Sláine (comics)
Encyclopedia
- For other characters with the same name, see SláineSláineSláine may refer to:* Sláine mac Dela of the Fir Bolg, the first legendary High King of Ireland* Sláine , comic book hero inspired by Celtic mythology**Sláine: The Role Playing Game of Celtic Heroes, role-playing game based on the setting...
.
Sláine (ˈslɑnʲə) is a comic hero from the pages of 2000 AD
2000 AD (comic)
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
- one of Britain's most popular comic books.
Sláine is a barbarian
Barbarian
Barbarian and savage are terms used to refer to a person who is perceived to be uncivilized. The word is often used either in a general reference to a member of a nation or ethnos, typically a tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or admired as a noble savage...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
adventure series based on Celtic myths and stories
Celtic mythology
Celtic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure...
which first appeared in 1983, written by Pat Mills
Pat Mills
Pat Mills, nicknamed 'the godfather of British comics', is a comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since....
and initially drawn by his then wife, Angela Kincaid
Angela Kincaid
Angela Kincaid, formerly known by her married name of Angela Mills, is a children's book illustrator best known for The Butterfly Children series of picture books. With her then husband, Pat Mills, she created the Celtic comics character Sláine for 2000 AD.-External links:*...
. Most of the early stories were drawn by Mike McMahon
Mike McMahon (comics)
Michael McMahon is a British comics artist best known for his work on 2000 AD characters such as Judge Dredd, Sláine and ABC Warriors, and the mini-series The Last American....
and Massimo Belardinelli
Massimo Belardinelli
Massimo Belardinelli was an Italian comics artist best known for his work in the British science fiction comic 2000 AD.-Biography:...
. Other notable artists to have worked on the character include Glenn Fabry
Glenn Fabry
Glenn Fabry is an Eisner Award-winning British comics artist known for his detailed, realistic work in both ink and painted colour.-Biography:...
and Simon Bisley
Simon Bisley
Simon Bisley is a British comics artist best known for his 1990s work on ABC Warriors, Lobo and Sláine. His style, reliant on paints, acrylics, inks and multiple-mediums, is strongly influenced by Frank Frazetta, Bill Sienkiewicz, Gustav Klimt, Salvador Dalí, Egon Schiele, and Richard Corben...
. The current artist is Clint Langley
Clint Langley
Clint Langley is a British comic book artist best known for his work on series with Pat Mills at 2000 AD and as the cover artist for Marvel Comics' Guardians of the Galaxy....
, whose artwork combines painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and digital art
Digital art
Digital art is a general term for a range of artistic works and practices that use digital technology as an essential part of the creative and/or presentation process...
.
Sláine's favourite weapon is an axe called "Brainbiter". He has the power of the "warp spasm", based on the ríastrad or body-distorting battle frenzy of the Irish
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
hero Cú Chulainn
Cú Chulainn
Cú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
, in which earth power "warps" through his body, turning him into a terrifying, monstrous figure who knows neither friend nor foe. He is a devotee of the earth goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
Danu
Danu (Irish goddess)
In Irish mythology, Danu is the mother goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann . Though primarily seen as an ancestral figure, some Victorian sources also associate her with the land.-Name:...
.
Plot
At the start of the series Sláine was a wanderer, banished from his tribe, the SessairCessair
In Irish mythology, Cessair was, according to the Book of Invasions, leader of the first inhabitants of Ireland before the Biblical Flood....
. He explored the Land of the Young (Irish Tír na nÓg
Tír na nÓg
Tír na nÓg is the most popular of the Otherworlds in Irish mythology. It is perhaps best known from the story of Oisín, one of the few mortals who lived there, who was said to have been brought there by Niamh of the Golden Hair. It was where the Tuatha Dé Danann settled when they left Ireland's...
) in the company of an unscrupulous dwarf called Ukko (Finnish for "old man", and the name of the Finnish pagan Thunder god), fighting monsters and mercenaries in the fantasy tradition. In one early adventure he rescued a maiden, Medb (named after the Irish mythological queen Medb
Medb
Medb – Middle Irish: Meḋḃ, Meaḋḃ; early modern Irish: Meadhbh ; reformed modern Irish Méabh, Medbh; sometimes Anglicised Maeve, Maev or Maive – is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
) from being sacrificed
Human sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history...
in a Wicker Man
Wicker Man
A wicker man was a large wicker statue of a human used by the ancient Druids for human sacrifice by burning it in effigy, according to Julius Caesar in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico...
, only to earn her enmity - she was a devotee of Crom Cruach
Crom Cruach
Crom Cruach or Cromm Crúaich , also known as Cenn Cruach /ˈkʲɛnˠ: ˈkɾˠuəxˠ/ or Cenncroithi /ˈkʲɛnˠ: ˈkɾˠoθʲɨ/, was a deity in pre-Christian Ireland, reputedly propitiated with human sacrifice, whose worship is said to have been ended by St...
, the god
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
to whom she was to be sacrificed, and was looking forward to the experience. Her master and mentor, the ancient, rotting and insane Lord Weird Slough Feg, became the series' main villain.
Following stories featured sky chariots (flying longships
Longships
Longships is the name given to a group of rocky islets situated approximately 1 miles west of Land's End, Cornwall, United Kingdom....
), dragons and prehistoric alien gods.
As the series progressed, Sláine returned to his tribe and became king (as had been foretold in the narrative of his first appearance), leading them against the Fomorians
Fomorians
In Irish mythology, the Fomoire are a semi-divine race said to have inhabited Ireland in ancient times. They may have once been believed to be the beings who preceded the gods, similar to the Greek Titans. It has been suggested that they represent the gods of chaos and wild nature, as opposed to...
, a race of sea demons who were oppressing them. Then, in the landmark storyline The Horned God, Sláine united the tribes of the earth goddess against Slough Feg and his allies, while his personal devotion to the goddess led to him becoming a new incarnation of the Horned God
Horned God
The Horned God is one of the two primary deities found in some European pagan religions. He is often given various names and epithets, and represents the male part of the religion's duotheistic theological system, the other part being the female Triple Goddess. In common Wiccan belief, he is...
