OF IRISH

MYTHOLOGY
 Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2019 with funding from
Kahle/Austin Foundation

https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofirisOOOOelli
A Dictionary of Irish Mythology
 Peter Berresford Ellis

A DICTIONARY OF
IRISH MYTHOLOGY

i Bata Library
ABC CLIO
TRENT UNIVERSITY
Santa Barbara, California PETERBOROUGH, OMT
 For EDWARD CARDIFF—last but not least
who completes the circle

First published in Great Britain 1987

by Constable and Company Fimited
10 Orange Street, Fondon WC2H 7EG

Published in the United States by ABC-CLIO, Inc.

Copyright © 1987 by Peter Berresford Ellis

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a

retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of
brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the
publishers.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ellis. Peter Berresford.
A dictionary of Irish mythology / Peter Berresford Ellis.
p. cm.
Bibliography: p.
1. Mythology, Celtic—Dictionaries. 2. Ireland—Religion—
Dictionaries. 3. Northern Ireland—Religion—Dictionaries.
I. Title.
BL980.I7E45 1989 299’. 16—dc 19 89-160

ISBN 0-87436-553-8

96 95 94 93 92 91 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

ABC-CLIO, Inc.
Santa Barbara, California

This books is Smyth-sewn and printed on acid-free paper

Manufactured in the United States of America.
 Introduction

T he Irish language contains one of Europe’s oldest and most

vibrant mythologies. The language is the vehicle of Europe’s
third oldest literature being predated only by Greek and Latin.
It is a Celtic language, a branch of Goidelic Celtic closely related to
Manx and Scottish Gaelic and less closely to the Brythonic Celtic group
of Welsh, Cornish and Manx. The Celts were the first transalpine
people to emerge into recorded history. It was the Greek chroniclers
who first designated them as Keltoi. It has been suggested that the word
means ‘hidden people’ because of their reluctance to commit their vast
store of scholarship and knowledge to written records until the turn of
the Christian era. The etymology of the word may well be the same root
which gives us ceiit, an act of concealment, and also the word kilt, the
short male skirt of traditional Celtic dress.
At the start of the first millennium bc the Celts were possessed of
great skill in metal work, especially in the use of iron, a metal only then
becoming known to the craftsmen of the ‘Classical’ world. By the end of
the sixth century BC their formidable armaments, spears, swords, axes
and agricultural implements rendered them superior to their neigh¬
bours. Their axes and billhooks enabled them to open roadways
through the previously impenetrable forests of Europe and to make
extensive clearances. An ancient Irish word for road, avenue or path¬
way, which is still in use, is slighe from the word sligim - ‘I hew’. It was
the Celts, not the Romans, who were the original road-builders of the
ancient world, a fact slowly being accepted by scholars in the light of
new archaeological finds. To the discerning historian the evidence has
always been there, especially in the writings of Julius Caesar. In 1985 a
1000 yard long stretch of road was found preserved in a bog in Co.
Longford, demonstrating Celtic skill in road-building. It had a founda¬
tion of oak beams, placed side by side on thin rails of oak, ash and alder.
The road is dated to about 200bc. What is particularly fascinating is the
6 Introduction

fact that such a road is mentioned in the area in which it was found in the
story of‘The Marriage of Etain’, when Eochaidh Airemh the High King
imposed the task of building the road, across the bog, on the tribes of
Tethbae (a district comprising parts of Co. Westmeath and Co. Long¬
ford). The story tells how the task was accomplished with trees used as
foundations. The Latin language adopted many Celtic loan-words
which were connected with roads and transport, for example the names
of various vehicles: carpenlum (from which both car and carpenter
derive), carruca, currus and essendum.
By the ninth century BC the Celts had settled extensively in southern
France; they moved into the Iberian peninsula and by the sixth century
crossed the Alps into the Italian peninsula. They achieved their greatest
expansion from Ireland in the west to Asia Minor in the east in the third
century bc. It is generally thought that the first Celtic migrations to the
British Isles took place during this period but some modern scholarship
suggests that the first Celtic peoples may well have arrived as early as
2000BC and definitely not later than IOOObc. The last series of Celtic
migrations to Britain occurred in the second century bc when the Belgic
tribes crossed from the country which still bears their name (Belgium)
to southern Britain.
Although the Irish were firmly established in Ireland, distinct from
the rest of the Celtic peoples by this time, there was a great sense of
unity within the Celtic world. The Irish traded extensively with their
fellow Celts in Britain and Gaul and the Gauls were in regular contact
with all parts of the Celtic world - even with the Galatians in what is now
Turkey. This Celtic kingdom had been established in the third century
bc and its people were still clinging tenaciously to their language and
culture as late as the fifth century ad. So close were the contacts between
the Celts that the Senate of Marseilles asked the Gaulish druids to
persuade the Galatians not to aid Antiochus III of Syria in his war
against Rome in 197bc. In fact, it was the druidic religion and the
institution of the druids which was the corner-stone of the Celtic world,
linking the Celts of Ireland with their fellow Celts in Britain and on the
Continent in a common heritage.
It is natural, therefore, that Irish mythology should have its closest
parallels in the mythology of Wales, representing the Brythonic Celtic
culture. The old gods of Ireland are to be found in counterpart in the old
gods of Wales. Bile, for example, is Bel or Beli; Nuada occurs as Nudd
and sometimes Ludd; Lir is easily recognisable as Llyr; Manannan, his
son, is Manawyddan; Lugh Lamhfada is Llew Law Gyffes; while Dana,
Introduction 7
the mother of the gods, is Don. It is even argued that Fionn Mac
Cumhail has a Welsh equivalent in Gwyn ap Nudd. It is significant that
both Fionn and Gwyn have the same meaning - ‘fair’.
However, the Welsh material is nowhere near as extensive or so old as
the Irish tales and sagas. Welsh mythology’s earliest survivals are from
the fourteenth century ad, mainly in the Red Book of Hergest and the
White Book of Rhydderch. Today we tend to speak of this corpus of
mythology under the collective name ‘The Mabinogion’ which was the
title given by Lady Charlotte Guest to her translations from the Red
Book of Hergest in 1838. There are other mythological tales and
romances to be found outside ‘The Mabinogion’.
The fact that one can see relationships and counterparts demon¬
strates that Irish mythology is not a separate entity from the rest of the
Celtic world. In it we find echoes of a common Celtic mythological,
religious and, perhaps, historical experience.
It was unfortunate that after the long centuries of oral tradition, by
which the tales and sagas were handed down, when they came to be
written a new and demanding religion had replaced the one which the
original stories reflected. The Christian scribes, in setting down the
stories, were conscious of their new dogma and their transcriptions
often bowdlerised the concepts and themes of the original versions,
giving the tales an odd Christian veneer and, quite often, introducing
improbable Christian appendages. The sea-god Manannan Mac Lir, in
one story, foretells the coming of Christ to save the world. In another
tale, the great champion Cuchulainn pleads with St. Patrick to inter¬
cede with Christ to save him from the fires of Hell, out of which the saint
has summoned him to prove a point to a pagan Irish monarch.
Thankfully, the scribes were only human and the stories were set down
by individuals, working at varying times and copying more often than
not from older books. Therefore much of the pre-Christian vitality
survives.
According to the Celtic scholar Georges Dottin, ‘it is probable that
the most ancient pieces of the epic literature of Ireland were written
before the middle of the seventh century; but how long previously they
had been preserved by oral tradition - this is a point that is difficult to
estimate’. It is sad that most of the early books have not survived.
During the so-called Dark Ages, an age of golden enlightenment for
Ireland, when Ireland was famous for her centres of learning through¬
out Europe, there were numerous Tech Screpta, or great libraries, in the
country. There are frequent references to the enormous amount of Irish
8 Introduction

manuscript books and the ‘host of books’ in Ireland became proverbial.

At the end of the eighth century, however, the Vikings began their raids
on the country. Entire libraries were looted or destroyed. 1 he years of
book destruction continued until the Norse were finally defeated by the
High King Brian Boramha at Clontarf in ad 1014. So the main surviving
manuscript sources date only from the late eleventh century.
The oldest surviving books which provide the richest sources are the
Leabhar na hUidre, known as the Book of the Dun Cow, the Leabhar
Laignech or Book of Leinster and a book known by its Bodleian Library
reference - Rawlinson Manuscript B 502. The Leabhar na hUidre was
compiled under the supervision of Mael Muire mac Ceilechair, who was
killed by marauders at the monastery of Clonmacnoise in ad 1106. The
Leabhar Laignech was originally called Leabhar na Nuachongbala,
after Noughaval in Leix, and was compiled by Aed Mac Crimthainn,
head of the monastery at Tir-da-ghlas (Terryglass in Tipperary).
The Rawlinson Manuscript appears to have been compiled at
Clonmacnoise.
Professor Kuno Meyer, in his introduction to Liadain and Cunthir: A
Love Story (1900) listed four hundred sagas and tales in manuscript. He
added the figure of a further hundred which had been brought to light
since he had compiled his list and mentioned an estimated further fifty
to a hundred tales which could lie in libraries still undiscovered. He
believed, therefore, that there were some five to six hundred tales of
which only one hundred and fifty had been translated and annotated
when he was writing. Eleanor Hull, in the introduction to her work The
CuchullinSaga in Irish Literature (1898), made a similar estimation. It is
surprising that the bulk of these manuscripts still remain unedited and
untranslated (even into modern Irish).
Modern scholarship has made its own categorisation of the sagas and
romances.

1. The Mythological Cycle; that is the stories relating to the various

invasions of Ireland from Cesair to the sons of Milesius and mainly
concerned with the activities of the Tuatha De Danaan.
2. The Ulster Cycle, or deeds of the Red Branch which include the
Cuchulainn tales.
3. The Cycle of the Kings, stories relating to the adventures of semi-
mythical rulers.
4. The Fenian Cycle, the adventures of Fionn Mac Cumhail and the
warriors of the Fianna.
Introduction 9

While this categorisation is generally accepted I believe it is confusing

and certainly misleading to entitle the first section of tales The
Mythological Cycle’, as being apart from the others. All the tales are
myths to a greater or lesser degree. Characters from one cycle will turn
up in another while the gods are all-pervasive. Although scholars are
quite right to attempt a useful category system, I see nothing wrong in
the system adopted in ancient times.
According to the old chroniclers of Ireland, the stories were classified
into pnm-sceil (chief tales) and fo-sceil (minor tales). These were sub¬
divided. The pnm-sceil were: 1. battles; 2. voyages; 3. tragedies; 4.
adventures; 5. cattle-raids; 6. military expeditions; 7. courtships; 8.
elopements; 9. concealments; 10. destructions; 11. sieges; 12. feasts;
13. slaughters. The fo-sceil were: 1. pursuits; 2. visions; 3. exiles or
banishments; 4. lake eruptions.
The Brehon Laws, the ancient law system of Ireland, stipulated that
only qualified story-tellers could recite these sagas and tales. To be able
to tell both chief and minor tales one had to have achieved the four top
degrees available at the bardic schools. These corresponded to the
classifications which we use at our modern universities such as fresh¬
man, sophomore, bachelor, master and doctor. The four top Irish
degrees were Cana (fifth year of study), Cli (sixth year of study), Anruth
(seventh to ninth year of study) and Ollamh (tenth to twelfth year of
study). The Ollamh was the equivalent to ‘professor’ and, indeed,
remains the modern Irish word for a professor. Therefore, only
the Cana, Cli, Anruth and Ollamh could recite all the stories. With the
suppression of the bardic schools in the seventeenth century by the
English, the old oral tradition of story-telling was taken up by seanchai,
which word has come down in English as seannachie. It was stipulated
in ancient law that a qualified story-teller should know at least two
hundred pnm-sceil and one hundred fo-sceil.
In Irish mythology one enters a fascinating world of fantasy which is
remote from the Classical world of Greek and Latin myth. Yet, at the
same time, one is constantly surprised by the fact that Irish mythology
seems to share a curious Mediterranean warmth with the Classical
myths rather than falling under the brooding bleakness that permeates
Nordic myth. At times it is difficult to realise that we are talking of a
north-west European culture. A happy spirit pervades the majority of
tales, even in the tragedies such as ‘The Fate of the Sons of Usna’
or ‘The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne’. There is an eternal spirit
of optimism. Death is never the conqueror and we are reminded, of
10 Introduction

course, that the Celts were one of the first cultures to evolve a doctrine of
immortality of the soul. The druids taught that death is only a changing
of place and that life goes on with all its forms and goods in another
world. The similarity of druidic ideas on immortality and the Pythago¬
rean philosophy has frequently been remarked upon. Clement of
Alexandria has written that Pythagoras had a slave who was a Celt and
who introduced the Greek philosopher to the druidic concepts. Celtic
philosophy was highly regarded among the Greeks. Aristotle, Sotion
and Clement all state that early Greek philosophers borrowed many of
their doctrines from the Celts.
To say that a happy spirit pervades the Irish myths is not to say that
evil is never encountered. Indeed, as in the real world, good and evil are
constantly rubbing shoulders and the malevolent forms of the Fomorii,
lords of darkness and death, are constantly hovering on the edge of the
northern ocean.
To those imbued with later folkloric developments in Ireland, it may
come as a surprise to know that the old Irish gods are neither ‘little
people’ nor ‘fairies’. They are tall, beautiful and fair. They are superior
to humans in their physical strength, power and handsomeness. They
are somewhat reminiscent of the descriptions of the ancient Celts which
survive in the writings of the Greeks and Romans. The gods also have
the ability to shape-change. They appear basically as the ancestors of
the people rather than their creators.
Both the gods and human heroes and heroines are no mere physical
beauties with empty heads. Their intellectual attributes are equal to
their physical capabilities. And they are totally human in that they are
subject to all the natural virtues and vices. No sin out of the seven
deadly ones is exempt from practice either by gods or humans. Their
world, both this one and the Otherworld, is one of rural happiness, a
world in which they indulge in all the pleasures of life in an idealised
form: love of nature, art, games, feasting and heroic single combat. It
was sometimes hard for the Christian scribes to admit to the old gods
and often they appeared as merely mortals or, at best, evil spirits.
Eochaidh O Flainn (d. ad1003), an Irish poet, wrote a discourse in
which he examined the ancient gods, debating whether they were
demons or devils, but, conscious of the dogmas of his religion, sug¬
gested that they were merely humans without supernatural powers,
heroes and heroines made into gods by his ancestors. This view also
tends to be the modern view of all the world mythologies. Certainly
Irish mythology is essentially an heroic one and the Irish do appear to
Introduction 11

have made their heroes into gods and their gods into heroes. In the lives
of these gods and heroes, the lives of the people and the essence of their
religious traditions are mirrored.
Before the eleventh century it was Cuchulainn, the Hound of Ulster,
who was undoubtedly the national hero of Ireland. He has been equated
with the Greek hero Achilles. The stories of the Ulster Cycle, in which
he features, were popular, but particuarly so among the elite of society.
The stories are an heroic literature par excellence, concerning them¬
selves with the activities and virtues which typify heroic society. The
scholar Alfred Nutt estimated that the entire literature of the Ulster
Cycle known to contemporary scholarship would occupy a volume of
two thousand pages, if all repetitions were edited out. The Ulster Cycle
was considered literature of great prestige.
However, after the eleventh century, the hero Fionn Mac Cumhail,
the warrior and leader of the High King’s elite bodyguard, the Fianna,
took Cuchulainn’s place as the national hero. The Fenian Cycle became
more popular among the ordinary people of Ireland in medieval times.
The surviving stories, mainly told in poetic and ballad form, remain far
less in number than the surviving Ulster Cycle tales.
In more recent centuries, linguistic changes in Ireland nearly de¬
stroyed the continuity of the mythological tradition. Although the vast
majority of people in Ireland spoke Irish until the early nineteenth
century, it should be recalled that the English conquests of the seven¬
teenth century had all but destroyed the native intelligentsia. The
learned classes of society had been especially singled out and had been
killed or sent into exile as part of the conquests. As one poet, Aindrias
Mac Marcais, writing in the mid-seventeenth century, put it:

Gan gaire fa ghniomhradh leinbh

There is no laughter at children’s doings.

Music is prohibited, the Irish language is in chains.

Through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the years of the

English Penal Laws in Ireland, serious attempts were made to eradicate
the language and culture, and many manuscripts and books were
destroyed. Most books written in Irish during this period were actually
printed in Europe. Antwerp, Brussels, Paris and Louvain became
the principal centres for Irish publishing and the works, ranging
from dictionaries and grammars to historical and religious tracts,
12 Introduction

were smuggled into Ireland in an attempt to keep up a literary

continuity.
For most of the population, however, Irish mythology had become a
mere folkloric tradition, tales recited by the village story-teller (the
seanchai) around the hearth at night, their origin and symbolism
forgotten. Few were even aware that the ancient tales had written form.
Yet while ‘official’ Ireland, through its English and English-speaking
administrators, presented an Anglicised face to the world, a hidden
Ireland, an Insh Ireland, co-existed, as has been excellently demon¬
strated in Daniel Corkery’s study The Hidden Ireland (1924). Among
the Irish writers and poets who were still creating new versions of the
old myths was the Protestant Irish writer Micheal Coimin (1688-1760)
of Co. Clare. Among his surviving works was Laoi Oisin ar Thir na nOg
(Lay of Oisin in the Land of Youth).
Yet the fate of the bulk of Micheal Coimin’s work reflected what was
generally happening in Ireland. Coimin’s son, Edward, had become
Anglicised, which also meant an acceptance that everything Irish was
worthless and something to be ashamed of, particularly the language.
Edward was so embarrassed at being the son of an Irish poet that after
his father’s death he burnt all the manuscripts he could find in the
house, therefore little survives of Coimin’s works.
Ironically, towards the end of the eighteenth century, Anglicised
antiquarians and folklorists were making strenuous efforts to record
and translate native traditions in English and some were trying to
preserve the language. Among the first societies formed about this time
to ‘preserve’ Irish was Cuideacht Gaedhilge Uladh (Ulster Gaelic
Society), founded by Belfast Presbyterians in 1830. One of its aims was
to secure ‘education through the medium of the Irish language, whether
by means of Stationary or of Circulating Schools’. The president of the
Ulster Gaelic Society was the Marquis of Downshire, who wrote: ‘The
Ancient Irish Literature ought no longer to remain in the obscurity
in which it has been laid.’ The Ulster Presbyterian, Christopher
Anderson, author of Historical Sketches of the Ancient Insh (1826), had a
profound effect in the move to ‘rescue’ Irish and its literature. He not
only pointed to the literary wealth in Irish but denounced the English
policy of Anglicisation and the wrong being done by keeping people
illiterate in their own language. Anderson was extremely active in the
move to reprint the Bible in Irish and use it as a means of teaching the
language. It was Anderson who translated into Irish John Bunyan’s
Pilgrim’s Progress, published in 1835.
Introduction 13

While some laboured to preserve the language, others worked at

collecting the new oral tradition. Among the first to record the myths in
English as they had come down in this new tradition was William
Carleton (1794-1869) with works such as Traits and Stones of the Insh
Peasantry (1830) and Tales of Ireland (1834) which became very popu¬
lar. T. Crofton Croker (1798-1854), with his The Fairy Legend and
Tradition of the South of Ireland (1825) and Legends of the Lakes (1829),
made this folkloric research fashionable. The Brothers Grimm became
interested in Irish legends and translated The Fairy Legend into Ger¬
man. Oscar Wilde’s mother, Lady Jane Francesca Wilde, was also
fascinated in collecting the tales which she published in Ancient
Legends, Mystic Charms and Superstitions of Ireland (1888).
The first writer to seize upon the written tradition of Irish mythology
and attempt to popularise it again was Standish James O’Grady (1846-
1928). He must not be confused with his cousin Standish Hayes O’Grady
(1832-1915) who was an Irish scholar, president of the Ossianic Society
in 1856, and whose Silva Gadelica (1892) was a valuable translation of
mythological tales from some of the old Irish manuscripts. Standish
James O’Grady has been called the ‘Father of the Irish Literary
Revival’. It must be pointed out that the ‘Irish Literary Revival’ of the
late nineteenth century meant the creation of a literature written in
English. O’Grady discovered the fascination of Irish mythology by
reading the work of Eugene O’Curry (1796-1862). Manners and Cus¬
toms of the Ancient Insh (1873) was a collection of a series of lectures
O’Curry had given, forming a comprehensive account of the principal
Irish medieval manuscripts, chronicles, tales and poems. O’Grady’s
interest caused him to write The History of Ireland: The Heroic Period
(1878-80). He then began to publish a series of novels based on
mythological themes such as Finn and His Companions (1892) and The
Coming of Cuchulain (1894). It is acknowledged that he awoke his
contemporaries to the existence of Ireland’s epic literature.
Lady Isabella Gregory (1852-1932) took the work further by pub¬
lishing new English versions of the heroic sagas under the titles of
Cuchulain of Muirthemne (1902), a book which Theodore Roosevelt is
said to have carried with him on his travels, and Gods and Fighting Men
(1904). Also working at this time on Ireland’s ancient literature was the
scholar Douglas Hyde (1860-1949), who became the first President of
the Irish State in 1937. A Protestant from Co. Roscommon, he used the
pen-name An Craoibhin Aoibhinn (‘the delightful little branch’)
to publish re-tellings of folktales and myths which kindled the
14 Introduction

imagination of Lady Gregory and W. B. Yeats and others in the

Irish Literary Revival movement. His study of the literature in the
Irish language, A Literary History of Ireland (1899), remains a classic
textbook.
Among all the people working in this field, scholars, novelists and
poets, during this time, it is the poet William Butler Yeats (1865-1935)
who remains the most internationally known figure of the Irish Literary
Revival. In 1923 Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. He
first fell under the spell of Standish James O’Grady and then John
O’Leary (1830-1907). O’Leary was a Fenian leader and journalist who
had served nine years’ imprisonment for his political activities. Yeats
helped O’Leary found the National Literary Society in Dublin in 1891
whose immediate object was to publicise and promote Irish mythology
and folklore. In 1889 Yeats had published The Wandering of Oisin. Soon
numerous poems and plays on mythological themes were to follow from
his pen.
In recent years Irish mythology has been undergoing a new wave of
popularity in modern fantasy writing with numerous re-tellings and
fantasy novels based loosely on the Irish sagas. A curious impetus was
given to the development of Irish mythology as a vehicle of modern
fantasy by an American ‘pulp’ magazine writer, Robert E. Howard
(1906-36). A Texan, Howard managed to achieve an enviably produc¬
tive writing career before, at the age of thirty, he committed suicide in a
fit of depression. He was an eager student of Irish mythology and, while
he did not have any Irish ancestry, he claimed to be ‘four-fifths’ Irish to
the extent that he sometimes Gaelicised his name. His most famous
creation was Conan the Barbarian, now the hero of numerous books,
comics and a recent major film production. Howard’s literary executor
Glenn Lord has written: ‘Conan was a literary descendant of Conan
from the Fenian, or Ossianic myth cycle.’ Conan became so popular
that the series of Conan books has been continued by a new generation
of writers such as L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter, Bjorn Nyberg and
Andrew Offutt. Another creation of Howard’s was his hero Bran Mak
Morn, who has also achieved a lasting literary popularity amongst
devotees of fantasy literature.
Today’s generation of fantasy writers are certainly conscious of the
scope and possibility in the use of Irish mythology as a fertile ground for
ideas and background. Works range from stories inspired by the myths,
such as Patricia Finney’s A Shadow of Gulls (1977) and The Crow
Goddess (1978) and Patricia Keneally’s The Copper Crown (1984), to
Introduction 15

