Sister Fidelma
Encyclopedia
Sister Fidelma is a fiction
al detective
, the eponym
ous heroine of a series by Peter Tremayne (pseudonym of Peter Berresford Ellis
). Fidelma is both a lawyer, or dalaigh, and Celtic religieuse.
Fidelma usually solves crimes in company with her partner (and eventually husband) Brother Eadulf
, a Saxon religieux. Though Eadulf has often been compared to Sherlock Holmes'
well-meaning but somewhat obtuse Dr. Watson
, he usually proves essential to solving the mystery at hand (if only in a small way). A true companion, he has saved Fidelma's life more than once.
The Sister Fidelma stories are set in the middle of the 7th century, mainly in Ireland. They are historical whodunnits in the literary tradition of Umberto Eco
's The Name of the Rose
and the Brother Cadfael mysteries by Ellis Peters. Peter Tremayne's novels are extremely complex and usually feature the interaction of several subplot
s involving political intrigue, personal relationships, religious conflict, or characters' desires for personal or monetary gain.
in the late 630s. Her father, King Failbe Fland, died c. 637/9, during Fidelma's infancy. Fidelma was raised as an Eoghanachta princess. She studied civil and criminal law, especially the brehon
laws, under the supervision of Brehon Morann of Tara. During her student years, Fidelma had an unhappy love affair with Cian, a warrior of the High King's bodyguard, who eventually abandoned her to marry the daughter of the High King's steward (who, ironically, later divorced him on the grounds that he was sterile). Her pre-occupation with Cian interfered with her concentration and devotion to her studies and nearly caused her to be expelled from the Brehon Morann's classes. Emerging from the affair battered but unbowed, she applied herself wholeheartedly to her studies and eventually qualified as an anruth, the second highest rank in the Irish legal system. In the novels, she pursues a career as a dalaigh to the Brehon Court of Ireland
.
On the advice of her mentor Abbot Laisran of Durrow, Fidelma became a religieuse of the Celtic Church, joining St. Brigid's
mixed abbey at Kildare
. She later left this community some time after her return from Rome for reasons outlined in the story "Hemlock at Vespers" and now refers to herself as "Fidelma of Cashel" rather than "Sister Fidelma". Strong-minded and independent, Fidelma often chafes at the structure of the religious life; she seems to have become a religieuse more as a career move (monasteries were the intellectual centers of seventh-century Ireland) than as an expression of Christian devotion. In the novel A Prayer for the Damned, Fidelma considers renouncing her religious vows but decides against it. Fidelma's anam chara or "soul friend" (the Irish equivalent of a confessor and spiritual guide) had been her friend Liadin, as Fidelma had been to her, but Liadin later betrayed and broke her oath to Fidelma (see the sbort story "At the Tent of Holofernes" in Hemlock at Vespers). Since that time Fidelma had no real anam chara, but in The Leper's Bell she realizes that she has unknowingly come to regard Eadulf as her anam chara and finally recognizes him as such. Even so, she still continues to seek advice from clerical mentors, particularly Abbot Laisran and Brother Conchobar of Cashel.
In 664, Fidelma accompanied the Irish delegation to the Synod of Whitby
, where she met Brother Eadulf (quite literally running into him); later, they were asked to work together to investigate the murder of Abbess Etain of Kildare, a leading member of the Church of Columba
faction (see Absolution by Murder). Following a little initial hostility on Fidelma's part towards Eadulf, the murderer was uncovered, and after the Synod concluded Fidelma and Eadulf journeyed together to Rome, where they were asked to investigate the murder of Archbishop-designate Wighard (see Shroud for the Archbishop). After the case was successfully resolved, Fidelma returned to Cashel (on the way stopping at the seaport of Genua
to visit her old teacher Brother Ruadán and becoming involved in the events of Behold a Pale Horse) and in 665 became involved in solving the murder of famed religious scholar the Venerable Dacan (see Suffer Little Children).
