Glossary terms G

Glossary Terms G

Keeping people and terms straight is one of the challenges of writing a large series. Along with the compendium Lark's People, I keep a directory of places, things and terms. 

Here are the G entries as of April; 2019

GA.

Galleonfee light speech. A signalling system between ships of the fair wind fleet and one another, or people ashore who understand it

Galw Cân, a calling song from the valleys. Kieran Shamrock played it for his children, not knowing it was a legacy tune from his distant ancestor Seren Starsinger. 

GE.

Geistbohne The alpenfee term for coffee beans. Literally, spirit bean

GL.

glainne fìrinn glan The glass of truth. A fairy pool on Heather Island

GR.

Green balls. A most uncomfortable state pixies can get into if the wisher they try to service rejects them or the wish. Peck thought it was a myth until it caught up with him

Green Cucumber Fresh Wash. The soap Kay Merriweather favours in The Kissing Ring

The Green Way. The area, both real and figurative, inhabited by the leprechauns. Comprises Shamrock Village, Paddytown and Cloddah among other places including Fiddle Town, KerryKenny and Crock o' Gold. Fiddle Town is where the colleens keep a bull for the use of folk who have a single cow.

Greenway Cottage; A cottage in Erin a’ Fee where Patrick Barley lives with his wife Modeste and her daughter Alice.

A griff teg A male teg from the valleys. Dai Daffydd is one.

GW

A gwynny teg A female teg from the valleys. Ivy Davis is one. So is Owena Darkeyes.

GY

Gypsied Light Upcoming Courtesan album – their third. They planned to record in after the tour.

Glossary - F

Keeping people and terms straight is one of the challenges of writing a large series. Along with the compendium Lark's People, I keep a directory of places, things and terms. 

Here are the F entries as of April; 2019

FFF

4Ts-Quad Band composed of the four Merriweather boys, whose names all begin with T

FA
Face-to-face A computer programme like Skype where people with accounts can use video chat in real time. Honey Cottman uses it to talk to her mother, Skye, when she’s over here. She also talks to Mab O’Mara and Derry Warrener. Maura Dervla says she has a face-to-face account when talking to Betony Field on Mermaid.

Fair Wind Fleet: plies around the Star Pin. The five ships include Chimera Sail petal pink/white, Unicorn,  Sail butter yellow/white, Basilisk Sail sage green/white Firedrake, flame/white, Mermaid Sail Sky blue/white. Mermaid is mastered by Tor Chancery

Fairy or Fay... What it says on the tin. Fairy is the basic term, with subheadings and some unique offshoots

Fairy rings quilt. A quilt pattern with interlocking rings. Iris Cottman made some for her son Hob

The Falls Pool. A clear deep pool at the base of the falls. The waterfolk Poll, Niss, Plie and Hector live close by. Hob and Honey swim there. This is probably also the pool where Skye and Si swam on their honeymoon. Honey and the Harvest Hob and Pen and Ink

The Falls Another waterfall where Si and Joe met up with Janus, Tia, Sha and Mari Wish-Match

Fay goats Goats from over there. Ryl remarks her grandfather Peter P might run fay goats in the copse if no one prevents him. Tarry is one. They also live on Arcadia Island

FE

Fee Kaffee, a coffee shop run by Martina Bless in 2017. One of the venues of the Counterpoint festival

FI

Five Ships Carol a fay carol including a dance part. Suzette Skipton sings it in Under the Christmas Tree

The Five Ships A mysterious fleet of five ships that rounds the chalk cliffs occasionally on Christmas Eve. Also known as the Fair Wind Fleet

Fimble Road  Where the Gateway Cottage is in Pisky Business and Counterpoint. The road is narrow, rough and overhung by trees. It ends at the top of a hill…if you’re sensible. If you drive down the slope your car will cease to work.

Fiddle Town  A leprechaun village over there where the colleens keep a bull.

FL
Flannigan House Boutique Hotel is a quaint boutique hotel run by Hal and Ruth Warrener. It is a Vouch-Safe property. Derry Warrener, Hal’s brother, works as Room Service. The hotel is in a quiet town, and has an attic room where Mab O’Mara spends her Easter birthday mystery break. Horizontal Bunny Hop and Man Overboard and mentioned in Honey and the Harvest Hob. By Betony Buys Adventure Derry and his wife have ceased to live there full time.

Flowdown: a music streaming service Courtesan use

Fly-me points; A loyalty points system some people use for buying flights. In Counterpoint Questions, Gemma opines that Henry must rack up a lot of fly-me points.,

FO

Following the Drum…Courtesan song from their first album

Forever A term used by some fay to denote their lover/spouse/wish-match

Forever. Dance studio at the Peckerdale Grene Community Tower, run by Hamish McTavish and Gervais St Clair. Amalie de Courcy, Richenda Pendennis and Timbre Merriweather go there. Corin Peckerdale partners Richenda.

