This story’s Celtic faeries (Sidhe) and Fomorians (merpeople) are based on old legends. The Goddess Morrígna is drawn from Irish mythology, and the trials of Aisling, one of her physical aspects, is founded on the lore of Red Mary. The angels and demons that appear originate from biblical and ancient sources.
Most of the named witches of the High Coven are based on accounts of real women tried or accused of witchcraft, some of whom were subsequently burned at the stake. Many of their spells, potions, and other exploits are taken from records of witch trials.
Each of the ancient books of magic that appear in the novel has its own history and advocates on authenticity. These include: The Sworn Book of Honorius, later used by John Dee, magician to Queen Elizabeth I; the Book of Raziel, used by the twelfth century Jewish mystics Chassidei Ashkenaz; the Testament of Solomon, the biblical King of Israel; and a body of work on magic by Moses, possibly referred to in Jude 9 (ESV).
While Geoffrey Chaucer’s activities as a diplomat in this story are based on history, his clandestine actives with the mercenary John Hawkwood are based on innuendo. It is generally agreed that Hawkwood inspired the Knight character in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. In his story, “The Squire’s Tale”, the magic ring of King Solomon appears (as it does in this novel).
The use of exorcism to control demons is a practice that originated with Solomon and his ring, circa 950 BCE. The Roman Church began ordaining exorcists of its own in 238 CE. This line of history and lore was used to create the league of exorcists in this novel.
The biblical library of the Essene at Qumran was kept in eleven man-made caves with a shelving system and hidden entrances. Its contents, popularly known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, were repressed for decades following their rediscovery, and it is possible that some finds are still kept secret.
Based on the scroll fragments that have been released, the books of Enoch and Jubilees were the third (twenty-five copies) and sixth (twenty-one copies) most common in the library. These two books provide rich accounts of angels coupling with humans and producing hybrid offspring (Nephilim), the magical bloodlines of this novel. Brief direct references to the Nephilim remain in some modern versions of the Bible, such as the English Standard Version.
Of these magical bloodlines, that of the Celtic faeries begins with Lilith, Adam’s first wife. Although she has disappeared from many modern Bibles, she can still be seen in the relief depicting the Garden of Eden on the front of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris (carved in 1225). She also appears in many ancient documents, including the Latin translation of the Christian Bible begun in 382 by St. Jerome (called the Vulgate, the version commonly used).
The account of the Celtic high king, Art MacMurrough, follows historical record, as does the military strategy relating to England’s King Richard II and his designs on Ireland. All named English and all but one French characters are historical figures, as are the Vatican’s legate and popes. Medieval architecture, clothing, weapons, and food, as well as laws and customs, are rendered as accurately as the old records allow. While historical characters appear, their words and actions are products of imagination.