: Bram Stoker
: The Snake's Pass Historical Novel
: e-artnow
: 9788026858782
: 1
: CHF 1.70
:
: Märchen, Sagen, Legenden
: English
: 220
: Wasserzeichen
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB
The novel's main protagonist, Arthur Severn, has the desire to improve his Irish knowledge, thus he makes a detour to West Ireland and visits the local pub. The townspeople in the bar begin to tell Arthur the legendary story of Shleenanaher, how Saint Patrick defeated the King of the Snakes in Ireland. He then learns the story of the evil villain of the town, Black Murdock... However, the novel also centers on the troubled romance between the main character and a local peasant girl.

Bram Stoker (1847-1912) was an Irish author, best remembered as the author of the influential horror novel Dracula. Stoker spent several years researching European folklore and mythological stories of vampires. His Dracula became a part of popular culture and it established many conventions of subsequent vampire fantasy.

CHAPTER II.
The Lost Crown of Gold.


"Well, in the ould ancient times, before St. Patrick banished the shnakes from out iv Ireland, the hill bey ant was a mighty important place intirely. For more betoken, none other lived in it than the King iv the Shnakes himself. In thim times there was up at the top iv the hill a wee bit iv a lake wid threes and sedges and the like growin' round it; and 'twas there that the King iv the Shnakes made his nist—or whativer it is that shnakes calls their home. Glory be to God! but none us of knows any-thin' of them at all, at all, since Saint Patrick tuk them in hand."

Here an old man in the chimney corner struck in:—"Thrue for ye, Acushla; sure the bit lake is there still, though more belike its dhry now it is, and the threes is all gone."

"Well," went on Jerry, not ill-pleased with this corro--boration of his story,"the King iv the Shnakes was mighty important intirely. He was more nor tin times as big as any shnake as any man's eyes had iver saw; an' he had a goolden crown on to the top of his head, wid a big jool in it that tuk the colour iv the light, whether that same was from the sun or the moon; an' all the shnakes had to take it in turns to bring food, and lave it for him in the cool iv the evenin', whin he would come out and ate it up and go back to his own place. An' they do say that whiniver two shnakes had a quarr'll they had to come to the King, an' he decided betune them; an' he tould aich iv them where he was to live, and what he was to do. An' wanst in ivery year there had to be brought to him a live baby; and they do say that he would wait until the moon was at the full, an' thin would be heerd one wild wail that made every sowl widin miles shuddher, an' thin there would be black silence, and clouds would come over the moon, and for three days it would never be seen agin."

"Oh, Glory be to God!" murmured one of the women,"but it was a terrible thing!" and she rocked herself to and fro, moaning, all the motherhood in her awake.

"But did none of the min do nothin' r" said a powerful-looking young fellow in the orange and green jersey of the Gaelic Athletic Club, with his eyes flashing; and he clenched his teeth.

"Musha! how could they? Sure, no man ever seen the King iv the Shnakes!"

"Thin how did they know about him?" he queried doubtfully.

"Sure, wasn't one of their childher tuk away iv'ry year? But,