FR
Frances’s terrace house. A 2-across, 3-down terrace Frances Eckmann inherited from her grandmother, Gilly Echo, in Glebe, Sydney. Frances lives there with Niall Le Fay and their cats, Cherry and Pie. Kendra meets Piers Le Fay there while cat-sitting for Frances. Appears in Fairy on the Christmas Tree and Hot Summer Knight and Tied up in Tinsel and Christmas Eve

FU

Fusilier A band that plays at the 2018 Music of the Night concert directly after Courtesan. They feature a rattle of musketry and a fife. The drummers, male and female, are in military uniform

Glossary Terms D and E

Keeping people and terms straight is one of the challenges of writing a large series. Along with the compendium Lark's People, I keep a directory of places, things and terms. 

Here are the D/E entries as of April; 2019

DDD

DA

Dawn- a coral island in the Star Pin, with caves and coconut palms. The seaman lairs there in Betony Buys Adventure.

DC

D’Chevallier Manor. The abandoned manor where Sebastian d’Chevalier was brought up and where Tansy raises Art in Court in Between

DI
Divining crystal. Duffy says his grandfather uses a divining crystal Over There 

EEE

EI

Eight-Reed: a flute or pipes constructed from sturdy reeds. Paris the water lad is an expert at creating these. He gave one to Yvanne Skipton

Eight Reeds in the Stream a fay carol needing eight players. Includes a dance

EL

Ella’s-Umbrella: a boutique that has a sales rack. In Patterdale in around 2010

ER

Erin a’ Fee: A green way annex not far from the Star Pin. Maura Dervla was brought up there. Ancel meets the fay horse Blessed and her two grown foals there in Under the Christmas Tree. Home of Patrick Barley and his family and of Shamus An Leannán and his great-nephew Tyrone

Glossary Terms C

Keeping people and terms straight is one of the challenges of writing a large series. Along with the compendium Lark's People, I keep a directory of places, things and terms. 

Here are the C entries as of April; 2019

CCC

CA

The Cabin Home of Oash the sylvan: built in a spinney so it’s virtually invisible from outside. Oash and wife Sam live there with their baby

cadeau de l'été. Gift of summer. A red gemstone found in the streams on Summer Isle in the Star Pin archipelago. It is rare and elusive and much prized for love tokens or to set in fief rings

Candy-Pash. Perfume preferred by Mish Verhoven The Kissing Ring

Cats’ Pyjamas A club in an alcove off Straw Street in Appledore in the 1980s. Calypso Lindon is an exotic dancer there. A setting in Calico Calypso. Mentioned in I Promise

CH

The Chalklands Hob country, but close to the Courtlands

Charmed cider. Hob cider. Hob gives some to Honey, in Honey and the Harvest Hob, ​Keeley Weir provides some (made by Jem Cottman) for Jory and Linda in ​Pisky Business. Tab and Josefa have it at The Harvest Hob in Sunshower, and Gemma enjoys it in Counterpoint Questions

CL

The cliffs. Chalk cliffs looking out over the ocean. Hob takes Honey there to blow away the cobwebs. Honey and the Harvest Hob
This is probably also where waterfolk go when they feel the waves. 
 
Clothing. Clothing plays an important role in the Fairy in the Bed series.
Some mutable fay can change their clothing, assume it or remove it instantly.

Cloud-stepper A fay horse not bound by the normal laws of physics. These are often virtual steeds belonging to manifested summer knights and midsummer nights. A very few are manifestations of solid horses. Hero and Mon Beau Cheval are both ‘steppers. An unnamed ‘stepper plays a part in Under the Christmas Tree

CO
Conjure. Pixies, elves, braefolk and some others can relocate items such as clothing and blankets at will. They don't consider this as magic. Leprechauns don't do it, although it's possible they can. Galleonfee pride themselves on doing it rarely. According to Chloe Fraser in Sam and the Sylvan, they can't conjure living things although this doesn't extend to fruit

Coeur des Roses A rose maze laid out on the Isle of Summer by the de Libre family. The summerman takes Betony there in Betony Buys Adventure

Coeur des Roses pattern A china pattern spattered with gold and pink roses and hearts and every colour between. Susannah Devine de Libra had a set, and the summerman speculates that this is the set now in the true heart of the Coeur des Roses maze.

Cour d'été, Vouch-Safe café ​Pisky Business. In 2000, Linda thinks of it as a strange little café called Cour d'été,

Counterpoint Festival: A festival of music and dance held in Patterdale. The scene of the Counterpoint mini-series.

