Brazen Folk Horror

Nicnevin is the absolute source of the immortal characters readers will meet reading Delevan House.

Beyond the epigraph opening the novel, chosen because it is the first documented mention of Nicnevin, a quotation from Alexander Montgomerie’s Flyting against fellow poet Patrick Hume #brazenreaders are introduced to our Nicnevin in the chapter ‘Appellation of Fae and Lady’. Here The Lady of Badb is transformed into an immortal Baobhan Sith, who ultimately becomes the creature Lady Lenore Delevan, all by the magicks of Nicnevin.

Nicnevin is known by many names in the mythologies that she appears.

In Scotland, she is a Witch or Faerie Queen, depending on the tale.

As Faerie, she is the Queen of the Unseelie Court in Elphame (the name given to the faerie realm), governing over all the Unseelie as their Dark Queen. Her army is the fearsome and vile creatures that make up The Sluagh.

Scholars are divided over the origins of Nicnevin. Some support the idea that she was a real woman condemned to death for witchcraft in Scotland, with several potential sources for this version of her name. Others propose her as an entirely mythical goddess, arguing that she is Hecate or Gyre-Carlin — embodying the three goddess forms of maiden, mother and crone.

For more on our Nicnevin and her Unseelie between now and book II, The Delevan Diaries, sign up for #BeBrazen Newsletter.