straightforward re-tellings in fantasy novel form, such as Michael

Scott’s A Celtic Odyssey (1985) and The Children ofLir{ 1986).
Using Irish mythology as the inspiration to create new sagas and tales
is no recent innovation. The Dubliner, Jonathan Swift (1667-1745),
regarded as one of the progenitors of modern fantasy literature, certain¬
ly came under the influence of Irish mythology. It is ironic that his most
famous work, a biting and savage satire of his day, Travels of Lemuel
Gulliver into Several Remote Regions of the World (1726), is now simply
regarded as a classic of children’s literature. The story, more popularly
known as Gulliver’s Travels, consisting of four voyages, is very much in
the tradition of the Irish immrama or voyage tale. The first voyage in
Swift’s book, ‘A Voyage to Lilliput’, stands a close comparison with
‘Eachtra Fhergus Maic Leide’, the story of Fergus Mac Leide who is
visited by Iubdan, the king of the Faylinn, a nation of minuscule
people. Standish Hayes O’Grady gave an excellent translation of the tale
in his Silva Gadelica and believed the original story to date from the
second century bc. It is uncertain if Swift knew any Irish. The odds are
that he did not but he certainly had a friend who did, the Irish poet
Aodh Mac Gabhainn (rendered as Hugh MacGauran by Swift). Mac
Gabhainn translated one of his poems for Swift and Swift used it as ‘The
Description of an Irish Feast: Translated Almost Literally Out of the
Original Irish’ (1720). Mac Gabhainn’s original was actually set to
music by the composer Turlough Carolan (1670-1738). Mac Gabhainn,
therefore, may well have been Swift’s source for his Lilliputian tale.
Another friend of Swift’s, William Sheridan (1635-1711), was the son
of The Revd Daniel Sheridan who, according to Anthony Dopping
(Bishop of Meath 1682-97), had a hand in translating the Bible into
Irish under the auspices of Bishop William Bedell (1571-1642) - the
famous Bedell Bible published in 1685.
It was with sadness that H. M. and Nora Chadwick, in their
three-volume work The Growth of Literature (1932), wrote: ‘very few
people in this country (England) have any conception of the extent and
value of early Irish literature.’ During the nineteenth century, the great
English Romantic poets turned to the Greek myths for inspiration. Yet
in the mid-eighteenth century the work which is acknowledged to have
given birth and impetus to this ‘Romantic school’, and which had a
profound effect throughout Europe, was, in fact, a work on the Fenian
Cycle. This was the epic of a Scotsman, James MacPherson of
Kingussie (1736-96), who published Fragments of Ancient Poetry
Collected in the Highlands (1760). He followed this with Fingal (1762)
16 Introduction

and Temora (1763), all of which, he claimed, were translations from

ancient Scottish Gaelic manuscripts. They were known collectively as
Ossian as they were said to be stories of the Fenian saga written by
Ossian (Oisin), son of Fingal (Fionn Mac Cumhail). MacPherson’s
work was translated into many European languages, from Russian
and Polish to French, German, Italian, Spanish and Greek.
Ossian left a deep impression on the English poet William Blake
(1757-1827), himself the son of an Irish emigrant from Rathmines,
Dublin. The German poet, J. W. von Goethe (1749-1832), rated Ossian
with Shakespeare as an important influence. Lord Byron was also
impressed by the work, as Robin Flower has pointed out in his study
Byron and Ossian (1928). Napoleon Bonaparte was so enthusiastic that
he is reported to have carried a copy of Ossian during his campaigns and
taken it with him to his exile on St. Helena. Between 1777 and 1810 no
fewer than five different translations of the work had been made into
French. Marshal Bernadotte, who became king of Sweden, named his
son Oscar after the Fenian hero.
Ossian had a great impact in Ireland as well as in the other Celtic
countries and was the literary parent of such works as Joseph Walker’s
Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards (1786), Reliques of Irish Poetry by
Charlotte Brooke (1789) and Irish Minstrelsy by James Hardiman
(1831). In Wales, Ossian gave birth to works such as Specimens of the
Poetry of the Ancient Welsh Bards by J. Evans (1764) and the collection
Musical and Poetical Relics of the Welsh Bards (1784), while in Brittany
Theodore Hersart de la Villemarque produced his Barzaz Breiz or
Chants populaires de la Bretagne in 1839.
By and large, however, the English literati tended to support Samuel
Johnson’s savage denouncement of Ossian as merely a literary forgery.
MacPherson’s claim that his work was a translation of an old manu¬
script was dismissed and it was condemned without any examination of
its own literary merit, a literary merit recognised throughout the rest of
Europe. Irish mythology did not, therefore, become a vehicle for the
nineteenth-century Romantics in the same way that Greek mythology
did. It has been claimed that Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) wrote
Queen Mab (1813) after hearing tales of Queen Medb of Connacht
during his visit to Ireland in 1812 when he was engaged in political
agitation and wrote his famous An Address to the Irish People. This seems
unlikely, however. The one real exception to the English poetical
ignoring of the myths was the narrative poem The Voyage of
Maeldune’, published in 1892, written by the Poet Laureate, Alfred,
Introduction 11

Lord Tennyson. This was later set to music by the Irish composer,
Charles Vivian Standford (1852-1924).
Like Greek mythology, Irish mythology has not confined its in¬
fluence simply to literary expression. It has inspired a great deal of
musical composition. This would be the subject of a study in itself, even
if one confined oneself to Irish composers and went no further back than
Turlough Carolan. Yet Irish mythological themes have been used by
American, Australian, British, German, Russian and Swiss composers.
Sir Arnold Bax (1883-1953), a naturalised Irish citizen, regarded as the
leading composer of the ‘Celtic Revival’, used such themes for many of
his symphonic poems (as in ‘The Garden of Fand’) and his symphonies.
Fiona MacLeod’s drama ‘The Immortal Hour’ was given an operatic
setting by Rutland Boughton (1878-1960) which had the longest
consecutive run of any opera anywhere in the world. The first sym¬
phony of importance produced in America was the ‘Gaelic Symphony’
by A. M. Beach (1867-1944). Here it must be mentioned that it is
sometimes thought that Mendelssohn’s overture ‘Fingal’s Cave’, first
performed in London in 1832, was inspired by MacPherson’s Ossian.
However, it is generally accepted that the music was written after a visit
to the cave, in Scotland.
In summary, Irish mythology is one of the bright gems of European
cultural inheritance. As Professor Kenneth Jackson once put it (in The
Oldest Irish Tradition: A Window on the Iron Age, Cambridge, 1964),
Irish myth presents a fascinating window on society in Iron Age
Europe. He also points out that the myths differ from the early epics of
other peoples in that ‘they are inclined to desert the natural and possible
for the impossible and supernatural, chiefly in the form of fantastic
exaggeration. One should not misunderstand this, however; it was not
done in all seriousness, but for its own sake, for the fun of the thing’ (A
Celtic Miscellany, London, 1951). Irish mythology is both unique and
dynamic, a mythology which ought to be as well known and as valued as
those of ancient Greece and Rome.
In endeavouring to present a work for the lay reader there are some
problems which need comment. The major one is that of obtaining a
consistency in the spelling of names. In this respect we are not simply
dealing with the natural orthographical changes of a language over the
centuries. Irish, in respect of natural orthographical change, can be
divided into Old Irish (ad700-950); Middle Irish (950-1350); Early
Modern (1350-1650) and Late Modern (1650 to date). It should also be
pointed out that some new spellings were introduced in the mid-1950s
18 Introduction

and these achieved standard recognition with the publication of the De

Bhaldraithe dictionary in June 1959. As a language, Irish achieved a
standard orthography at a very early stage with a much more consistent
grammar and spelling standard than, for example, English.
The main problem lies in the displacement of Irish by English as
the more widely used language in Ireland and, from that position, in
presenting a dictionary for the English reader. Because of the linguistic
changes in Ireland, the nineteenth-century interpreters of the myths
tried to make things easier on English readers by inventing their own
varied systems of Anglicised spellings. Instead of making things easier,
they merely caused greater confusion. For example, the High King
Eterscel can appear as Eterscelae, Etterskel, Eidirskeal, Edersceal and
even Aedarscal. Some interpreters were unsure of names given in
dative, genitive and vocative form. An easy example of‘sound differ¬
ence’ can be demonstrated with the common name Seamas. In vocative
form, this becomes Sheamais, pronounced ‘Hamish’ in English pho¬
netics. Thus Hamish has become an accepted fore-name in English
without it being generally realised that this is simply a vocative form.
To overcome this difficulty, Jeffrey Gantz, in Early Irish Myths and
Sagas (Penguin Classics, 1981), decided to leave all proper names in
their Old Irish spelling ‘which seemed preferable to Anglicization and
modernizations’. Yet the hero Cuchulainn is more popularly recognised
by that form than by Cu Chulaind. While in many ways I agree with Dr
Gantz’s motives, my aim is to present a work for English readers and
therefore it has been impossible to agree on a spelling standard. I have
attempted to resolve this problem by putting down the most popular
form encountered, often with cross-references to other spellings.
Another difficulty has been the confusion of the variation in versions
of the tales. Because the manuscript sources were written down by
diverse hands at various times over the centuries, the names of many
minor characters have become confused and events accredited to one
person in one version may be accredited to another in a second account.
For example, Naoise, the son of Usna, is killed by a Norse prince called
Maine in one account, and by Eoghan Mac Duthacht in another.
Gelban is named as Conchobhar Mac Nessa’s spy in one version of ‘The
Fate of the Sons of Usna’ while he becomes Trendorm in another
version. Tuireann, in the Fenian Cycle, is variously given as the sister,
sister-in-law and even aunt of Fionn Mac Cumhail. Where this con¬
fusion applies I have given the differing versions and cross-references.
The difficulties caused by both spelling and the differing versions
Introduction 19

should have been tackled by Irish scholars before now. The fact that so
many Irish manuscripts remain untouched by the academic world is
rather surprising. It is my sincere wish that before long, with the
backing of the Irish state and its academic resources, a complete and
careful study and synthesis of all the manuscript sources of Irish
mythology could be made with the purpose of producing an exhaustive
academic reference dictionary, containing all the names, major and
minor, with their variants and manuscript references with modern
acceptable forms: a reference work, for example, on the model of the
five-volume study Greek Mythology, compiled under the editorship of
I. T. Cacridis (Ekdotiki, Athens, 1986).
Before moving from the difficulties of handling the material, I must
also point out the problem of delineating where Irish myth ends and
history begins. The Celts frequently embellished their historical
accounts with allegories, supernatural happenings and meaningful
fantasy. Newcomers to the myths may therefore be surprised to find
historical High Kings and personages given reference in this work. The
accounts of their reigns and stories related to them were often myth¬
ologised by the medieval writers and therefore they become part of
mythology itself rather than history. One could, of course, move from
this point into a deeper discourse as to what is mythology and what is
history. As Napoleon Bonaparte once said: ‘What is history but a myth
agreed upon?’
In compiling this dictionary, I must stress again that I do not pretend
that I am producing an all-embracing guide for academic reference nor
am I qualified to do so. This work is essentially for the lay reader; a
guide for enthusiasts by which they may pick their way through the
fascinating labyrinth of one of Europe’s oldest mythologies. It is simply
a who’s who and what’s what of the epic sagas and tales; an accessible,
easy-to-use handbook, giving an immediate reference to the gods and
goddesses, the heroes and heroines, the magical weapons, fabulous
beasts and Otherworld entities that populate the stories.

Peter Berresford Ellis

‘Lios na nAislingf
A. Ailm (pine) in the Ogham alphabet.
Abarta. Also known as Giolla Deacair (the Hard Servant), Abarta was a
mischievous member of the Tuatha De Danaan. The name signifies
‘The performer of feats’. He sought to become the servant of Fionn
Mac Cumhail. He came to the Fianna with an ugly, grey horse which
was of a nasty temper and which attacked the horses of the warriors.
Conan Maol managed to put a halter on it and tried to ride it but the
horse refused to move. The other members of the Fianna suggested
that Conan was not heavy enough and no fewer than fourteen
warriors mounted the beast. Abarta then mounted behind them and
the horse galloped away with a fifteenth member of the Fianna,
Liagan, running behind and holding its tail, unable to let go. In this
fashion Abarta returned to the Otherworld with his captives. Fionn
sought the aid of Faruach, who could make a ship by magic, and
Foltor, the best tracker in Ireland, and, together with the rest of the
Fianna, they tracked Abarta to the Otherworld. Abarta agreed to
release his prisoners but Conan Maol demanded reparation, suggest¬
ing that fourteen of Abarta’s servants should ride the horse back
to Ireland while Abarta himself should run behind holding on to
its tail. Abarta agreed and there was a peace between him and the
Fianna.
Abhean. A harper of the Tuatha De Danaan who came to them from the
hills; in some versions he appears as a mysterious Fomorii.
Accasbel. A follower of Partholon who is said to have built the first
tavern in Ireland.
Acein. See Ochain.
Adhnuall. One of the hounds belonging to Fionn Mac Cumhaill which
was stolen by Arthur, son of the King of Britain. The Fianna chased
Arthur and recovered the hound. Later, after a battle in Leinster,
Adhnuall strayed and circled Ireland three times until he returned to
22 Adna

the battlefield. The hound came to a hill where three of the

Fianna were buried. At this spot the hound gave three howls and
died.
Adna. 1. Chief poet of Ireland during the early days of Conchobhar
Mac Nessa and the champions of the Red Branch. He was father of
the poet Neide.
2. An explorer sent by Ninus, King of Assyria, to report on condi¬
tions in Ireland.
Aedan. The warrior who slew Mael Fhothartaig, son of Ronan, King of
Leinster, on the orders of Ronan himself because the king was made
jealous of his own son by his young bride. Aedan was slain by Mael
Fhothartaig’s sons. See Mael Fhothartaig.
Aedh. Sometimes given as Aed.
1. The father of Macha Mong Ruadh (see Macha 4). He is said to
have been King of Ireland in the fourth century bc, ruling alternately
with his brothers Dithorba and Cimbaeth, sometimes referred to as
his cousins.
2. A son of Fionn Mac Cumhail.
3. A king of Oriel (Airgialla) who carried a shield called Dubhghiolla
(Black Servant) on whose rim Badb, one of the goddesses of war,
perched in the form of a crow.
4. Original name of Goll Mac Morna, the leader of the Fianna who
slew Fionn’s father.
5. The dwarf of Fergus Mac Leide of Ulster who accompanied the
poet Eisirt to the Otherworld kingdom of the Faylinn, a land of little
people ruled by Iubdan.
6. A son of the god Bodb Dearg.
7. The son of Ainmire. Aedh was High King and made war on the
wily Brandubh, King of Leinster. Aedh was defeated and perished at
Brandubh’s hands because he lost a magic cowl which protected him
from being wounded or slain in battle. Another version of this story
has him slain by Brandubh’s spy, Ron Cerr, while a Christian
appendage has the magic cowl given as a present from St. Colmcille
(Columba).
8. One of the four children of the ocean-god, Lir, who was changed
into a swan by his stepmother Aoife.
9. A son of Miodhchaoin. He and his two brothers, Corea and Conn,
were slain by the three sons of Tuireann, Brian, Iuchar and Iucharba.
However, before their death they mortally wounded the sons of
Tuireann. See Tuireann 3.
Age, Feast of 23

10. A giant. Sometimes given as Aeda. A young man, smooth-

featured and of surpassing beauty, who bore a red shield and a huge
spear. He slew Bebhionn, daughter of Treon of the Land of Maiden,
because she refused to wed him. Bebhionn, a beautiful giantess,
sought aid from Fionn Mac Cumhail and his Fianna because she had
been bethrothed to Aedh against her will. After Aedh slew her, the
Fianna gave chase but when they reached the sea they found Aedh
had a great war galley waiting for him and he escaped. Before she
died, Bebhionn distributed her jewels to the Fianna. They buried her
at a spot called Ridge of the Dead Woman and placed an Ogham-
inscribed stone over the grave.
11. Aedh Dubh. He slew the High King Diarmuid Mac Cearbal in
the house of Banban in accordance with a prophecy given by the
druid Bee Mac De. Bee foretold that Diarmuid would be killed in
Banban’s house when he wore a shirt grown from a single flax, when
he drank ale brewed from a single grain of corn, and when he ate
bacon from a swine that was never farrowed. The manner of his death
would be from a spear, from drowning, from burning and from a
ridge pole falling on his head. Incredibly, all these things came to
pass. See Diarmuid 2.
Aei, Plain of. The place of the bull strife. At the end of the Tain saga
(q.v.) Donn, the Brown Bull of Cuailgne, and Finnbhennach, the
White Horned Bull of Connacht, had their last great battle on this
plain. Bricriu Mac Carbad, asked by the men of Ireland to judge the
terrible contest, was trampled to death as the Bulls clashed. They
fought for three days and nights before the White Horned Bull was
slain but the Brown Bull, mortally wounded, turned back to his home
before dropping dead at Druim Tarb, the Ridge of the Bull. See
Donn 6 and Finnbhennach.
Aenghus. See Aonghus.
Aes. Sometimes Oes. People or folk, etc. Aes sidhe, ‘the people of the
hills’, is the name given to the old Irish gods who dwell in hills (sidhe)
who were later relegated to fairies in popular imagination. Hence the
modern Irish word siog for fairy. See under Sidhe. Aes dana were a
learned class who were said to have been ennobled by their art. The
class included the fill (poets) as well as judges, doctors of medicine,
metal-workers and wood-workers.
Age, Feast of. Fleadh Aise. One of the annual festivals of the Tuatha
De Danaan held at each of their palaces in rotation. It was when
Aoife, the second wife of the ocean-god Lir, was on her way to the
24 Agnoman

Feast of Age at the sidhe of Bodb Dearg that she turned her
stepchildren into swans.
Agnoman. Father of Nemed who led his people from Scythia to Ireland
but who had to fight with the Fomorii. See Nemed and Nemedians.
Ai. Sometimes given as Aoi Mac Ollamain. The poet of the Tuatha De
Danaan. When his mother was pregnant the house was rocked by a
great wind and a druid foretold that the child would have wonderful
powers. The king ordered the child to be slain but his father,
Olloman, saved him. The child grew up to ask a boon of the king and
from his poetical pleadings he was accorded the name Ai which,
according to Cormac’s Glossary, meant ‘poem’.
Aibell. Sometimes Aoibhell. She ruled a sidhe in north Munster but
little is recorded of her before she became relegated to ‘fairy’ status by
popular folklore. She became the guardian spirit of the Dal gCais, the
Dalcassians or O Brien clan. Her dwelling place was at Craig Liath,
the grey rock, two miles north of Killaloe. Her name signifies
‘beautiful’ (aoibhinn). She was the lover of Dubhlainn Ua Artigan and
she possessed a magic harp. Whoever heard its music did not live long
afterwards.
Aichleach. He slew Fionn Mac Cumhaill during a rebellion of the
Fianna. See Uigreann.
Aidin. Sometimes Aideen. She is described as a foreigner who became
the wife of Oscar son of Oisin. Hearing of his death at the Battle of
Gabhra, she died of grief and was buried by Oscar’s father on Ben
Edar (Howth) where an Ogham stone was set up in her memory.
Aige. A daughter of Broccaid Mac Brie. Because of envy she was turned
into a fawn and slain by the warriors of Meilge, the High King. See
Fafne and Meilge.
Ailbe. 1. A daughter of Cormac Mac Art who answered a set of riddles
put to her by Fionn Mac Cumhail, won his love and was invited to live
with him.
2. The hound of Mac Da Tho in one version of the tale. See Mac Da
Tho. See also Ossar.
Aileach. A major fortress in Ulster. Its ruins still stand in Co. Donegal,
five miles north-west of Derry. The remains are of a circular stone
wall 77 feet in internal diameter and 13 feet thick at its base. It was
built by the Tuatha De Danaan and it was here that Mac Cuill, Mac
Cecht and Mac Greine and their wives, the goddesses Banba, Fotla
and Eire, decided to divide Ireland between them. Aileach is men¬
tioned in the Great Book of Lecan, compiled by Giolla Iosa Mac
Ailill 25

Firbhisigh (d. 1418). It was the royal residence of the kings of Ulster
and later of the kings of Ireland until the fourth century ad. It became
the seat of the 6 Neill kings until the early twelfth century when it
was destroyed by Murchertagh, king of Munster, in retaliation for
the destruction of Kincora in 1088. After that it was abandoned.
Ailill. 1. Ailill Aine son of Laoghaire, king of Leinster. He was
poisoned by Cobhthach, king of Bregia, and his son was made to eat
his flesh. The trauma struck the boy dumb so that he became known
as Moen (dumb). When the boy recovered his speech he was named
as Labraid Loinseach. See Moen.
2. Ailill Mac Mata, king of Connacht and husband of Medb who
features prominently in the saga of the Tain Bo Cuailgne. He is
depicted as a weak man, easily swayed by the powerful Medb. She
taunted him into going to war with Ulster in order to acquire the
Brown Bull of Cuailgne, which war he lost. He also features in the
story of Mac Da Tho’s boar. He was eventually slain by Conall who
cast a spear at him while he was bathing in a lake with Medb. Conall
killed him in revenge for the death of Fergus Mac Roth.
3. The brother of Eochaid, High King of Ireland. Ailill fell in love
with his brother’s wife, Etain Echraide, and succumbed to a wasting
sickness during which time Etain nursed him. While Eochaidh was
on a tour of his kingdom, Ailill vowed his love for Etain. The girl did
not want to see a man die for love of her even though she did not
reciprocate his love. She arranged an assignation with Ailill but, at
the appointed time, Ailill fell into an enchanted sleep and when he
awoke his love-sickness was cured. During the sleep a man in Ailill’s
shape came to her. It was the god Midir. Etain was one of the Tuatha
De Danaan who had been reborn as a mortal and Midir had been her
husband. See Etain 2.
4. Ailill Agach or Edge-of-Battle of the sept of Eoghan of Aran. He
was the father of the hero Mael Duin. On a raid to the mainland from
the Aran islands, Ailill ravished a nun, Aoife, who bore a son, Mael
Duin. Soon after, Ailill himself was slain by marauders.
5. Ailill of Aran, not to be confused with Ailill Agach (4). He was the
father of three beautiful daughters, Aebh, Aoife and Arbha. The god
Bodb Dearg was their foster-father and Ailill offered them in
marriage to the ocean-god, Lir.
6. Ailill Dubh-dedach, son of Mongan Minscothach and known as
‘Black-toothed Ailill’. No weapon could harm him yet he was slain by
Art during his quest for the beautiful Delbchaem.
26 Aille

