The Adventures of Connor & Finn

By Steven A O'dalaigh

This is an epic saga of two Irish cousins who grew up as brothers. Together they share many wondrous and frightful adventures to the different realms of the past, present, and future, along with their cohorts, which include a clurichaun, an Irish wolfhound, and a semicrazed banshee. The story is full of poetry, spells, portents and prophecies, magic, and Celtic mythology. Connor and Finn battle supernatural forces as well as the Morrigan. There are legacies and family secrets, as well as curses, that threaten this clan to its undoing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662462160

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The Adventures of Connor and Finn

Steven A Oand#39;dalaigh

Copyright © 2022 Steven A. O’Dalaigh

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2022

ISBN 978-1-6624-6215-3 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-6216-0 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

The Charm of Ascension

The Chant of the Sacred Taking

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Heaven Can Wait

Chapter 7

Prophecy of Danu

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

I Wonder

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

The Trinity Calls

Chapter 18

Tell a Tale

The Distance

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

The Leprechauns

Chapter 23

Sorrow

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

The Dally-O

Chapter 33

O'Kelly Twins

Chapter 34

Me Irish Blood

Hidden Pain

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Well of Eternal Spring

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

About the Author

I would like to dedicate this book in loving memory of my father, Carl S. Dailey.

Coincidence and déjà vu, I don't believe in these as past life experiences. There are times when the threads may cross. Is it an omen or portended? I dare say nay. Sometimes we are drawn to the darkness and the whispers, whether we want to be or not.

Chapter 1

Culture Shock

Through cultural intrusion and expansion, many nomadic tribes came to settle on the Emerald Isle, bringing with them the gospel according to the apostles of the new Christian faith.

This migration signaled a change in Celtic lore and mythology. Over the course of history and a series of unconnected events, a convergence of many cultures developed that were very similar in other continents as well. For example, these were the tribes that had migrated there: Milesians, Fomorians, Tuatha, druids, pagans, Normans, Saxons, Vikings, Romans, Gaels, and Germanic tribes blended into a thousand factions of Celtic clans.

Our views are somewhat askew, however, to better understand our ancestral heritage, along with the neo-pagan influences. We must turn back time and delve into a place only visited in our dreams and imaginations, as well as our nightmares.

Tales can be retold, and fables respun. Who are we to say what the natural order is of the way things should be?

The gods of our ancestors were viewed as powerful as well as enigmatic. For millennia, they existed in our current realm and were bound by so much magic that they could also be traveling in and out of all the realms in which there were too many to count. The old ones were tied and interwoven into daily human existence, placed there by a higher power or perhaps a universal superbeing. They were also bound to life cycles and the creatures of nature and to nature itself.

These deities were eventually adopted to the new religions, thus developing a theology that the older gods were made lesser in the archetype, which were now relegated to their mundane existence in a world of magic and wonder now replaced by science.

According to Celtic mythology, these gods were forced underground, and in almost the same way, the older pre-Celtic gods were forced into the deepest fathoms of the sea. In fantastic and colorful underworlds and underwater places, they live, of course, in a somewhat diminished form of their previous glory.

Chapter 2

The Great and Mighty Oak

As legend dictated, the very first wanderer who arrived in Ireland was named Donn. He brought with him only one possession, and it was a magical golden acorn. Before he disappeared into the great sea, he planted the nut on a grassy hill in the land known to the Celtic clans as Tara.

The sight upon which it grew was used by the druids for ancient ceremonial worships and sacrifices.

The mighty tree grew for threescore years; its roots went deep into the bowels of the earth through the granite and limestone rocks. Many of them came to rest, it is believed, in a deep cache of amethyst and crystal gemstones. Near the base of the tree grew a large root upward that stood thirty meters in height. A large niche was carved into the root, creating an altar with an opening into its facade.

Traditionally, only the high druid was permitted to set foot onto their most sacred and hallowed space.

According to Caesar, the druids originated from Gael. Now Caesar was the chief authority in this matter only because this was what he was told by his highest appointed philosopher and antiquarian servant, Poseidonius. The Greek wrote about the very first assembly, which was held once every one hundred years.

What Caesar did not know was the real age as well as the true names of the druids who sat upon the Council of Guardians. On the eve of Samhain (pronounced saw-wheen), under the light of the hunter's moon, priests, apprentices, Jesuits of the high order, and pagan necromancers would gather. The entire clan would gather around the base of the mighty tree. Every man, woman, and child would be dressed in white linen garments with green sashes, and embroidered on the sashes were three symbols: the triskele, the triquetra, and a druidic rune, which symbolized the trinity. Each would also carry a single white candle that was not lit. This gathering was known to them as the Great Ascension.

One druid was set above the rest of the Council, which was made up of twelve elder clan leaders. He was given the title of the arch druid. He was known to them as Dagda Mor.

Each of the twelve was gifted with a life span of tenscore years after the passing of the arch druid. His life force would pass into the ether. This was a true spectacle to behold as it was their holiest of ceremonies. The total count in attendance on this day was seventy thousand and seven, including their progenies.