Carnun (based on the Gaulish deity Cernunnos
Cernunnos
Cernunnos is the conventional name given in Celtic studies to depictions of the horned god of Celtic polytheism. The name itself is only attested once, on the 1st-century Pillar of the Boatmen, but depictions of a horned or antlered figure, often seated in a "lotus position" and often associated...
). By the end of the story the Land of the Young is no more, and Sláine is the first High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland
The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
.
Subsequent stories saw Sláine sent through time by the earth goddess to fight alongside Celtic, and other, heroes and heroines such as Boudica
Boudica
Boudica , also known as Boadicea and known in Welsh as "Buddug" was queen of the British Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire....
(with whom he fought against the Romans (and Elfric
Elfric (comics)
Elfric is an antagonist of the fantasy comic series Sláine by Pat Mills. He first appeared in the story Time Killer as "Elfric Serpent-Eye", the changeling leader of a force of Norsemen in the Battle of Clontarf...
), and William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
), and more recently return to Ireland to defend his people against new enemies alongside his wife Niamh.
These new enemies turned out to be a full Fomorian invasion led by Balor
Balor
In Irish mythology, Balor of the Evil Eye was a king of the Fomorians, a race of giants. His father was Buarainech and his wife was Cethlenn...
and the sadistic Moloch
Moloch
Moloch — also rendered as Molech, Molekh, Molok, Molek, Molock, or Moloc — is the name of an ancient Semitic god...
, murdering, raping and eating their way through Slaine's tribe until, wracked with warp-spasm, Slaine was able to take out Balor. The tribal council forced Slaine to let Moloch go, hoping he'd fulfill his promise of keeping the Fomorians out of Ireland; instead, he deliberately returned to rape and murder Niamh. Wanting vengeance, Slaine abdicated the throne in order to go to Albion and kill Moloch, which he succeeded in doing. In his absence, his son Kai left the tribe to search for his father (eventually becoming a performer in an Albion carnival) and Ireland faced a second invasion - "the dread of Europe", Atlanteans whose ancestors had lived in Ireland before the tribes of Danu and who had been forcibly turned into hosts - Golamhs - for the symbiotic Sea Demons under Lord Odacon (an offshoot of the Fomorians), who easily threw the tribes' Sky Chariots into the Otherworld
Other World
The Otherworld is a concept in Celtic mythology, referring to a realm of the dead, the home of the deities or spirits....
. Upon Slaine's return, he found the new High King Sethor, former member of the council who had granted Moloch freedom, was willing to surrender half of Ireland to Odacon in return for the gifts of science and civilization.
Slaine was able to convince the tribal council that the demons could be killed and war was once more declared on the invaders, but it was clear that Ireland would be constantly attacked by wave after wave of Fomorian invasion. Slaine hit on the idea of having the Tribe of Danu escape to the Otherworld that their Sky Chariots had been sent to, thus freeing them from the demons and allowing the Atlanteans to settle peacefully in Ireland; both armies united against Odacon and his Sea Demons. Slaine was able to free the Atlantean leader Gael from being Odacon's Golamh by handing over Sethor to take Gael's place; and they led their armies to bolster the city of Tara
Hill of Tara
The Hill of Tara , located near the River Boyne, is an archaeological complex that runs between Navan and Dunshaughlin in County Meath, Leinster, Ireland...
. While the tribes fought a defensive battle, Slaine was sent to the Otherworld to secure the blessings of Danu for the Tribes of the Earth Goddess to settle there; this done, he returned with her power behind him and led a charge that decimated Odacon's forces. The Tribe was cast to the Otherworld in the aftermath, and Slaine assisted Gael in finally destroying Odacon and the parasitic spawn with which he had infested the outer-lying villages.
With Gael as High King of Ireland and founder of the eventual Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
race, Slaine left to track down his son. He found Kai at a traveling carnival, and later embarked on a quest to track down Crom Dubh
Crom Dubh
Crom Dubh or Crum Dubh , meaning "black crooked [one]", alt. "Dark Crom", was a Celtic god, for which see The Voyage of Bran, Book II, p49. He may have been represented by megaliths....
.
Sources and influences
Sláine's most obvious source is Robert E. HowardRobert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
's Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
and Cúchulainn
Cúchulainn
Cú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
the hero of the Ulster Cycle
Ulster Cycle
The Ulster Cycle , formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, one of the four great cycles of Irish mythology, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the traditional heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties Armagh, Down and...
of Irish mythology
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
. Mills derived much of the background to the series from Celtic mythology and European prehistory (as in part did Howard: the name Conan is Irish and is borne by a number of mythological figures). Sláine himself is named after Sláine mac Dela
Sláine mac Dela
Sláine , son of Dela, of the Fir Bolg was the legendary first High King of Ireland. He reportedly came ashore at Wexford Harbour at the mouth of the River Slaney....
, the legendary first High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland
The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
, and his "warp-spasm" or body-distorting battle frenzy is derived from the ríastrad of Cúchulainn. "Warp-spasm" is the term Thomas Kinsella
Thomas Kinsella
Thomas Kinsella is an Irish poet, translator, editor, and publisher.-Early life and work:Kinsella was born in Lucan, County Dublin. He spent much of his childhood with relatives in rural Ireland. He was educated in the Irish language at the Model School, Inchicore and the O'Connell Christian...
used for ríastrad in his translation of The Táin
Táin Bó Cúailnge
is a legendary tale from early Irish literature, often considered an epic, although it is written primarily in prose rather than verse. It tells of a war against Ulster by the Connacht queen Medb and her husband Ailill, who intend to steal the stud bull Donn Cuailnge, opposed only by the teenage...
. His barbed spear, the gae bolga
Gáe Bulg
The Gáe Bulg , meaning "spear of mortal pain/death spear", "gapped/notched spear", or "belly spear", was the name of the spear of Cúchulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
, is also borrowed from Cúchulainn, although his favourite weapon, the axe, is more usually associated with the Vikings or Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
than the Celts.