In 666 when Fidelma was called upon to investigate the finding of a headless body in an abbey well, she also became involved with the mystery of a deserted Gaulish ship on which (she learned) Eadulf had been traveling to Cashel as an emissary of Theodore of Tarsus
, the new Archbishiop of Canterbury
, and from which he and the entire crew had been taken captive (see The Subtle Serpent). Returning to Cashel together after rescuing Eadulf, revealing the murderer and uncovering a plot against Munster, Fidelma and Eadulf soon became nearly inseparable (see The Spider's Web, Valley of the Shadow and The Monk Who Vanished). After nearly a year together, they again separated, with Eadulf (reluctantly) intending to return to Canterbury and Fidelma intending to go on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. James in Iberia
.
Events didn't go quite as planned. Fidelma had only just arrived in Iberia after a very eventful voyage (see Act of Mercy) when she received a message from her brother Colgu that Eadulf had been charged with murder. Hurrying back to Ireland, she reunited with Eadulf at the Abbey of Fearna, proved his innocence and uncovered the true killer as well as the reasons behind the crime (see Our Lady of Darkness). Eadulf then convinced Fidelma to accompany him to Canterbury and then, after their business with Archbishop Theodore had been accomplished, to visit his former home of Seaxmund's Ham (see Smoke in the Wind, the short story "The Lost Eagle" in Whispers of the Dead and The Haunted Abbot). At some point during their travels, they revealed their true feelings for and to one another, began a physical relationship (resulting in Fidelma's pregnancy) and entered into a temporary marriage of a year and a day (with Fidelma as Eadulf's ben charrthach or "loved woman" and Eadulf as Fidelma's fer comtha). After their return to Cashel in 667, their son Alchu ("Gentle Hound") was born sometime between June and July of that year.
The last three months of 667 turned rocky; Fidelma and Eadulf's relationship was seriously troubled by Fidelma's suffering from (but refusing to admit that she suffered from) what is now called postpartum depression
. While Fidelma and Eadulf were away solving a series of serial killings (see Badger's Moon), Alchu's nurse was found murdered outside the castle of Cashel and little Alchu was missing, believed to have been kidnapped. Despite objections that they were too emotionally involved to investigate properly, Eadulf was able to track down and recover Alchu and Fidelma uncovered the reason why Alchu's nurse had been murdered (see The Leper's Bell). In February 668, they celebrated a permanent marriage, despite the interruption caused by their investigation into the murder of Abbot Ultan (see A Prayer for the Damned). After the events of Dancing with Demons in the winter of 669-670, she and Eadulf were made members of the Nasc Naidh, an elite corps of bodyguards to the kings of Munster, by King Colgu and entitled to wear the golden torc
of that order.
In 665, Fidelma's cousin King Cathal Cu Cen Mathair died and Fidelma's older brother Colgu succeeded to the throne of Munster (see Suffer Little Children). (The historical King Colgu ruled from A.D. 665 to A.D. 678.) In the wake of her brother's succession, Fidelma becomes increasingly involved in Irish court politics and diplomacy, including thwarting several plots against the kingdom of Munster, solving the murder of the High King Sechnassach (see Dancing with Demons) and acting as advisor to the Irish delegation to the Council of Autun
summoned by Bishop Leodegar
in 670 (see The Council of the Cursed). After uncovering the person responsible for the murder of her cousin (see The Dove of Death), Fidelma decides to renounce her religious vows and become full-time legal advisor to her brother, a decision she believes Eadulf will support. Her belief proves wrong and leads to a bitter quarrel between them, resulting in a physical separation between them, Fidelma remaining in Cashel and Eadulf going to the abbey of Ruan. During the weeks of the separation and due to Muman's Chief Brehon Baithen's intentions of retiring becaise of a serious and possibly fatal illness, Fidelma becomes determined to succeed Baithen as Chief Brehon and Colgu agrees to have her name submitted among the other candidates (although he informs her that he must remain neutral and that the final decision must lie with the Council of Brehons).
