I got this from Wikipedia.
Lí Ban (from Old Irish lí, meaning "beauty", and ban, meaning "of women";[1][2] thus 'paragon of women'[3]) may refer to an otherworldly female figure in Irish mythology.
This Lí Ban claimed the beautiful Fand as sister, and was wife to Labraid Luathlám ar Claideb ("Labraid of the swift sword-hand"), the ruler of Magh Mell.[3]
She appears primarily in the Irish tale of Serglige Con Culainn (The Wasting Sickness of Cú Chulainn), where she is the daughter of Áed Abrat. She appears first in the form of a sea bird,
then as an otherworldly woman who inflicts the story's eponymous
sickness on Cú Chulainn. In the story Lí Ban acts as messenger and
mediator; she and Cú Chulainn's charioteer Láeg work together to see that Cú Chulainn is healed in exchange for his aid in Fand's battle in the Otherworld.[3]
From this Lí Ban may have derived her namesake,[3] a legendary Lí Ban of Lough Neagh.
Monday, August 27, 2018
Monday, August 20, 2018
Irish Gods: Fodla
I got this from Wikipedia.
In Irish mythology, Fódla or Fótla (modern spelling: Fódhla or Fóla), daughter of Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was one of the tutelary goddesses of Ireland. Her husband was Mac Cecht.
With her sisters, Banba and Ériu, she was part of an important triumvirate of goddesses. When the Milesians arrived from Spain, each of the three sisters asked the bard Amergin that her name be given to the country. Ériu (Éire, and in the dative 'Éirinn', giving English 'Erin') seems to have won the argument, but the poets hold that all three were granted their wish, and thus 'Fodhla' is sometimes used as a literary name for Ireland, as is 'Banba'. This is similar in some ways to the use of the poetic name 'Albion' for Great Britain.
In the Tochomlad mac Miledh a hEspain i nErind, Fótla is described as the wife of Mac Cecht, reigning as Queen of Ireland in any year in which Mac Cecht ruled as king.[1] The text goes on to relate that as the Milesians were journeying through Ireland, Fótla met them ‘with her swift fairy hosts around her’ on Naini Mountain, also called the mountain of Ebliu. A footnote identifies the Naini Mountain of Ebliu as the Slieve Felim Mountains in County Limerick. The soil of this region is peaty luvisol.[2]
According to Seathrún Céitinn she worshipped the Mórrígan, who is also sometimes named as a daughter of Ernmas.
In De Situ Albanie (a late document), the Pictish Chronicle, and the Duan Albanach, Fotla (modern Atholl, Ath-Fotla) was the name of one of the first Pictish kingdoms.[3]
The LÉ Fola (CM12), a ship in the Irish Naval Service (now decommissioned), was named after her.
In Irish mythology, Fódla or Fótla (modern spelling: Fódhla or Fóla), daughter of Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was one of the tutelary goddesses of Ireland. Her husband was Mac Cecht.
With her sisters, Banba and Ériu, she was part of an important triumvirate of goddesses. When the Milesians arrived from Spain, each of the three sisters asked the bard Amergin that her name be given to the country. Ériu (Éire, and in the dative 'Éirinn', giving English 'Erin') seems to have won the argument, but the poets hold that all three were granted their wish, and thus 'Fodhla' is sometimes used as a literary name for Ireland, as is 'Banba'. This is similar in some ways to the use of the poetic name 'Albion' for Great Britain.
In the Tochomlad mac Miledh a hEspain i nErind, Fótla is described as the wife of Mac Cecht, reigning as Queen of Ireland in any year in which Mac Cecht ruled as king.[1] The text goes on to relate that as the Milesians were journeying through Ireland, Fótla met them ‘with her swift fairy hosts around her’ on Naini Mountain, also called the mountain of Ebliu. A footnote identifies the Naini Mountain of Ebliu as the Slieve Felim Mountains in County Limerick. The soil of this region is peaty luvisol.[2]
According to Seathrún Céitinn she worshipped the Mórrígan, who is also sometimes named as a daughter of Ernmas.
In De Situ Albanie (a late document), the Pictish Chronicle, and the Duan Albanach, Fotla (modern Atholl, Ath-Fotla) was the name of one of the first Pictish kingdoms.[3]
The LÉ Fola (CM12), a ship in the Irish Naval Service (now decommissioned), was named after her.
