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Revision as of 19:33, 13 April 2009 by 204.248.24.161 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Brother Eadulf is a fictional character created by Peter Tremayne (nom de plume of the Celtic scholar and author Peter Berresford Ellis). He has appeared in all but two of the Sister Fidelma series of mystery novels, set in 7th-century Ireland.
A Saxon by birth from Seaxmund's Ham in the Kingdom of East Anglia, Eadulf was raised as a hereditary gerefa, or reeve, of his people. Eadulf was converted to Christianity by an Irish monk named Fursa sometime before the novels begin and subsequently studied first at Durrow then medicine at the great medical school of Tuaim Brecain in Ireland. He then undertook a pilgrimage to Rome to understand the differences between the ideas of the Church of Rome and those of the Church of Ireland, remaining there studying for two years and returning as a follower of Rome. In the novel Absolution by Murder, which is set during the Synod of Whitby, Brother Eadulf meets Sister Fidelma for the first time. Soon afterwards, both characters join a party to Rome. In subsequent novels, they become almost inseparable companions and collaborators. Their intellectual and personal relationship develops throughout the series. In 667, they enter into a trial marriage of a year and a day, during which their son Alchu is born. In February 668, Eadulf and Fidelma celebrate a permanent marriage (see A Prayer for the Damned). After the events of Dancing with Demons", he is made a member of the Nasc Naidh, an elite corps of bodyguards to the kings of Munster, by King Colgu and entitled to wear the golden torc (a symbol worn around the neck) of that order.
Tremayne uses Brother Eadulf's status as an outsider to the Celtic communities in which many of his and Fidelma's cases take place to provide explanations about legal and cultural matters to his readers. This allows Tremayne to include many fascinating details about the history of the Celtic church and society, without overtly appearing to educate.
Being a foreigner, Eadulf's status in Ireland is originally that of cu glas (which translates as "grey dog"), meaning a person without legal standing or honor price; however, since his marriage to Fidelma (recognized and approved by her family), he now has an honor price of half that of Fidelma's but he is not entitled to make legal contracts without her permission (she is also responsible for any debts that he might incur) or have any legal responsibility in the raising of Alchu. Despite these legalities, he is treated as an equal and a friend and accepted as a member of Fidelma's family.
Brother Eadulf is a stolid man who provides a much-needed stability to Fidelma during emotionally difficult cases, and Fidelma has often admitted that Eadulf has an uncanny ability to see the obvious that she has overlooked. His medical knowledge and assistance is often very valuable as well, and on one occasion (after a "cram course" in the Law of the Fenechus) he acted as Fidelma's advocate to successfully get her released when she was charged with murder (see Valley of the Shadow), although his use of a bluff to get a witness to admit to lying shocked her sensibilities as a dalaigh.
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