​ Courtesan: Musical duo comprising Court Leopold and Jordana Dane. Indie-famous. Also the name of their first, self-titled, album

Courtesan Songs: Courtesan, Summer of Fifteen-Fifty-Five, Twice in Twilight, My Father’s Ring, Homegoing, Julia

Fern of the Forest, The Hob Maid and The Rogering Song are composed by Court for Fern and Tansy

Courting cake. A heavy fruit and nut cake made by hobs to be shared. Hob gives some to Honey, in Honey and the Harvest Hob, ​Keeley Weir and Mr Trip both provide some for Jory and Linda in ​Pisky Business. ​Jem Cottman and Mr Trip both make it, as does Nathaniel Applebee in Sunshower Joan Treadwell gives some to Mal for Tom and Ryl, and Quinn Peckerdale sends some for Jordy and Chess.

The courtlands A term for the “Court” area of Over There. Ryl takes Tom there in The Kissing Ring,

Colouring up. In moments of extreme emotion, male harvest hobs exhibit colour changes. A woman pregnant with a harvest hob's baby exhibits the colour changes until delivery

CR

Crystal. Si Bakewell uses crystals in his work as a New Age healer. His preferred method is delivering energy via hugs, but he uses crystals at the clinic to distance himself a little from clients 

Rory Inkersoll also uses crystals in his ministry. He gives one to Jisinia Peckerdale in Man Overboard

CU

Cuckoo Clock. The song the Merriweather boys sing in four parts

Glossary Terms - B

Keeping people and terms straight is one of the challenges of writing a large series. Along with the compendium Lark's People, I keep a directory of places, things and terms. 

Here are the B entries as of April; 2019

BBB

BA

The Bakery A bakery in Tasmania in the mid-1980s. Tom and Mish go there for coffee and raisin toast in The Kissing Ring. Waitress there is Sharon “Shaz”.

The Bakewell House House where Skye and Si Bakewell live. Several hours from Van Dyk Performing and Presentation College of the Arts. 

The barn. A whitewashed barn over there in which Hob Cottman, his cousins Pat and Nick Cornfellow and Honey Bakewell bring in the harvest. Stable nearby for the Cornfellows' team of chestnut horses and the dray. Honey and the Harvest Hob

BE

Beech maid. Tally Beech is a beech maid; a tree maid associated with beech trees. The head of her clan is the beechmaster, Moss. Tally first met Kieran when he came to get beech wood for a fiddle.

Betony Field; An English meadow site renowned for its botanical curiosities. A bus carrying itinerant workers crashed there in the 1980s. Several people were injured, two were killed and a baby girl who survived proved unrelated to any of the other survivors. Named Betony Field, she was fostered by two elderly women named Alice and Meg who were keen botanists.

Betrothal ring. A silver ring made as a love you forever promise. Used by some couples with a wedding ring or instead of one. Much more binding than a human engagement ring. Skye has one made by Merryn Pendennis; a gift from Si. Linda has one made by Tane Pendennis: a gift from Jory. Tom used his kissing ring for that purpose. The one Tab gives to Josefa proves to have a mind of its own.

BL

Blue Collar Ball – where Kris Peckerdale suggests he and Deek might be going in the 1980s.

BO

Bodhran Island or  Oileán an Ghrá (Island of Love). A green island in the Star Pin archipelago where the leprechauns go for ceilidhs and the courtfolk go to dance. Connemara cobs roam the island

Bodystocking – possibly a drink served to dancers at Cats’ Pyjamas in Calico Calypso. Kris Peckerdale considers it.

BR

The bridge gate. Leads from the bridge at the water meadow near the Summery Court to a courtyard in Sydney Tied up in Tinsel

Anzac Day

Glossary Terms- A

Keeping people and terms straight is one of the challenges of writing a large series. Along with the compendium Lark's People, I keep a directory of places, things and terms. 

Here are the A  entries as of April; 2019

AAA

A Little Bit Pisky Louise Hardy’s mail order herb business. Mentioned in the Counterpoint Questions and Counterpoint Answers

AN

an t-slighe gaisgeil – the hero road between Heather and Bodhran islands. Passable only at low tide. A frightening causeway of black rock studded on the Heather end by bits of the purple quartz known as heather gems. Betony crosses it with the highlander in Betony Buys Adventure

AL

Alpenfolk / alpenfee, fay from the alps area. Martina Bless is one. The women are mädchens and the men are tals. They are a practical people, inventive and cheerful. Some of them have the sight.

The Alpen-meadow A hillside over there where Tab takes Josefa in Sam and the Sylvan and Sunshower. He has been growing apple trees for eight years. As of 2019 the couple have a cabin there.  Ryl Merriweather tells Gemma about it in Counterpoint Questions

Alpenkuchen chocolate cake with white icing – served at Fee Kaffee

AP

Appledore The large Victorian town where Flori lives and works in Floribunda and the Best Men. Her shop, BB Blossoms, is in the mall there. The Cats' Pyjamas club where Calypso Lindon dances is there. Deek Caffrey lives there in Calico Calypso and is probably still there with his wife Shari as of I Promise. 

