Let Lugh’s light lead the way
As you stand on the tide
Of a changing world.
It was the second clue.
10
CERENSTHORPE ABBEY – PRESENT DAY
‘This is astonishing,’ said Molly as she examined the printout half an hour later.
Edith gave a Cheshire Cat smile.
‘I never doubted it,’ she declared. ‘The moment I met Tabitha, my sixth sense told me she was destined to be at Cerensthorpe Abbey; this was obviously the reason why. She’s the chosen one who will the find the Chaucer.’
‘It’s a lovely idea, Edith, but we do need to be a little bit realistic,’ Tabitha said, as she looked up from her notebook. ‘Finding a second potential clue doesn’t mean a hidden literary treasure is a foregone conclusion.’
‘True,’ agreed Edith, ‘but it’s very exciting.’
Tabitha returned to her notes, hoping her matter-of-fact tone would quell Edith’s exuberance. Upon returning to her office, Tabitha had phoned her to update her on the discovery.
‘Molly and I are in the orangery examining one of the lemon trees for rot,’ Edith had said. ‘We shall be with you in a matter of moments.’
Tabitha had hung up, wondering whether this was true or a suitable cover story for the two women to be seen whisperingtogether, no doubt discussing Gulliver’s unexpected arrival instead. As they had entered her office, Tabitha had heard Molly say to Edith, ‘He brought Moonshadow back to the stables two hours ago, but no one’s seen him since.’
She felt their unease leeching into the atmosphere like poison; then Edith had squeezed Molly’s hand and said in a low voice, ‘He needs space. He will be home soon.’ She had turned to Tabitha and beamed, drawing her into a hug. ‘You, my clever girl,’ she had said, ‘must tell us everything.’
Tabitha had talked Edith through her discovery and, ever since, the focus had become the unexpected new clue.
Now, Molly placed the printout beside Tabitha and drew up a chair.
‘The references are Celtic, aren’t they?’ she said.
‘Yes,’ Tabitha replied, pulling a large reference book of Celtic mythology towards her. ‘Morrigan, or The Mórrigan, is a goddess from Irish folklore. She’s primarily associated with war and fate, particularly with prophecy and the predicting of the outcome of battles. She was often known as “the great queen of battle”.’
‘But why does the clue reference a bird with a warrior soul?’ asked Edith.
‘According to this,’ Tabitha pointed to the enormous book, ‘there are numerous legends suggesting that when entering battle, Morrigan transformed into a sparrowhawk.’
Tabitha could not help but smile at the astonished expressions on both women’s faces.
‘And the next section:“Let Lugh’s light lead the way, As you stand on the tide, Of a changing world”?’ Molly asked.
Tabitha checked the index and found several entries for Lugh.
‘Lugh is known as the god of light, wisdom and healing,’ said Tabitha, her eyes sweeping further down the page. ‘There’s alegend where he gave humans the gift of speech, but he’s most well known for being one of the highest gods in Irish mythology. When he was a baby, his grandfather, Balor, threw him into the sea to rid himself of a child he saw as a potential rival. The sea god Manannán mac Lir cared for Lugh until he was old enough to return to the land and live with his uncle, the smith god, Goibhniu.’
‘His connections to the sea would explain the line about the tide, but why is it a changing world?’ asked Molly.
‘Lugh’s world changed when he returned to the land,’ suggested Edith.
‘It might be,’ said Tabitha, reading the short poem again, ‘but what’s the link between the two gods?’
She typed both names into a search engine and looked at the screen in surprise.
‘Apparently, they do interconnect,’ she said. ‘Legend says they were both necessary for victory in the Tuatha Dé Danann’s battles. Morrigan’s strategic insight and Lugh’s martial prowess were crucial for success.’