7. Ailill Olom, or Bare-ear, a king of Munster who raped the

love-goddess Aine. Aine cut off his ear and afterwards slew him by
magic.
8. Ailill, a king of Ulster and father of Etain Echraide. When the
love-god Aonghus Og came to him seeking the hand of Etain on
behalf of Midir of Bri Leith, Ailill set him three tasks: clearing twelve
plains; draining them by making twelve rivers flow from them to the
sea; and, finally, giving his daughter’s exact weight in gold and silver.
Aonghus Og accomplished these tasks with the help of his father, the
Dagda.
Aille. Aille Shnuadh-Gheal, the Fair. She was wife to Meargach of the
Green Spears who was slain by Oscar at the battle of Cnoc-an-Air. In
revenge Aille had her druid, Fer Gruadh (The Grey Man), drug and
capture Fionn Mac Cumhail, the leader of the Fianna and Oscar’s
grandfather. The Fianna pursued Fer Gruadh but the druid placed
them all under his control until Conan tricked him into releasing
them. Oscar killed him and Aille committed suicide.
Aillen. Son of Midhna. A malevolent Otherworld creature which came
out of the cave of Cruach each year at the feast of Samhain and burnt
down the royal residence at Tara after lulling the defenders asleep
with enchanted music. Fionn Mac Cumhail was able to resist the
music by pressing his spear to his forehead. Fionn drove off the beast
and beheaded it. In one of the several variants, Amairgen is given as
the slayer of the beast.
Aillinn. Sometimes given as Ailinn. The daughter of Laoghaire Mac
Fergus Fairge (another version gives her as the daughter of Eoghan
Mac Daithi). She is the grand-daughter of the king of Leinster. She
falls in love with Baile, son of Buain, and heir to the kingdom of
Ulster. Ulster and Leinster were deadly enemies and here we have an
embryonic ‘Romeo and Juliet’ tragedy. Aillinn and Baile arranged to
meet on the shore near Dun Dealgan (Dundalk). Baile reached the
appointed place first. A stranger approached and told him that the
warriors of Leinster had discovered Aillinn’s assignation and had
prevented her coming. Sick with grief, Aillinn had died. Baile then
died from a broken heart. The stranger then went to Aillinn and told
her of Baile’s death whereupon she also died of grief. We are not told
who the malevolent stranger is apart from the fact that he must be one
of the gods. Baile was buried at Traigh mBaile (Baile’s Strand) and a
yew tree grew from his grave. From Aillinn’s grave grew an apple
tree. The poets of Ulster and Leinster cut branches from the trees and
Aine 21

carved the tragedy in Ogham on the wands they made from the
branches. According to the end of the story, two hundred years later,
when Art the Lonely was High King, the Ogham wands were
gathered from Ulster and Leinster and taken to the Tech Screptra or
library at Tara for safe-keeping. As the wands were put into the
library they sprang together and could not be separated.
Aimend. A sun goddess who was daughter of the king of Corco Loigde.
Aine. The goddess of love and fertility. She was the daughter of
Eogabail, foster-son of the sea-god Manannan Mac Lir, and a druid
of the Tuatha De Danaan. Aine has been identified with Anu, mother
of the gods, and also with the Morrigan, goddess of battles, but these
identifications seem suspect and unlikely. Aine was continually
conspiring with mortals in passionate affairs. She was raped by Ailill
Olom (see Ailill 7) and slew him with her magic. A second legend,
which obviously had its roots in the Ailill Olom tale, occurred in the
fourteenth century, when it was said that Maurice, first Earl of
Desmond (d. 1356) raped Aine who bore a son Gearoid Iarla (third
Earl of Desmond, 1359-98) who is known for the courtly love poetry
he wrote in Irish. The historical dating is obviously suspect. When
Gearoid died it was said that he was but asleep and would rise again on
an enchanted steed from the waters of Loch Guirr. Another version is
that Gearoid lives beneath the waves of the loch and is seen riding
around its banks on a white horse once every seven years. Yet
another version has it that Aine turned him into a goose on the banks
of the loch. It is an historical fact that Gearoid’s son John actually
drowned in the River Suir in 1400. The poems of Gearoid Iarla are
preserved in Irish manuscripts.
Near Loch Guirr is Aine’s dwelling place, Cnoc Aine (Knockainy,
Aine’s Hill, in Co. Kerry). Even up to the last century Aine was
worshipped on St.John’s Eve, Midsummer Eve, when local people
carried torches of hay and straw tied to poles and lit up Cnoc Aine at
night. They would then invoke Aine na gClair (Aine of the Wisps) to
guard them against sickness and ensure fertility. They would dis¬
perse among their own cultivated fields and pastures waving the
torches over their crops and cattle to bring luck and increase.
According to D. Fitzgerald in ‘Popular Tales of Ireland’ (Revue
Celtique, Vol. IV): ‘A number of girls had stayed late on the Hill
watching the cliars (torches) and joining in the games. Suddenly Aine
appeared among them, thanked them for the honour they had done
her, but said she now wished them to go home, as they wanted the hill
28 Ainle

to themselves. She let them understand whom she meant by “they”

for calling some of the girls she made them look through a ring, when
behold, the hill appeared crowded with people before invisible.’ The
cult of Aine has been a long time in dying.
Ainle. Sometimes Ainnle. Son of Usna and one of the two brothers of
Naoise who followed him into exile and was eventually slain at the
Red Branch Hostel. See Naoise and Deirdre.
Ainmire. Father of Aedh of Tara. See Aedh 7.
Airgialla. See Oriel.
Airgtheach. The White House, one of the islands of earthly paradise
seen during the Voyage of Bran. See Bran 2.
Airitech. A supernatural creature which came out of the Cave of
Cruachan, one of the entrances to the Otherworld. Airitech had three
daughters who assumed the shape of werewolves and raided the
country. The warrior Cas Corach played music to enchant the
werewolves and persuaded them that they should assume human
forms in order to listen to the music in greater comfort. When they
did so his companion Cailte threw his spear at them so that all three
were impaled. Cas Corach then struck off their heads.
Airmid. Sometimes Airmed. Sister of Miach and daughter of Dian
Cecht, the god of medicine. She was also a physician like her brother
and father and helped Miach sew a cat’s eye into the socket of the
one-eyed porter of Nuada’s palace. When Miach proved a better
physician than his father Dian Cecht, the god of medicine slew him in
a jealous rage. Airmid gathered the herbs that grew on Miach’s grave
and laid them out on her cloak in the order of their various healing
properties. Dian Cecht, still jealous of Miach, overturned the cloak
and hopelessly confused the herbs so that no human would learn the
secret of immortality by their use. Airmid also helped Dian Cecht
guard a secret Well of Healing.
Airoch Feabhruadh. A son of Mileius and Seang.
Aisling. A vision or dream. A motif that frequently occurs in Irish
myth. The most popularly known is ‘Aislinge Oenghus’ (The Dream
of Aonghus Og) who saw a beautiful maiden in a dream and enlisted
the help of his mother, the goddess Boann, to find her. The maiden
was identified as Caer and Aonghus took her to his palace on the River
Boyne where they dwelt together. A twelfth-century tale is ‘Aislinge
meic Con Glinne’ (The Vision of Mac Con Glinne) which is thought
to be an early tale which received its final form in the twelfth-century
version. It is an extraordinary and brilliant skit on the clergy and is
Amairgen 29

consistently amusing. During the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries

the word was used to describe a form of Irish Poetry.
Aitheach-Tuatha. A pre-Milesian people who staged a revolt against
the Milesian conquest of Ireland and were, for a while, successful,
but the Milesians regained control.
Aithechda. Son of Magog. He is acclaimed as progenitor of all the races
which inhabited Ireland after the Deluge.
Aithedha. Elopements. A class of tales of which ‘The Pursuit of
Diarmuid and Grainne’ is the best known.
Alba. Sometimes Albu and Albain. Scotland. The modern Scottish
Gaelic name for Scotland is still Alba and the root seems connected
with ‘high hills’. The same Celtic word root is to be found in The
Alps, Albania, etc. The original name for the entire island of Britain
came from the same root, hence Albion.
Ale, of Goibhniu. Whoever drank it obtained immortality.
Allen, Hill of. Anglicised from the dative form Almain of the name
Almu. A great fortress said to be built by Nuada, chief druid of Cahir
Mor, King of Ireland, the maternal ancestor of Fionn Mac Cumhail.
Fionn made this fortress his chief dwelling, ‘its ramparts enclosing
many white-walled dwellings and the great hall towering high in its
midst.’ The story of ‘Cath Almaine’, the battle of Allen (not to be
confused with the historic battle of ad 722) was when the men of
Leinster fought with the hero Fergal Mac Maile Duin. Fergal was
slain and his head cut off. His enemies treated his head well, washing
it and dressing the hair. It was then set up on a pike while Badb, the
battle goddess, hovered around it in the form of a raven. That night,
during a feasting around the head, the head of Donn Bo, a youth
famed for the sweetness of his song who had also been slain and
decapitated in the battle, began to sing a song in praise of Fergal. The
story demonstrates the reverence for the human head in Celtic
society.
Amairgen. Sometimes given as Amergin and Amorgin.
1. A son of Milesius, a warrior and poet. He also appears as the first of
the druids in Ireland. His wife Scena died on the voyage to Ireland
and was buried at Inverskena (Kenmare River, Co. Kerry). It is
Amairgen who pronounced the first judgement delivered in Ireland
and who decided that Eremon should become the first Milesian king
of the country. Three poems are accredited to Amairgen. Perhaps the
most famous is the extraordinary incantation to Ireland, given in the
Leabhar Gabhala (Book of Invasions), in which Amairgen subsumes
30 Andoid

everything into his own being with a philosophical outlook that

parallels the Hindu Bhagavadgita.

I am the Wind that blows over the sea;

I am the Wave of the Ocean;
I am the Murmur of the billows;
I am the Ox of the Seven Combats;
I am the Vulture on the rock;
I am a Ray of the Sun;
I am the fairest of Plants;
I am a Wild Boar in valour;
I am a Salmon in the Water;
I am a Lake in the plain;
I am the Craft of the artificer;
I am a Word of Science;
I am the Spear-point that gives battle;
I am the God that creates in the head of man the fire of thought.
Who is it that enlightens the assembly upon the mountain, if not
I?
Who tells the ages of the moon, if not I?
Who shows the place where the sun goes to rest, if not I?

2. The father of Conall Cearnach (of the Victories). His foster father
was the poet Athairne. He slew the three-headed Ellen, a supernatu¬
ral creature which emerged from the cave of Cruachan, the entrance
to the Otherworld. He married Findchaem, daughter of Cathbad, the
druid of Conchobhar Mac Nessa, king of Ulster. At Bricriu’s Feast,
Amairgen boasted that he was praised in valour, for his wisdom, his
fortune, age and eloquence, and that, as a poet, he was the bane of
every chariot-warrior. An eleventh-century manuscript describes
how Athairne, his foster father, came to visit him one autumn and
when he tried to take his departure, Amairgen composed a poem
suggesting autumn was not the correct time to depart; a similar poem
was composed in winter, also in spring, but at the start of the summer
Amairgen’s poem said, ‘A good season is summer for a long journey.’
Andoid. One of the four people who survived the Deluge outside
Noah’s Ark, the story obviously entering Irish myth with the coming
of Christianity.
Angus. See Aonghus.
Animal cults. Animals, as gods, malevolent beings and companions,
Animal cults 31

appear profusely in Irish myth just as they play an important part in

the myths and religions of most peoples of the world. The divine bull
and magical cows are an important motif and the Tain Bo Cuailgne is,
perhaps, the most famous demonstration of this. Boann is one of the
goddesses connected with cattle and her very name seems to signify
‘she of the white cattle’. The Morrigan turned Odras into a pool of
water when Odras tried to stop the Morrigan’s bull making off with
the cow of Buchat Buasach. The god Lugh is recorded as creating
magic cows. However, it is the boar which is the Celtic cult animal par
excellence. The meat of the boar is a sacred dish served during the
feasts of the gods in the Otherworld. Irish myth is littered with
destructive pigs and boars. The boar of Formael killed fifty hounds
and fifty warriors and the hero Failbhe Finnmaisech. Supernatural
pigs (mucca gentliuchta) emerged from the Cave of Cruachan, the
entrance of the Otherworld. Manannan Mac Lir, the sea-god, chased
a giant pig, and his hounds were drowned when the pig sprang into a
lake, hence Loch Con (Lake of Dogs), where it swam to an island
called Muc Inis (Pig Island). Cats don’t often play a prominent role
although we find Cairbre Caitcheann (Cat Head) as a divine ancestor
of Erainn and in one voyage a little cat is the guard of an Otherworld
treasure. This animal is able to change itself into a ball of fire.
Horses play their part and the wife of the god Midir, Etain
Echraide, is by her very name connected with this animal. It is
recorded that when Cuchulainn was born a mare foaled at the very
same time and the two foals were given to him, being named the Grey
of Macha and the Black of Sainglend. Horses with fantastic colours
appear from the Otherworld. Cuchulainn witnessed a chariot drawn
by a single red horse which had only one leg. The chariot yoke went
right through the beast and was held by a peg in the centre of its
forehead. In the chariot was a woman of red skin, obviously a
goddess. Enchanted horses, such as the one Eisirt and later Oisin use
to make their journey to the Otherworld, are numerous.
Stags, deer and fawns also have magical qualities. In one stag hunt
Sulbhnede, a son of a king of Munster, with thirty warriors, thirty
hounds and thirty attendants, died while chasing a supernatural stag.
Shape-changing into deer and fawns, such as in the story of Oisin’s
mother, is also common. Coel was killed by Cairbre while he was in
the shape of a deer. Dogs and hounds are not only companions to
warriors but also magical beasts. Most famous of the hounds in Irish
myth is Culann’s hound, slain by Cuchulainn. There is also Mac Da
32 Anxnd

Tho’s hound and the hounds of Fionn Mac Cumhail. Shape¬

changing into dogs and hounds is another popular motif. Lugh’s
mother Ethlinn was slain while in the shape of a dog while Fionn Mac
Cumhail’s sister was changed into a dog in which form she gave birth
to Bran and Sceolang, who became his hounds. The bear also plays its
role and the name Art (bear) occurs in many Irish proper names.
Math is another form of bear as in Mac Mathghamhna (son of the
bear). Fish are also important, for example the Salmon of Knowl¬
edge. Many horned animals are indicated as being supernatural by
the fact that they have three horns - the mystical Celtic trinity. Stags
appear with three antlers, rams with three horns and boars with three
horns.
Anind. A son of Nemed. Loch Ennell, Co. Westmeath is said to have
burst from his grave when it was being dug. He is associated with
Dun na Sciath (Fort of Shields) which stone circular fort still stands
on west bank.
Anluan. Son of Maga, a Connacht warrior who was slain by Conall
Cearnach. Anluan was the brother of Cet. They went to battle against
Ulster in the service of Ailill and Medb at the head of three thousand
warriors. During the challenging for the hero’s portion in the story of
Mac Da Tho’s boar, Conall, challenging Cet, produced the severed
head of Anluan and threw it at him.
Answerer, The. See Freagarthach.
Anu. The mother goddess. Sometimes given as Ana and also occurs as
Buanann, ‘the lasting one’, mother of all heroes. It is generally
accepted that she is one and the same deity as Dana or Danu. Hence
the gods are the Tuatha De Danaan, children of Dana. The
mountains, The Paps of Anu in Co. Kerry, are named for her.
Aobh. Sometimes Aebh. The eldest daughter of Ailill of Aran (see Ailill
5) and foster-child of the Bodb Dearg. Her sisters were Aoife and
Arbha. She was chosen to be the wife of the ocean-god Lir and had
four children by him. The first two were twins, Fionnuala and Aedh;
the second two were also twins, Fiachra and Conn. But she died in
childbirth. See Aoife 2.
Aoi Mac Ollamain. See Ai.
Aoife. 1. Daughter of Ard-Greimne, and sister of Scathach. A warrior
princess of the Land of Shadows. Her sister Scathach instructed
Cuchulainn in the martial arts. Scathach went to war with Aoife but
tried to leave Cuchulainn behind in case Aoife killed him. However,
Cuchulainn followed her to the Land of Shadows and was challenged
Aonghus 33

to single combat by Aoife. Cuchulainn asked Scathach what Aoife

cared about most and Scathach told him that she valued her chariot
and horse. During the combat Aoife had shattered Cuchulainn’s
sword and while she was raising her weapon for the death blow
Cuchulainn called out that her horse and chariot had fallen. Aoife
glanced round and Cuchulainn ran in and caught her. Defeated by
cunning, Aoife submitted to her sister after Cuchulainn offered to
spare her on condition she made peace. She fell in love with Cuchu¬
lainn and he stayed a while in the Land of Shadows with her. When
he left he gave her a gold ring. She told him that she would bear his
child. Years later a young warrior came to Ulster named Connlai.
Cuchulainn challenged and slew him not knowing, until the boy was
dying, that he was his own son by Aoife.
2. The second daughter of Ailill of Aran. See Ailill 5 and Aobh. On
the death of her eldest sister, Aobh, she married Lir, the ocean-god,
and became stepmother to her sister’s children. She was jealous of
them and, going to attend the Feast of Age at the sidhe of Bodb Dearg,
she asked her attendants to slay them. They rebuked her and so she
used her magic to change them into swans. The children of Lir, in
swan-shape, must spend three hundred years on Loch Darravagh
(Westmeath); three hundred years on the Strait of Moyle (between
Ireland and Scotland); and three hundred years on the Atlantic by the
islands of Erris and Inishglory. According to the enchantment, when
a southern princess married a northern prince, they would be
released from the spell. When Bodb Dearg found out what Aoife, his
foster-daughter, had done he changed her into a demon of the air and
no more was heard of her. See also Lir.
3. She became lover of Ilbrec, the son of Manannan Mac Lir. She was
changed into a crane and, while in this form, was killed. Her skin was
used to make the Treasure Bag of the Fianna, sometimes called ‘The
Crane Bag’. See Treasure Bag of the Fianna.
Aonbharr. A magical horse which could travel both on land and sea.
Aoncos. An Otherworld island which was supported on a single pillar
of silver rising out of the sea. It was seen by Mael Duin on his
fabulous voyage.
Aonghus. 1. Aonghus Og, also Mac Og (Young Son). The god of love.
He was son of the Dagda and Boann and his palace was Brugh na
Boinne by the River Boyne at New Grange. He was of beautiful
appearance and four birds, representing his kisses, always hovered
around his head. In the story The Dream of Aonghus’ he saw a
34 Arannan

beautiful maiden in a dream and fell sick for love of her. He asked his
mother for help and she enlisted the support of her brother, the god
Bodb Dearg. The girl was identified as Caer Ibormeith, daughter of
Ethal Anubhail of the De Danaan of Connacht. Aonghus Og enlisted
the aid of Ailill and Medb, the rulers of Connacht, to persuade Ethal
Anubhail to give him his daughter. But Ethal Anubhail said it was not
in his power to do so because Caer lived in the shape of a swan and on
the Feast of Samhain would be found with a hundred and fifty other
swans swimming on Loch Bel Dragon (Lake of the Dragon’s
Mouth). If Aonghus could identify her, it would be up to Caer to
decide if she wanted to go with the love-god. Aonghus Og went to the
lake and identified Caer; they went to his palace by the Boyne and
lived together. Aonghus Og was also foster-father of Diarmuid Ua
Duibhne (of the love spot) and tried to save him and his lover Grainne
from the vengeance of Fionn Mac Cumhail by magical devices. When
Diarmuid was slain by a magic boar (actually the son of Aonghus Og’s
steward, Roc, by Diarmuid’s own mother) it was Aonghus Og who
placed the body on a gilded bier and transported it to his palace where
he was able to breath a soul into it whenever he wanted a conversation
with Diarmuid.
2. Aonghus of the Terrible Spear. A chieftain of the Desi who killed
Celleach, son of the High King Cormac Mac Art, with a spear and
knocked out the eye of Cormac with its butt. This was in revenge for
Celleach raping his niece. This incident starts the tale ‘Inndarba inna
nDesi’ (The Expulsion of the Desi).
3. Aonghus Bolg. An ancestor of the Firbolg, also regarded as an
ancestor of the Desi.
4. Son of the Bodb Dearg.
5. Aonghus Mac Aedh Abrat, brother of Fand, who visited
Cuchulainn as he lay on his sickbed and sang to him, after which
Cuchulainn awoke cured from his sickness.
6. Mac Lamh Gabuid. A warrior who challenged Cet of Connacht
during the bragging contest in the tale of Mac Da Tho’s boar. He is
described as tall and fair-haired. Cet cut off his father’s hand and this
is why he challenged Cet.
Arannan. A son of Milesius born in Galicia. He climbed to the top of the
mast of his ship as the Milesians were invading Ireland and fell into
the sea and was drowned.
Arbha. The youngest daughter of Ailill of Aran. See Ailill 5.
Area Dubh. He slew Cumal, father of Fionn Mac Cumhail, chief of the
Art 35

