 Cover of the 1987 paperback edition |
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| Author | Morgan Llywelyn |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Don Maitz |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Historical Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Publication date | 1984 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and Paperback) |
| Pages | 480 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-8125-8515-1 |
Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish is a 1984 historical fantasy novel by Morgan Llywelyn. It depicts a hypothetical migration of Iberian Celts to Ireland, led by Amergin the bard and the Sons of the Mil.
Plot summary
Official tagline: "The sweeping historical tale of the coming of the Irish to Ireland, and of the men and women who made the Emerald Isle their own." In the 4th century B.C. a group of Celts living in Iberia, the Gaelicians, are waning in prosperity. A group of Phoenician traders unexpectedly arrives, and gives hope to the tribe. The story follows Amergin, druid and chief bard of the Gaelicians, and his brothers; Éremón, Colptha, Éber Finn, Donn, and Ír - all sons of Milesios. After years of declining prosperity, the Gaelicians hope that the Phoenician traders, led by Age-Nor, will help bring them back. Unfortunately, neither side has anything of much worth to trade. At a reception in the Heroes' Hall, Age-Nor is attacked by Ír, while Milesios is asleep and unaware. Amergin uses his bardic talent to entrance Ír, thus saving Age-Nor. Later in the novel, Age-Nor rewards Amergin, despite the bard's vehement protests, by giving him a servant, a shipwright named Sakkar, and regaling him with a tale of a fabled land to the north, Ierne. After a series of mishaps and bad decisions, it is eventually decided that a group of the Gaelicians, led by the Sons of the Mil, will settle this land. The tribe builds a series of ships with the help of Sakkar, and set sail. When they arrive on Ierne, they are confronted by the mysterious Tuatha De Danann, People of the Goddess Danu. After a battle, the Dananns vanish with no trace, leaving Ierne for the Milesians.
