(Currently OOP. My edition: Corgi, 1989, 304 pages, ISBN
0552133310)
Two generations have come and gone since Arthur
brought the tribes of Britain
together, and the unity he created has long since been shattered. In the battle-scarred
land of Lothian,
Princess Taniu, haunted by obscure
memories and the brutality and lust rampant in her father’s court, finds solace
in the old tales of heroism and the dictates of a wandering holy man. When the
king of Cumbria
sends his envoys over the hills to ask for the princess as a bride for his son,
her father King Loth is more than happy to use her to form an advantageous new
alliance. But Taniu has given her heart to a young Cumbrian huntsman named
Owain, and her body to the Christian faith. Determined to remain pure, she
refuses to surrender herself. Yet some choices have already been made for her,
far in her past, bringing in their train deceit, murder and heartbreak; and the
chance to move beyond all three.
Bride of the Spear, originally titled Lady of the Fountain,
was first published – in an edited form – by a small press, before being taken
up by Bodley Head
in 1988. Based on events in the ‘Life of St. Kentigern’, it forms the first in
a trilogy set in Britain
during the 6th and 7th centuries – the Celtic Heroic Age. The novel evokes the world of warlords, saints and heroes with skill, and a great deal of
accuracy. Barring a few pertinent explanations, Herbert
has written a novel which treats the attitudes and trappings of the past so
holistically that the history is simply there to be absorbed by the reader,
making for a smooth and engrossing read. The plotting is tight, making something
gripping and credible out of the fragments of hagiography. Herbert’s
prose is limpid and energetic, subtly humorous in places. She approaches the
violence of the times, and the poverty of the lower classes, with frankness,
but also restraint; and one of the things I like a lot about the novel is the
way she conjures something beyond the stereotypically grim Dark Age world,
giving us a place muddy, miserable and dangerous, but also holding colour,
beauty and human warmth.
Many of the characters, including Taniu and Owain, are
historical figures, with whom Herbert’s
fictional men and women easily mingle. One of the great strengths of the novel
is its characterisation, which is refreshingly down-to-earth. Taniu,
courageous, compassionate, but at first blind to the danger of her rigid
principles, is a believable 6th century princess; caught up in the
machinations of both men and women of power, but far from passive, she is easy
to empathise with as we see her learn the truth about herself and her beliefs.
Owain, too, is a compelling character who has a great deal to learn about who
he is. A convincingly flawed man whose innate nobility and passion are tempered
by cold detachment and actions that may strike us as reprehensible, the fact
that Herbert neither excuses nor judges him allows us to take him and his
values on his own terms, understand the way he sees the world, and appreciate
the way his is blindsided by his own body. Other viewpoints weave in and out of those of the two
protagonists, adding depth to the plot and its secondary characters, all of
whom, even the antagonists, are well-rounded with believable motives and emotions.
Novels that have a place for the natural world always score
highly with me, and this is one of those. Drawn with clear, assured strokes – Kathleen
Herbert was a keen walker with a good
knowledge of the areas she describes – the landscape is an integral part of the
novel, almost a character, as powerful and ever-present as the pagan ways with
which it’s saturated.
At its heart the novel is, of course, a story of love, and
both the best and the worst moments of that journey are well shown, in
particular the mix of tenderness and sexual tension between the protagonists; and the bickering that
arises from belonging to two rival kingdoms!
A comprehensive map at the front of the book shows all of the
locations in the novel, and there is also a list of place names with their modern equivalents,
and a list of characters.
Bride of the Spear
is currently being prepared for republication by Cumbria-based company
Trifolium Books. Visit their blog for more information, including pictures of
the new cover.