Monday, August 13, 2018
Irish Gods: Flidais
I got this from Wikipedia.
In Irish mythology, Flidas or Flidais (modern spelling: Fliodhas, Fliodhais) is a female member of Tuatha Dé Danann, known by the epithet Foltchaín ("beautiful hair"). She is believed to have been a goddess of animals, woodlands and fertility, somewhat akin to the Greek Artemis and Roman Diana.[1] "As goddess of wild beasts [...] she rode in a chariot drawn by deer" while "as goddess of the domestic herds" she had a magical cow of plenty.[1]
She is mentioned in Lebor Gabála Érenn and is said to be the mother of Fand, Bé Chuille and Bé Téite.[1] In the Middle Irish glossary Cóir Anmann ("Fitness of Names") she is said to be the wife of the legendary High King Adamair and the mother of Nia Segamain, who by his mother's power was able to milk deer as if they were cows.[2] She is mentioned in the Metrical Dindshenchas as mother of Fand.[3]
Flidais is a central figure in Táin Bó Flidhais ("The Driving-off of Flidais's Cattle"), an Ulster Cycle work, where she is the lover of Fergus mac Róich and the owner of a magical herd of cattle. The story, set in Erris, County Mayo tells how Fergus carried her and her cattle away from her husband, Ailill Finn.[4] During the Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley) she slept in the tent of Ailill mac Máta, king of Connacht, and every seven days her herd supplied milk for the entire army.[5] In Táin Bó Flidhais she has a favoured white cow known as "The Maol" which can feed 300 men from one night's milking.[6][7] Another Ulster Cycle tale says that it took seven women to satisfy Fergus, unless he could have Flidais.[8] Her affair with Fergus is the subject of oral tradition in County Mayo.
In Irish mythology, Flidas or Flidais (modern spelling: Fliodhas, Fliodhais) is a female member of Tuatha Dé Danann, known by the epithet Foltchaín ("beautiful hair"). She is believed to have been a goddess of animals, woodlands and fertility, somewhat akin to the Greek Artemis and Roman Diana.[1] "As goddess of wild beasts [...] she rode in a chariot drawn by deer" while "as goddess of the domestic herds" she had a magical cow of plenty.[1]
She is mentioned in Lebor Gabála Érenn and is said to be the mother of Fand, Bé Chuille and Bé Téite.[1] In the Middle Irish glossary Cóir Anmann ("Fitness of Names") she is said to be the wife of the legendary High King Adamair and the mother of Nia Segamain, who by his mother's power was able to milk deer as if they were cows.[2] She is mentioned in the Metrical Dindshenchas as mother of Fand.[3]
Flidais is a central figure in Táin Bó Flidhais ("The Driving-off of Flidais's Cattle"), an Ulster Cycle work, where she is the lover of Fergus mac Róich and the owner of a magical herd of cattle. The story, set in Erris, County Mayo tells how Fergus carried her and her cattle away from her husband, Ailill Finn.[4] During the Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley) she slept in the tent of Ailill mac Máta, king of Connacht, and every seven days her herd supplied milk for the entire army.[5] In Táin Bó Flidhais she has a favoured white cow known as "The Maol" which can feed 300 men from one night's milking.[6][7] Another Ulster Cycle tale says that it took seven women to satisfy Fergus, unless he could have Flidais.[8] Her affair with Fergus is the subject of oral tradition in County Mayo.
Monday, August 6, 2018
Irish Gods: Fionnuala
Got this from Wikipedia.
In Irish mythology, Finnguala (modern spellings: Fionnghuala or Fionnuala; literally fionn-ghuala meaning "fair-shoulder") was the daughter of Lir of the Tuatha Dé Danann. In the legend of the Children of Lir, she was changed into a swan and cursed by her stepmother, Aoife, to wander the lakes and rivers of Ireland, with her brothers Fiachra, Conn and Aodh, for 900 years until saved by the marriage of Lairgren, son of Colman, son of Cobthach, and Deoch, daughter of Finghin, whose union broke the curse.[1] 'The Song of Albion', with lyrics by Thomas Moore[2] speaks of her wanderings.
The name is anglicized as Fenella. The shortened version Nuala is commonly used as a first name in contemporary Ireland.