The murder of Brother Donnchad at the abbey of Lios Mor leads Colgu and Bishop Segdae to send Fidelma to investigate but on the condition that Eadulf accompany and assist her (see The Chalice of Blood). Although they are able to work together as before, the breach is evident and even though the investigation is successfully concluded, Fidelma is determined to follow her ambition through.
, Wales
, Northumbria
, Hispania
, Brittany
, Francia and Rome
. The differences between the societies she encounters and her native country is an ongoing theme throughout the series. Through Fidelma's adventures, Peter Tremayne introduces his readers to his views and interpretations of events and conflicts of 7th century Ireland. Major themes in the Sister Fidelma series include:
Inter-Societal Themes: Differences between Celtic society and other societies of the time
Intra-Societal Themes: Issues within Celtic society itself.
Religious Themes
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
, the eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous heroine of a series by Peter Tremayne (pseudonym of Peter Berresford Ellis
Peter Berresford Ellis
Peter Berresford Ellis is an English historian, literary biographer, and novelist who has published over 90 books to date either under his own name or his pseudonyms Peter Tremayne and Peter MacAlan. He has also published 95 short stories...
). Fidelma is both a lawyer, or dalaigh, and Celtic religieuse.
Fidelma usually solves crimes in company with her partner (and eventually husband) Brother Eadulf
Brother Eadulf
Brother Eadulf is a fictional character created by Peter Tremayne . He has appeared in all but two of the Sister Fidelma series of mystery novels, set in 7th-century Ireland....
, a Saxon religieux. Though Eadulf has often been compared to Sherlock Holmes'
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
well-meaning but somewhat obtuse Dr. Watson
John Watson (Sherlock Holmes)
John H. Watson, M.D. , known as Dr. Watson, is a character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Watson is Sherlock Holmes's friend, assistant and sometime flatmate, and is the first person narrator of all but four stories in the Sherlock Holmes canon.-Name:Doctor Watson's first...
, he usually proves essential to solving the mystery at hand (if only in a small way). A true companion, he has saved Fidelma's life more than once.
The Sister Fidelma stories are set in the middle of the 7th century, mainly in Ireland. They are historical whodunnits in the literary tradition of Umberto Eco
Umberto Eco
Umberto Eco Knight Grand Cross is an Italian semiotician, essayist, philosopher, literary critic, and novelist, best known for his novel The Name of the Rose , an intellectual mystery combining semiotics in fiction, biblical analysis, medieval studies and literary theory...
's The Name of the Rose
The Name of the Rose
The Name of the Rose is the first novel by Italian author Umberto Eco. It is a historical murder mystery set in an Italian monastery in the year 1327, an intellectual mystery combining semiotics in fiction, biblical analysis, medieval studies and literary theory...
and the Brother Cadfael mysteries by Ellis Peters. Peter Tremayne's novels are extremely complex and usually feature the interaction of several subplot
Subplot
A subplot is a secondary plot strand that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or in thematic significance...
s involving political intrigue, personal relationships, religious conflict, or characters' desires for personal or monetary gain.
Biography
Fidelma was born into the royal family of MunsterMunster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
in the late 630s. Her father, King Failbe Fland, died c. 637/9, during Fidelma's infancy. Fidelma was raised as an Eoghanachta princess. She studied civil and criminal law, especially the brehon
Brehon
Brehon is the term in Gaelic-Irish culture for a judge. The Brehons were part of the system of "Brehon Law". The Brehons wore yellow robes when delivering verdicts. Several dozen families were recognised as hereditary brehon clans.-See also:* Mac an Bhaird...
