This blog is about my book, Black Harvest. I have been working on this novel for about 12 years and every year I take it out and edit the crap out of it. This year I feel it is ready for publication and ensuing fame and fortune. Humour aside, I got a brilliant idea from my son Robert. Since a few of my characters include mythic icons like King Arthur and Merlin, he suggested I write about the research I've done, then discuss how I have incorporated that research into my novel.
Since what we know about Arthur is very amorphous - great word, eh? - it is so easy to create buckets out of this persona. The more research I did, the less I knew about him. It is easy to fall in love with Arthur because of what we do know about him. That he was an orphan adopted by Uther of Pendragon, that he was treated less than equally by his equals, that he pulled the sword out of the stone and made King of England, that he created the democratic 'knights of the round table' and that he was cuckolded by Lancelot who diddled with his wife, Guinevere. This last makes Arthur a very human creature. In movies, his character is created as invincible and usually quite gorgeous to look upon. In my novel, Arthur is the son of 'Merwyn' - it is what came to me and stuck - and he is a plain-looking sort of man with nut-brown eyes, brown hair and facial features that only come together when he smiles. Then he is beautiful.
In my novel, Arthur is sent to Ireland by Merwyn for some rest and relaxation. It is about the 7th century and he lands up in Missive, a small Irish village, which is the main setting of the story. He meets Fiona, his fated one and only true love. Their union is passionate and short-lived. Though it was his fate to join with her, his destiny awaits him as the future King of England. After spending three magical days together, he leaves. Fiona grieves for her lost love while knowing a life together was not meant to be.
What is interesting is that, after researching Arthur and Guinevere, I learned that when she died, Arthur had the inscription My Second Wife be placed above her tomb. This was discovered after I had written the chapter about his pre-kingship union with Fiona. I was excited and wondered if Arthur had experienced true love with someone other than his wife. Many associate Guinevere as more in love with Lancelot, that their illicit union was perhaps a soulmate connection. So if that were the case, then the marriage was a marriage of mere convenience for the good of the many (consolidating power within aristocratic and warrior families), rather than a meeting of like souls. How sad, I thought. Thus I created Fiona, a soulmate connection for Arthur. His love would live on forever, not just in his heart but through their love child, Shielagh.
Since what we know about Arthur is very amorphous - great word, eh? - it is so easy to create buckets out of this persona. The more research I did, the less I knew about him. It is easy to fall in love with Arthur because of what we do know about him. That he was an orphan adopted by Uther of Pendragon, that he was treated less than equally by his equals, that he pulled the sword out of the stone and made King of England, that he created the democratic 'knights of the round table' and that he was cuckolded by Lancelot who diddled with his wife, Guinevere. This last makes Arthur a very human creature. In movies, his character is created as invincible and usually quite gorgeous to look upon. In my novel, Arthur is the son of 'Merwyn' - it is what came to me and stuck - and he is a plain-looking sort of man with nut-brown eyes, brown hair and facial features that only come together when he smiles. Then he is beautiful.
In my novel, Arthur is sent to Ireland by Merwyn for some rest and relaxation. It is about the 7th century and he lands up in Missive, a small Irish village, which is the main setting of the story. He meets Fiona, his fated one and only true love. Their union is passionate and short-lived. Though it was his fate to join with her, his destiny awaits him as the future King of England. After spending three magical days together, he leaves. Fiona grieves for her lost love while knowing a life together was not meant to be.
What is interesting is that, after researching Arthur and Guinevere, I learned that when she died, Arthur had the inscription My Second Wife be placed above her tomb. This was discovered after I had written the chapter about his pre-kingship union with Fiona. I was excited and wondered if Arthur had experienced true love with someone other than his wife. Many associate Guinevere as more in love with Lancelot, that their illicit union was perhaps a soulmate connection. So if that were the case, then the marriage was a marriage of mere convenience for the good of the many (consolidating power within aristocratic and warrior families), rather than a meeting of like souls. How sad, I thought. Thus I created Fiona, a soulmate connection for Arthur. His love would live on forever, not just in his heart but through their love child, Shielagh.
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