Feather of Hawk - Rebellion by Dave Michael

Ĝalach united the Caledonian tribes of ancient Scotland against the Roman invaders.Before the final, decisive battle between Celt and Roman Tacitus notes that there was, ‘a man of outstanding valour and nobility named Calgacus ( this was his Roman name ) who addressed the close packed multitude of men clamouring for battle.’ Calach’s achievements, using Tacitus as the source, were as follows I went into Glasgow and bought a second hand copy of Peter Salway’s book, ‘Roman Britain.’ It was from Peter’s research on Tacitus, the renowned Roman historian who describes Calach's epic struggle. I had to drive the car off and park somewhere quieter. The distinct clatter of their armour, as they paced to a steady beat, filled my ears and the whole road was vibrantly alive. Suddenly, even though I was on a dirt track in the middle of nowhere, I sensed that the road was full of ancient traffic of marching Legionaries and their neighing horses. A strange mist enveloped the site as I tried to get to sleep. What where the Romans doing here? Why would these soldiers from Italy, used to the hot climates of the Mediterranean, want to be here at all? I will remember that road trip for the rest of my days a stay over in an old fiesta car van at the old Roman fort of Vindolanda.

The winds froze my hands and limbs to the bone as I looked out to northern Scotland. I discovered an old Roman Fort in Peel Park, north of Glasgow. The idea for the historical fiction, ‘Feather of Hawk – Rebellion,’ began with a road trip through the Scottish landscape along the Antonine and Hadrian’s Wall.

It was a fascination with the Celts that drove on my desire to write a story about the lesser known Celtic prince called Calach the Swordsman. The Celtic heroes were superhuman larger than life, boastful and courageous, fearless and flawed and were doomed to a dark fate. These ancient people were an oral society societies whose bards, seers and druids passed down their unique stories that would live in the hearts and minds of their people.

We know very little about them as they did not leave written records. The Celts once inhabited much of Europe long before the Roman Empire almost wiped them off the face of the earth.

Feather of Hawk - Rebellion by Dave Michael