Religion and Folklore

The spiritual beliefs of the valley community dictate their perspectives on the world. When strange or unexplainable events take place in the characters’ lives, they use folklore to fill in the blanks. It provides them with the answers they need, especially apparent in the belief in omens. Nóra sees bad and good omens in the natural world when she desperately seeks confirmation of her beliefs. The first was a bad omen, the lights by Piper’s Grave, that support her belief that Micheál is a changeling and a third death is forthcoming. Yet, when she dunked Micheál in the water, she saw good omens in the beauty of the foliage alongside the river in the morning light. They were proof that Micheál would be returned to her. Even when her omens are challenged in court by the truth, Nóra...