As I previously mentioned, the members of the Council were chosen among the covens and clans. These twelve were imbued with a level of magic and knowledge. These twelve druids would gather and form a circle at the altar and then begin the charm of ascension.

The Charm of Ascension

Oh, we the keepers o'er the tree of life,

We call upon the watchers over the day and night.

Earth, air, water, and fire, we summon the elements now to reveal your heart.

Choose wisely the heir according to the ancient ways.

Forsake him not till the end of his days.

All in attendance would join in and chant the charm thrice.

Within the bowels of the great Mother Earth would lie the body of their patriarch. His body was wrapped in linen and surrounded by the roots from the mighty tree.

The Chant of the Sacred Taking

We are the guardians of the light.

We are the keepers of the well.

Lords of the land for all to see.

Nurturers of the mighty oak tree.

We are Gaia. We are one.

This was only done in a time of great crisis to ensure the survival and preservation of their bloodline.

Druid ceremony for the spell of creation

One main altar in the center had two stones on their sides shaped rectangularly, and one stone slab on top of the altar was made up of white limestone. A five-pointed pentagram was created circling the altar, outlined in crushed animal bone powder.

The necessary requirements for the spell were two white candles, a copper water bowl, an athame, a salt dish, a bell, and a presence lamp. The last item was a woven basket made from willow bark filled with three types of gemstones: amethyst, quartz, and bloodstone.

The sound of the branches and leaves in the tree began to bellow. They, too, were changing its life cycle, and the leaves changed colors from green to yellow, then red and orange, then to brown.

After this metamorphosis, the leaves turned brown and then to ash as if they were burned. Suddenly the shape of each leaf altered into another shape resembling a black sparrow. The birds then flew upward toward the sky until they disappeared altogether into the night sky. The roots that surrounded Dagda Mor grew and completely covered his body in a cocoon, and then they sunk into the earth, taking the druid with them. The mighty oak emanated a green beam of energy that formed a shield surrounding the tree and all the attendants who were present.

The druids all chanted a spell that protected and energized the barrier.

In the name of that presence, we invoke thee.

That that was and again shall be, we invoke thee.

All four masters from the earth and sea, we invoke thee.

Rulers of the otherworld with this power within this hour, we invoke thee.

In the name of Cernunnos and Cerridwen, we invoke thee.

A druid placed the triskelion in a copper bowl filled with water and sprinkled salt.

The old one's essence was summoned back from the ether. The life force contained great magic knowledge and wisdom. It then passed into the druid's successor. This selection process was absolute, never questioned, or doubted, for it was the choice made by the great mother and the mighty oak. The new arch druid would hold the high office and take charge in all public and private affairs. In fact, he would be their king, and he would rule wisely.

If, by chance, any other druid disagreed with his decree, they would be shunned by the clan and then branded with a sigil that stood for traitor. If the offense was more severe, they would strip and brand him on his forehead then flog him before the clan. This was the greatest shame a druid could suffer. Most believed that death was a more suitable means; however, the druids were forbidden from taking a human life no matter the crime. The druid order abstained from all forms of warfare and violence; they also refused to pay tribute to Caesar and Rome.

At times, a druid would be born outside of the order, and they were identified by a birthmark, which was a rune located at the back of the neck at the base of the brain. When detected by the order, they were taken from their families at the age of five. To the families, this was a great and noble honor, and they were paid in gold for their obedience. If it was the only child to be born from that coupling, the order would leave the decision to the child upon their thirteenth name day.

The children would study ancient scrolls, nature, philosophy, astronomy, god lore, and of course, magic. Some would spend up to thirty years as an apprentice before becoming a priest of the high order.

The druids were able to draw elemental magic from the great oak tree. They harnessed it to use in ceremonies of fertility and to bless the soil and all the crops throughout the land.

No one has ever found this magical tree, for there are many an oak throughout the Emerald Isle. Rumors and folktales tell of such a tree and that it was in two places. One was in Tara, and the other was located on the banks of the River Shannon, which presently is the castle of Clonmacnoise.

Similar stories have been published in the Annals of Leinster. They, too, state that the tree was at Tara; however, it was destroyed by a neighboring war clan and burned to the ground. To this day, nothing has ever grown back in that location, not even a single blade of grass.

It is said that in the past, druids would appear to push the minds of men in order to succeed in the game of destiny and chance. This would show mankind the true illumination. These days, it's a lost fable. The druids retreated into obscurity and oblivion to make way for science, technology, and the machinery of war.

Chapter 3

The Council of Guardians

The Council consisted of twelve elders who made up the privy council. The guardian clan consisted of an additional seven hundred priests and apprentices. All were gifted with the purest form of magic.

The counseling clan were tasked with safeguarding and protecting talismans, spells, mystical potencies, and prophecies, as well as dark objects that were tainted by the shade. They would swear a life vow before the sacred tree to watch over and protect their dominion as well as the realms of man. Their main purpose was to ensure that evil never took a foothold on the soil of Ireland.