laws, under the supervision of Brehon Morann of Tara. During her student years, Fidelma had an unhappy love affair with Cian, a warrior of the High King's bodyguard, who eventually abandoned her to marry the daughter of the High King's steward (who, ironically, later divorced him on the grounds that he was sterile). Her pre-occupation with Cian interfered with her concentration and devotion to her studies and nearly caused her to be expelled from the Brehon Morann's classes. Emerging from the affair battered but unbowed, she applied herself wholeheartedly to her studies and eventually qualified as an anruth, the second highest rank in the Irish legal system. In the novels, she pursues a career as a dalaigh to the Brehon Court of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
On the advice of her mentor Abbot Laisran of Durrow, Fidelma became a religieuse of the Celtic Church, joining St. Brigid's
Brigid of Kildare
Saint Brigit of Kildare, or Brigit of Ireland , nicknamed Mary of the Gael is one of Ireland's patron saints along with Saints Patrick and Columba...
mixed abbey at Kildare
Kildare Abbey
Kildare Abbey is a former monastery in County Kildare, Ireland, founded by St Brigid in the 5th century, and destroyed in the 12th century.Originally known as Druim Criaidh, or the Ridge of Clay, Kildare came to be known as Cill-Dara, or the Church of the Oak, from the stately oak-tree loved by St....
. She later left this community some time after her return from Rome for reasons outlined in the story "Hemlock at Vespers" and now refers to herself as "Fidelma of Cashel" rather than "Sister Fidelma". Strong-minded and independent, Fidelma often chafes at the structure of the religious life; she seems to have become a religieuse more as a career move (monasteries were the intellectual centers of seventh-century Ireland) than as an expression of Christian devotion. In the novel A Prayer for the Damned, Fidelma considers renouncing her religious vows but decides against it. Fidelma's anam chara or "soul friend" (the Irish equivalent of a confessor and spiritual guide) had been her friend Liadin, as Fidelma had been to her, but Liadin later betrayed and broke her oath to Fidelma (see the sbort story "At the Tent of Holofernes" in Hemlock at Vespers). Since that time Fidelma had no real anam chara, but in The Leper's Bell she realizes that she has unknowingly come to regard Eadulf as her anam chara and finally recognizes him as such. Even so, she still continues to seek advice from clerical mentors, particularly Abbot Laisran and Brother Conchobar of Cashel.
In 664, Fidelma accompanied the Irish delegation to the Synod of Whitby
Synod of Whitby
The Synod of Whitby was a seventh century Northumbriansynod where King Oswiu of Northumbria ruled that his kingdom would calculate Easter and observe the monastic tonsure according to the customs of Rome, rather than the customs practised by Iona and its satellite institutions...
, where she met Brother Eadulf (quite literally running into him); later, they were asked to work together to investigate the murder of Abbess Etain of Kildare, a leading member of the Church of Columba
Columba
Saint Columba —also known as Colum Cille , Colm Cille , Calum Cille and Kolban or Kolbjørn —was a Gaelic Irish missionary monk who propagated Christianity among the Picts during the Early Medieval Period...
faction (see Absolution by Murder). Following a little initial hostility on Fidelma's part towards Eadulf, the murderer was uncovered, and after the Synod concluded Fidelma and Eadulf journeyed together to Rome, where they were asked to investigate the murder of Archbishop-designate Wighard (see Shroud for the Archbishop). After the case was successfully resolved, Fidelma returned to Cashel (on the way stopping at the seaport of Genua
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
to visit her old teacher Brother Ruadán and becoming involved in the events of Behold a Pale Horse) and in 665 became involved in solving the murder of famed religious scholar the Venerable Dacan (see Suffer Little Children).
In 666 when Fidelma was called upon to investigate the finding of a headless body in an abbey well, she also became involved with the mystery of a deserted Gaulish ship on which (she learned) Eadulf had been traveling to Cashel as an emissary of Theodore of Tarsus
Tarsus (city)
Tarsus is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 2.75 million...
, the new Archbishiop of Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, and from which he and the entire crew had been taken captive (see The Subtle Serpent). Returning to Cashel together after rescuing Eadulf, revealing the murderer and uncovering a plot against Munster, Fidelma and Eadulf soon became nearly inseparable (see The Spider's Web, Valley of the Shadow and The Monk Who Vanished). After nearly a year together, they again separated, with Eadulf (reluctantly) intending to return to Canterbury and Fidelma intending to go on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. James in Iberia
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
.
