sigune | Gawain Project: Brothers & Sisters, 43-45

"Ulaid, from whom comes the name Ulster, a dynastic group who ruled, from their capital at Emain Macha, a confederation of kingdoms once stretching as far south as the Boyne, and whose conflicts with the Connachta form the background to Táin Bó Cuailnge. About the mid-fifth century they were ousted from Emain by the Uí Néill or the Airgialla, being confined thereafter to the area east of the Bann."
- Oxford Companion to Irish History, ed. by S. J. Connoly (2007)

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Look, I'm quoting an encyclopedia! I'll confess that I'm doing that because I don't want those of you who have read Gillian Bradshaw's Hawk of May to think that I stole the idea of Gawain's Irish ancestry from her. If I recall correctly, I came by it through the story of Cú Chulainn and his beheading of the wizard Cu Roí, which is really the same tale as that of Gawain and the Green Knight. I was fourteen or fifteen when I read that (and thirty when I read Hawk of May) and I thought it would be neat if Gawain were related to Cú Chulainn. Then I stumbled on a passage in Celtic Britain where it said that in the fifth century, the O'Neill sacked Emain Macha - and I had my story of Lot leaving Ireland to start a new kingdom in Alba (Scotland).

Historically speaking, that's not quite correct, because the Irish who settled in Scotland established the kingdom of Dál Riata, which is in the west of Scotland, and Lothian is of course in the east. But it's not impossible, and Lot is the legendary founder of Lothian, not the historical one, so I have no qualms about this at all.

On to the new pages. Concrit is welcome, as always!

What went before
The Kings of Britain are meeting in Lothian and the feast is about to start. Queen Morgause has just broken up a fight between her two eldest sons, and Agravain expresses his irritation at the fact that Gawain seems to be treated differently from his brothers. As they go to their quarters to get changed for the feast, the boys walk in on a discussion their father and uncle are having...

Sunrise Chapter 1: Brothers and Sisters
Brothers and Sisters 1-3, Brothers and Sisters 4-6, Brothers and Sisters 7-9, Brothers and Sisters 10-12, Brothers and Sisters 13-15, Brothers and Sisters 16-18, Brothers and Sisters 19-21, Brothers and Sisters 22-24, Brothers and Sisters 25-27, Brothers and Sisters 28-30,Brothers and Sisters 31-33, Brothers and Sisters 34-36, Brothers and Sisters 37-39, Brothers and Sisters 40-42

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