His patronymic
Patronymic
A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the name of one's father, grandfather or an even earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of conveying lineage.In many areas patronyms...
, Mac Roth, is the name of the steward of Ailill
Ailill mac Máta
Ailill mac Máta is the king of the Connachta and the husband of queen Medb in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Cruachan .-Family background, marriage and offspring:...
and Medb
Medb
Medb – Middle Irish: Meḋḃ, Meaḋḃ; early modern Irish: Meadhbh ; reformed modern Irish Méabh, Medbh; sometimes Anglicised Maeve, Maev or Maive – is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
, king and queen of Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
, in the same cycle. The death of Sláine's mother, Macha, while forced to run on foot in a chariot race because of her husband's boasting, is taken from the story of an Irish goddess called Macha
Macha
Macha is the name of a goddess and several other characters in Irish mythology.Macha can also mean:*The LÉ Macha , a ship in the Irish Naval Service, named for the goddess*The Macha crater in Russia, less than 7000 years old...
, who was forced to run against the king's chariot while heavily pregnant for the same reason.
Sláine's seduction of Niamh, the king's chosen bride who was brought up in seclusion until she was of age, is reminiscent of the Irish story of Deirdre
Deirdre
Deirdre or Derdriu is the foremost tragic heroine in Irish mythology and probably its best-known figure in modern times. She is often called "Deirdre of the Sorrows." Her story is part of the Ulster Cycle, the best-known stories of pre-Christian Ireland.-Legendary Biography:Deirdre was the...
. Cathbad
Cathbad
Cathbad or Cathbhadh is the chief druid in the court of Conchobar mac Nessa in the Ulster Cycle of Irish Mythology.In his younger days he was a warrior, leading a landless band of twenty-seven men. Once he led a raid on the house where the Ulster princess Ness was brought up, killing all twelve...
, the druid who foretells the evil consequences of Deirdre's birth and appears in several other tales of the Ulster Cycle, gives his name to Sláine's chief druid. Sláine's feat of crossing a raging river to visit her, weighed down by a heavy stone to prevent him from being swept away, is taken from an episode of the Táin. Niamh
Niamh
In Irish mythology, Niamh is the daughter of Manannán mac Lir. She is one of the Queens of Tir na nÓg, and might also be the daughter of Fand....
is a popular Irish girl's name, and is also the name of a fairy queen from the Fenian Cycle
Fenian Cycle
The Fenian Cycle , also referred to as the Ossianic Cycle after its narrator Oisín, is a body of prose and verse centering on the exploits of the mythical hero Fionn mac Cumhaill and his warriors the Fianna. It is one of the four major cycles of Irish mythology along with the Mythological Cycle,...
. Her otherworld homeland, Tír na nÓg
Tír na nÓg
Tír na nÓg is the most popular of the Otherworlds in Irish mythology. It is perhaps best known from the story of Oisín, one of the few mortals who lived there, who was said to have been brought there by Niamh of the Golden Hair. It was where the Tuatha Dé Danann settled when they left Ireland's...
(the Land of the Young), provides the name of the series' setting.
Sláine's goddess, Danu
Danu (Irish goddess)
In Irish mythology, Danu is the mother goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann . Though primarily seen as an ancestral figure, some Victorian sources also associate her with the land.-Name:...
, and her tribes, the Tuatha Dé Danann
Tuatha Dé Danann
The Tuatha Dé Danann are a race of people in Irish mythology. In the invasions tradition which begins with the Lebor Gabála Érenn, they are the fifth group to settle Ireland, conquering the island from the Fir Bolg....
, come from the Irish Mythological Cycle
Mythological Cycle
The Mythological Cycle is one of the four major cycles of Irish mythology, and is so called because it represents the remains of the pagan mythology of pre-Christian Ireland, although the gods and supernatural beings have been euhemerised into historical kings and heroes.The cycle consists of...
, although the worship of a universal mother goddess of the earth is not Celtic and comes from speculations about prehistoric European culture and religion by the likes of Marija Gimbutas
Marija Gimbutas
Marija Gimbutas , was a Lithuanian-American archeologist known for her research into the Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures of "Old Europe", a term she introduced. Her works published between 1946 and 1971 introduced new views by combining traditional spadework with linguistics and mythological...
and Robert Graves
Robert Graves
Robert von Ranke Graves 24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985 was an English poet, translator and novelist. During his long life he produced more than 140 works...
. The Horned God
Horned God
The Horned God is one of the two primary deities found in some European pagan religions. He is often given various names and epithets, and represents the male part of the religion's duotheistic theological system, the other part being the female Triple Goddess. In common Wiccan belief, he is...
, Carnun, is adapted from the Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
ish antlered deity Cernunnos
Cernunnos
Cernunnos is the conventional name given in Celtic studies to depictions of the horned god of Celtic polytheism. The name itself is only attested once, on the 1st-century Pillar of the Boatmen, but depictions of a horned or antlered figure, often seated in a "lotus position" and often associated...
. Some of the religious ideas in the series are taken from Barddas, a possibly fraudulent compilation of "bardo-druidic" beliefs by the 18th century Welsh antiquarian Iolo Morganwg
Iolo Morganwg
Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg , was an influential Welsh antiquarian, poet, collector, and literary forger. He was widely considered a leading collector and expert on medieval Welsh literature in his day, but after his death it was revealed that he had forged a...
