Giants after Dark

It is late in the afternoon, and a Hunter is trudging back to his hut. Belly stuck to spine, an unsuccessful day. As he's approaching the hut, he sees something that terrifies him. There is a thin column of smoke coming from the chimney. Someone's in there. So he makes his way over to the hut, peers through the door. There's no one in there by now, but someone has clearly prepared a meal. The place smells better than it did before, it feels better than it did before. You know, I would suggest possibly a feminine touch. All we know is the guy has never been in a presence like that before, he feels that somehow something is tending for him in that hut. - Dr. Martin Shaw, Introduction to the Tale of the Hunter & Fox Woman Spirit

Far to the north, where the mountains rise like jagged crowns and the valleys lie deep beneath veils of mist, there once lived a giant whose cruelty was known across all the lands. This giant had no heart in his body. Because of that, he could never be wounded, never grow weary, and never die. His power struck fear into every kingdom nearby, for he turned to stone all who dared oppose him. Yet, as every tale of darkness has its light, so too did this one, for there was a brave prince who would not rest until the giant’s wickedness was ended forever.

Born with only half her body, Neem never quite fit in with her village. As a young woman, then, she sets out into the world, driven by a quiet hope to find her missing half.

The story of Oisín and Niamh is one of the most beloved tales in Irish mythology, blending romance, tragedy, and the passage of time.

It comes from the Fenian Cycle, a collection of stories about the legendary warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) and his band of warriors, the Fianna.