I was asked recently what inspired me to write a Portal Fantasy. The easy answer is I love the genre. I loved the Riftwar Saga by Raymond Feist and the Empire series written in collaboration with Janny Wurts. I loved the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, by Stephen Donaldson. As a child, I even loved The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. I am known for writing pseudo-historical fiction novels based on prehistoric Irish mythology, so why not combine the two?

Lia Fail, or the Stone of Fal, is one of the four treasures of the Tuatha De Danann, Danu’s People, the others being the Claíomh Solais or Sword of Light, the Sleá Bua or Lugh’s Spear, and the Coire Dagdae or The Dagda’s Cauldron. There are several conflicting legends about how the stone arrived in Ireland. The Lebor Gabála Érenn, written in the eleventh century, claims that the stone was brought to the country by the Tuatha Dé Danann, who brought many skills and magic from four mythical northern cities: Falias, Gorias, Murias, and Findias, when they invaded. Together with these skills, they brought a treasure from each city. Lia Fáil came from Falia.

There are many myths surrounding the magical powers of the stone. For example, when the rightful High King put his feet on it, the stone was said to cry out in joy. The stone is also said to rejuvenate the King and grant him a long reign. According to Lebor Gabála Érenn, Cú Chulainn split it with his sword when it failed to cry out at the coronation of High King Lugaid, which you can read about in my novel, A Prelude to War Book One, if so minded. After Cu Chulainn split the stone, it didn’t cry out again until Conn of the Hundred Battles touched it and at the coronation of Brian Boru.

There is also a good deal of mythology around the Tuatha.

When the Milesians (or the Celts) invaded Ireland, they forced Danu’s people into a parallel universe where they live to this day. Of course, this is just one of the legends behind the arrival of the Celts. There are many theories about how and when they arrived. Whether it was by invasion, as the Book of Invasions claims, or by migration, as many scholars believe today. However, what hooked me was how the Fae Realm is accessed through portals.

I wouldn’t be the first to use the Irish Mythology premise. David Gemmell often had his characters popping in and out of worlds, and Celtic mythology shines out of his novels like beacons on dark and stormy nights. So, if there are so many, why would I want to write another? Let me just say that I might have a slightly different approach to the origin stories in the Lebor Gabála Érenn. My idea is pure fantasy, but is the Book of Invasions any better?

According to mythology, the Milesians forced Danu’s people into a parallel plane, but what if it were to happen the other way around? What if Danu’s people forced the Milesians out of the Fae Realm (or another plane) into Ireland? Wouldn’t that be an excellent premise for a portal fantasy?

Micheál