. Mills divides the priests of Tir na nÓg into two factions: the good Druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
s, the well known priestly class of Celtic Europe, and the evil Drunes, which name derives from the Galatia
Galatia
Ancient Galatia was an area in the highlands of central Anatolia in modern Turkey. Galatia was named for the immigrant Gauls from Thrace , who settled here and became its ruling caste in the 3rd century BC, following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC. It has been called the "Gallia" of...
n place-name Drunemeton ("oak-sanctuary"), used in the story "The Bride of Crom" as the name of the Drunes' capital. Their leader, Slough Feg, is partly based on Cernunnos and partly on the paleolithic
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
cave painting
Cave painting
Cave paintings are paintings on cave walls and ceilings, and the term is used especially for those dating to prehistoric times. The earliest European cave paintings date to the Aurignacian, some 32,000 years ago. The purpose of the paleolithic cave paintings is not known...
known as the Sorcerer
The Sorcerer (cave art)
The Sorcerer is one name for an enigmatic cave painting found in the cavern known as 'The Sanctuary' at Trois-Frères, Ariège, France, made around 13,000 BC. The figure's significance is unknown, but it is usually interpreted as some kind of great spirit or master of the animals...
in the Trois-Frères
Trois-Frères
The Cave of the Trois-Frères is a cave in southwestern France famous for its cave paintings. It is located in Montesquieu-Avantès, in the Ariège département....
cave in Ariège
Ariège
Ariège is a department in southwestern France named after the Ariège River.- History :Ariège is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from the counties of Foix and Couserans....
, southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. His acolyte, Medb, is named after the legendary queen of Connacht from the Ulster Cycle. The Drunes' god, Crom Cruach
Crom Cruach
Crom Cruach or Cromm Crúaich , also known as Cenn Cruach /ˈkʲɛnˠ: ˈkɾˠuəxˠ/ or Cenncroithi /ˈkʲɛnˠ: ˈkɾˠoθʲɨ/, was a deity in pre-Christian Ireland, reputedly propitiated with human sacrifice, whose worship is said to have been ended by St...
, is an Irish deity who was reputedly propitiated with human sacrifice
Human sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history...
s. The practice of mass human sacrifice by burning in a Wicker Man
Wicker Man
A wicker man was a large wicker statue of a human used by the ancient Druids for human sacrifice by burning it in effigy, according to Julius Caesar in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico...
is mentioned as a practice of the Celts of Gaul by Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
and Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
.
The enemies of the Tribes of the Earth Goddess, the Fomorians
Fomorians
In Irish mythology, the Fomoire are a semi-divine race said to have inhabited Ireland in ancient times. They may have once been believed to be the beings who preceded the gods, similar to the Greek Titans. It has been suggested that they represent the gods of chaos and wild nature, as opposed to...
, and their leader Balor
Balor
In Irish mythology, Balor of the Evil Eye was a king of the Fomorians, a race of giants. His father was Buarainech and his wife was Cethlenn...
, are from the Irish mythological cycle.
Other elements of the series are derived from non-Celtic mythological sources. Sláine's dwarf companion is named Ukko
Ukko
In Finnish mythology, Ukko, in Estonian mythology Uku, is a god of sky, weather, crops and other natural things. He is the most significant god in Finnish and Estonian mythologies, and created the goddess Ilmatar, creator of the world. The Finnish word ukkonen, thunderstorm, is derived from his...
, after the Finnish
Finnish mythology
Finnish mythology is the mythology that went with Finnish paganism which was practised by the Finnish people prior to Christianisation. It has many features shared with fellow Finnic Estonian mythology and its non-Finnic neighbours, the Balts and the Scandinavians...
storm god. Odacon is identified in Theosophist circles with a Babylonian deity named Oannes and is considered closely related to Dagon
Dagon
Dagon was originally an Assyro-Babylonian fertility god who evolved into a major northwest Semitic god, reportedly of grain and fish and/or fishing...
. Musarus, one of same species of Odacon, shares this origin. Grimnismal
Grímnismál
Grímnismál is one of the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda. It is preserved in the Codex Regius manuscript and the AM 748 I 4to fragment. It is spoken through the voice of Grímnir, one of the many guises of the god Odin, who is tortured by King Geirröth...
, the name of the dark god Sláine and his companions defeat in "Tomb of Terror", is the title of a poem about Odin
Odin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
from the Norse
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
Elder Edda. The term Ragnarok
Ragnarök
In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water...
, for the end of the world, is also borrowed from Norse mythology.
Publication
They have been collected in a number of volumes but recently RebellionRebellion Developments
Rebellion is a British computer games company, based in Oxford, who are most famous for the first Aliens vs. Predator computer game. It has published comic books since 2000 and launched its own book imprint, Abaddon Books, in 2006.-History:...
has started a new series of trade paperbacks
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Sláine (written by Pat MillsPat MillsPat Mills, nicknamed 'the godfather of British comics', is a comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since....
unless stated):- Warrior's Dawn (2005, ISBN 1-904265-33-2):
- "The Time Monster" (with Angela KincaidAngela KincaidAngela Kincaid, formerly known by her married name of Angela Mills, is a children's book illustrator best known for The Butterfly Children series of picture books. With her then husband, Pat Mills, she created the Celtic comics character Sláine for 2000 AD.-External links:*...
, in 2000 AD #330, 1983) - "The Beast in the Broch" (with Massimo BelardinelliMassimo BelardinelliMassimo Belardinelli was an Italian comics artist best known for his work in the British science fiction comic 2000 AD.-Biography:...
, in 2000 AD #331-334, 1983) - "Warrior's Dawn" (with Mike McMahonMike McMahon (comics)Michael McMahon is a British comics artist best known for his work on 2000 AD characters such as Judge Dredd, Sláine and ABC Warriors, and the mini-series The Last American....
, in 2000 AD #335, 1983) - "The Beltain Giant" (with Mike McMahon, in 2000 AD #336, 1983)
- "The Bride of Crom" (with Massimo Belardinelli, in 2000 AD #337-342, 1983)
- "The Creeping Death" (with Massimo Belardinelli, in 2000 AD #343, 1983)
- "The Bull Dance" (with Massimo Belardinelli, in 2000 AD #344, 1983)
- "Heroes' Blood" (with Mike McMahon, in 2000 AD #345-347, 1983)
- "The Shoggey Beast" (with Mike McMahon, in 2000 AD #348-351, 1983–1984)
- "Sky Chariots" (with Mike McMahon, in 2000 AD #352-360, 1984)
- "The Origins" (two page text article, 2000 AD #352, 1984)
- "The Time Monster" (with Angela Kincaid
- Time Killer (2007, ISBN 1-905437-21-8):
- "Dragonheist" (with Massimo Belardinelli, in 2000 AD #361-367, 1984)
- "The Time Killer" (with Glenn FabryGlenn FabryGlenn Fabry is an Eisner Award-winning British comics artist known for his detailed, realistic work in both ink and painted colour.-Biography:...
