Bryn Gorrydum, equivalent to York. The city of Dobria, equivalent to Dover, is the point at which the straight between Alba and Terre d'Ange is narrowest; here each country can be seen from the other's shore.

The ruler of Alba is styled the Cruarch, a position that is matrilineally descended, generally passing from the current Cruarch to his sister's eldest son. In this matriarchy, the concept of marriage is foreign, and one woman may have children by several fathers; they are thus a sexually liberated culture, also accepting of homosexuality and bisexuality. Their language is called Cruithne by their own people, but both the race and language are derogatorily called the Picti by scholars in other nations. The Albans are viewed by D'Angelines and other southern races as barbarians, an attitude not altered by the fact that their warriors bear the symbols of their caste upon their faces and bodies, tattooed in blue woad. The women of Alba and Eire carry swords and go into battle alongside their men.

There are four major tribes in Alba and Eire: the Red Bull, to which Foclaidha and her son Maelcon belong; the White Mare, to which the Dalriada belong; the southern people of the Golden Hind; and the people of the Black Boar, the line of Cinhil Ru, to which Drustan mab Necthana belongs. The people of the Black Boar reckon themselves the oldest race born to Mother Earth.

The people of Eire are known as the Dalriada, equivalent to the Irish Celts. The High King of Eire rules from Tea Muir; their halls have seven doors through which one enters according to rank. The highest is that of the White Mare, through which only scions of Tea Muir may enter. Their Lords are the twins Eamonn and Grainne, who have their court at Innisclan. The Dalriada are noted for stiffening their hair with lime before they go into battle, and their leaders fight in war-chariots.

In Kushiel's Dart, the Master of the Straits allows an Alban delegation, including the Cruarch and his heir Drustan mab Necthana to cross to Terre d'Ange on account of a prophetic vision regarding a black boar and a silver swan. During this meeting between the leaders of Alba and Terre d'Ange, the Dauphine Ysandre de la Courcel is secretly engaged to Drustan.

Not long after this, the Cruarch is overthrown, murdered by his own son Maelcon, who seeks to end the matriarchal rule and claim the kingship for himself. He is spurred on in this by his mother Foclaidha. Drustan flees to the western shore of Alba with his mother and three sisters, where the Dalriada of Eire give him shelter.

When Phèdre nó Delaunay crosses to Alba as the emissary of Queen Ysandre, she is met on the shore by Moiread, Drustan's younger sister. She and her companions are taken to meet the Dalriada; they enter the hall through the Sun Door, a great honor, as it is the second-highest in rank. The joint Lords of the Dalriada, Grainne and Eamonn, greet them; Grainne wishes to give them aid in restoring Drustan to his throne, but Eamonn does not consider that this is their fight, thinking that the D'Angelines bring only trouble. They are eventually reconciled only when Phèdre has sex first with Grainne, and then says she will only sleep with Eamonn as well if he proves his courage by going to battle; he agrees.

The tribes that go to war as Drustan's allies are: the Decantii, Carvanicci, Credovalae, and Dumnoii of his own Black Boar people; the Sigovae and Votadae of the Red Bull; the Trinovantii, Atribatii, and Canticae of the Golden Hind; and the Dalriada of the White Mare. From these tribes, Drustan raises an army of six thousand foot soldiers, seven hundred horsemen, and fifty chariots. On the eve of battle, Drustan stops to give an inspirational speech to the troops, but is interrupted at the very beginning by the presence of an absolutely enormous black boar. Taking this as an extremely favorable omen, the army charges, and thus subverts an attempt by the usurper Maelcon to launch a surprise attack; if Drustan had kept speaking for another ten minutes, Maelcon would have been able to trap them, but with the advantage, Drustan's troops win the battle. He slays Maelcon himself, but among the casualties on his side is his younger sister Moiread. When some of Maelcon's men come to capture Necthana and her daughters, Moiread is the first to reach her weapons and begin shooting them down, but she takes a spear to her middle and dies. When the remaining people of the Red Bull clans surrender to Drustan and hand over Foclaidha, he grants them clemency; Maelcon's head he nails over the gates of Bryn Gorrydum.

Drustan decides that three thousand foot soldiers and four hundred horsemen will journey to Terre d'Ange to aid Ysandre, with the rest left behind to secure Alba; the Twins decide that they will go along as well, with half of their fighting force. Drustan has his forces attack the Skaldi and totally routs them. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that the Skaldic forces far outnumber them; Drustan gives his troops the option of going home, rather than facing almost certain death in Terre d'Ange. They agree to stay, however, on the condition that, if they fall, someone carry word of their deeds back to Alba so that the poets may sing of their deeds and their families may know how they died.

[edit] Characters from Alba and Eire

Breidaia is the eldest of Drustan mab Necthana's sisters. She shares her room with Phèdre during the D'Angeline visit.

Carraig is the champion of Eamonn mac Conor, who challenges Joscelin Verreuil and is bested by him.

Drustan mab Necthana becomes the Cruarch of Alba and weds Ysandre de la Courcel of Terre d'Ange.

Foclaidha is the wife of the first Cruarch in the series, a woman descended from the Brugantii tribe, known as the Red Bulls.

Moiread is the younger sister of Drustan, a prophetess. She dies during the battle to reclaim Drustan's throne.

Necthana is mother of Drustan, the sister of the murdered Cruarch. She has three daughters and one son.

Sibeal is the middle of Necthana's daughters.

the Twins are Eamonn and Grainne mac Conor, the Lords of the Dalriada. They are in their late twenties, both with red-gold hair and grey-green eyes. Grainne is impulsive, lively, and high-spirited, unafraid of going to war, whereas Eamonn is more reserved and cautious when it comes to warfare. Grainne has one son, named Brennan; she takes a liking to Quintilius Rousse and decides she wants to have his child as well. While Drustan and the others are stranded on one of the islands of the Master of the Straits,the Twins lead well in his absence, Grainne raising spirits, while Eamonn sees that the horses and people are cared for. Grainne is noted for having a gift of a shrewd kindness, even in the face of sorrow. Eamonn proves to have an exacting mind for details, particularly regarding provisioning the troops. Grainne survives the Battle of Troyes-le-Mont; Eamonn does not, and Grainne returns to Eire with his head. Grainne also reveals after the battle that she is pregnant, likely by Quintilius Rousse.

[edit] Terms

Eidlach Òr 

Golden Hind, one of the four major tribes of Alba. They live primarily in the southern part of the country.

Cruarch 

the high king of the Albans, a matrilineally descended position.

Fhalair Bàn 

White Mare, the primary tribe of the people of Eire. The Twins Grainne and Eamonn mac Conor are of this tribe.

Tarbh Cró 

Red Bull, one of the four major tribes of Alba. The usurper Maelcon and his mother Foclaidha are of this tribe.

uisghe 

a drink of the Dalriada that burns at first but then tastes smooth; it has high alcoholic potency.