Interview with Jules Watson, author of Song of the North, part III

Jules Watson, critically acclaimed author of the Celtic fantasy novels The White Mare and The Dawn Stag, talks about her latest book, Song of the North, which takes place in the western Scottish kingdom of Dalriada during the Roman conquest of Britain.

Song of the North is the story of Minna, a Roman servant who finds herself captive in the wilds of Western Scotland among a mystical Celtic people she had been brought up to revile. As Minna begins to know more about Dalriada, its people, and its history, she begins to suffer from torn allegiances and the irresistable call of her own blood to join in the war for Celtic freedom.

Overlook: Song of the North stars two very different but equally sexy leading men, Cian and Cahir. Do you have stronger personal feelings toward one or the other? (Certain members of the Overlook staff have a crush on Cian.)

Jules: I love them both for different reasons - I always have to fall in love with my heroes, or rather be in love with them to write them! Both are tortured and damaged in their own way. Cahir is a mature, princely character who is most definitely a man, but who has to go further and find the sacred king in himself. Cian starts out as a hurt boy and has to find the man in himself, the one who can open his heart to love. Both journeys are interesting to me - they both have to find their true selves and that is a theme I return to again and again. I was also playing around with the idea that different relationships call to different parts of the participants. Cian appeals to a younger, more playful part of his chosen mate, while Cahir draws out a deeper, more "higher purpose" aspect. I'd take either man, though there is something compelling about Cian hovering on the edge of his own potential, especially when you can see the man he will be.

Overlook: It's interesting that Minna is of mixed blood and struggles with her racial identity, especially since she tries at first to fit in with Roman culture, which systematically rejects her. Do you think/have you found that many British residents of this period would have had the same situation?

Jules: This is a great debate in archaeology - we simply don't know to what extent the native peoples remained "native" or mixed with the Romans, or how deeply the Roman culture was overlaid on the native one. From inscriptions we know that many Roman soldiers stayed after their service was up and married British women, so there must have been many residents of mixed blood. However, the victors were Roman and the defeated were Celtic, so it may be people were more inclinded to identify with the race of their fathers - they would probably have got further in life! By this late time (360s AD) it's probable that the veneer of society in the towns and at wealthy villas was entirely Roman, though there is evidence the Celtic religious beliefs continued alongside the imposed Roman ones. I think it would depend on your
place in society - the nobles and merchants who depended on Roman trade would most likely have been more "Romanised", so it fits that Minna coming from the working, peasant classes would have elders who clung to the "old ways" more firmly.

Overlook: The slice of Pictish culture you offer is fascinating. What during your research of that period/group surprised you?

Jules: One thing I love about the Picts is how we know virtually nothing about them! We don't even know what language they spoke - all they have left us are their incredible carved stones, with pictures of grand warriors riding horses and hunting deer and boar, and strange animal drawings. They will always be fascinating because the stones give us a tiny glimpse into their
minds and yet we will never know the deeper, vaster reaches of those minds. There are hints that they tattooed themselves - the word Pict may derive from either a Roman or native word meaning "the painted ones" - and I must admit I have always found the idea of hordes of tattooed warriors roaming around quite exciting. We have no idea what the tattoos were but I linked them to the animal carvings on the Pictish stones and decided they might have been tribal totems. Imagine having the representation of a wolf or a hawk tattooed all over your face! And the thought of thousands of those wild men screaming and charging down a hill into battle - amazing.


Song of the North is just out in bookstores and libraries.