, David PughDavid Pugh (comics)David Pugh began drawing Sláine for 2000 AD in 1984, helping to remould the character into his current incarnation and create the look of long time villain, Elfric. His work on "Time Killer" and "Tomb of Terror" has been reprinted several times and is still available in various collected editions...
and Bryan TalbotBryan TalbotBryan Talbot is a British comic book artist and writer, born in Wigan, Lancashire, in 1952. He is best known as the creator of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and its sequel Heart of Empire.-Career:...
, in 2000 AD #411-428 and 431-434, 1985)
- Slaine the King (2008, ISBN 1905437665):
- "The Tomb of Terror" (with Glenn Fabry and David Pugh, in 2000 AD #447-461, December 1985 - March 1986)
- "Spoils of Annwn" (with Mike Collins and Mark FarmerMark FarmerMark Farmer is a British comic book artist. He is best known as an inker, often working with Alan Davis.-Biography:Farmer got his start in the UK comics industry before becoming part of the British Invasion, the wave of UK creators that were an integral part of the DC Comics "new look" of the...
, in 2000 AD #493-499, October–December 1986) - "Sláine the King" (with Glenn Fabry, in 2000 AD #500-508 and 517-519, December 1986 - April 1987)
- "The Killing Field" (written by Angela Kincaid, with Glenn Fabry, in 2000 AD #582, July 1988)
- "Slaine the Mini-Series" (with Glenn Fabry, in 2000 AD #589-591, August–September 1988)
- The Horned God (2008, ISBN 1905437733):
- "The Horned God, Book I" (with Simon BisleySimon BisleySimon Bisley is a British comics artist best known for his 1990s work on ABC Warriors, Lobo and Sláine. His style, reliant on paints, acrylics, inks and multiple-mediums, is strongly influenced by Frank Frazetta, Bill Sienkiewicz, Gustav Klimt, Salvador Dalí, Egon Schiele, and Richard Corben...
, in 2000 AD #626-635, May–July 1989) - "The Horned God, Book II" (with Simon Bisley, in 2000 AD #650-656 and 662-664, October 1989 - February 1990)
- "The Horned God, Book III" (with Simon Bisley, in 2000 AD #688-698, July–September 1990)
- "The Horned God, Book I" (with Simon Bisley
- Demon Killer (2010, ISBN 1906735417):
- "The High King" (with Glenn Fabry, in 2000 AD Yearbook, September 1991)
- "The Return of the High King" (by Dermot Power, Poster Prog Slaine 1, January 1993)
- "Jealousy of Niamh" (with Greg StaplesGreg Staples-Biography:Greg Staples' first job on leaving school was as a trainee draftsman in an architects office in Sheffield.He also spent time working in a comic and film memorabilia shop and also a computer game store, both also in Sheffield, South Yorkshire....
, in 2000 AD #850-851, August–September 1993) - "Demon Killer" (with Glenn Fabry and Dermot PowerDermot PowerDermot Power, originally from County Waterford, Ireland, is a movie concept artist who started his career as a comic book artist working for British anthology comic 2000 AD.-Biography:...
, in 2000 AD #852-859, September–October 1993) - "Queen of Witches" (with Dermot Power, in 2000 AD #889-896, May–July 1994)
- Lord of Misrule (2011, ISBN 1907519858):
- "Name of the Sword" (with Greg Staples, in 2000 AD #950-956, July–September 1995)
- "Lord of Misrule" (with Clint LangleyClint LangleyClint Langley is a British comic book artist best known for his work on series with Pat Mills at 2000 AD and as the cover artist for Marvel Comics' Guardians of the Galaxy....
, in 2000 AD #958-963, September–October 1995, #995-998,June 1996) - "Bowels of Hell" (with Jim Murray, in 2000 AD #1000, July 1996)
- Uncollected:
- "Treasures of Britain" (with Dermot Power, in 2000 AD #1001-1010, July–September 1996, #1024–1031, January–February 1997)
- "Ukko's Tale" (with Steve Tappin, in 2000 AD #1011-1012, October 1996)
- "The Demon Hitchhiker" (with Steve Tappin, in 2000 AD #1032, March 1997)
- "King of Hearts" (with Nick PercivalNick PercivalNick Percival is a British graphic artist primarily known for his published comic book, concept artwork and career in computer animation.-Biography:...
, in 2000 AD #1033-1039, March–April 1997) - "The Grail War" (with Steve Tappin, in 2000 AD #1040-1049, April–July 1997)
- "Secret of the Grail" (with Steve Tappin, in 2000 AD #1090-1099, April–June 1998)
- "Lord of the Beasts" (with Rafael GarresRafael GarresRafael Garrés Cervantes is a Spanish artist who worked in comic-books and role-playing games. He commonly signs as Rafael Garrés or Rafa Garrés.He was born in Barcelona, Spain. His hometown is Caanovelles...
, in 2000 AD #1100, June 1998) - "Kai" (with Paul Staples, in 2000 AD #1104-1107, July–August 1998)
- "The Banishing" (with Wayne ReynoldsWayne ReynoldsWayne Reynolds is a British artist whose work has appeared in comics and role-playing games.-Early life and education:Wayne Reynolds was born in Leeds, UK...
, in 2000 AD #1108-1109, August 1998) - "The Triple Death" (with Wayne Reynolds, in 2000 AD #1111, September 1998)
- "The Swan Children" (with SikuSiku (comics)Siku is the pseudonym of British/Nigerian artist and writer Ajibayo Akinsiku, best known for his work in 2000 AD.-Biography:Siku studied design and printing at the Yaba’s School of Art, and theology at the London School of Theology....