In Irish mythology, Finnguala (modern spellings: Fionnghuala or Fionnuala; literally fionn-ghuala meaning "fair-shoulder") was the daughter of Lir of the Tuatha Dé Danann. In the legend of the Children of Lir, she was changed into a swan and cursed by her stepmother, Aoife, to wander the lakes and rivers of Ireland, with her brothers Fiachra, Conn and Aodh, for 900 years until saved by the marriage of Lairgren, son of Colman, son of Cobthach, and Deoch, daughter of Finghin, whose union broke the curse.[1] 'The Song of Albion', with lyrics by Thomas Moore[2] speaks of her wanderings.
The name is anglicized as Fenella. The shortened version Nuala is commonly used as a first name in contemporary Ireland.
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Lammas (2018)
Today is Lammas, the first harvest festival. Below is my altar for this night. I hope that you have a good one and a blessed Lammas.
Monday, July 30, 2018
Irish Gods: Ethniu
I got this from Wikipedia.
In Irish mythology, Ethniu (Old Irish pronunciation: [ˈeθʲnʲu]), or Eithne (Irish pronunciation: [ˈehnʲə]) in modern spelling, is the daughter of the Fomorian leader Balor, and the mother of Lugh. She is also referred to as Ethliu (modern Eithle), genitive Eithlionn (modern Eithleann), dative Ethlinn (modern Eithlinn).
Her union with Lugh's father, Cian of the Tuatha Dé Danann, is presented in early texts as a simple dynastic marriage,[1] but later folklore preserves a more involved tale, similar to the birth of Perseus in Greek mythology. A folktale recorded John O'Donovan in 1835 tells how Balor, in an attempt to avoid a druid's prophecy that he will be killed by his own grandson, imprisons Ethniu in a tower on Tory Island away from all contact with men. But a man called Mac Cinnfhaelaidh, whose magical cow Balor stole, gains access to Ethniu's tower, with the magical help of the leanan sídhe Biróg and seduces her. Ethniu gives birth to triplets, but Balor gathers them up in a sheet and sends a messenger to drown them in a whirlpool. The messenger drowns two of the babies, but unwittingly drops one in the harbour, where he is rescued by Biróg. She takes the child back to his father, who gives him to his brother, Gavida the smith, in fosterage. The boy grows up to kill Balor.[2] By comparison with texts like Cath Maige Tuired and the Lebor Gabála Érenn, the unnamed boy is evidently Lugh, and his father, Mac Cinnfhaelaidh, is a stand-in for Cian.[3]The Banshenchus states that her real name was Feada- "Feada was the real name of noble Ethne who was wife of strong stout Cain, and mother of Lug the impetuous superman, and daughter of swift smiting Balor son of Dod son of mighty Net a greater man than pleasant Hector. From him is famed the cairn at Ath Feindead because he fought a duel."[4]
In some traditions she is the daughter of Delbáeth, the mother of the Dagda and Ogma, and the wife of Nuada Airgetlám. In a variant version of the birth of Aengus, she is the wife of Elcmar who is seduced by the Dagda: as such she may be a double of Boann, who plays that role in the best-known version of the tale.[5] Although in most texts she is a female figure, there are some in which Ethniu is a male name. In the ancient text Baile in Scáil ("The Phantom's Ecstatic Vision"), Lugh is said to the son of "Ethliu son of Tigernmas", or the son of "Ethniu son of Smretha son of Tigernmas". James Bonwick[6] identifies Tigernmas, the king who introduced the worship of Crom Cruach, with Balor. R. A. Stewart Macalister also suggests that Cethlenn is originally a variant of Ethlenn arising from the frequent identification of Lugh as Lugh Mac Ethlenn (thus Mac Ethlenn → Mac Cethlenn).[7]
Ethniu is a fine example of the difficulty of conducting research into Irish mythology. Her oldest version of her name is probably Ethliu or Ethniu, giving rise to the modern Irish name Eithne. However thanks to changes in the Irish language, the lack of standardised spelling for many centuries, and attempts to anglicise the name, variations have arisen. Linguistic ignorance has further confused the issue: the genitive form of Ethniu is Ethnenn (modern Eithneann) and the genitive of Ethliu is Ethlenn/Ethlinn (modern Eithleann/Eithlinn), as in mac Ethlenn ("Ethliu's son"). This genitive has often been taken for a nominative, or a mistaken nominative has been inferred.
