Barynn Albarra
The real Barynn Albarra was a warrior and leader who lived in the Leriel area during the 1st century BT. Although the Tain dhu Barynn, as the vast body of song and legend that deals with his life is known, has its basis in fact, it is clear that the passage of time and the creative editing of Jarin imagination has added considerable gloss to history. As is the case with many other Jarin heroic legends, the tales of Barynn include the motif of a heroic man dying while battling impossible odds. The stories of Barynn are told in various forms including song, prose, and poetry. Barynn is the most important of all Jarin mythical heroes.
Barynn won his name as a child when he killed a guard dog to save himself from the beast’s attack. Enraged by the death of his pet, Barra, the dog’s owner, demanded Barynn be banished. Barynn responded by offering to train another dog to replace the slain hound and said that until the pup was old enough, he would guard Barra’s land in its stead. Mollified and impressed by the boy’s spirit, Barra relented and took Barynn to live with him. From that day forth, Barynn was called Albarra, meaning “the Hound of Barra.”
Barynn grew to be a powerful man and triumphed over several terrible enemies. It is possible that these foes were real but more likely they are the inventions of generations of bards. A typical tale tells of Barynn’s battle with “devils of heartless wings” in which he slew hundreds of dreadful monsters. Barynn is said to have died in solitary battle with “the sweepings of the mountains,” which some believe to have been gargun. According to legend, the Hound of Barra died on his feet, having lashed himself to a tree when he felt himself mortally wounded. His enemies hewed off his head and right hand after his death and bore these grisly trophies away. Barynn’s body is believed to lie in any of several barrows throughout Orbaal. Some legends suggest that Barynn’s body yearns for the recovery of its head and hand; other tales mention his unbreakable spear that never failed to find its mark. Since the Ivinian Conquest, some bards sing that Barynn will return to aid his people in their time of direst need.