, in 2000 AD #1112-1114, September–October 1998) - "Macha" (with Paul Staples, in 2000 AD #1115-1118, October–November 1998)
- "Beyond" (with Greg Staples, in 2000 AD Prog 2000, December 1999)
- "The Secret Commonwealth" (with David Bircham, in 2000 AD #1183-1199, March–June 2000)
- The Books of Invasions: Moloch and Golamh (2006, ISBN 1-904265-82-0):
- "The Books of Invasions I: Moloch" (in 2000 AD Prog 2003 and #1322-1326, December 2002 - February 2003)
- "The Books of Invasions II: Golamh" (in 2000 AD #1350-1355, July–August 2003)
- The Books of Invasions: Scota and Tara (2006, ISBN 1-904265-92-8):
- "The Books of Invasions III: Scota" (in 2000 AD Prog 2004 and #1371-1376, December 2003 - February 2004)
- "The Books of Invasions IV: Tara" (in 2000 AD Prog 2005 and #1420-1425, December 2004 - February 2005)
- The Books of Invasions: Odacon (July 2007, ISBN 1-904265-92-8):
- "The Books of Invasions V: Odacon" (in 2000 AD #1436-1442, April–June 2005)
- "Carnival" (in 2000 AD Prog 2006 and #1469-1475, December 2005 - February 2006)
- Slaine the Wanderer (2011, ISBN 978-1907992247):
- "The Gong Beater" (with Clint Langley, in 2000 AD #1635-1638, May–June 2009)
- "The Amber Smuggler" (with Clint Langley, in 2000 AD #1662-1665, November–December 2009)
- "The Exorcist" (with Clint Langley, in 2000 AD, #1709-1712, November 2010)
- "The Mercenary" (with Clint Langley, in 2000 AD, #1713-1714 and Prog 2011, November–December 2010)
- Warrior's Dawn (2005, ISBN 1-904265-33-2):
Appearances in special issues:
- "The Battle of Clontarf" (with Massimo BelardinelliMassimo BelardinelliMassimo Belardinelli was an Italian comics artist best known for his work in the British science fiction comic 2000 AD.-Biography:...
, in 2000 AD Annual, 1985) - "The Arrow of God" (with Steve ParkhouseSteve ParkhouseSteve Parkhouse is a writer, artist and letterer who has worked for many British comics, especially 2000 AD and Doctor Who Magazine.-Biography:...
, in 2000 AD Annual, 1989) - "The Devil's Banquet" (with Glenn FabryGlenn FabryGlenn Fabry is an Eisner Award-winning British comics artist known for his detailed, realistic work in both ink and painted colour.-Biography:...
, in 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special, 1986)
Main characters
- Slaine MacRoth - Mighty black-haired Irish warrior exiled from the Sessair tribe for having an affair with the chief's fiance Niamh. He loves fighting and often beats up Ukko. His weapon is the stone axe Brainbiter and he first experienced the Warp Spasm as a child.
- Ukko - Slaine's dwarf sidekick and chronicler. He is lecherous and greedy; like most fantasy dwarves he loves gold and has a business mind centuries ahead of the human characters. When Slaine becomes king Ukko is appointed his jester.
- Nest - Druidess who urges Ukko to record Slaine's deeds. Ukko argues with her all the time but it is hinted there may be some mutual attraction between them
Supporting characters
- Niamh - Slaine's strong-willed wife. She is very assertive for a woman of her times and prone to anger and jealousy, often beating up Slaine's other wives and concubines
- DanuDanu (Irish goddess)In Irish mythology, Danu is the mother goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann . Though primarily seen as an ancestral figure, some Victorian sources also associate her with the land.-Name:...
- Goddess of the earth who provides Slaine with guidance. Originally earth was ruled by female goddesses but the druids suppressed them and replaced them with male counterparts - Cathbad - Chief druidDruidA druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
who wears a horse skull and has a strong dislike of Ukko. He is a short old man with a moustacheMoustacheA moustache is facial hair grown on the outer surface of the upper lip. It may or may not be accompanied by a type of beard, a facial hair style grown and cropped to cover most of the lower half of the face.-Etymology:...
and bald head, save for a single tuft of hair - Kai - Slaine's son. Slaine wanted him to be a warrior but Niamh had him train as a druid. Later Kai became a travelling acrobat.
- King Rudraige mac DelaRudraige mac DelaRudraige , son of Dela, of the Fir Bolg was the legendary second High King of Ireland, succeeding his brother Sláine....
- Ruler of the city of Gorlias and guardian of the Silver Sword of the Moon. His hand was bitten off by Avagddu and replaced with a metal prosthesis, preventing him from becoming High King. He was married to Niamh for a year but left her for a warrior resembling Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
's Conan. - King Gann mac DelaGann mac DelaGann, son of Dela, of the Fir Bolg was a legendary joint High King of Ireland with his brother Genann, succeeding their brother Rudraige. His wife was Etar.When the Fir Bolg invaded Ireland the five sons of Dela divided the island amongst themselves...
- Ruler of Finias and wielder of the Spear of the Flaming Sun. To celebrate the defeat of the Fomorians Gann was sacrificed and eaten by the tribe - King Sengann mac DelaSengann mac DelaSengann , son of Dela, of the Fir Bolg, was a legendary High King of Ireland, succeeding his brothers Gann and Genann. His wife was Anust....
- Mad ruler of Falias, a moon-worshipping society. His people, the black-skinned Tribe of the Shadows, were responsible for exterminating the NeanderthalNeanderthalThe Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
-like Beaver folk and stealing the Stone of DestinyStone of DestinyStone of Destiny may refer to:*Stone of Scone, the coronation stone of Scottish monarchs**Stone of Destiny , a 2008 film directed by Charles Martin Smith...
.