Fianna. There are two versions of the story. In the first, Cumal could
only be slain by his own sword while lying with his wife, and this was
accomplished by Area Dubh who was a servant of Cumal. The other
version has it that Area Dubh was hiding in the grass by the river and
threw his spear into Cumal while he was swimming. In yet another
version of Cumal’s death the killer is named as Goll Mac Morna who
*
became the new leader of the Fianna.
Ard-Greimne. The name signifies ‘High Power’ (greimm). He is named
as lord of Lethra, referred to as a place of ‘red brightness’. He is the
father of two famous female warriors - Scathach, who taught
Cuchulainn the martial arts, and Aoife, who nearly defeated
Cuchulainn in single combat.
Ard Macha. The capital of Ulster (Armagh). It was said to have been
founded in 370bc by Macha Mong Ruadh, a queen. But the story is
interwoven with stories of Macha the goddess of battles. Armagh was
situated a short distance from Emain Macha which, throughout the
Ulster Cycle, is the seat of the kings of Ulster: see Emain Macha. St.
Patrick decided to form his religious centre there. It is now the
primacy of the Catholic Church in Ireland. The Book of Armagh, now
in Trinity College, Dublin, is of 442 pages and was completed by
Ferdonnach at Armagh in ad807.
Ard Ri. Old spelling Ard Righ. High King. The seat of the High Kings
of Ireland was at Temhair (Tara) in Co. Meath. According to the
ancient bardic lists, Slaigne the Firbolg was the first High King and
from his accession to adI there were one hundred and seven High
Kings consisting of nine Firbolg, nine De Danaan, and eighty-nine
Milesians. From adI the first High King was Conaire Mor, and the
last High King was Ruaraidh 6 Conchobhar (1161-98) who finally
accepted Henry II of the Angevin Empire as suzerain of Ireland at the
Treaty of Windsor signed in October 1175. Between Conaire Mor
and 6 Conchobhar, eighty-one High Kings are listed. There were no
High Kings in Ireland after 6 Conchobhar.
Ardan. A son of Usna and one of Naoise’s two brothers (Ainle and
Ardan) who followed him to exile in Alba and was eventually killed
with his brothers at the Red Branch Hostel. See Naoise.
Argadnel. Silver Cloud. One of the islands of earthly paradise seen
during Bran’s fabulous voyage.
Argetlamh. See Nuada 2.
Art. High King of Ireland. Son of Conn of the Hundred Battles. Art is
an example of the confusion between the historical and mythological
36 Arthur

in Ireland. According to the king lists he ruled at Tara from ad220 to

250. Yet according to the Annals of the Four Masters he was killed at
the battle of Moy Muchruinne in ad 195. He was known as Art
Aenfer, the Solitary. In Irish myth, however, Art won the love of
Delbchaem (fair shape) and his son is the famous Cormac Mac Art,
the great patron of Fionn Mac Cumhail and his Fianna.
According to one tale, Art’s father Conn had taken, as one of his
concubines, Becuma Cneisgel, a goddess who had been expelled from
the Otherworld. Because of her, the country grew infertile and
miserable. One evening she was gAzy'mgfidchell with Art and winning
because she had enlisted the aid of invisible servants. Because she
won the game she was able to place a geis on Art whereby he had to
undertake a journey to find and win Delbchaem. By this means
Becuma hoped to get rid of Art for she was jealous of the king’s son.
Art set out and faced terrible dangers on his voyage in search of
Delbchaem. Hideous toads, a river of ice, a giant and the choice
between two cups, one containing poison, barred his way to the
beautiful maiden. Finally he had to destroy Delbchaem’s evil
parents, Morgan, king of the Land of Wonder, and Coinchend, a
monstrous warrior woman. Art then brought Delbchaem safely to
Ireland and was able to banish Becuma, who admitted defeat.
Art, on his way to the battle at Moy Muchruinne, where he was to
perish at the hands of a rebel, Lugaide Mac Con, passed the night at
the house of a smith named Ole Siche. He slept with Achtan, the
smith’s daughter. Knowing that his death had been foretold, he gave
Achtan his sword, golden ring and ceremonial clothing for safe¬
keeping so that her child would claim his inheritance. She bore his
child, who became Cormac Mac Art.
Arthur. In Irish myth Arthur appears as the son of the king of Britain.
He stole the hounds of Fionn Mac Cumhail, Bran and Sceolan. The
Fianna pursued Arthur to Britain and recovered the hounds. Arthur
is said to have sworn fealty to Fionn. There are several later
Arthurian stories in Irish manuscript but these stories are obviously
translations and re-tellings from Brythonic Celtic sources.
Artrach. A son of Bodb Dearg.
Artur, a son of Nemed who led his people in battle against the Fomorii
at Cramh Ros. The Nemedians were all but destroyed.
Astrology. See Divination.
Athairne the Importunate. A druid and poet who is described as an
overbearing satirist from Ben Edar (Howth), he is reported to have
Avon Dia 31

compiled a code of laws with Forchern, Feirceirthe and Neide under

the title of Breithe Neimhidh, which was incorporated into the
Brehon Laws. According to Fergus Mac Roth: ‘The lakes and rivers
receded before him when he satirised them and rose up before him
when he praised them. ’ He was the foster-father of the poet Amairgen
(see Amairgen 2). He made a progress round Ireland demanding the
wives and treasures of his hosts. In Connacht he visited the one-eyed
King Luain and demanded his eye. Under the laws of hospitality the
hosts could not refuse but when he asked Mesgora Mac Da Tho, king
of Leinster, for his wife Buan, Mac Da Tho refused. He then
demanded of Conchobhar Mac Nessa that Ulster made war on
Leinster for this affront and Conchobhar agreed. This led to the
death of Mac Da Tho.
Ath Liag Fionn. The ford into which Fionn Mac Cumhail threw a flat
stone attached to a golden chain which had magical properties. It had
been a present from a De Danaan. A prophesy said the stone would
be found on a Sunday morning which would mark exactly seven years
before the world came to an end.
Ath Nurchair. Ford of the Sling Cast in Westmeath. This is the river
ford where Cet lurked in ambush, using his sling to hurl Conall’s
‘brain ball’ at Conchobhar Mac Nessa of Ulster. Conchobhar fell to
the ground with the ball lodged in his forehead. He was still alive and
taken back to Emain Macha. Fingen, his physician, said if the ball
was extracted Conchobhar would die. He therefore had the ball sewn
up with golden thread and forbade Conchobhar to ride horses, give
vent to vehement passion or make any other exertion. Seven years
later Conchobhar fell into a rage, the ball burst in his head and he
died.
Avon Dia. Anglicised from Abhainn Dea, a stretch of river which held
back its waves for fear of the mighty duel in the river ford (Ath
Ferdia, now Ardee, the Ford of Ferdia) between the champions
Cuchulainn and Ferdia.
B. beithe (birch) in the Ogham alphabet.
Babal. A follower of Partholon who brought the first cattle to Ireland.
Bachorbladhra. A follower of Partholon who became the first to
institute the practice of fosterage in Ireland.
Badb. 1. A goddess of battles who is regarded as one of a triune: Badb,
Macha (Nemain) and the Morrigan. Badb’s name signifies a crow,
which is a constant symbol of the war goddesses. She was married to
Net who appears as a more shadowy god of war. In an account of the
historical battle of Clontarf, in ad1014, when the High King Brian
Boramha defeated the Vikings, it is said that Badb appeared shriek¬
ing over the heads of the warriors during the battle.
2. A daughter of Calatin who took the form of a handmaiden of
Niamh, wife of Conall of the Victories, to entice Niamh into a wood
where she laid a spell on her so that Niamh would remain lost. She
went in the form of Niamh to Cuchulainn in order to persuade him to
rise up and rescue Ulster from the forces of Ailill and Medb. She is
sometimes confused with Badb 1 although she appears to be a
separate entity.
Badba. Obviously linked with the war goddess, Badb 1, the Badba is
recorded as a separate supernatural creature which frequents
battlefields.
Badh. A bean sidhe (banshee) in Munster.
Bade of the Honeyed Speech. See Aillinn.
Bainleannan. A female spirit.
Baire. A team game, often played by the heroes, perhaps similar to the
modern game of hurly. A hole is dug in the ground for a goal and the
purpose is to score goals by getting a ball into the hole.
Baiba. One of Cesair’s companions on her voyage to Ireland.
Ballyconnell. A spot in Co. Cavan (Bel-atha-Chonaill), the mouth of
the ford of Conall where the Red Branch champion was slain.
Baruch 39

Balor of the Evil Eye. A god of death and the most formidable of the
Fomorii. His father was Buarainech. He had one eye whose gaze was
so malevolent that it destroyed whoever gazed upon it. His wife was
Cethlenn. It was prophesied that he would be slain by his own
grandson and to prevent this happening he had his only daughter
Ethlinn locked in a crystal tower on Tory Island so that she might
never know a man. Hearing of Ethlinn’s beauty, the De Danaan,
Cian, with the help of a druidess named Birog, managed to reach her.
Cian slept with Ethlinn and she gave birth to a boy. Discovering this,
Balor had the child cast into the sea to be drowned. Birog, the
druidess, saved the boy and he was fostered by Manannan Mac Lir
(in other versions by Goibhniu). He grew up to become Lugh
Lamhfada, of the Long Arm, the god of arts and crafts. At the Second
Battle of Magh Tuireadh, when Balor had slain Nuada and Macha,
Lugh took a tathlum, a magic stone ball, and waited until Balor’s eye
was drooping. Then he sent the stone into the Fomorii’s eye,
knocking it out and destroying twenty-eight Fomorii warriors who
were unlucky enough to be within sight of it. Balor was slain and the
Fomorii defeated.
Banba. A triune goddess - Banba, Fotla and Eire - representing the
spirit of Ireland. She was the wife of Mac Cuill, son of Ogma. With
her sisters, Fotla and Eire, she met the Milesians on their arrival in
Ireland and each asked that her name be given to the country. The
names have since been synonyms for Ireland in Irish literature and
poetry; however, it is the name of Eire from which Ireland takes its
modern name.
Banban. The name signifies ‘little pig’. He invited the High King
Diarmuid to his house for a feast. Aedh Dubh and his warriors
attacked the house and burnt it, slaying Diarmuid in accordance with
a prophecy. See Diarmuid 2.
Banishments or Exiles. A class of tales.
Banshee. See Bean Sidhe.
Bard. A class of poets. Bardic schools flourished in historical Ireland as
in mythological Ireland. They were finally suppressed in the late
seventeenth century.
Barinthus. It was his tales about the Land of Promise which caused
Brendan to set out on his fabulous voyage.
Barran. Sometimes Barrfhind, one of Cesair’s companions on her
voyage to Ireland.
Baruch. A Red Branch warrior who met Fergus, Naoise and Deirdre on
40 Beag

their return from Alba. He persuaded Fergus to leave the lovers,

whom he was guarding, to go on to Emain Macha alone in order that
he might feast with Baruch at his fortress Dun Baruch, which looked
out over the River Moyle, across which Naoise, Deirdre and Naoise’s
brothers sailed on to their doom. See Naoise and Deirdre.
Beag. A De Danaan who had a magic well, guarded by her three
daughters. When Fionn Mac Cumhail came to the well to ask for a
drink the daughters tried to prevent him from getting the water. One
of them threw water over him to scare him away and some of it went
into his mouth. From the water he gained wisdom.
Bealcu. A champion of Connacht during the Tain war. He found the
Ulster champion Conall of the Victories lying wounded having just
slain Cet in combat. Bealcu refused to kill Conall. ‘I will not slay a man
at the point of death, but I will bring you home to heal you and when
your strength is come again you will fight me in single combat.’
Bealcu kept his promise to nurse Conall but his three sons were
worried that Conall might recover sufficiently to slay their father.
They plotted to assassinate Conall before he was well. However,
Conall found out and tricked them into killing their father; then he
killed them and took their heads back to Ulster.
Bealtaine. See Beltaine.
Beann. A son of Conchobhar Mac Nessa of Ulster, who took his clans
south. They argued and divided, some settling in Wexford and some
in Cork. Both section of the clan gave their names to the areas -
Beantraighe (the followers of Beann), which is the barony of Bantry
in Wexford and the town and bay of Bantry in Cork.
Bean Sidhe. Popularly known to English speakers as a banshee.
Literally, ‘woman of the hills’ or, in modern usage, ‘woman of the
fairies’. After the gods went underground and were, in popular folk
memory, transformed into fairies, a banshee became a female fairy
attached to a particular family which warned of approaching death by
giving an eerie wail.
Beara. The daughter of a king of Spain who married Eoghan Mor of
Munster (Magh Nuadat). It had been prophesied that the man who
would wed her would come to her on a certain night if she went to the
River Eibhear where she would find a salmon wearing shining
clothes. The prophecy fulfilled, she wed Eoghan. On their landing in
Ireland, they arrived on the north side of Bantry Bay which Eoghan
renamed in honour of his wife. The peninsula still carries the name
Beara or Beare.
Beltaine 41

Beara, Hag of. See Cailleach Beara.

Bebhionn. A beautiful giantess, daughter of Treon of the Land of
Maidens. She was promised to Aedh against her will and sought help
from Fionn Mac Cumhail and the Fianna. But Aedh followed her and
slew her. Fionn and his warriors buried her on the Ridge of the Dead
Woman. See Aedh 10.
Bebo. The wife of Iubdan, king of the Faylinn or little people. She had
an affair with Fergus Mac Leide. See Iubdan and Fergus 8.
Becuma. (Cneisgel-of the Fair Skin) She dwelt in the Land of Promise
and had an affair with Gaiar, a son of Manannan Mac Lir, the
sea-god. Because of this she was banished to the human world where
she persuaded Conn of the Hundred Battles, the High King, to take
her as his wife or concubine. She grew jealous of his son Art and tried
to get him banished. See Art.
Bee Fola. A wife of Diarmuid, a king, who left him in bed one morning
to spend a day and a night in the Otherworld. On returning she found
that it was still the same morning and her husband was only just
stirring from his sleep.
Bee Mac De. A druid who prophesied the death of the High King
Diarmuid (see Diarmuid 2) in the house of Banban. In spite of the
unlikely conditions of the prophecy, it was fulfilled.
Be Find. Sister of the goddess Boann. She became the wife of Idath and
mother of Fraoch, the most handsome warrior in Ireland. See
Fraoch.
Bel. See Bile.
Beltaine. The feast of the fires of Bel, one of the four major festivals of
the Celts falling on May Eve and 1 May and marking the beginning of
the summer. Also known as Cetshamhain. It was customary to
observe the festival by lighting bonfires, hence Bel-tinne, the fires of
Bel. It was a time when the Celts offered praise to Bel, the life-giver,
represented by the sun, for having brought victory over the powers of
darkness and for bringing the people within sight of another harvest.
On that day the fires of every household were extinguished. At a
given time, the druids would rekindle the fires from torches lit from
‘the sacred fires of Bel’, the rays of the sun, and the new flames would
symbolise a fresh start for everyone. Numbers of cattle from each
herd would be driven in ancient circles through fires as a symbol of
purification. Some scholars have argued that, because of this, the
ceremony was the start of the Celtic New Year but it is widely agreed
that Samhain marks this point. The festival was widely known and
42 Beo

practised throughout the Celtic world and not just in Ireland.

Survivals of May Day bonfire ceremonies are to be found in many
places from France to Scotland. In Cornwall the ceremony is still
observed with incantations offered in the old Cornish language. The
modern Irish word for the May month is still Bealtaine. In Scotland,
while Maigh has replaced the native word, May Day is still Latha
Bealltainn. Until the nineteenth century, the Scottish Law Term
starting in May was designated the Beltane Term. In Manx, May is
known as Boaldyn and May Day as Laa Boaldyn. Significant events
always happened at Beltaine not only in Irish tradition but also in
Welsh myth. It was at Beltaine that Partholon came to Ireland, the
De Danaan arrived and the Milesians invaded. The pre-Christian
ceremony was claimed for Christianity and merged with the feast day
of St. John the Baptist. See Bile.
Beo. A destructive sow killed by Fionn Mac Cumhail who gave its head
to Cruithne, daughter of Locham the smith.
Beothach. Son of Iarbanel.
Bile. A god of death who is cognate with Bel and Belinos in Brythonic
tradition and whose feast day was on May Eve and 1 May: see
Beltaine. In some texts Bile is known as ‘Father of Gods and Men’
and husband to Dana. In other texts he appears as father of Milesius
who significantly comes from ‘Spain’, a synonym for the Land of the
Dead. This deity had a profound influence throughout the ancient
Celtic world, apparently as god of both life and death. There are
many places throughout Europe named after him. In London,
for example, Belinos’ Gate has come down to modern times as
Billingsgate. His name is also to be found in personal names such
as that of one of the most notable kings of Britain before the Roman
invasion - Cunobelinus. The Celtic form is Cunobel - the Hound
of Bel. In 5bc the Romans regarded Cunobelinus as High King
of Britain. William Shakespeare has given him greater fame as
Cymbeline.
Biobal. A Partholon who brought the first gold to Ireland.
Birog. A druidess who helped Cian to gain access to the crystal tower of
Balor where the Fomorii ruler had imprisoned his daughter Ethlinn
so that she would know no men, for it had been prophesied that his
grandson would kill him. Later Birog saved the life of the child of
Cian and Ethlinn when Balor had him cast into the sea. The child
grew up as Lugh Lamhfada, god of arts and crafts.
Bith. 1. Son of Noah and father of Cesair who took Barran and sixteen
Boann 43

women to start a kingdom in the north of Ireland where he

subsequently died.
2. Father of Adna, chief poet of Ireland.
Black of Sainglend. Sometimes given as Saingliu. One of Cuchulainn’s
two famous horses born on the same night as the hero.
Bladh. A Milesian hero who had one of the twelve chief mountains of
Ireland named after him - Sliabh Bladh (Slievebloom).
Blai Bruige. Son of Fiachne who asked if he could foster the boy Setanta
who became the hero Cuchulainn. He was slain by Celtchair after
it was discovered he was having an affair with Brig Brethach,
Celtchair’s wife.
Blathnat. Sometimes given as Blanid. Daughter of Mend, king of Inis
Fer Falga. The Munster king Cu Roi carried her off to become his
wife. However, she had fallen in love with Cuchulainn, who was an
enemy of Cu Roi. Cu Roi’s fortress at Sleemish was so constructed
that no one could find its entrance. Blathnat gave Cuchulainn a signal
by emptying milk into a stream which ran through the fortress.
Cuchulainn’s attack was successful. Cu Roi was slain and Blathnat
carried off. Among those taken, however was Cu Roi’s bard
Fer Cherdne (sometimes Ferchertnae) who waited his chance to
avenge his king. As Cuchulainn progressed along the Beara penin¬
sula, they paused and Blathnat stood by some cliffs. Fer Cherdne
leapt forward, seized her by the waist and jumped over the edge,
killing them both.
Blocc and Bluigne. Two ‘king stones’ which opened before Conaire
Mor when he demanded recognition as High King at Tara. The
assembled chieftains then accepted him.
Boann. Sometimes given as Boand. The name signifies ‘she of the white
cattle’. She is a water-goddess and wife of Nechtan, a water-god: see
Nechtan. Sidhe Nechtan (the Hill of Carbery, Co. Kildare) held a
sacred well, the well of Segais or Connla’s Well, which was the source
of the inspiration of knowledge: see Nuts of Knowledge. Only four
persons were privileged to go there - Nechtan and his three cup¬
bearers. Boann ridiculed this gm; she went to the well and walked
contemptuously around it in a left-hand circle, whereupon the waters
of the well rose up and pursued her eastwards and drowned her. Its
course formed the river named after her - the Boyne. However,
another version states that she escaped but the waters never returned
to the well, thus forming the river.
In yet another version Boann is listed as the wife of Elcmar of the
44 Bochra

Bruig. The Dagda wanted to sleep with her and sent Elcmar on a long
errand making nine months seem like one day. Through this union
Aonghus Og, the love god, was born. He was called Og or Mac Og
because Boann said: ‘Young is the son who was begotten at break of
day and born betwixt it and evening.’ See Aonghus Og. Some
Christian monks have confused things by trying to make Boann into
the wife of the Dagda in accordance with Christian morality. It was
Boann who organised the search for the girl who Aonghus Og
dreamed of, Caer the daughter of Ethal Anuabhail.
Bochra. The father of Fintan, the husband of Cesair. The name means
‘ocean’ and it may be significant that Fintan escaped the Deluge by
turning himself into a salmon which could live in the ocean.
Bodb Dearg. Bodb the Red, a son of the Dagda who succeeded him as
ruler of the gods. Yet in some versions he is called the brother of
Boann. He had his palace or sidhe at Loch Dearg on the Shannon,
contracted from Loch Dergdherc, the lake of the red eye. His domain
was Connacht and he helped Boann identify the girl in Aonghus Og’s
dream as Caer, the daughter of Ethal Anubhail of Connacht. He had a
daughter Sadb who was turned into a fawn by a druid and in this guise
met Fionn Mac Cumhail. She changed back into human form and
conceived Fionn’s son Oisin. The druid pursued her and changed her
back into a fawn. Bodb Dearg had another daughter, Daireann,
whose love Fionn refused; in revenge she drove him mad with an
enchanted drink but the madness passed. Bodb Dearg also had a
goldsmith named Len who gave his name to the lakes of Killarny,
Loch Lena, the Lakes of Len of the Many Hammers.
Boramha. Also given as Borumha and Anglicised as Boru. A tribute
placed on the people of Leinster by the High Kings. According to the
Book of Leinster the High King Tuathal Teachtmhair, the Legiti¬
mate, had two daughters - Fithir and Dairine. Eochaidh, the king of
Leinster, wanted to marry the younger daughter but could not while
the elder was unmarried. To achieve his purpose he married Fithir,
the elder daughter, and took her to his palace. After a while he
returned to Tara saying that Fithir had died. After a period he wed
Dairine, the younger daughter, and took her back to his palace. Here
Dairine found her sister alive and both sisters died of shame and grief
at the deception. When the news reached Tara, Tuathal vowed
vengeance and led an army against Eochaidh of Leinster. He killed
Ecohaidh and forced Leinster to agree to a tribute and from that time
onwards the High Kings of Ireland exacted a tribute known as ‘cattle
Bran 45

counting’ or the Boramha. It seems the tribute was seldom paid

unless exacted by the use of force. One of the most famous historical
High Kings of Ireland was Brian Boramha (Brian Boru) — 941—1014 —
who won the nickname by successfully imposing the tribute on
Leinster.
Bran. 1. A son of Lir and brother of Manannan. The name signifies a
raven. In Brythonic Celtic myth he appears as a god of the Other-
world and, as a son of Lir, this may have been his role in the Goidelic
tradition. But apart from a brief reference in th eBook of Leinster little
is known about him. The other two surviving Brans are human in
origin. There were several Brans in the Celtic world, such as the
Celtic leader who conquered Rome in 390bc, following the battle at
Allia, and the Celtic leader whose armies swept through Greece and
sacked the Temple of the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi in 279bc.
However, it has been argued that rather than being a personal name,
Bran or Brennus (as history records them) might have been a title.
Brenin remains the modern Welsh word for a king.
2. Son of Febal. He is the hero of the most famous ‘Voyage’ tale -
‘Immram Brain’ or the Voyage of Bran, which has been dated to the
eighth century ad. The story, however, is essentially pre-Christian in
character. It starts one day when Bran was walking near his fortress.
He heard sweet music which caused him to fall asleep. When he
awoke he found a branch of silver with white blossom beside him. He
went back to his fortress and even though the gates were bolted that
night a beautiful woman appeared clad in strange clothes and sang a
long lay to Bran describing the splendour and delights of her world
beyond the sea. As she departed the silver branch sprang from Bran’s
hand to her own. The next day Bran, his three foster brothers and
twenty-seven warriors (the mystical 9 x 3 = 27 figure) set out on a
voyage to find the land of which the woman had sung. After two days
and nights they met Manannan Mac Lir riding on the ocean waves.
He was on his way to the land of the Dal nAraide to beget his son
Mongan by its queen. A Christian embellishment is that Manannan
told of the coming of Christ to save the world. The fabulous voyage
continued with Bran coming to the Island of Joy where he was forced
to leave one of the men who wanted to stay there. Eventually he came
to Tir na mBan, the Land of Women, where he saw the beautiful
woman on the shore. She threw a ball of thread to Bran and drew his
ship to the shore. Bran and his crew stayed for what they thought was
but a single year before the crew began to get restless and demanded
46 Brandubh