AR

Arcadian Dream- A ballet at the Patterdale Counterpoint Festival starring Tim Merriweather and Amalie de Courcey

Arcadian Quartz- clear and blue crystals found on Arcadia Island

Arcadia An island in the Star Pin archipelago. The second island Betony visits in Betony Buys Adventure. It has herds of fay goats, olive groves, orange groves, a glorious beach and caves.

Arrival… An island in the Star Pin archipelago. A beautiful tropical island with white sand which is the gateway to Stag St. Martin. It has pristine beaches with large outcrops of dark rock and orange pebbles known locally as sons of the sea. These are common on Arrival, but not found elsewhere. Arrival is the over there side of the Stag Stone gateway. The first island Betony visits in Betony Buys Adventure

Suzette Skipton's Kelpie Bottle

Suzette Skipton was given a kelpie bottle by an old braeside lady. It ended up in the sea, and eventually came into the hands of Ancel de Libre, who lived far away. Ancel didn't know what it was, but he collected interesting objects, so he made a close examination of his new treasure.

So, a sea-glass bottle.

He examined It again, turning it in his hands, rubbing his fingers over the curves. It looked shapeless, but, as with the galleonfee cloth, his hands detected a shape his eyes didn’t see.

It’s a horse!

The mane was wavy in both senses, the forelegs were fused, and the hindlegs folded as if the animal was diving, seal-like, in the ocean.

Not a horse. It’s a kelpie!

He laughed, pleased with his discovery.

Kelpies were braeside fables, said to inhabit lochs and deep bays.

They didn’t exist, unless they were extreme examples of mutable fay. Someone had fashioned this one though, and it had ended up in the ocean.

Calico Calypso 7/7

Calico Calypso has nine chapters, but the seventh one doesn't have seven pages so... here's the seventh paragraph.

Kris is living a somewhat stalled life and wondering if anything is ever going to happen.

She’d genuinely wanted him to find what he’d been waiting for.  He’d serviced the wish, but though it had undoubtedly taken, he was no more enlightened than he’d been at the time. As far as he was aware, he wasn’t waiting for anything, other than becoming old and grey.

Openhearted 7/7

My w.i.p. is called Openhearted. Chapter seven doesn't have seven pages, so here is the seventh paragraph of Chapter Seven which is called I Saw Three Ships. (Yes, it's a Christmas story.)

Newly-married Yvanne has come back to her parents' manor to tell them of her new status. The manor is heaving with preparations for a ball, Christmas and her sister's wedding, so her mother has told her to go into the solar and wait. While she waits, Yvanne reflects and plays her eight-reed flute.

After that, she made an attempt to reproduce the lovely tune Quinn had played her that morning.

Mab and the Rabbit

I was going to do a 7/7 for my Easter romance, Horizontal Bunnyhopper, but when I checked I realised it doesn't have chapters. OK, thinks I. Let's go 7/7 for the line on Page 7. I checked that and discovered one word: Reception.

Pause. I read down the page a little and remembered how funny that story is. So, here's a tiny scene that includes that line. To put it in context, Mab O'Mara is enjoying her Easter birthday at a mystery weekend in a guesthouse courtesy of her sister Bess. She has just discovered a live rabbit in her bedroom and is telling Bess about it on the phone...

 “Maybe it’s a hotel mascot?” Bess suggested.

 Mab said, “I’ve heard of hotel cats and hotel dogs, but a rabbit? In the attic?”

“You’d better call Reception,” said Bess.

 “I’ll do that. Thanks for the presents.”

“Any time.”

Mab hung up the call and dialled nine.

“Reception.”

“There’s a rabbit in my room,” said Mab.

“Oh.”

Not wanting a rerun of the conversation with Bess, Mab said, “It’s a live rabbit, auburn-coloured, not wild. I think it got in when room service came, and now it’s under the bed.”

“I see.” Reception sounded thoughtful. “Is he bothering you?”

“Not really, but I don’t suppose you want rabbit droppings all over the soft furnishings.”

“He won’t do that. By the way, did you talk to Derry about the battery?”

“I never saw him. He tapped on the door and by the time I got it open he’d gone. I brought the tray in and that’s when I spotted the rabbit. Do you want me to catch it and bring it downstairs?”

“Derry will deal with it, Ms—”

“Call me Mab,” she said. “As in the fairy queen.”

“Wasn’t that Titania?”

“Mother couldn’t spell Titania.” It was a family joke, but it fell flat with Reception.

“Derry will deal with the rabbit.”

             “Okay,” said Mab. She put down the phone and slowly banged her head against the headboard. Reception was no help. She was down the rabbit hole with a vengeance.