Villains
- The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Ancient, rotting leader of the Drunes and the original Horned God who refused to die when his seven year reign was over. He ate the Time Worm's eggs to prolong his life and resides at the drune capital CarnacCarnacCarnac is a commune beside the Gulf of Morbihan on the south coast of Brittany in the Morbihan department in north-western France.Its inhabitants are called Carnacois...
where he spends his time making cave paintings - MedbMedbMedb – Middle Irish: Meḋḃ, Meaḋḃ; early modern Irish: Meadhbh ; reformed modern Irish Méabh, Medbh; sometimes Anglicised Maeve, Maev or Maive – is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
- Drune priestess saved by Slaine from human sacrificeHuman sacrificeHuman sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history...
. It is revealed she wanted to be sacrificed to the worm-god CromCromCrom is a deity created by American author Robert E. Howard. He is mainly mentioned in swearing by his character Conan the Cimmerian, and "worshipped," it is presumed, by the bulk of the Cimmerian people...
in order to become a goddess. Her revealing dress is based on the skirtSkirtA skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In the western world, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
worn by the Egtved GirlEgtved GirlThe Egtved Girl was a Nordic Bronze Age girl whose well-preserved remains were found at Egtved , Denmark in 1921. Aged 16–18 at death, she was slim, 160 cm tall , had short, blonde hair and well-trimmed nails. Her burial has been dated by dendrochronology to 1370 BCE... - BalorBalorIn Irish mythology, Balor of the Evil Eye was a king of the Fomorians, a race of giants. His father was Buarainech and his wife was Cethlenn...
- Leader of the FomoriansFomoriansIn Irish mythology, the Fomoire are a semi-divine race said to have inhabited Ireland in ancient times. They may have once been believed to be the beings who preceded the gods, similar to the Greek Titans. It has been suggested that they represent the gods of chaos and wild nature, as opposed to...
. He only has one eye which is capable of destroying anything he stares at - Moloch - Balor's cruel lieutenant. Based on the pagan god Molech
- Avagddu - The demon son of the earth goddess, and the foulest, most stupid demon ever to have lived. Medb summoned him to kill Niamh but he ended up eating himself
- ElfricElfric (comics)Elfric is an antagonist of the fantasy comic series Sláine by Pat Mills. He first appeared in the story Time Killer as "Elfric Serpent-Eye", the changeling leader of a force of Norsemen in the Battle of Clontarf...
- Three-eyed blue skinned demon capable of time travelTime travelTime travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
. He led both the Roman invasion of Britain and the Viking invasion of Ireland. He appears to be homosexual or bisexual as he refers to his relationship with NeroNeroNero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
and was reluctant to rape Boudicca's daughters, only doing so out of spite. - Scenb - A jailer who ran a prison where criminals were incarcerated until they could pay for their freedom. He sold the jail to Ukko to escape its resident shape-shfiting demon feeding on the prisoners
- Nudd - OgreOgreAn ogre is a large, cruel, monstrous, and hideous humanoid monster, featured in mythology, folklore, and fiction. Ogres are often depicted in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings, and have appeared in many classic works of literature...
serving as assistant jailer. Slaine bashed out his brains when Nudd tried to kill him - Domnall - A dwarf blacksmithBlacksmithA blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
who murdered warriors and tempered his weapons in their blood. He is killed with his own sword by Slaine - Slough Grunsgul - An evil drune lord guarding the mythical Cauldron of Blood
- Megrim - An evil dwarf who acts as a servant to Medb
- Broog - Torturer employed by the InquisitionInquisitionThe Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
, actually a a cult worshipping the Blood god Iahu
Historical characters
- Boudicca - Queen of the IceniIceniThe Iceni or Eceni were a British tribe who inhabited an area of East Anglia corresponding roughly to the modern-day county of Norfolk between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD...
, based on the historical hero of the same name - William WallaceWilliam WallaceSir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
- Scottish rebel fighting against the English invaders - St Patrick - A priest Slaine encounters in Demon Killer. He tries to convert Slaine to Christianity then threatens him with damnation when Slaine refuses. Ukko is interested in his valuable gold cross.
- Robin HoodRobin HoodRobin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
- Saxon outlaw and leader of the last pagan coven, tortured to death by the fanatical Sheriff of NottinghamSheriff of NottinghamThe Sheriff of Nottingham was historically the office responsible for enforcing law and order in Nottingham and bringing criminals to justice. For years the post has been directly appointed by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham and in modern times, with the existence of the police force, the position is...
. Slaine must replace Robin as the Lord of MisruleLord of MisruleIn England, the Lord of Misrule — known in Scotland as the Abbot of Unreason and in France as the Prince des Sots — was an officer appointed by lot at Christmas to preside over the Feast of Fools...
Minor characters
- Lord Weird Slough Throt - Another drune who successfully shed his rotting skin to earn the rank of Slough. He hired Slaine as a bodyguard to escape Slough Feg and deliver the plans for RagnarokRagnarökIn Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water...
to the Druids of GlastonburyGlastonburyGlastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census... - Roth Bellyshaker - Slaine's father. Once a proud warrior, he became an obese braggart. He was killed by Slough Feg when attempting to avenge Slaine's apparent death
- Macha - Slaine's mother. Roth was responsible for her death as he bragged she could outrun the king's chariot and made her enter the race
- Mongan Axe-head - Slaine's stepfather who headbutts enemies with his spiked helmet
- Blind Bran - An old beggar and ally of Slaine who fought alongside him during his time as a mercenary
- Cuan - A warrior sacrificed by the druid priestesses to enable them to foretell the future. His torture and disembowelment is similar to the injuries influcted on Lindow ManLindow manLindow Man, also known as Lindow II and as Pete Marsh, is the preserved bog body of a man discovered in a peat bog at Lindow Moss near Wilmslow in Cheshire, North West England. The body was found on 1 August 1984 by commercial peat-cutters...