to return home. The woman warned them that centuries had passed
in the human world but Bran was persuaded to leave. The woman
warned them that if they set foot on Ireland they would suddenly age
all the centuries they had been away. They neared land and one of the
crew leapt ashore, heedless of the warnings. He immediately turned
to dust. Bran wrote his story on Ogham wands and threw them ashore
before turning his ship back into the unknown. ‘And from that hour
his wanderings are not known.’ This is one of the earliest voyage tales
and it is distinguished by the beauty of its incidental poetry, the
descriptions of the snowy cliffs of the Land of Silver hazed in mist, of
glistening sea horses and flowering plains.
3. The hound of Fionn Mac Cumhail which was also his nephew.
Fionn’s sister, Tuireann, had been turned into a bitch dog in which
state she gave birth to Bran and Sceolan who become her brother’s
faithful hounds. In finding Sadb, who becomes Oisin’s mother, in the
shape of a fawn, Fionn had to crush Bran to death between his legs to
prevent the dog from savaging the fawn.
Brandubh. 1. A board game played by the heroes and gods. The
name signifies ‘black raven’. It seems similar to fidchell. There
have been several archaeological finds of board games in Celtic
graves. A wooden board with sockets for movable pegs was found in
Ballinderry, Co. Westmeath.
2. A king of Leinster. The Annals of Ulster say he died in ad604.
His father was Eochaidh of Leinster and his mother was Feildem
(Feldelma). She gave birth to twin boys but exchanged one of them
with the twin daughters of King Aidan of Alba. Her remaining son,
Brandubh, grew up to become king. He was a good friend of Mongan
of the Dal nAraidi but coveted Mongan’s wife, Dubh Lacha. He
tricked Mongan into giving him Dubh Lacha although Mongan, the
son of Manannan Mac Lir, used his magic powers to get her back.
Brandubh treacherously slew the son of the High King Aedh and
Aedh made war on him. Brandubh sent a spy to kill Aedh (see Aedh
7) but was later slain by Saran. A Christian embellishment has
Brandubh raised from the dead by a miracle.
Branfad. Another board game, which appears to resemble chess or
draughts.
Brea. 1. Son of Belgan, one of five De Danaan left in Ulster to stir up
discord among the Milesians when the De Danaan were driven
underground.
2. Battle of; a ford on the Boyne where Fionn Mac Cumhail is
Brehon Laws 47

supposed to have been killed trying to put down a rebellion of his own
Fianna.
Breasal. The High King of the World. He is said to have built Bare
Bresail in Leinster, a formidable fortress which was eventually
destroyed by the High King Tuathal Teachtmhaire during his war on
Eochaidh of Leinster. Breasal lived in the west and his country was
known as Hy-Brasil and sometimes O-Brasil. In later folklore Hy-
Brasil became a legendary Atlantic island which was only visible
every seven years. Anyone who looked on it when it was visible would
die. It was suggested that it was a sunken land of which the Aran
Islands were a remnant. Ruairi 6 Flaithearta, writing his A
Choregraphical Description of West of H-Iarr Connaught (London,
1684), told of a man named O’Ley who claimed to have been
kidnapped and taken to the island. The name of Hy-Brasil appeared
on maps as a real place. A. Dalorto (circa ad 1325), the Genoese
cartographer, placed it in the latitudes south of Ireland. So fixed in
people’s minds was Hy-Brasil as a reality that when explorers came to
South America they thought they had found the legendary country
and thus gave the name Brazil to the land they discovered.
Breg. A goddess who appears as the wife of the Dagda. She seems to be a
triune goddess for she is also known as Meng and Meabal and
confused with Boann.
Bregon. A son of Milesius. He is said to be father of Bile and Ith,
although Bile also appears as father of Milesius. Bregon built a tower
in ‘Spain’, the synonym for the Land of the Dead, from which Ith,
one fine winter’s night, saw the land of Ireland and set out to visit it.
Brehon Laws. The ancient laws of Ireland and the oldest surviving law
system in Europe, named from breitheamh, a judge. The laws are very
sophisticated and complex, the result of many centuries of practice.
It is recorded that the first codification of the laws occurred in the fifth
century at the instigation of St Patrick. Until that time the laws had
been handed down in oral tradition. It has been said that the Irish law
tracts are probably the most important documents of their kind in the
whole tradition of western Europe by reason of their extent, archaism
and of the tradition that they preserve. Their roots are in ancient
Indo-European custom and not in Roman Law. Of the surviving
tracts the Senchus Mor deals with civil law while the Book of Acaill
deals with criminal law. Both of these are to be found in the Book of
the Dun Cow which is one of the most complete copies of the tracts
that survives. The language of Irish law is ancient, Berla Feini as it is
48 Brendan

called. In spite of English attempts to destroy this law system it

persisted, with many English colonists turning to it for judgements.
Even through the seventeenth century the laws were in use in parts of
Ireland. However, they were finally suppressed during the Penal
Law period.
Brendan. The historical Christian saint appears as an entry here
because of his fabulous voyage ‘Navigatio Sancti Brendam (the
Voyage of St. Brendan) which became one of the most popular stories
of the Middle Ages and played an important part in inspiring the
voyages which later resulted in the discovery of America. The tale
seems to have been based on the earlier ‘Voyage of Mael Duin’ by a
late ninth- or early tenth-century Irish Latinist. The tale was trans¬
lated into many European languages. Brendan the Voyager (or
Navigator) - to differentiate him from his contemporary, St. Bren¬
dan of Birr - was born in Co. Kerry circa ad486 and died in 578. He
became a disciple of St. Ita of Kileedy and founded the monastery of
Cluain-ferta (Clonfert), Co. Galway. According to the story of his
voyage he was inspired by one Barinthus who told tales of the Land of
Promise. Brendan first set out in a curragh but this was driven back so
he then set out in a wooden vessel. Like Mael Duin he came to an
island populated by spirits in bird form, found a crystal column in the
sea, sailed a translucent sea and came to an island of giant smiths.
Differing slightly from Mael Duin’s voyage, he landed on an island
which turned out to be a giant whale, Jasconius, and also found
himself in the Sargasso Sea.
Breoga. A follower of Partholon who introduced single combat
(monomachy) into Ireland as a means of settling conflicts without
recourse to full-scale war.
Bretnas. The name of Celtic Britain before the coming of the English.
Bres. 1. A De Danaan warrior who was sent to negotiate with the
Firbolg ambassador, Sreng, when the De Danaan landed in Ireland.
Bres proposed that the two peoples divide Ireland into two halves but
the Firbolg refused and the first battle of Magh Tuireadh took place
in which Bres was killed.
2. A son of the Fomorii Balor mentioned in the tale of the ‘Children
of Tuireann’. Lugh was approaching the land of the Fomorii from the
west and Bres arose saying: ‘I wonder that the sun is rising in the west
today.’ The Fomorii druids informed him that it was not the sun but
the countenance of Lugh.
3. Son of Elatha, king of the Fomorii, and of Eri, a De Danaan
Brig Betach 49

woman. He married Brigit, goddess of fertility. When Nuada lost his

hand at the first battle of Magh Tuireadh, Bres became king because
the blemish prevented Nuada from keeping office. Bres was a very
beautiful person but an oppressor who proved unpopular. After
Miach the physician had replaced Nuada’s silver arm with a real one,
and Nuada became able to rule again, Bres was deposed. He fled with
his mother to the land of the Fomorii to seek the aid of his father,
Elatha. This led to the second battle of Magh Tuireadh. He was
captured during the battle and in return for his life he promised the
De Danaan that he would advise them about agriculture, about
planting and sowing, and thus seems to have become, for a while, an
agricultural divinity.
Bresal. See Etarlann.
Bri. The daughter of Midir the Proud.
Brian. The eldest of the three sons of Tuireann by the goddess Brigid.
With his brothers Iuchar and Iucharba he slew Cian, Lugh’s father.
As compensation Lugh demanded that the three brothers must fulfil
eight tasks. They had to get three apples from the Garden of
Hesperides; a pig-skin from Tuis, king of Greece; a poisoned spear
from Pisear of Persia; two horses and a chariot from Dobhar, king of
Siogair (Sicily); two pigs from Easal, king of the Golden Pillars; the
hound-whelp of the king of Ioruiadh; the cooking spit of the women
of Fianchuibhe, which lies at the bottom of the sea; and then give
three shouts on the Hill of Miodchaoin. The adventures of the
brothers in fulfilling these tasks have been compared to the voyage of
Jason and the Argonauts. Brian in all these adventures plays the
leading and dominant role.
Bricriu. Nemthenga, of the Poisoned Tongue. A son of Carbad, he was
an Ulster champion renowned for his bitter tongue and a desire to
create trouble. It was Bricriu who caused strife between Cuchulainn
and the other Red Branch warriors as to who was the greatest
champion. In the famous tale 'Fled Bncnu’ (Bricriu’s Feast) it is
mentioned that eight swordsmen had to guard Bricriu. He is also a
creator of trouble in the ‘Tale of Mac Da Tho’s Boar’. Bricriu is the
trouble-maker of the Ulster Cycle. At the end of the Tain war he was
asked by the men of Ulster to judge the contest between the Brown
Bull of Cuailgne and the White Horned Bull of Connacht on the Plain
of Aei. Bricriu was trampled to death by the fighting bulls.
Brig Betach. The wife of Celtchair who had an adulterous affair with
the Red Branch champion Blai Bruige.
50 Brigid

Brigid. Sometimes Brigit. A triune goddess.

1. The goddess of healing.
2. The goddess of smiths.
3. The goddess of fertility and poetry. It is in this last form that we
know more about her. She appears as a daughter of the Dagda. For a
while she was married to Bres, the half-Fomorii ruler of the De
Danaan. By Tuireann she had three sons - Brian, Iuchar and
Iucharba. In many tales she appears as an equivalent to Dana, mother
of all the gods. She has her counterpart in Brythonic and Gaulish
culture for she appears as Brigindo among the Gauls and Brigantia in
Britain. The name seems to represent ‘High One’. She is obviously
the totem of the Brigantes of Britain. Her festival was one of the four
great feasts of the Celtic world and was held on 1 February. The feast
seems to be connected with the coming into milk of the ewes and was
a pastoral festival.
4. The Christian saint, known in Ireland as ‘Mary of the Gaels’. She
is mentioned here as her traditions are often confused with those of
the goddess. St. Brigid was born in Faughart in ad450 and died in
Kildare in 523. As an Irish saint she takes second place only to St.
Patrick. There were numerous written accounts of her life soon after
her death and her cult became widespread. However, many cer¬
emonies and traditions associated with her predecessor, the goddess,
were ascribed to her, not least her feastday: 1 February is now the
feast of St. Brigid. R. A. S. MacAlister put forward the theory that
the saint was actually a priestess of Brigid who converted to Chris¬
tianity. In most accounts of her life, her father is named as Dubhtach,
a druid.
Bri Leith. The sidhe or palace of Midir the Proud at Slieve Golry near
Ardagh, Co. Longford. Midir had a great playing field nearby where
Aonghus Og played during his fosterage with three times fifty boys
and three times fifty girls. It was here that Aonghus Og fell out with
Triath, son of Febal, another foster child of Midir. Triath told
Aonghus Og the truth of his parentage. Bri Leith was stormed by the
High King Eochaidh Airemh in order to secure the release of Etain
whom Midir had abducted. See Midir, Eochaidh Airemh and Etain
2.
Britan. A Nemedian who, having fled from Ireland after the victory of
Morca and the Fomorii over his people, settled in the island of Britain
and gave his name to it.
Briun. Son of Bethar. He was ‘no mean warrior, who on the ocean’s
Buile Shuibhne 51

eastern border reigned’. It was Briun who fashioned the tathlum,

sling shot, for Lugh to use to take out Balor’s eye during the second
battle of Magh Tuireadh.
Bruigh na Boinne. Palace of the Boyne, identified with New Grange. It
was first the fortress of Nechtan and later the home of Aonghus Og,
the love-god.
Bruree. Bruigh-righ, palace of the king. The chief seat of Ailill Olom in
Munster.
Brythonic Celts. Consisting of the modern nationalities of the Welsh,
Cornish and Bretons. The Gauls were also classed as Brythonic. See
Celt.
Buain. A king of Ulster and father of Bade of the Honeyed Speech.
Buan. 1. Daughter of Samera who fell in love with Cuchulainn and, in
trying to spring after his chariot, fell and struck her head on a rock
and died.
2. WifeofMesgoraMac Da Tho. The Ulster poet and druid Athairne
the Importunate stayed with Mac Da Tho, the king of Leinster, and
demanded that he give Buan to him. Under the laws of hospitality a
host is not supposed to refuse the request of a guest but Mac Da Tho
refused. Athairne returned to Ulster and persuaded Conchobhar Mac
Nessa to make war on Mac Da Tho for this insult. Conall of the
Victories was the warrior who eventually slew Mac Da Tho but Buan,
rather than go with him, died of grief; her grave is named Uaig
Buana.
Buanann. ‘The mother of heroes’, an Amazon-type lady who taught the
martial arts and ran a school for warriors. The name signifies ‘lasting
one’. See Anu.
Bui. Sometimes given as Boi. An alternative name for the Cailleach
Beara(Hag of Beara). It signifies ‘yellow’. She is described as a wife of
Lugh. See Cailleach Beara.
Buie. Son of Banblai, a warrior of Medb of Connacht who led a raid in
search of the Brown Bull of Cuailgne. He was successful in capturing
the beast but Cuchulainn slew him although he was unable to rescue
the bull at that point. ‘This was the greatest affront put on
Cuchulainn during the course of the raid.’ See Natchrantal.
Buile Shuibhne. The Frenzy of Sweeny. A warrior named Suibhne of
the Dal Riada was maddened by his injuries at the battle of Moira. He
took off on a mad flight through the wild places of Ireland in search of
peace of mind. The tale is a powerful image of a frenzied mind.
Suibhne returned to an almost animal familiarity with nature and the
52 Buinne the Ruthless

nature poetry contained in the story is excellent. It was apparently a

common thing for poets to compose nature poetry in the name of
Suibhne for several centuries, and the eighth-century poem
‘M’ainuclan m Tuaim Inbhir\ an account of a retreat, is supposed to
one of his utterances.
Buinne the Ruthless. A son of Fergus Mac Roth. When Naoise and his
brothers were besieged at the hostel of the Red Branch, Buinne and
his brother Iollan defended them. Iollan was slain and Buinne killed
many of Conchobhar Mac Nessa’s men before the Ulster king offered
him a mountain as a reward if he would cease fighting. Buinne
accepted but did not enjoy his treachery for the mountain turned
barren.
Bull. As in other cultures, the bull as a symbol of strength and virility
features prominently in Irish mythology. The saga of the Tain war is
perhaps the most famous story in which the bull cult is prominent.
The ancient Irish used to hold a Bull Feast and according to the Book
of the Dun Cow a special ceremony was performed by druids before a
new High King was chosen. A white bull was sacrificed and a druid
would eat of its flesh and drink its blood. The druid then slept and the
man he dreamed about would be the rightful king. If the sleeper
uttered a falsehood about his vision it was said that he would perish
from the wrath of the gods.
C. Coll (hazel) in the Ogham alphabet.
Cael. A warrior of the Fianna who won the hand of Credhe, daughter of
a king of Kerry, after reciting a poem in praise of her possessions.
Cael makes an interesting point about cosmetics in the ancient Irish
world. He says: ‘A bowl she has whence berry juice flows with which
she colours her eyebrows black.’ When Cael died Credhe lamented
him, praising his valour, and among the things she says is that ‘his
shield never uttered a moan in time of battle’ meaning that he never
came near to being vanquished in a fight.
Caer Ibormeith. Daughter of Ethal Anubhail of the sidhe Uaman in
Connacht. Aonghus Og, the love-god, dreamed of her and, having
his dream interpreted, set out to find and woo her. See Aonghus 1.
Cahir Mor. A High King (according to the king lists, he ruled in ad174)
who was overthrown and slain by Conn of the Hundred Battles who
succeeded him.
Cailleach Beara. The Old Woman, or Hag of Beara. Originally she
appears as a triune goddess with her sisters Cailleach Bolus and
Cailleach Corea Duibhne. She is also said to have been named Bui
(Yellow) and been the wife of the god of arts and crafts, Lugh. The
Book of Lecan mentions that she had seven youthful periods, marry¬
ing seven husbands and having fifty foster-children who founded
many tribes and nations. Her domain was the Beara peninsula (see
Beara) on the Cork-Kerry border.
Cailte. Sometimes Caoilte. The thin man. Son of Ronan and a cousin of
Fionn Mac Cumhail, he is one of the chief warriors of the Fianna and
is one of their foremost poets. He is said to have killed the god Lir in
battle in the fight in which the Fianna helped the god Midir against
Bodb, the new ruler of the Tuatha De Danaan. A Christian embel¬
lishment has him returning from the Otherworld to recount to St.
Patrick the adventures of the Fianna.
54 Cairbre

Cairbre. 1. Foster brother of Conaire Mor.

2. Son of the king of Leinster who, with his brother Muredad,
features in ‘The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel’.
3. Son of the god of eloquence and literature, Ogma, and his wife
Etain. He is a bard of the Tuatha De Danaan who visited the
half-Fomorii king Bres, received poor hospitality and therefore
satirised him which forced him from his office. In the second battle of
Magh Tuireadh he promised to curse and satirise the Fomorii to help
the De Danaan win.
4. Son of Cormac Mac Art. He succeeded Cormac as High King and,
with Fionn Mac Cumhail already dead, proceeded to exterminate the
Fianna. His daughter Sgeimh Solais (Light of Beauty) was to marry
and, according to custom, on the wedding night the Fianna had the
right to receive her weight in gold to distribute among them as the
royal bodyguard. Cairbre refused to pay and recreated the old
animosity between Clan Morna and Clan Bascna. This led to the
battle of Gabhra, said to have taken place in ad284, in which Oscar,
then the leader of the Fianna, slew Cairbre but himself was mortally
wounded and all the Fianna were destroyed.
5. Cairbre Caitcheann or Cathead. So called because he had the ears
of a cat. A usurper who was set up as ruler when the Aitheach-Tuatha
staged their revolt against the Milesians. During his reign ‘there was
only one grain on each stalk of corn and one acorn on each oak, the
rivers were empty of fish, the cattle milkless’.
6. Son of Iliu. His son Fer Chertnae was a champion of the Red
Branch.
7. Cairbre Muse. One of the three young sons of the High King, the
others being Oblene and Oball, who features in ‘The Destruction of
Da Derga’s Hostel’.
Cairell. 1. A son of Fionn Mac Cumhaill who was killed by Goll Mac
Morna. Conan called him crechtingech or ‘ragged-nailed’ as a sign
of abuse. This referred to his finger-nails: well-kept finger-nails
were considered a mark of beauty and aristocracy by the ancient
Irish.
2. A fisherman who caught Tuan (see Tuan Mac Cairell) in his
reincarnation as a salmon. His wife ate the salmon and Tuan was
reborn in human form as Tuan Mac Cairell.
Cairenn Chasdubh. Mother of Niall of the Nine Hostages and the
second wife of Eochaidh Muigmedon. She was the daughter of Seal
Moen, the Dumb, king of the Saxons. She was hated by Eochaidh’s
Caoranach 55

first wife, Mongfhinn (polygamy was practised in early Irish society),

and forced to do menial work even though late into her pregnancy.
She gave birth to Niall while she was working.
Caladcholg. The sword of Fergus Mac Roth, meaning ‘hard dinter’.
The famous sword of King Arthur of Britain, Excalibur, is a Latin
corruption of this name.
Calatin. A druid, probably of Fomorii origin, who was sent by Medb to
cast spells on Cuchulainn to incapacitate him during the Tain war.
The Clan Calatin, twenty-seven sons and a grandson who had studied
sorcery in Alba for seventeen years, attacked Cuchulainn. It was said
that they never missed a throw with their poisoned spears and
everyone they hit died in a week. All the members of the Clan Calatin
were mutilated: the left hand and right foot were missing from each of
them. Cuchulainn was worsted by them and was actually being
drowned in a stream when a Connacht warrior, Fiachra, felt compas¬
sion for him and went to his rescue, cutting off the remaining hands
of the Clan Calatin. Cuchulainn then slew them all. One version says
that three daughters were born to Calatin’s wife after his death; all
were blind in the left eye and tried to draw Cuchulainn out to fight
during his sickness by making the appearance of an army invading
Ulster. They could shape-change. See Badb 2.
Camel. A door-keeper at Tara in the days of Nuada.
Cano. Son of Gartnan, king of Alba. He was in exile in Ireland where he
was honoured by the High King Aedh Slane (ad656). He went to visit
Guaire, king of Connacht, and while he was there he met Marcan, an
old chieftain, who had a young wife named Cred. Cred fell in love
with him and drugged everyone attending a feast so that she could be
alone with him. Cano refused to make love to her while he remained
under the laws of hospitality. However, he did love her and he gave
her a stone which he said contained his life. After he returned to Alba
to become king he made an assignation with Cred. Attempts to keep
the assignation were frustrated by Cred’s stepson Colcu. Cred,
waiting at Loch Crede, became so anguished that she dashed her head
against a rock and dropped the stone, which was thereby fragmented.
Cano died three days later.
Cano Gall. The Foreigner. He was enlisted as pilot of a ship bearing an
embassy from Conchobhar Mac Nessa during the tale of Cath Ruis na
Rig (Battle of Rosnaree).
Caoilte. See Cailte.
Caoranach. A monster which dwelt in Lough Dearg.
56 Capa

Capa. One of three fishermen who first discovered Ireland, being

driven there from Spain. They perished in the Deluge.
Caplait. A druid who taught the two daughters of Laoghaire, the High
King.
Carman. A goddess who came to Ireland from Athens with her three
ferocious sons - Calma (Valiant), Dubh (Black) and Ole (Evil). They
laid Ireland to waste but were eventually overcome by the Tuatha De
Danaan. Carman died of grief and it is recorded that death ‘came
upon her in an ungentle shape’. She was subsequently remembered
in Leinster by a Festival of Carman held at Lugnasad, 1 August.
Cas Corach. A minstrel and son of a minstrel of the De Danaan who
‘plays so sweet a strain that all fall asleep’. See Airitech.
Cassmail. A De Danaan slain at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh.
Cat. 1. A mystical creature in Irish myth. As in most European
languages the common name ‘cat’ applies in Irish (catt) but there are
eight other words for a cat. The word puss has been borrowed into
English as a pet-name for a cat. Cats permeate the myths, for example
Irusan of Knowth who would often make off with people. Three
monstrous cats dwelt in the Cave of Cruachan, the entrance to the
Otherworld. One of the most poetic names given to an Irish cat is
Luchtigern (Mouse Lord).
2. Son of Cruithne, founder of the Tuatha Cruithne (Piets) who
gave his name to the ancient province of Cat, still known as
Caithness.
Cath. Battle. A popular class of tales among which are ‘Cath Almaine'
(Battle of Allen), ‘Cath Marge Lena’ (Battle of the Plain of Lena),
‘Cath Marge Mucrurme’ (Battle of Mucruime’s Plain), ‘Cath Marge
Rath’ (Battle of the Plain of Rath), ‘Cath Marge TurreadK (Battle of
Moytura), ‘Cath Fronn Tragha’ (Battle of White Strand or Ventrv)
and ‘Cath Ruts na Rig’ (Battle of Rosnaree).
Cathbad. A druid from the Tratraige of Mag Inis. He was the personal
druid of Conchobhar Mac Nessa and some versions say he was
Conchobhar’s father. He married Maga, widow of Ross the Red, and
his children were Dechtire, the mother of Cuchulainn, Elbha, the
mother of Naoise, and Findchaem, mother of Conall of the Victories.
He prophesied that Deirdre would have great beauty and would
bring about Ulster’s destruction. He also prophesied that Cuchulainn
would be a glorious warrior but his life would be short. He was
persuaded to lure Naoise and his brothers out of the Red Branch
Hostel but when Conchobhar had them slam in contravention of the
Ceile De 57

laws of hospitality and his own personal promise of safety, Cathbad

cursed him and Emain Macha, his capital.
Cathubodua. A name for the crow or raven of battle. A title for the
goddesses of war.
Cauldron, Magic. In pre-Christian myths a popular Celtic motif was
the quest for a magic cauldron. The Dagda had a magic cauldron
from Murias and no one parted from it hungry. Cuchulainn and Cu
Roi stole a magic cauldron from-a mysterious fortress. Out of this
cauldron streamed gold and silver. The god Midir the Proud owned
another magic cauldron. The cauldron, as a mythological symbol,
provided abundance and restored people to life. Such a cauldron
features in the adventures of Nera. There are parallels in the Welsh
sagas: Annwfn, an Otherworld deity, had a cauldron, as did Didwar-
nach, Ogyrvan the Giant, Peredur and Bran. The tale ‘The Spoils of
Annwyn’ is said to be the prototype on which later Christian writers
modelled the Holy Grail quest in the Arthurian myths. Celtic
cauldrons varied greatly in size and material, often being made of
bronze, copper or silver and always richly decorated. A magnificent
surviving cauldron is the Gundestrup Cauldron, dated to the first
century bc and now in the National Museum, Copenhagen.
Caves. Like all early peoples the Irish held that caves were of super¬
natural and religious significance. They provided entrances into
the Otherworld, like the Cave of Cruachan, and were places
wherein dwelt the gods. In Christian times, when it was no longer
fashionable to speak of the gods, it was the fairies who dwelt in the
caves.
Ce. 1. The druid of Nuada who was mortally wounded at the second
battle of Magh Tuireadh. Lough Ce burst out of his grave.
2. Son of Cruithne, founder of the Tuatha Cruithne (the Piets), who
gave his name to an ancient province of Alba, now the area of Marr
and Buchan.
Cebha. Of the Fair Skin. A daughter of Fionn Mac Cumhail who
married Goll Mac Morna.
Ceile De. The Culdees or ‘servants of God’. Although they do not
appear in Irish myths, being an historical order, they deserve an entry
because it is mostly through their writings that the myths have come
down to us. They were a monastic order founded by St. Mael Ruain
of Tallacht (d. AD792). It was a loose-knit order with no central
authority. They appeared in Ireland and in Scotland, existing in
Scotland well after the absorption of the Celtic Church into that of
58 Ceis Churainn

