“Well, you see, she was a triple-goddess. Three aspects to her,” the jeweler explained. “The sisters Badbh, Macha, and Neimhann (or Anand depending on who you ask). Each one represented one of the three pillars of the ancient Irish world. Badbh represented the filí.” “The poets?” Patricia asked. “Bards.” The jeweler nodded. “Keepers of song and story in the time before the written word. Very influential. Very powerful. Even the kings feared them, for they could destroy a reputation with a satirical verse or slanderous tale. Your ancestors, you might say?”