Events didn't go quite as planned. Fidelma had only just arrived in Iberia after a very eventful voyage (see Act of Mercy) when she received a message from her brother Colgu that Eadulf had been charged with murder. Hurrying back to Ireland, she reunited with Eadulf at the Abbey of Fearna, proved his innocence and uncovered the true killer as well as the reasons behind the crime (see Our Lady of Darkness). Eadulf then convinced Fidelma to accompany him to Canterbury and then, after their business with Archbishop Theodore had been accomplished, to visit his former home of Seaxmund's Ham (see Smoke in the Wind, the short story "The Lost Eagle" in Whispers of the Dead and The Haunted Abbot). At some point during their travels, they revealed their true feelings for and to one another, began a physical relationship (resulting in Fidelma's pregnancy) and entered into a temporary marriage of a year and a day (with Fidelma as Eadulf's ben charrthach or "loved woman" and Eadulf as Fidelma's fer comtha). After their return to Cashel in 667, their son Alchu ("Gentle Hound") was born sometime between June and July of that year.
The last three months of 667 turned rocky; Fidelma and Eadulf's relationship was seriously troubled by Fidelma's suffering from (but refusing to admit that she suffered from) what is now called postpartum depression
Postpartum depression
Postpartum depression , also called postnatal depression, is a form of clinical depression which can affect women, and less frequently men, typically after childbirth. Studies report prevalence rates among women from 5% to 25%, but methodological differences among the studies make the actual...
. While Fidelma and Eadulf were away solving a series of serial killings (see Badger's Moon), Alchu's nurse was found murdered outside the castle of Cashel and little Alchu was missing, believed to have been kidnapped. Despite objections that they were too emotionally involved to investigate properly, Eadulf was able to track down and recover Alchu and Fidelma uncovered the reason why Alchu's nurse had been murdered (see The Leper's Bell). In February 668, they celebrated a permanent marriage, despite the interruption caused by their investigation into the murder of Abbot Ultan (see A Prayer for the Damned). After the events of Dancing with Demons in the winter of 669-670, she and Eadulf were made members of the Nasc Naidh, an elite corps of bodyguards to the kings of Munster, by King Colgu and entitled to wear the golden torc
Torc
A torc, also spelled torq or torque, is a large, usually rigid, neck ring typically made from strands of metal twisted together. The great majority are open-ended at the front, although many seem designed for near-permanent wear and would have been difficult to remove. Smaller torcs worn around...
of that order.
In 665, Fidelma's cousin King Cathal Cu Cen Mathair died and Fidelma's older brother Colgu succeeded to the throne of Munster (see Suffer Little Children). (The historical King Colgu ruled from A.D. 665 to A.D. 678.) In the wake of her brother's succession, Fidelma becomes increasingly involved in Irish court politics and diplomacy, including thwarting several plots against the kingdom of Munster, solving the murder of the High King Sechnassach (see Dancing with Demons) and acting as advisor to the Irish delegation to the Council of Autun
Autun
Autun is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in Burgundy in eastern France. It was founded during the early Roman Empire as Augustodunum. Autun marks the easternmost extent of the Umayyad campaign in Europe.-Early history:...
summoned by Bishop Leodegar
Leodegar
Saint Leodegar or Leger, Bishop of Autun , was the great opponent of Ebroin— the mayor of the Palace of Neustria— and the leader of the faction of Austrasian great nobles in the struggles for hegemony over the waning Merovingian dynasty...
in 670 (see The Council of the Cursed). After uncovering the person responsible for the murder of her cousin (see The Dove of Death), Fidelma decides to renounce her religious vows and become full-time legal advisor to her brother, a decision she believes Eadulf will support. Her belief proves wrong and leads to a bitter quarrel between them, resulting in a physical separation between them, Fidelma remaining in Cashel and Eadulf going to the abbey of Ruan. During the weeks of the separation and due to Muman's Chief Brehon Baithen's intentions of retiring becaise of a serious and possibly fatal illness, Fidelma becomes determined to succeed Baithen as Chief Brehon and Colgu agrees to have her name submitted among the other candidates (although he informs her that he must remain neutral and that the final decision must lie with the Council of Brehons).