Rome - the last known reference to their existence in Scotland was in

the fourteenth century.
Ceis Churainn. A mysterious cave where three sorceresses imprisoned
some of the Fianna who were then rescued by Goll Mac Morna in the
tale ‘The Dwellers of Ceis Churainn’.
Cellach. Son of Cormac Mac Art who raped a relative of a Desi
chieftain, Aonghus of the Terrible Spear. He was slain by Aonghus in
the Great Hall of Tara in front of Cormac. Cormac, in trying to
defend his son, had his eye taken out by the butt of the spear. It was
this incident which led to the expulsion of the Desi. See Aonghus 2
and Desi.
Celt. The Irish are a Celtic people. It is a linguistic term and not a racial
one, marking out a member of the Celtic-speaking peoples. In
modern times the Celts are divided between the Goidelic (Q) Celts -
the Irish, Manx and Scottish Gaelic speakers - and the Brythonic
Celts, being the Welsh, Cornish and Breton speakers. The Gauls
(Gaulish dying out around the fourth or fifth century ad) were a
Brythonic Celtic-speaking group and the term Gaulish may be
applied to the language spoken by the Celts in all parts of the
European mainland.
The Celts were the first transalpine people to emerge into recorded
history. The term keltoi was first used by the Greek Hectaeus (circa
517bc) and is equivalent to Hyperborians and Gauls. The name
seems to have derived from a Celtic word meaning ‘hidden people’,
perhaps because of the Celtic reluctance to commit their vast store of
knowledge to records written in their own language, passing things
on only by oral tradition. This reluctance was due to a taboo imposed
by the druids rather than a lack of literary knowledge. Celts did use
Greek and Latin letters and sometimes wrote in those languages
although modern archaeology has pushed back the date of surviving
Celtic inscriptions to around the fifth century BC. For example, in
1983, the discovery of a lead tablet inscribed in Celtic at La Vayssiere,
France (known as the Larzac inscription) has provided us with our
longest text in Gaulish. The etymology of the word Celt may well be
from the same root that gives us ceilt, an act of concealment, and kilt,
the short male skirt of traditional Celtic dress.
The Celts began an expansion around 900bc at which time they
possessed great skill in metal work, especially in the use of iron, itself
a Celtic word borrowed into the Germanic languages (Old Irish =
iam). This metal was only just becoming known to the craftsman of
Celt 59

the ‘Classical’ world. With their iron weaponry and tools, the Celts
were able to cut roads through the impenetrable forests of Europe.
An ancient Irish word for road, still in use, is slighe from sligim, I hew.
The road-builders of the ancient world, as modern archaeology
shows, were Celts, whose roads were of wood. The Romans simply
built over the top of these roads with stones. There is a preponder¬
ance of Celtic loan-words in Latin connected with roads and trans¬
portation, such as vehicles like carpentum (which gives us car and
carpenter), carruca, carrus, essedum, rheda, petorritum etc.
The Celts pushed southwards and at their greatest expansion in the
third century bc had settled in an arc throughout Europe with its
eastern part being Galatia (around Ankara, in Turkey), from which
country we have the earliest records of the workings of a Celtic state,
through to the British Isles which some scholars now believe were
settled by them between 2000 and IOOObc with the last major
settlement in the second century bc.
During the sixth century BC they had extensively settled in north¬
ern Italy and were in constant war with the expanding Roman
Empire. However in 390bc they defeated the Roman armies and
sacked Rome itself. Polybius tells us that it was not until 345bc that
the Romans were strong enough to reassert their independence. The
‘Italian Celts’ (Cisalpine Gauls) remained independent until 196bc
when they were finally incorporated into the expanding Roman
Empire. Many Latin writers were therefore of Celtic origin, includ¬
ing the famous poet Virgil and others such as Gallus, Cornelius
Nepos and Trogus Pompeius.
In 280bc the Celts swept through the Greek States, smashing the
Greek armies, and in 279bc they sacked the temple of Apollo’s Oracle
at Delphi. They even made an attempt to take over Egypt during the
reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus around 277bc. Although Julius
Caesar led two expeditions to Britain in 55bc and 54bc, Britain
remained independent of Rome until ad43. Ireland was never
conquered by Rome.
The Celts were an exciting and an inventive civilisation with a
highly developed religion which unified all their tribes from Ireland
to Galatia. They had a sophisticated law system, as witnessed by the
Brehon Laws and the Laws of Hywel Dda. They were among the first
to develop the concept of the immortality of the soul. Aristotle,
Sotion and Clement acknowledged that much of early Greek philos¬
ophy was influenced by the druids and Pythagoras’ thesis on
60 Celtchau

immortality, which bears a resemblance to druidic teachings, owed

much to the fact that he had a slave who was a Celt.
It is believed that the two linguistic groups (Brythonic and Goide-
lic) diverged over 2500 years ago, the Brythonic group simplifying
itself in its case endings and in the loss of the neuter gender and dual
number. The two groups also differ in the matter of initial mutation
and aspiration. There is the famous substitution of ‘P’ tor ‘Q’ in the
Brythonic languages (hence the designation P and Q Celtic). Thus
the word for ‘head’ in Irish, cenn, becomes pen in Welsh; the word
‘worm’ in Irish, cruiv, becomes pryv in Welsh and so forth.
Celtic civilisation was smashed first by the Romans and later by the
expanding English and French empires. But the Celts have managed
to survive into the modern world with 2,500,000 speaking a Celtic
language today out of the 16,000,000 who now populate the Celtic
countries. One must add a further 1,000,000 Celtic-speakers to this
figure among those who live outside a Celtic country. Only Ireland (in
part) and the Isle of Man have any degree of self-government and only
the Irish and Welsh languages have any legal status. Irish is the first
official language of the Irish Republic (the 1981 Population Census
for the Irish Republic gives 31.6 per cent of its population as able to
speak Irish - that is 1,018,312 people). The language is also one of the
official languages, though not one of the seven working languages, of
the European Economic Community (EEC). No figures of Irish
speakers have been given for Northern Ireland since Partition but it is
generally estimated that there are about 60,000 speakers there.
Celtchair. Son of Uthecar Hornskin. A Red Branch warrior. His wife
Brig Bethach had an adulterous affair with Blai Bruige. Celtchair
took the opportunity to slay Blai Bruige one day in the royal palace at
Emain Macha. At the time Conchobhar Mac Nessa and Cuchulainn
were playing fidchell and a drop of blood from Celtchair’s spear fell on
to the board. For violating the laws of hospitality Celtchair was
ordered by Conchobhar to rid Ireland of three scourges. The first was
in the person of Conganchas Mac Daire, the brother of Cu Roi, who
was laying waste the country and whom no weapon could kill.
Celtchair asked his daughter Niamh to marry him and learn the secret
of his invulnerability. She did so and discovered that Conganches
could only be killed by having spear tips thrust through the soles of
his feet and the calves of his legs. Celtchair was thus able to kill him.
The second scourge was in the form of an infernal dog which
Celtchair killed by cunning. The third and last scourge was also in the
Cethren 61

form of a dog and, as Celtchair despatched it, a drop of blood trickled

from his spear on to his flesh and, symbolically remembering the
drop of blood of the fidchell board, Celtchair was killed by its venom.
Cendchaem. Smooth-faced. The name of a fidchell board on which
Conchobhar Mac Nessa played with Fergus Mac Roth.
Cerband. Wife of Rudraidhe, son of Partholon. The name of her
husband does vary in other texts with Partholon’s other two sons.
Cermait of the Honeyed Mouth. A son of the Dagda who was killed by
Lugh when he found out that his wife was having an affair with him.
Lugh, in turn, was killed by Cermait’s son Mac Cuill. The name
Cermait is apparently given as a synonym for Ogma.
Cesair. 1. Daughter of Bith and granddaughter of Noah. Bith was
denied a place in the Ark and so Cesair advised him to build an idol
with Fintan and Ladra. The idol advised them to build a ship as Noah
had done, taking refuge in it. However the idol could not tell them
exactly when the Deluge would occur. They acted on the advice of
the idol, built the ship then sailed off. After seven years they came to
the shores of Ireland. Cesair became the wife of Fintan but he
eventually abandoned her. She died with most of her followers just
before the Deluge which Fintan escaped by changing into a salmon.
2. The wife of Ugaine Mor, High King of Ireland, and mother of
Laoghaire Lore and Cobhthach.
Cet. Son of Maga. A Connacht warrior who enjoyed slaying the men of
Ulster. He was responsible for the death of Conchobhar Mac Nessa,
the king. He struck Conchobhar in the forehead with a ‘brain
ball’ from his sling, and after seven years the ‘brain ball’ caused
Conchobhar’s death. Conall Cearnach challenged Cet’s right to the
hero’s portion at the feast of Mac Da Tho’s boar. Cet accepted that
Conall was the better warrior but said his brother Anluan was even
greater. Whereupon Conall tossed Anluan’s head at Cet’s feet. In the
following melee Conall slew Cet but was sorely wounded himself.
Cethe. Son of Dian Cecht, the god of medicine.
Cethern. A lightly armed foot soldier, Anglicized as ‘kern’.
Cethlenn. The name signifies ‘crooked tooth’. The wife of Balor of the
Evil Eye who also fought at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh and
wounded the Dagda.
Cethor. A De Danaan and husband of Eri.
Cethren. 1. A son of Fintan and a poet who instructed Fionn Mac
Cumhail.
2. A warrior slain by Medb of Connacht in the war of the Tain.
62 Cetshamhain

Cetshamhain. An alternative name for the feast of Beltaine.

Chariots. Righairled, the fourteenth king of Ireland after Eber, son of
Milesius, is said to have introduced the first war chariots to Ireland.
In the myths, the chariot features mostly in the Red Branch Cycle. In
the Fenian Cycle there is scarcely any reference to chariots, although
in historical times there is a reference to war chariots in use at the
Battle of Crinna in ad226. St. Patrick is said to have ridden in a
chariot, and the Greeks and Romans frequently mention Celtic war
chariots. Julius Caesar was greatly worried by the British chariots
during his campaigns in Britain although, in Gaul, he observed that
war chariots had been given up two centuries before. The chariot
usually contained a charioteer and a warrior - as demonstrated in the
tales of Cuchulainn and the charioteer Laeg. While the charioteer
drove, the warrior could run along the yoke between the horses and
cast his spear over the heads of the galloping beasts before returning
to the car.
Ciabhan of the Curling Locks. The mortal lover of Cliodhna
who brought her from the Land of Promise to Ireland. Manannan
Mac Lir chased them to Cork and sent a great wave to return her
to the Otherworld leaving Ciabhan desolate. See Cliodhna and
Tonn.
Cian. A son of Dian Cecht, god of medicine. In the disguise of a woman,
he went to Balor’s tower to retrieve his stolen cow, Glas Gaibhnenn.
In this enterprise he was helped by the druidess Birog. He met
Manannan Mac Lir on the way. He heard of Balor’s daughter
Ethlinn, imprisoned in the tower of crystal on Tory Island so that she
would know no man, because it had been prophesied that Balor
would be slain by his own grandson. Cian seduced Ethlinn and then
returned to his own country with his cow. Ethlinn later gave birth to a
son Lugh Lamhfada. Cian was eventually slain by the three sons of
Tuireann and in reparation for his death they had to set out on their
famous quest. See Ethlinn, Lugh, Brian and Tuireann 3.
Cichol Grinchenghos. The footless. A Fomorii who preceded
Partholon to Ireland and lived by fishing and hunting birds. He was
eventually slain at the battle of Magh Ibha. His mother was Lot, a
monstrous woman with bloated lips in her breast and four eyes in her
back. His father was named Goll.
Cingris. Pharaoh of Egypt whose daughter Scota married Niul and was
mother of Goidel, the progenitor of the Gaels.
Clan(n). A tribe or descendants of an individual.
Cobhthach Coel 63

Cletine. A spear owned by Cuchulainn which was coveted by Medb of

Connacht. See Uman-Sruth.
Cliamh Soluis. The sword of light. Nuada’s sword which no enemy
could resist once it was unsheathed.
Cliodhna. A goddess of beauty who dwelt in Tir Tairnigiri (the Land of
Promise). She fell in love with a mortal named Ciabhan of the Curling
Locks. They fled from the Land of Promise and landed in Glandore,
Co. Cork. While Cliodhna rested on the shore, Ciabhan went off to
hunt. Cliodhna was lulled to sleep by music played by Manannan
Mac Lir who then sent a great wave to sweep her back to his domain
of Tir Tairnigiri leaving her lover desolate. Later folklore tradition
made the goddess degenerate into a fairy queen worshipped at
Carraig Cliodhna, Cork. The ‘Wave of Cliodhna’, however, was
regarded as one of ‘The Three Great Waves of Ireland’. See Tonn.
Clonach. A brother of Teideach. See Teideach.
Clothra. A daughter of Eochaidh Feidhleach. She drowned her own
sister Ethne while she was pregnant. She had affairs with each of her
three brothers and bore a son who became High King. He was called
Lugaid Riab nDerg, of the Red Stripes, because he had two red
stripes which divided his body into three sections, each section
resembling one of Clothra’s brothers, thereby proclaiming him to be
the son of all three. When he grew up he begot a son on Clothra
himself. The boy was called Crimthann Nfa Nair, the modest
warrior, who also became High King. The verse runs:

Lugaid Riab nDerg to fair Crimthann

Was father and was brother,
And Clothra of the comely form
Was grandmother to her son.

Cnu. Fionn Mac Cumhail’s dwarf and jester.

Cobhthach Coel. The Slender. A son of Ugaine Mor, the High King.
He became king of Bregia but was jealous of his brother Laoghaire
Lore, king of Leinster. He was so jealous, in fact, that he fell ill and
his flesh withered thus earning him his nickname of Coel. He planned
to kill his brother but, knowing that his brother was always well
guarded, he devised a plot to get him alone. He sent word that he had
died. Laoghaire came to pay his respects and, as in custom, entered
the funeral chamber without his bodyguard. As Laoghaire bent over
his brother’s body, Cobhthach drew a knife and stabbed him in the
64 Cochar Crufe

stomach. Cobhthach then contrived to poison Laoghaire’s son Ailill

Aine and made Ailill’s son eat his father’s heart. The trauma of this
incident struck the child dumb so that he was called Moen (dumb).
Cobhthach now assumed the kingship of Leinster, ruling from Dinn
Righ, the fortress of the kings. Moen was taken into exile and when
he recovered his speech and grew to manhood (becoming known as
Labraidh Loingsech) he returned with an army of Gauls to exact
vengeance. He attacked Cobhthach in his fortress at Dinn Righ and
eventually Cobhthach with thirty of his warriors were burnt to death
in a great hall. See Moen.
Cochar Crufe. A warrior who acted as guardian at Dun Scathach. He
challenged Cuchulainn after the hero had accidentally broken the
finger of Uathach, Scathach’s daughter. Cuchulainn slew him and
became Uathach’s lover. See Uathach.
Coinchend. Wife of Morgan. She was a monstrous warrior woman who
was slain by Art when he rescued Delbchaem, their daughter, from
the tower in which they had imprisoned her in the Land of Wonder.
See Art.
Coinn Iothair. ‘The Hound of Rage’. A dog belonging to Cromm
Dubh.
Coire-Bhrecain. Corryveckan. Brecan’s cauldron or whirlpool. Bre-
can, a grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages, was sailing a fleet of
fifty ships to Alba when he encountered a terrible whirlpool near
Rathlinn Island. He and his fleet were swallowed up. See Morrigan.
Colcu. Cred’s stepson. See Cano and Cred.
Colm Cuaillemech. A smith of the De Danaan.
Colpa. A son of Milesius who died before the arrival of the Milesians in
Ireland and was buried on the island of Gotia.
Conaing. Sometimes given as Conand and Concinn. A son of Ferbar.
He was a leader of the Fomorii who lived on Tory Island and built a
tower there, perhaps the same structure as Balor’s Tower. He levied
tribute on the Nemedians who rose against him and attacked Tory
Island. He was killed but his brother More avenged him.
Conaire Mor. High King of Ireland. The son of Mess Buachalla
and Nemglan, a mysterious bird-god. On the night before Mess
Buachalla was due to marry the High King Eterscel, she was visited
by Nemglan. It was he and not Eterscel who was the father of Conaire
Mor. Mess Buachalla raised him in secret, not disclosing who his
father was. His foster father was Desa and his foster brothers were
Fer Lee, Fer Gar and Fer Rogan. In due course Eterscel died and
Conan 65

Conaire Mor followed a flock of birds towards Tara. They suddenly

turned into warriors and their leader identified himself as Nemglan,
his father. He told Conaire Mor to proceed to Tara where he would be
acclaimed as High King. Conaire Mor had a sword which could sing.
But he was weighed down by more geise (taboos) than any other king
or champion. These geise he was eventually forced into breaking on
his way to Da Derga’s hostel. The Morrigan, goddess of battles,
appeared to warn him of his doom. At Da Derga’s hostel, Conaire
Mor and his followers were surrounded and attacked. Conall of the
Victories, Sencha and Dubhtacht stood with him until the last.
However, Conaire Mor was overcome with thirst and Conall volun¬
teered to go for water. When he returned the final attack had been
made and Conaire Mor’s head had been struck off. He gave the
severed head a drink whereupon it spoke and thanked him for his
deed.
Conall. 1. See Conail.
2. Conall Anglonnach, a son of Iriel Glumar, one of the three chief
warriors of Ulster - the others being Conall Cearnach and Laoghaire
of Rath Immel.
3. Conall Cearnach, of the Victories. Son of Amairgen and Find-
chaem. A warrior of the Red Branch, foster brother to Cuchulainn as
well as being a blood cousin. It was he who avenged the death of
Cuchulainn by slaying his killers. He killed Mesgora Mac Da Tho,
the king of Leinster, and took his brain, mingling it with lime, to
make a ‘brain ball’ - a magical slingshot. It was this which Cet of
Connacht stole and used in an attempt to kill Conchobhar Mac Nessa.
The ‘brain ball’ lodged in Conchobhar’s head and caused his death
seven years afterwards. Conall Cearnach is one of the great Ulster
heroes and many adventures are attributed to him.
Conan. 1. of Cuala, a daughter of Medb of Leinster, wife of nine kings
of Ireland in succession.
2. Mac Lia, son of the chieftain of Luachar. He spent seven
years harrying and attacking the Fianna in revenge for Fionn’s
killing of his father. Eventually he made his peace with them and
became one of their number. He is not to be confused with Conan
Maol.
3. Mac Morna, sometimes known as Maol (bald). The son of Morna
and brother of Goll. A warrior of the Fianna. He appears as some¬
thing of a buffoon, a glutton and a coward, as foul-mouthed as
Thersites and as great a braggart as Pistol. Nevertheless, he was a
66 Conaran

leading member of the Fianna and several times saved the day for the
warriors.
Conaran. A Fomorii who dwelt at Dun Conaran and sent his three
sorceress daughters to take captive members of the Fianna. They
were all slain by Goll.
Conchobhar Mac Nessa. King of Ulster during the Red Branch Cycle.
The son of Fachtna Fathach, king of Ulster, and Nessa. When
Fachtna Fathach died Nessa married Fergus Mac Roth who had
become king. She married him only on the condition that her son
Conchobhar could become king for a year. Under his mother’s
instructions Conchobhar ruled so well that the people did not want
Fergus Mac Roth to return. Conchobhar then refused to give up the
kingdom. Fergus Mac Roth, for a while, served under him. He is said
to have been married at one time to Medb of Connacht but later
married Mughain. He fell in love with Deirdre but rather than wed
him Deirdre eloped with the Red Branch champion, Naoise. Using
Fergus Mac Roth, Conchobhar enticed Deirdre and Naoise back
from their exile in Alba on a false promise of safety. While in the Red
Branch Hostel in Emain Macha, Conchobhar had Naoise and his
brothers slain and Deirdre brought to his palace. Deirdre killed
herself. Fergus Mac Roth, appalled by Conchobhar’s treachery,
offered his services to Ailill and Medb of Connacht during their war
against Ulster. Even Conchobhar’s druid, Cathbad, said to be his real
father in some versions, is said to have cursed him and Emain Macha
for his treachery over Naoise. After conducting a war against Mac Da
Tho, at the instigation of Athairne the Importunate, Conchobhar was
ambushed by the Connacht warrior Cet. He had stolen a magic ‘brain
ball’, a slingshot, made by Conall of the Victories from the brains of
Mac Da Tho. While the shot, which struck Conchobhar in the centre
of the forehead, did not kill the king, it lodged in his head. His
physicians could not remove it and Conchobhar was told never to get
into a rage nor ride horses. After seven years Conchobhar did get into
a rage and the ‘brain ball’ killed him. It was during Conchobhar Mac
Nessa’s reign that Cuchulainn’s adventures took place, and it is the
main period of the Red Branch Cycle.
Concinn. Sometimes Conand and Conaing. See Conaing.
Congal. Foster brother of Mael Fhorthartaig. He offered to intercede to
help Mael Fhortartaig’s stepmother in her plan to seduce Mael
Fhortartaig.
Conganchas Mac Daire, Brother of Cu Roi. He ravaged Ireland with
Connachta 67