Variations and anglicizations include: Ethnea, Eithliu, Ethlend, Ethnen, Ethlenn, Ethnenn, Ethne, Aithne, Enya, Lily, Aine, Ena, Etney, Eithnenn, Eithlenn, Eithna, Ethni, Edlend, Edlenn.
In Irish mythology, Ethniu (Old Irish pronunciation: [ˈeθʲnʲu]), or Eithne (Irish pronunciation: [ˈehnʲə]) in modern spelling, is the daughter of the Fomorian leader Balor, and the mother of Lugh. She is also referred to as Ethliu (modern Eithle), genitive Eithlionn (modern Eithleann), dative Ethlinn (modern Eithlinn).
Her union with Lugh's father, Cian of the Tuatha Dé Danann, is presented in early texts as a simple dynastic marriage,[1] but later folklore preserves a more involved tale, similar to the birth of Perseus in Greek mythology. A folktale recorded John O'Donovan in 1835 tells how Balor, in an attempt to avoid a druid's prophecy that he will be killed by his own grandson, imprisons Ethniu in a tower on Tory Island away from all contact with men. But a man called Mac Cinnfhaelaidh, whose magical cow Balor stole, gains access to Ethniu's tower, with the magical help of the leanan sídhe Biróg and seduces her. Ethniu gives birth to triplets, but Balor gathers them up in a sheet and sends a messenger to drown them in a whirlpool. The messenger drowns two of the babies, but unwittingly drops one in the harbour, where he is rescued by Biróg. She takes the child back to his father, who gives him to his brother, Gavida the smith, in fosterage. The boy grows up to kill Balor.[2] By comparison with texts like Cath Maige Tuired and the Lebor Gabála Érenn, the unnamed boy is evidently Lugh, and his father, Mac Cinnfhaelaidh, is a stand-in for Cian.[3]The Banshenchus states that her real name was Feada- "Feada was the real name of noble Ethne who was wife of strong stout Cain, and mother of Lug the impetuous superman, and daughter of swift smiting Balor son of Dod son of mighty Net a greater man than pleasant Hector. From him is famed the cairn at Ath Feindead because he fought a duel."[4]
In some traditions she is the daughter of Delbáeth, the mother of the Dagda and Ogma, and the wife of Nuada Airgetlám. In a variant version of the birth of Aengus, she is the wife of Elcmar who is seduced by the Dagda: as such she may be a double of Boann, who plays that role in the best-known version of the tale.[5] Although in most texts she is a female figure, there are some in which Ethniu is a male name. In the ancient text Baile in Scáil ("The Phantom's Ecstatic Vision"), Lugh is said to the son of "Ethliu son of Tigernmas", or the son of "Ethniu son of Smretha son of Tigernmas". James Bonwick[6] identifies Tigernmas, the king who introduced the worship of Crom Cruach, with Balor. R. A. Stewart Macalister also suggests that Cethlenn is originally a variant of Ethlenn arising from the frequent identification of Lugh as Lugh Mac Ethlenn (thus Mac Ethlenn → Mac Cethlenn).[7]
Ethniu is a fine example of the difficulty of conducting research into Irish mythology. Her oldest version of her name is probably Ethliu or Ethniu, giving rise to the modern Irish name Eithne. However thanks to changes in the Irish language, the lack of standardised spelling for many centuries, and attempts to anglicise the name, variations have arisen. Linguistic ignorance has further confused the issue: the genitive form of Ethniu is Ethnenn (modern Eithneann) and the genitive of Ethliu is Ethlenn/Ethlinn (modern Eithleann/Eithlinn), as in mac Ethlenn ("Ethliu's son"). This genitive has often been taken for a nominative, or a mistaken nominative has been inferred.
Variations and anglicizations include: Ethnea, Eithliu, Ethlend, Ethnen, Ethlenn, Ethnenn, Ethne, Aithne, Enya, Lily, Aine, Ena, Etney, Eithnenn, Eithlenn, Eithna, Ethni, Edlend, Edlenn.
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Getting Ready for Lammas
Soon Lammas will be before us. The first of the harvest festivals and the third that I celebrate. I hope that you all have a good one.
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