The arch druid was also known as the seer. He was endowed with the gift of foresight. The seer was the only druid who was able and allowed to peek upon the future. His visions always started and ended the same way: a flock of black sparrows would gather in the sky then give way to the vision he was seeking. The black sparrow was an omen, a harbinger of death.

All druids held high reverence to the natural world. The earth and sky, soil, crops, all forms of flora and fauna, especially the trees such as the oak, willow, and hazelwood, were sanctums to those who practiced their skill.

The number 5 was divine. Although the druids were sworn not to take a mortal life, they did, on occasion, sacrifice livestock such as bovines, sheep, and wolves.

The majority of druids lived in caves and under dwellings. In the deep caves, they mined quartz and other gemstones and would use them during prayers and other rituals. They drew their spiritual nourishment from the rocks found deep in the earth.

Life was viewed as a cycle or a wheel, if you would. Their time of death in this world meant their rebirth in another world. They were very staunch supporters of prophetic dreams as well as omens. The omen they feared the most was known as the reaping. The reaping was a plague upon the lands, and it would spread to the deepening sea, covering the earth in darkness, disease, and despair. Death piles of human bodies stacked as high as the mountaintops were set on fire and would burn for one thousand years.

The seer would appear in his visions as a black crow or a black wolf. Vikings would travel hundreds of miles not to plunder or pillage but to pay homage to the seer and bring many sacrifices and gifts to hear the seer's visions and projections as far as their warring, their wealth, and their crops. The Viking king was always among them; he would wear the pelt of a wolf as his shroud.

There sacrificial ceremony consisted of nine goats, nine stags, and nine sheep. They were led to a circle in the forest. The older druids were pale and dusted in wheat powder. They had long silver and white hair, and their eyes were outlined in a dark manner to give the appearance of a human skull. The seer was dressed in black fur and feathers, and his face was disguised as a hideous figure deformed in a macabre manner. In this persona, he had no eyes because he gouged them out and wore them on a necklace.

The Vikings believed this gave him the power to investigate the future. The seer believed in his prophecies because they all came to pass. Many traveled thousands of leagues to hear this man speak.

The Viking king would be allowed one question to ask the seer, and he would then slit the throats of the sacrificed animals and drain the blood into several large bowls. He would then drink the blood then pass the bowl to his heir or firstborn. If no child was present, it would go to his queen. After the royal family tasted the blood, it was passed to all the others in attendance. All must consume the blood or suffer the fates. The druid seer would chant the charm of reaping only once, and then he would see the answer to the king's question. The vision disappeared as soon as the sparrows appeared, and he would then speak of his interpretation of the vision.

The seer was also the protector over the three sacred wells: the well of eternal spring, the well of souls, and the well of silence. The wells were also protected each by a coven of twelve pagan witches, along with twelve black cauldrons containing the eternal flame. The pagans believed that with each of the wells lay a magical portal that would take them to the other realms.

Many times, they defied the seer and tried to breach the wells. One of these wells did contain a portal to the underworld, and if it was ever breached, it would unleash legions of demons, along with hordes of malevolent creatures. Therefore, the guardian was ever watchful over these wells. The witches did not possess the power to enter the wells. The seer would often utter, Never raise more demons, then you can put down with a sneer and a snook.

The witches feared his power but knew one day they would find the means to break the wards and spells that protected each of these wells.

Chapter 4

The Dark Ages

Shortly after the end of the Bronze Age, the European countries began an age of expansion, which included building many castles, cathedrals, and churches—a time of Bohemian and Gothic architecture long before the Renaissance period.

Scottish castles, for instance, were constructed similar yet different in some regard as all the others. The Scotts built moors with small mounds that also served as makeshift graves. The Saxons and Normans built moats along with drawbridges. The Celts devised another way by digging trenches and filling them with crude oil and covering them with leaves and debris. They would be ignited by flaming arrows fired from the keep.

The Celts also discovered a way to dig through granite that was formed from an ancient volcano. The last time it erupted, it burned to cinder the entire island of Ireland and Wales, burning in its wake trees that were said to have been over ten thousand years in age. Archeologists believe that the Celts were the first in their country to dig tunnels under their castles and make tombs to house the bones of the high kings and queens, along with the strongest of their warriors with the royal family.

During this golden era, only a handful of sages and bards in the kingdom knew the exact locations of these tombs. There were many other passageways and catacombs that went deep in the ground. Many of them led to the Cliffs of Moher, and they were met with the quick drop. While digging these catacombs, they discovered caches of precious gems such as diamonds and emeralds, along with semiprecious gemstones such as quartz, amethyst, bloodstone, and jasper.

They then discovered that by bringing the stones together, they would begin to illuminate and vibrate frequencies. By accident, amethyst and quartz were brought together, and when they did, it created a magical barrier of protection. Now in the hands of the druid priests and