impunity because no weapon could harm him. He married Niamh,

daughter of the Red Branch champion Celtchair. She discovered
that he could only be slain by spear points penetrating the soles
of his feet and the calf of his legs. She told her father, who slew
him.
Conlai. 1. Son of Cuchulainn and Aoife of the Land of Shadows. When
he had grown to manhood Conlai went to Ulster. He defeated Conall
Cearnach in single combat. Cuchulainn went to challenge this young
warrior, despite a prophetic warning from his wife Emer. Cuchulainn
mortally wounded his son. As he lay dying, Conlai revealed his
identity to his father, who was struck with grief. In some texts the
name is given as Conall.
2. Son of Conn of the Hundred Battles. He went on an adventure to
the Otherworld. Seeing a vision of a beautiful woman in a glass boat
he sprang into it and ‘from that day forward they were never seen
again’. He was brother of Art who also voyaged to the Land of
Wonders.
Conlai’s Well. See Nuts of Knowledge.
Conmac. A king of Britain who was grandfather of Ingcel, Caech and
Eccell who led the attack on Conaire Mor in the tale of ‘The
Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel’.
Conmaicne Rein. A mountain in Connacht where the Tuatha De
Danaan first made their appearance in Ireland.
Conn. 1. One of the sons of Lir, the ocean-god, who was transformed
into a swan with his brother and sisters by their evil stepmother.
2. A son of Miodchaoin who was killed with his father and two
brothers by the sons of Tuireann, though not before the sons of
Tuireann were themselves mortally wounded.
3. Conn of the Hundred Battles. High King of Ireland. One day,
before his accession to the throne, he and his followers were en¬
veloped in a mist. A man appeared in it and invited them to a rath
where Conn met the symbol of Sovranty, a girl seated on a crystal
chair and wearing a golden crown. Lugh, the god of arts and crafts,
also appeared and prophesied concerning Conn’s descendants who,
he said, would reign in Ireland. According to the king lists Conn was
High King from AD 177-212.
Connachta. The Province of Connacht, an ancient kingdom and
also known as the kingdom of Cruachain. Its original boundaries
stretched from the Shannon to Donegal Bay and incorporated Co.
Cavan. It was often in rivalry with Ulster and the most notable war
68 Core

was that of the Tain Bo Cuailgne. Its most famous ruler was Queen
Medb, who is said to have ruled there for eighty-eight years.
Core. A son of Miodchaoin who, with his brothers Conn and Aedh,
mortally wounded the three sons of Tuireann before they were killed.
Cormac. 1. A king of Ulster who married Etain Oig. See Etain 3. The
real father of Mess Buachalla.
2. Cormac Cond Longes. Son of Conchobhar Mac Nessa. He sided
with Fergus Mac Roth in protest at his father’s treachery in slaying
the sons of Usna (Naoise etc.). He went to live in exile in Connacht.
When Conchobhar was dying he asked Cormac to come home and be
king in his stead. A prophetess warned Cormac that death awaited
him if he returned to Ulster but he went anyway. During the journey
he stopped at a hostel and during the night warriors attacked him.
Craiftine, the harpist of Labraid Loinseach of Leinster, lulled him
to sleep with music so the warriors could slay him. The attack was
instigated by Craiftine as revenge for the fact that Cormac had had an
affair with his wife.
3. Cormac Mac Art. High King who is said to have ruled in the
historical period AD254-277. He was the patron of the Fianna, the
royal bodyguard, and reigned during the period of the adventures of
Fionn Mac Cumhail, their greatest leader. He succeeded as High
King after defeating Fergus Dubdedach, Fergus Black Tooth. He
became friendly with the gods and Manannan Mac Lir invited him to
the Otherworld and gave him a magic branch of silver which bore
golden apples. When it was shaken such sweet music sounded that
the wounded and sick forgot their pain. Cormac kept this treasure all
his life but, at the point of death, he returned it to the gods. His
daughter Grainne was engaged to Fionn Mac Cumhail but eloped
with one of Fionn’s warriors, Diarmuid, which led to ‘The Pursuit of
Diarmuid and Grainne’. One of his sons, Cellach, was slain by a Desi
chieftain, Aonghus of the Terrible Spear, because Cellach had raped
his niece. In trying to save his son, Cormac had his eye put out by the
butt of Aonghus’ spear. This disfigurement caused him to lose the
High Kingship. In vengeance, Cormac ensured that the Desi were
expelled from their lands. His son Cairbre succeeded him and
destroyed the Fianna.
Corpre. See Cairbre.
Cothulin Druith. A magical cap which, put on, enabled a person to
survive under the sea.
Craiftine. A harpist of Moen. His music lulled to sleep the parents of
Cnmthann 69

Moriath so that Moen could make love to her. His playing also lulled
to sleep the defenders of Dinn Righ so that Moen’s warriors could
overcome them. See Moen. It was his harp, however, that revealed
the secret of Moen’s equine ears. Craiftine’s wife became the lover of
Cormac Conloingeas, son of Conchobhar Mac Nessa. In revenge
Craiftine lulled him to sleep with his harp so that his comrades could
slay him.
Crane Bag, The. See Treasure bag of the Fianna.
Crann-tabuall. A staff sling. A favourite weapon of the heroes. A
normal sling is called a tailin or teilim and a taball. In the Tain epic the
staff sling is frequently used in battle. A sling shot is called lic-tailme
and some sling shots become mystical weapons. The most famous
was the ‘brain ball’ made by Conall Cearnach from the brain of Mac
Da Tho. The De Danaan had a special sling shot composed of the
blood of toads, bears and vipers (although no such snakes existed in
Ireland) mixed with sea sand and hardened.
Crebhan. A High King who was accompanied by Nair, a goddess from
the Otherworld. He led an expedition there and returned with
wonderful treasures.
Cred. The wife of Marcan who tried to become the lover of Cano. See
Cano.
Credhe. A daughter of the king of Kerry. She wed Cael after he
composed a song about her possessions. She bore him a son named
Luchra. When Cael died, she died of grief and they were both buried
in the same grave. See Cael.
Credne Cred. The goldsmith of the Tuatha De Danaan who helped
make the weapons for the second battle of Magh Tuireadh. Brother
of Goibhniu and Luchtar.
Creide Firalaind. A goddess who presented Art, son of Conn, with a
splendid mantle and tried to persuade him to stay with her when he
arrived in the Otherworld in search for Delbchaem.
Creidne. A female champion of the Fianna. She joined the Fianna
having fled from her home after an incestuous relationship with her
father which resulted in three sons.
Criminal. An uncle of Fionn Mac Cumhail. He was a follower of
Fionn’s father Cumal when he was leader of the Fianna. He escaped
from the slaughter of the Battle of Cnoc where Cumal was slain, then
lived in penury with some followers in the forests of Connacht until
Fionn sought him out and he rose with Fionn’s fortunes.
Crimthann. 1. Son of the High King Lugaid Riab nDerg (of the
70 Cromm Cruach

Red Stripes) who was High King in ad65. His mother was Lugaid
Riab nDerg’s own mother, Clothra. Crimthann became known as
Crimthann Nia Nair, the modest warrior, and he became High King
in ad74. See Clothra.
2. Crimthann Cass. A king of Connacht, and father of Laoghaire,
who recovered the wife of Fiachna who had been abducted by Goll of
Magh Mell.
3. Crimthann Mac Fidhaigh. He perished at the hands of super¬
natural women on the feast of Samhain.
Cromm Cruach. Sometimes Crom Croich. An early golden idol who
was reported to have twelve gods who served him. He was worship¬
ped by the king Tigernmas (Lord of Death) on Magh Slecht (Plain of
Adoration) and human sacrifices were offered.
Cromm Darail. A druid and foster son of Cathbad who, with his
brother Cromm Deroil, features in the tale of ‘The Intoxication of
Ulster’.
Cromm Deroil. A druid and foster son of Cathbad. See Cromm
Darail.
Cromm Dubh. An idol worshipped by the people of Connacht and
Munster.
Cronanach. He first appeared as an enormous misshapen churl who
played sweet music to Fionn Mac Cumhail on the pipes. Then he
turned into a handsome youth and revealed Fionn’s destiny. He came
from the sidhe of Fermuin.
Crow. Also Raven. A symbol of the goddesses of battle. In this form
they appear hovering over the battlefields. The symbol was common
to all the Celtic peoples. It is fascinating to read the story of the Gallic
Wars by the Roman Livy (T. Livius Patavinus, d. 16bc). He speaks
of a Roman named Valerius Corvus (Crow) who was rescued while in
single combat with a Celtic chieftain by a crow who pecks the Celt’s
face and hides the Roman with its wings. It is such a typical Celtic
motif that one has to examine Livy more closely. It is not the only
Celtic motif he uses. Camille Jullian (Histoire de la Gaule, 3rd ed.,
Paris, 1920) claims that Livy’s history is made up from Celtic epics.
This is not so hard to believe when we realise that Livy was raised in
Cisalpine Gaul at a time when the Celtic language and traditions still
held sway there. The story of Valerius Corvus is much like the
famous episode in the Tain Bo Cuailgne in which the Morrigan,
goddess of battles, attacks Cuchulainn in the form of a crow because
he has scorned her love.
Cuchulainn 71

Cruacha. Etain s maid who went with her when she married the god
Midir the Proud. It is thought that Cruachan, in Connacht, was
named for her although it is generally accepted that it derives from
the word for a piled-up hill.
Cruachan, Rath. Ailill and Medb’s capital in Connacht. Sometimes
called Rathcroghan. The site still remains three miles north-west of
Tulsk, Co. Roscommon. It is a circular site of about an acre in extent
but is surrounded by numerous other fortresses so that it has been
described by Dr John O’ Donovan (.Annals of the Four Masters) as ‘a
town of fortresses’. Rath Cruachan was still in use as the Connacht
royal capital when, in ad645, the Connacht king Ragallach was
assassinated there. Connacht was also called ‘The Land of Cruachan’.
Cruachan, Cave of. Famous as an entrance to the Otherworld,
sometimes called the ‘Gate of Hell’ by Christian scribes.
Cruadin. The magic sword of Cuchulainn, sometimes confused with
Caladcholg (hard dinter) of Fergus Mac Roth and sometimes written
as Caladbolg. The name derives from the same root - cruaid (hard) -
but it is given in the diminutive form.
Cruithne. 1. The Progenitor of the Tuatha Cruithne or the Piets. Piet is
the Latin name - pictii, painted people - for the Tuatha Cruithne.
Cruithne had seven eponymous children who divided Alba between
them forming the ancient provinces of the country: Cet (Marr and
Buchan), Fiobh (Fife), Cirech (Angus and Mearns), Cat (Caithness),
Fotla (Atholl), Moireabh (Moray), Fortriu (Strathearn).
2. Daughter of Locham the smith. Fionn Mac Cumhail killed a
magic sow called Beo and gave it to her as a wedding present.
Crunnchu. Son of Agnomain. He was the father of the famous twins of
Macha. One day a beautiful woman came to his doorstep. He took her
in and she lived with him and became pregnant by him. Crunnchu
boasted that she could win any foot race. His boasting forced her to
race a chariot and, although she won, she gave birth to twins and
died. Before doing so, she cursed the men of Ulster. See Macha 3.
Cu. A son of Dian Cecht, the god of medicine.
Cuailgne. A district of Ulster (modern Carlingford Peninsula) in which
Daire kept his famous Brown Bull which became the object of Ailill
and Medb’s envy in the famous Tain epic. The place is frequently
Anglicised as Quelegny or Cooley.
Cuan. A chief of the Munster Fianna who took part in the ‘Pursuit of
Diarmuid and Grainne’.
Cuchulainn. The Hound of Culann, sometimes called the Hound of
72 Cuchulainn

Ulster. Perhaps the most famous hero of Irish mythology, he has

been called the Irish Achilles. His mother was Dechtire, daughter of
Cathbad, and on the eve of her wedding to Sualtaim Mac Roth she
was spirited away to the Otherworld with fifty of her handmaidens in
a mysterious bird flock. When she returned she had a baby boy
named Setanta. The father was the god Lugh Lamhfada. Sualtaim
became his mortal father.
One day Culann the smith was holding a feast for the king
Conchobhar Mac Nessa and his retinue. Setanta arrived late at
Culann’s fortress after the gates were closed for the night and
Culann’s hound had been unleashed to guard against enemies. The
hound attacked Setanta who seized and killed it. Culann was angry
when he learnt that his favourite hound had been killed but Setanta
promised him that until he acquired and trained another hound he
would become Culann’s hound and guard the fortress at night. It is
by the name of Culann’s hound - Cu Chulainn - that he became
famous.
Cuchulainn was cousin to Conall Cearnach, whose mother
Finchaem became his foster mother, and also cousin to Naoise
and his brothers, the sons of Usna and his mother’s sister Elbha. He
took up arms on the day which Cathbad, druid of Conchobhar Mac
Nessa, declared auspicious. Cathbad said that the man who took up
arms on that day would become famous, albeit short-lived.
On his first battle foray he slew the sons of Nechtan Scene and
returned still in a battle frenzy, his chariot decorated with the heads
of his enemies. Conchobhar’s wife, Mughain, led the women of
Emain Macha forth naked so that the hero, suffused with embarrass¬
ment, began to calm down. Whereupon he was seized and immersed
into three tubs of ice-cold water; the first of these burst, the second
boiled and the third just grew warm.
He fell in love with Emer, daughter of Fogall the Wily. Fogall, to
delay Cuchulainn’s suit, as he did not want his daughter wed to the
champion, told him that no warrior could consider himself fit unless
he trained with Domhnall the Warlike of Alba. Cuchulainn, with
Conall Cearnach and Laoghaire, went to train there. Domhnall
taught them all he could but said they could not be regarded as really
trained until they attended the school of martial arts run by Scathach,
the female champion. Cuchulainn, having rejected the love of
Domhnall’s daughter, set off to find Scathach but Domhnall’s
daughter caused Conall Cearnach and Laoghaire to turn back to
Culann 73

Ireland. Cuchulainn studied under Scathach and had an affair with

her daughter. He helped Scathach overcome her sister Aoife of the
Land of Shadows and had an affair with Aoife who bore his son
Conlai, whom he eventually killed not recognising him.
He returned to Ireland and went to the fortress of Forgall the Wily
to claim the hand of Emer. Forgall refused; Cuchulainn slew many of
Forgall’s warriors and entered the fortress, whereupon Forgall leapt
to his death from the ramparts to escape Cuchulainn’s wrath. Cuchu¬
lainn and Emer were married. However, women were always falling
in love with him, including Cu Rot’s wife Blathnat, whom he took
from Cu Rot’s fortress in Munster after slaying him. Fand the Pearl of
Beauty, a goddess and wife of Manannan Mac Lir, also fell in love
with him and he spent a while with her in the Otherworld. However,
Fand finally yielded him to Emer.
Cuchulainn is chiefly famous for his single-handed defence of
Ulster during the war of the Tain when Ailill and Medb of Connacht
invaded. He was acknowledged champion of all Ireland. He is also a
tragic hero. During the Tain he was forced to slay his best friend
Ferdia during a terrible combat at the ford. He rejected the love of the
goddess of battles, the Morrigan, and roused her wrath. His doom
was sealed. In the final fight he strapped himself to a pillar stone
because he was so weak. His enemies finally slew him but only dared
approach his dead body when a crow (the Morrigan) perched on his
shoulder and an otter began to drink his blood. Through most of his
adventures, Cuchulainn’s charioteer and faithful companion is Laeg,
who was also killed during the final conflict. Laeg drove Cuchulainn’s
two famous horses - the Grey of Macha and the Black of Sainglend.
Cuchulainn had some mystical weapons such as his sword, Caladin,
and his spear, the Gae-Bolg.
Cuimne. A hag who assisted Mongan in rescuing his wife, Dubh Lacha,
from the clutches of Brandubh. Mongan changed her into a beautiful
princess so that Brandubh agreed to swap Dubh Lacha for her. After
Mongan and Dubh Lacha had gone, Cuimne changed back into a
hag.
Cuirithir. A poet who was in love with Liadin. See Liadin.
Culann. The smith who forged Conchobhar’s weapons and who was
thought to be Manannan Mac Lir in human form. He was referred to
as an Otherworld smith dwelling in the sidhe of Slievegallion. One
evening he was giving a feast for Conchobhar and his retinue at his
fortress in Cuailgne. The gates were locked at sunset and his hound
74 Culdubh

was unleashed to guard the fortress. Young Setanta arrived late and
was attacked by the hound, which he killed. Culann was angry that
his favourite hound was dead but Setanta offered to become his
hound until a new one was trained. Henceforth he was known as
Cuchulainn - the hound of Culann. Culann’s daughter was said to be
responsible for the enchantments of Fionn Mac Cumhail.
Culdubh. A sidhe dweller who was slain by Fionn Mac Cumhail because
he stole some food.
Cumal. Son of Trenmor, chief of the Clan Bascna and leader of the
Fianna. He fell in love with Murna of the White Neck but her father,
Tadhg, a druid, opposed the marriage because it had been pro¬
phesied that the union would bring about the end of his line.
However, Murna eloped with Cumal. The druid then persuaded Goll
of the Clan Morna, who was a contender for the leadership of the
Fianna, to fight against Cumal. Goll attacked Cumal and Clan Bascna
at Cnoc, scattering Cumal’s men. Cumal was slain, either by Goll or
one of his men. Murna escaped and bore Cumal’s son, Demna, who
later grew up as Fionn Mac Cumhail, the greatest leader of the
Fianna. It is interesting to note that Cumal signifies ‘sky’ and seems
cognate with the Brythonic Celtic name Camulos who was also
known among the Continental Celts, particularly the Remi of
Gaul, as a god of war. This god was commemorated in the one-time
capital city of Britain, Camulodunum, the fortress of Camulos, or
Colchester. The same name was given to Almondbury in Yorkshire,
while Camulosessa, the seat of Camulos, appears in southern
Scotland. It also seems cognate with King Arthur’s famous court at
Camelot.
Cup, Magic, see Cauldron.
Curad-mir. The Hero’s Portion. A motif that features in such tales as
‘Mac Da Tho’s Boar’ and ‘Bricriu’s Feast’. It was a choice cut of
meat, usually a piece of thigh, reserved for the greatest champion
attending a feast and therefore its apportionment was often the start
of a quarrel between the warriors.
Cu Roi. Son of Daire and a king of Munster. His judgement was
binding when he chose Cuchulainn as champion of Ireland over his
rivals Conall Cearnach and Laoghaire. In one version he disguised
himself as a giant and presented himself to the heroes, challenging
each to cut off his head and then to let him retaliate. Sure that no
retaliation could occur, Laoghaire and Conall Cearnach struck their
blows but Cu Roi picked up his head and replaced it. Neither would
Cuscraid Mend Machae 75

let him give the return blow, and they fled. Cuchulainn, however,
was quite prepared to allow Cu Rot' to retaliate and was therefore
declared champion. A similar story is told in ‘Bricriu’s Feast’ with
other characters.
In most stories, however, there is nothing supernatural about Cu
Roi. At first, he was a friend of Cuchulainn and together they raided
Inis Fer Falga and made off with the king’s daughter, Blathnat, and
other spoil. Blathnat fell in love with Cuchulainn but Cu Roi
quarrelled with him and bested Cuchullain by burying him up to the
armpits before making off with Blathnat and the rest of the loot. He
took Blathnat to his fortress in Munster and married her. However,
she sent a message to Cuchulainn that she would signal him as to the
best way to attack Cu Rofs fortress at Sleemish. This she did by
emptying milk into a stream which ran through the fort. When
Cuchulainn and his men saw the white stream they followed it and
attacked. Cuchulainn slew Cu Roi and carried Blathnat off but Cu
Rofs bard, to avenge his king, seized Blathnat and leapt over a cliff to
their common death.
Curragh. Sometimes curach. Cognate with the Welsh coracle (cwrwgl).
The most popular of Irish boats and often used in the sagas and tales.
The Irish had considerable knowledge of ship-building and classical
writers record their extensive trade with European ports. In the
Brehon Laws there are three main classes of ships recorded: the ler
longa (sea ship), the barca (a coastal vessel not suitable for long
voyages) and lastly the curragh. It had a wicker-work frame and was
covered in hide. The curragh is still in use in Ireland today although
the hide has been replaced by a tarred canvas covering.
Cuscraid Mend Machae. A son of Conchobhar Mac Nessa who made a
claim for the hero’s portion in the tale of ‘Mac Da Tho’s Boar’.
 D
D. Dair (oak) in the Ogham alphabet.
Dabilla. Boann’s lapdog.
Da Choca. He owned a hostel in Meath considered one of the five great
hostels of Ireland. The others were those of Forgall Manach and Mac
Da Reo in Breifne, Mac Da Tho’s hostel in Leinster and Da Derga’s
hostel in Cuala.
Da Derga’s Hostel. A hostel by the River Dodder owned by a Leinster
chieftain. Conaire Mor the High King journeyed there in spite of the
fact that he had received warnings of impending doom on the way. It
was the spot where fate contrived to break all his geise (taboos) by
which his doom was sealed. The hostel was besieged by Ingcel, a
Briton, and his followers including a number of Irish dissidents, such
as Conaire Mor’s own foster brothers and the sons of Medb of
Connacht. Conaire Mor and his men wrought a great destruction on
the attackers before perishing. ‘The Destruction of Da Derga’s
Hostel’ is one of the most popular tales of a king ignoring the
foretelling of his fate.
Dael Duiled. An ollamh and poet of Leinster who entered a contest with
Marban the swineherd for the honour of the title of chief poet and
philosopher of Ireland. He lost.
Dagda, The. Father of the gods. His name signifies ‘the good god’. He
is sometimes referred to as Eochaidh Ollathair (All-Father), also as
Aedh (Fire) and Ruad Rofessa (Lord of Great Knowledge). He is also
the patron god of druidism. He is drawn as a man clothed in rustic
garb carrying a gigantic magic club which he dragged on wheels.
With one end of the club he could slay his enemies and with the other
he could heal them. He had a black horse, Acein (ocean), and his
cauldron, brought from the city of Murias, was one of the major
treasures of the De Danaan. No man went hungry away from it. The
Dagda also had a magical harp which was stolen by the Fomorii. With
Dane 77