- Fergus the Brave - A warrior a bored Slaine accuses of cowardice
- Diarmid the Foul-Tempered - Slaine claims to have slept with his wife and daughter, only for Diarmid to offer his attractive sister
- Conal the Handsome - A warrior Slaine punches in the face in an attempt to start a fight. Despite knocking out all his teeth, Conal is more concerned about the damage to Slaine's hand
- Madad the Quarrelsome - A warrior who insults Slaine and questions his right to be king
- Mor Ronne the Dung Collector - One of the few dwarves more repulsive than Ukko. Nest has to sleep with him as part of her initiation ceremony
- The Knucker - An ageing dragon used as aerial transport by Slaine
Video games
- Sláine, the Celtic Barbarian (by Creative Reality, Amstrad CPCAmstrad CPCThe Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, C64Commodore 64The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and ZX SpectrumZX SpectrumThe ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
graphic adventureAdventure (genre)The adventure genre, in the context of a narrative, is typically applied to works in which the protagonist or other major characters are consistently placed in dangerous situations...
) http://www.mobygames.com/game/zx-spectrum/sline-the-celtic-barbarian/
RPGs
Solo RPG appearances:- Cauldron of Blood (Dice ManDice Man (comic)Dice Man was a short-lived British comic which ran for five issues in 1986. It was a spin-off from 2000 AD and was edited by Pat Mills, who also wrote almost all of the stories. The stories were designed to be played like gamebooks...
#1, illustrated by David LloydDavid Lloyd (comic artist)David Lloyd is a British comics artist best known as the illustrator of the story V for Vendetta, written by Alan Moore.-Career:...
). - Dragoncorpse (Dice Man #2, illustrated by Nik Williams).
- The Ring of Danu (Dice Man #4, illustrated by Mike Collins & Mark FarmerMark FarmerMark Farmer is a British comic book artist. He is best known as an inker, often working with Alan Davis.-Biography:Farmer got his start in the UK comics industry before becoming part of the British Invasion, the wave of UK creators that were an integral part of the DC Comics "new look" of the...
). - The Invulnerable King (by Ian Sturrock, Mongoose PublishingMongoose PublishingMongoose Publishing is a prolific British manufacturer of role-playing games, miniatures, and card games, actively publishing material since 2001...
) http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=prog&page=specials&choice=d20slaine3 - Slaine - The Roleplaying Game of Celtic HeroesSlaine - The Roleplaying Game of Celtic HeroesSláine: The Roleplaying Game of Celtic Heroes is a fantasy role-playing game designed by Ian Sturrock, and first published in 2002 by Mongoose Publishing. The game is currently out of print...
(by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Mongoose PublishingMongoose PublishingMongoose Publishing is a prolific British manufacturer of role-playing games, miniatures, and card games, actively publishing material since 2001...
) http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/detail.php?qsID=1426&qsSeries=%2039
Novels
The first Sláine novel was released at the end of 2006:- Sláine: Sláine the Exile (Steven SavileSteven SavileSteven Savile is a British fantasy, horror and thriller writer, and editor living in Stockholm, Sweden...
, Black FlameBlack FlameBlack Flame was an imprint of BL Publishing, the publishing arm of Games Workshop and a sister imprint to the Black Library and Solaris Books. Black Flame was devoted to publishing cult fiction in the fields of science fiction, fantasy and horror...
, December 2006, ISBN 1-84416-387-3) - Sláine: Slaine the Defiler (Steven SavileSteven SavileSteven Savile is a British fantasy, horror and thriller writer, and editor living in Stockholm, Sweden...
, Black FlameBlack FlameBlack Flame was an imprint of BL Publishing, the publishing arm of Games Workshop and a sister imprint to the Black Library and Solaris Books. Black Flame was devoted to publishing cult fiction in the fields of science fiction, fantasy and horror...
, September 2007, ISBN 1-84416-493-4)
Cultural influence
Sláine has influenced popular culture:- The Lord Weird Slough FegThe Lord Weird Slough FegSlough Feg is a Heavy Metal band that formed in Pennsylvania in the early 1990s and is currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Taking their name from the Celtic folklore-influenced comic Sláine, the band released their self-titled debut album in 1996...
, an American folky heavy metal band who derive their name from Sláine's foe. - Spanish fans made their own unofficial Slaine film. It is rumored that an official movie is planned.
- Irish-American rapper Slaine (rapper)Slaine (rapper)George Carroll, born 1977 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and better known as Slaine, is an Irish-American hip hop MC and actor. He is best known for his work in the groups Special Teamz and La Coka Nostra .Slaine has appeared on several solo mixtapes and...
is a fan of the comics and derived his name from the protagonist.
Additionally the comics contain frequent references to modern culture:
- Like the Vikings, the Fomorians implement a "nose tax" on the Celts; those unable to pay have their noses removed. When the victim begs for mercy, having spent his gold on firewood for his grandmother, the tax collector mockingly suggests he could have simply killed grandma. This mocks Margaret ThatcherMargaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's Poll TaxPoll taxA poll tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corvée is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax...
and the uncaring, elitist 1980s Conservative government.. - The anti-Thatcherism is more even pronounced in the Horned GodHorned GodThe Horned God is one of the two primary deities found in some European pagan religions. He is often given various names and epithets, and represents the male part of the religion's duotheistic theological system, the other part being the female Triple Goddess. In common Wiccan belief, he is...
, where it is revealed the Demons' stronghold is on Tory IslandTory IslandToraigh is an inhabited island 14.5 km off the northwest coast of County Donegal, Ireland. It is also known in Irish as Oileán Thoraigh, Oileán Thoraí or Oileán Thúr Rí.-Language:The main spoken language on the island is Irish, but English is also understood...
. However Tory Island is also associated with Fomorians in Irish Legend so the Thatcher reference is only a slight possibility. - Cathbad's description of the strict druid training curriculum parodies British private schoolPrivate schoolPrivate schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
s.
External links
- 2000 AD Profile
- Sláine - "The Time Monster" (requires registration)
- Interview Steven Savile
- Review of Slaine The Exile
- another review of the novel made by Saville
- Encyclopedia of the Celts
- Ghosts between the Pages: The Devolution of Medb from Sovereignty Goddess to Comic Book Villainess and the Potential Dangers of the Transcription of Oral Tales