The murder of Brother Donnchad at the abbey of Lios Mor leads Colgu and Bishop Segdae to send Fidelma to investigate but on the condition that Eadulf accompany and assist her (see The Chalice of Blood). Although they are able to work together as before, the breach is evident and even though the investigation is successfully concluded, Fidelma is determined to follow her ambition through.
Themes in the Sister Fidelma series
In the course of the series, Sister Fidelma journeys to many different parts of Western Europe, including IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Northumbria
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Hispania
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, Francia and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. The differences between the societies she encounters and her native country is an ongoing theme throughout the series. Through Fidelma's adventures, Peter Tremayne introduces his readers to his views and interpretations of events and conflicts of 7th century Ireland. Major themes in the Sister Fidelma series include:
Inter-Societal Themes: Differences between Celtic society and other societies of the time
- The system of government, in particular the method of selecting a ruler. (Celtic society's semi-democraticDemocracyDemocracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
system, versus the Anglo-SaxonAnglo-SaxonsAnglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
system of primogeniturePrimogeniturePrimogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
.) - Legal systems, conventions of legal proceedings (including methods of establishing innocence or guilt), and punishments for criminals.
- Political alliances, truces, and disputes between different countries.
- The legality of slaverySlaverySlavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
. - The role of women. (Relatively unrestricted in Celtic society; much more restricted in RomanAncient RomeAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
and Anglo-Saxon societies.)
Intra-Societal Themes: Issues within Celtic society itself.
- Conflict between local (the five provinces of Ireland) and central (the High King at Tara) political authorities.
- Conflicts between different clans or regions of Ireland.
- Various aspects of Irish society, including language, geography, history, medicine, professions, customs, food, and hygiene.
Religious Themes
- The ongoing struggle between CelticCeltic ChristianityCeltic Christianity or Insular Christianity refers broadly to certain features of Christianity that were common, or held to be common, across the Celtic-speaking world during the Early Middle Ages...
and Roman forms of Christianity for supremacy in the British Isles. - The meeting of older paganPaganismPaganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
and newly-introduced ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
forms of worship (sometimes this occurs easily in the Fidelma series, other times bitter conflicts result). - The use of secular or traditional Irish law versus the Penitentials.
- The question of whether clergy should be celibateClerical celibacyClerical celibacy is the discipline by which some or all members of the clergy in certain religions are required to be unmarried. Since these religions consider deliberate sexual thoughts, feelings, and behavior outside of marriage to be sinful, clerical celibacy also requires abstension from these...
. - The value of superstitionSuperstitionSuperstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events....
and astrologyAstrologyAstrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
.
Novels and collections of short stories
- Absolution By Murder (1994)
- Shroud for the Archbishop (1995)
- Suffer Little Children (1995)
- The Subtle Serpent (1996)
- The Spider's Web (1997)
- Valley of the Shadow (1998)
- The Monk Who Vanished (1999)
- Act of Mercy (1999)
- Our Lady of Darkness (2000)
- Hemlock At Vespers (collection of short stories) (2000)
- Smoke in the Wind (2001)
- The Haunted Abbot (2002)
- Badger's Moon (2003)
- Whispers of the Dead (collection of short stories) (2004)
- The Leper's Bell (2004)
- Master of Souls (2005)
- A Prayer for the Damned (2006)
- Dancing with Demons (2007)
- Council of the Cursed (2008)
- The Dove of Death (2009)
- The Chalice of Blood (2010)
- Behold A Pale Horse (2011)