Ogma and Lugh he set off in pursuit and found it in the Hall of the
Fomorii. At the sound of the Dagda’s voice the harp leapt from the
wall, killing numerous Fomorii, and began to sing a paean in praise of
the Dagda.
At the second battle of Magh Tuireadh the Dagda appeared in the
form of Ruad Rofessa, degenerated into a grotesque old man ‘so fat
and unwieldy that men laughed when he attempted to move about’.
He carried a cauldron which held eighty gallons of milk and as much
meat, whole goats, sheep and swine, all of which went to make his
meal. His ladle was big enough to hold a man and a woman. As the
other gods never seem to lose the splendour of their appearance, one
wonders why the Dagda, the father of the gods, does so.
After the defeat of the Tuatha De Danaan, it was the Dagda who
allotted spiritual Ireland to the gods, giving a sidhe to each. Aonghus
Og was not allotted a sidhe because the Dagda wanted his palace
Bruigh na Boinne for himself. However, Aonghus Og extracted the
promise that he could spend a day and a night at the palace before he
left it. Thereafter he refused to leave because he had tricked the
Dagda by subtle wording into promising he could spend day and
night there, meaning eternity. So the Dagda had to abandon his
chosen palace.
As the De Danaan departed to their underground sidhe (eventually
to change from gods into fairies in popular folklore) the Dagda
resigned as leader of the gods. A council was held at which his son the
Bodb Dearg was chosen as ruler. All accepted this decision except
Manannan Mac Lir, who simply left the proceedings, and Midir the
Proud, who started a war against Bodb Dearg. In this war between
the gods, the Fianna, although mortals, were enlisted on Midir’s
side. Aonghus Og, the Dagda’s most famous son by the goddess
Boann, does not seem to have played a part in this conflict. The
Dagda no longer took any significant part in the affairs of Ireland
although he does make a later appearance in the guise of the chief
cook of Conaire Mor.
Daire. 1. Son of Dedad and father of Cu Roi and Conganchas.
2. Son of Fachtna and owner of Donn, the Brown Bull of Cuailgne.
He refused Medb’s request that he sell the bull to her. The refusal
started the war of the Tain.
3. A son of Fionn Mac Cumhail who was swallowed by a monster but
used his sword to cut his way out of its stomach.
4. A druid of Cormac Mac Art who identified Diarmuid for Grainne
78 Daireann

during the feast which Cormac held for Fionn Mac Cumhail and the
Fianna.
5. A king who had five sons. A druid prophesied that one of them
would be High King and so he gave them all the name Daire. The
druid said that the chosen one would be he who caught a golden fawn.
Lugaide Laigde Daire was the one who did so.
Daireann. A daughter of the Bodb Dearg. She fell in love with Fionn
Mac Cumhail and asked him to have her as his only wife for one
complete year and thereafter give her half of his time. When Fionn
refused she gave him a cup of poison which drove him mad so that his
Fianna deserted him. It was Cailte who persuaded them to return at
nightfall when the madness had passed and Fionn was well again.
Daireann’s sister, Sadb, was mother of Fionn’s son Oisin.
Dairine. The younger of the two daughters of the High King Tuathal
Teachtmhair. When Eochaidh, king of Leinster, came to Tara and
told Tuathal that his wife, Fithir, Tuathal’s elder daughter, was
dead, Tuathal allowed him to marry Dairine. But when Eochaidh
took Dairine to his fortress in Leinster, she found her elder sister still
alive. Both girls died of shame. When Tuathal heard about this he
went to war with Eochaidh and Leinster and exacted a tribute. This
was the origin of the Boramha. See Boramha.
Daithlin. One of Mael Fhothartaig’s hounds.
Dal. A division, a sept, a tribe or land inhabited by a tribe, for example
Dal Fiatach, a kingdom on the eastern seabord of Co. Down; Dal
nAraidi, around Lough Neagh; Dal Riada, in Co. Antrim in Ireland
and in Argyll in Scotland.
Dalan. A druid who informed Eochaidh Airemh that Etain his wife had
been carried off by the god Midir the Proud to his sidhe at Bri Leith.
Dali. The father of Fedilmid, Conchobhar Mac Nessa’s story-teller.
Dalian. Son of Manech, a king of Ulster.
Daman. A Firbolg chieftain who was the father of Ferdia, Cuchulainn’s
friend.
Dana. Sometimes given as Danu and cognate with Anu. A mother
goddess from whom the Tuatha De Danaan take their name. There is
a school that believes that Dana is not the same deity as Anu, though
most agree that she is. If her counterpart in Brythonic Celtic tradition
is anything to go by, then her husband, never mentioned in the Irish
tradition, is Bile, god of death. The Dagda is her son. In some texts it
is she, not Brigid, who is said to be the mother of Tuireann’s
children, Brian, Iuchar and Iucharba.
Dechtire 79

Dan Direch. An ancient Irish poetical system equivalent to the Welsh

Cynghanedd, a metrical system of multiple alliteration and rhyme
within every line of the Irish strict metres.
Daolgas. Son of Cairill. When he lay dying, his daughter stopped over
him and kissed him. As she did so a spark of fire flew from his mouth
to her mouth and she became pregnant. The child was also called
Daolgas.
Dara. See Daire.
Dark Druid, The. See Fer Doirech.
Darvra. Now Lough Derravargh, Co. Wesmeath. The lake in which
the children of Lir were bathing when their stepmother, Aoife,
turned them into swans. They spent three hundred years on this lake
and were visited annually by the De Danaans and the Milesians so
that the gathering became a yearly festival. After three hundred years
the children of Lir left for the Sea of Moyle.
Dathi. A nephew of Niall of the Nine Hostages and a king of Connacht.
On Niall’s death he became High King and went on a raid to Thrace.
He came to a tower occupied by Formenius, king of Thrace, and
demolished it but Formenius called upon the gods and a bolt of
lightning killed Dathi.
Dead, Land of the. See Otherworld.
Deaf, Valley of the. Gleann na Bodhar. To which Cuchulainn was
taken in order to recover from the enchantments of the daughters of
Calatin.
Dealgnaid. The wife of Partholon who had an affair with her servant
Todga when her husband was away. On returning and discovering
this, Partholon acknowledged the fault was his for neglecting her.
Debility. Of the men of Ulster. See Macha 3.
Dechtire. Sometimes Dectera. Daughter of the druid Cathbad and of
Maga, daughter of the love-god Aonghus Og, she was half-sister of
Conchobhar Mac Nessa and mother of the hero Cuchulainn. Her
sisters were Findchaem and Elbha. She was to wed with Sualtaim
Mac Roth, an Ulster chieftain, when, at her wedding feast, a fly flew
into her cup and she drank it. Afterwards she fell into a deep sleep
and a handsome man, the god Lugh Lamhfada, appeared to her and
commanded her to take fifty handmaidens and follow him. He
changed them into birds and they flew away to the Otherworld.
Three years later a bird flock appeared before Emain Macha and the
warriors of Ulster went out to see them. The birds coaxed the
warriors to follow them and led them to the Boyne. Here, at nightfall,
 Decies
80

they changed into Dechtire and her handmaidens and the god Lugh.
Dechtire had a new-born baby whose name was Setanta, the son of
Lugh. Dechtire returned to Sualtaim who accepted the child as his
son. Setanta grew up to be Cuchulainn.
Decies. See Desi.
Dedad. Alternative form of Degad. He formed the military elite of
Munster, and was father of the warrior Li.
De Danaan. See Tuatha De Danaan.
Degad, The. Also Dedad. The Munster equivalent to the Red Branch
of Ulster. Their most famous leader was Cu Roi whose fortress was at
Cathair Chonroi (the stone fortress of Cu Roi), now Caherconree,
near Tralee.
Deirdre. Sometimes Derdriu. Deirdre of the Sorrows, daughter of
Felim Mac Dali, a chieftain of Ulster. She was born when Felim was
entertaining Conchobhar Mac Nessa, the king, in his fortress.
Cathbad the druid cast her horoscope and said she would be fairest of
all the women in Ireland and would wed a king but, because of her,
only death and ruin would come upon the land. Conchobhar’s
warriors wanted the baby put to death at once but Conchobhar saved
the child by saying that he would raise her and when she was old
enough she would become his wife. In this manner no foreign
monarch would wed her and so cause any war or dissension in Ulster.
Lebharcham the poetess was charged with nursing her.
When the time came for her marriage to Conchobhar, Deirdre did
not want to wed an old man. Looking over the ramparts of Emain
Macha she saw a handsome young warrior, ‘his hair like the raven’s
wing, his cheek the hue of blood and skin as white as snow’. She
asked Lebharcham to identify him. He was Naoise, son of Usna, a
hero of the Red Branch. Deirdre engineered a meeting. She fell in
love with Naoise and he with her. Accompanied by his two brothers,
Ainle and Ardan, Naoise eloped with Deirdre and fled to Alba. Here
the sons of Usna took service with the king of the Cruithne and, for a
while, Naoise and Deirdre lived happily in Glen Etibhe.
The years went by and Conchobhar Mac Nessa became increas¬
ingly bitter. Outwardly, however, he pretended that he had forgiven
Naoise and Deirdre, and sent Fergus Mac Roth to invite them to
return to Ulster in peace. Deirdre foresaw their doom but Fergus Mac
Roth was known to be a man of his word. His assurance of safety in
Conchobhar s name was enough to reassure Naoise. They returned
and were met by Baruch who sought to detain Fergus Mac Roth by
Delga 81

inviting him to a feast. He pointed out that it was a geis (taboo) for
Fergus to refuse to attend. So Fergus sent Deirdre, Naoise and his
brothers on to Emain Macha under the protection of his two sons,
Iollan and Buinne.
Conchobhar, having ascertained that Deirdre was as beautiful as
ever, ordered his warriors to attack the hostel of the Red Branch
where they were staying. Iollan was killed and Buinne was bribed.
Ardan and Ainle were slain and finally Naoise was killed by Eoghan
Mac Duracht, using Naoise’s own sword. Deirdre was forced to wed
Conchobhar. For a year she was his unwilling wife, never smiling.
Conchobhar, angered by her attitude, asked her who she hated most
in the world. Deirdre replied: ‘You and Eoghan Mac Durthacht!’
Enraged, Conchobhar told her that she would be Eoghan’s wife for a
year. When Deirdre, her hands bound to prevent escape, was placed
in Eoghan’s chariot, she contrived to sling herself head-foremost
from it and dashed her head against a rock which killed her. From her
grave grew a pine and from Naoise’s grave a second pine grew. When
full-grown the two trees met and intertwined above the graves;
nothing could part them. Deirdre’s story is one of the great love
stories from the myths and is classed by the ancient bards as one of the
‘Three Sorrows of Story-telling’.
Deisi. See Desi.
Dela. His five sons led the Firbolg invasion of Ireland.
Delbaeth. 1. Son of Ethlinn and Aonghus Og, described as ‘a noble
youth of the Tuatha De Danaan’. He is said to be father of Eire,
Banba and Fotla by the goddess Eirinn.
2. Son of Cas Mac Tuil, seventh in line from Ailill Olomh. He was
banished with his five sons. He went to the cairn of Fiachu and
kindled a druidic flame from which burst five streams of fire. Hence
Delbaed, shape-fire. See Delvin.
Delbchaem. Fair Shape. Daughter of Morgan, king of the Land of
Wonder, and his wife, Coinchend, a terrible warrior woman. She was
imprisoned by her parents in a tower set on a high pillar. Art, son of
Conn, who had been sent on his quest in search of Delbchaem by his
stepmother, the goddess Becuma, slew her parents, rescued her and
brought her back to Ireland.
Del Chliss. A spear of Cuchulainn with which he slew the sons of
Nechtan Scene. Originally, it meant a split piece of wood and was
given as the name for a charioteer’s goad.
Delga. A Fomorii chieftain, father of Morca. He built a fortress
 Deluge
82

called Dun Dealgan (Dundalk) which became the fortress of

Cuchulainn.
Deluge. The story of the Great Flood occurs in the legends of many
lands and not only in the Hebrew tales of the Bible. One school of
thought is that Christian missionaries were responsible for the wide
dispersal of the story while others claim that the legends have a basis
in history, that a flood was common to all the peoples of the world. It
is questionable whether the Irish Deluge was due to Christian
influence; however, the Irish story does have some unique qualities in
that there were four survivors of the Deluge outside the Ark, one of
whom, Fintan, turned himself into a salmon to escape.
Delvin. Dealbhna or Delbaeth’s descendants, from where Delvin in
Co. Westmeath takes its name. See Delbaeth 2.
Demna. The original name of Fionn Mac Cumhail. Sometimes given as
Deime and Demne.
Deoca. A daughter of a Munster chieftain who was betrothed to
Laoghaire, a Connacht chieftain. She asked him to give her, as a
bridal gift, the four singing swans who were the transformed children
of Lir.
Derbfme. Descendants of a common great-grandfather whose rights as
a sept of four generations are made clear in the Brehon Laws.
Derbhorgill. Sometimes given as Derbforgaille. Daughter of a king of
Lochlann. She had been left for the Fomorii in lieu of tribute on a
deserted beach. Cuchulainn happened by and slew the Fomorii and
she fell in love with him. She turned herself into a swan, with a
handmaiden, and followed Cuchulainn back to Ireland. Cuchulainn
was hunting with a companion, Laoghaire, and he cast a stone with
his slingshot bringing down one of the swans that flew over. It was
Derbhorgill. He sucked out the slingshot and healed her but, being
now united to him by blood, Derbhorgill was forbidden to wed him.
Cuchulainn gave her to Laoghaire to wed.
Derbrenn. The first love of Aonghus Og. Her six foster children were
turned into pigs by their mother.
Derc-Ferna. The cave of Dunmore, Co. Kilkenny. In this cave dwelt
Luchtigern (Mouse Lord), a great cat which was eventually slain by a
female champion (ban-gaisgidheach) of Leinster.
Der Greine. Tear of the Sun. The daughter of Fiachna Mac Retach,
who married Laoghaire Mac Crimthann of Connacht.
Derg-druimnech. Red-backed. The shield of Domhnall Breac, king of
the Dal Riada of Alba. I he Ulster hero Conall is said to have cast a
Dian Cecht 83

spear at him during the battle of Moira (said to have happened in

ad637) and while three warriors placed their shields before their
king, Conall’s spear, luin, went through their shields, through them,
through Domhnall’s shield and wounded him. However, it is
recorded that Domhnall was still victorious in this battle.
Desa. Also Donn Desa. A champion who became foster father
to Conaire Mor. He had three sons, Fer Le, Fer Gar and Fer
Rogain, who joined Ingcel against their foster brother and took
part in the attack on Da Derga’s hostel where Conaire Mor was
killed.
Desi. Sometimes Deisi and Decies. A clan of Bregia in the province of
Mide (Meath). The name appears to signify ‘vassals’. They feature in
a story ‘Inndarba inna nDesi’ (The Expulsion of the Desi) which,
according to Professor Kuno Meyer, is stylistically dated back to the
third century ad. Cellach, a son of Cormac Mac Art, the High King,
riding through the Desi territory, raped a niece of a chieftain,
Aonghus of the Terrible Spear. Aonghus (Gae-Aduath) went to Tara
to demand justice. Cellach denied his act. In a rage Aonghus seized
the spear of a guard and killed Cellach. Cormac Mac Art, trying to
save his son, had his eye taken out by the butt of the spear. This
disfigurement, under Celtic law, disbarred Cormac from the king-
ship and his son Cairbre became High King. Nevertheless, the Desi
were subject to a terrible vengeance from Tara. They were expelled
from their lands. Some settled in Munster; others were pursued from
Ireland and, after a voyage of many adventures, settled in south
Wales. The Desi settlement is an historical one. There is an Ogham
inscription which survives in the Carmarthen Museum, dated to the
sixth century. It is to Voteocorigas, a Desi ruler, who is believed to be
the Voterporius whom the sixth-century Gildas attacked as a tyrant.
The story survives in Annala Rioghachta Eireann, a seventeenth-
century copy of an earlier book known in English as the Annals of the
Four Masters.
Destructions. A class of tales such as ‘The Destruction of Da Dearga’s
Hostel’, ‘The Destruction of Dinn Righ’, etc.
Dian. A young chieftain of the Fianna who was captured by the gods of
the sidhe. Cailte met him and asked him how life was with the gods.
Dian told him that he would rather be a slave among the Fianna than
a prince among the gods.
Dian Cecht. The god of medicine. After Nuada lost his hand in the first
battle of Magh Tireadh, Dian Cecht supplied him with a silver hand,
 Diarmuid
84

thus earning Nuada the name Airgetlamh. However, this blemish

precluded Nuada from kingship and Bres, the half-Fomorii, became
king. Dian Cecht’s son, Miach, proved himself a better physician by
providing Nuada with a new hand of flesh and blood, allowing him to
regain the kingship. However, Dian Cecht grew jealous of his son and
slew him. With his daughter Airmid he guarded a spring of health
which restored the dead and wounded members of the De Danaans.
Among the Brehon Law tracts is one called ‘The Judgements of Dian
Cecht’, relating to the practice of medicine, which Professor Binchy
dates as early as the sixth century ad (Eriu Vol. XX). See Airmid and
Miach.
Diarmuid. 1. A king whose wife Bee Fola left one morning to visit the
Otherworld. She stayed a day and a night but on her return found
that it was still the same morning and Diarmuid was only just
stirring.
2. Son of Fergus Cearbaill. An historical High King, sometimes
confused with the husband of Bee Fola, who reigned about ad545-
568, according to the king lists. There are several stories about him.
One of his officers was killed by a chieftain named Aodh Guaire,
related in fosterage to St. Ronan (Ruadan). When the king sent men
to arrest Aodh, St. Ronan hid him and so Diarmuid had Ronan
arrested and tried in his stead. He was condemned by the ecclesiastics
for this act and Ronan himself uttered the famous curse: ‘Desolate
be Tara for ever!’ Soon after Tara was abandoned never to achieve its
former splendour, so the story went.
His wife was Mughain who had an affair with Flann, son of Dima.
Diarmuid had Flann’s fortress burnt over his head. Sorely wounded,
Flann sought to avoid the flames by climbing into a vat of water where
he drowned. In one version St. Ronan prophesied that a roof beam
would fall on Diarmuid’s head and kill him. In another St. Ciaran
foretold that Diarmuid would suffer the same death as Flann.
However it was Diarmuid’s druid Bee Mac De who made the most
interesting prophecy. He said that Diarmuid would be killed by
Flann’s kinsman, Aedh Dubh, in the house of Banban. His death,
however, would only be encompassed on the night he wore a shirt
grown from a single flax seed, when he drank ale brewed from one
grain of corn, and when he ate pork from a sow which was never
farrowed. The manner of his death would be by slaughter, by
burning, by drowning and by the ridge pole of a roof falling on to his
head. The prophecy seemed so unlikely that Diarmuid scorned it
Diarmuid 85

even when Banban invited him to a feast. Mughain his wife warned
him of his doom and refused to accompany him.
At Banban’s house Banban suggested that since the king’s wife was
not with him his own daughter would ‘this night be your wife’. The
girl brought Diarmuid a nightshirt, food was brought and ale. The
girl told him that the nightshirt was made from a single flax seed; the
pork was from a sow that had not farrowed and the ale brewed from a
single grain of corn. Realising the impending doom, Diarmuid
sprang to the door. Aedh Dubh was there and stabbed the High King
with his spear. Wounded, Diarmuid fled back into the house. Aedh
Dubh's men set fire to it. Seeking to escape the flames, Diarmuid
scrambled into a vat of ale. A burning ridge pole fell on to his head.
The prophecy was fulfilled.
3. Ua Duibhne. Diarmuid of the Love Spot. His father was Donn
who took him to be fostered by the love-god Aonghus Og. While at
Bruigh Na Boinne, Donn discovered that his wife had been having an
affair with Roc, Aonghus Og’s steward. She gave birth to another
child and Donn crushed this child to death. Roc took a wand and
smote his dead son with it, whereupon the dead child turned into a
great magical boar. Roc told the boar to bring Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
to his death and the boar ran off to the forests around Ben Bulben,
Co. Sligo, to await its destiny.
Diarmuid grew up to be a beautiful youth and became a member of
the Fianna. Out hunting with Goll, Conan and Oscar, he arrived late
one night at a hut in a wood where an old man, a young girl, a wether
sheep and a cat were living. When they sat down to eat the cat jumped
on the table and not one of the four Fianna champions could throw it
off. The old man told them that the wether sheep was the World and
the Cat was death. The four champions then went to bed and the
young girl, whose beauty made a light like a radiant candle, went to
sleep in the same room with them. Each of the champions sought to
make love to her but she chose Diarmuid, saying: ‘I am Youth and I
will put a mark on you that no woman can ever see you without loving
you.’ She touched his forehead and gave him his famous love spot.
Diarmuid was one of the active members of the Fianna and played
a role in the chase of Abarta. He also had adventures in the
Otherworld.
Fionn Mac Cumhail became bethrothed to Grainne, the daughter
of the High King Cormac Mac Art. Fionn was now elderly, war-worn
but still a great warrior. The Fianna accompanied him in his wedding
86 Diarmuid

feast at Tara. Grainne, however, was not anxious to wed an old man
however great a warrior he was. She asked first Oisin if he would
elope with her. When he refused she asked Diarmuid and contrived
to put a geis on him so that he had no choice. He sought advice from
Oisin, Oscar and Celta. They pointed out that he must not break his
geis. In spite of his reluctance, Diarmuid eloped with Grainne from
the palace of Tara.
Burning with rage, Fionn summoned his Fianna, and set out in
pursuit. At first Diarmuid treated Grainne as a sister and sent
messages to Fionn to this effect. But Grainne eventually seduced him
and he fell in love with her. The pursuit is graphically described and
many times Diarmuid rescues Grainne and himself from the
vengeance of Fionn. After sixteen years of outlawry, at the inter¬
cession of both Cormac Mac Art and the love-god Aonghus Og,
Fionn begrudgingly made peace. Diarmuid and Grainne settled in
their palace at Rath Grainne at Tara. Grainne bore four sons and a
daughter to Diarmuid.
However, Grainne was not satisfied that peace had been made until
both Fionn and her father Cormac Mac Art had become their guests
at Rath Grainne. Fionn and Cormac agreed and were feasted there for
a year. Towards the end of this feasting, Diarmuid was awoken by the
sound of a hound baying. It was an omen. He decided to go out
hunting with Fionn and the Fianna. While they were traversing Ben
Bulben, Co. Sligo, they discovered that they were no longer the
hunters but the quarry. They were pursued by an enchanted boar,
Diarmuid’s own stepbrother. Fionn, still nursing a grudge, knowing
that Diarmuid never retreated from danger, enticed him into fighting
the boar. Diarmuid’s hounds fled in terror as the boar approached.
Diarmuid slung a stone at it but while he hit it in the middle of the
forehead it made no impact. Diarmuid struck the boar with his sword
but the weapon broke in two. The boar sprang on him and gored him
but Diarmuid finally succeeded in driving the broken hilt of his
sword into the animal’s brain.
While Diarmuid was in his death agony, Fionn stood over him and
said: ‘It likes me well to see you in that plight, O Diarmuid, and I
would that all the women in Ireland saw you now, for your excellent
beauty is turned into ugliness and your comely form into deformity.’
Diarmuid pleaded with Fionn to give him water, for a draught of
water from Fionn’s hand would have healed his wounds. Fionn
refused. Diarmuid reminded him of how he had once rescued Fionn.
Diuran 87

Fionn replied that there was no well nearby. Diarmuid pointed to a

well nine paces away. Fionn reluctantly got water, but let it fall
through his hands.
The Fianna came up and Oscar, Fionn’s own grandson, declared
that it Fionn did not get water promptly he would kill him. Fionn
finally brought the water but it was too late: Diarmuid was dead. The
Fianna laid their cloaks over him and returned to Rath Grainne.
Grainne, seeing them returning without Diarmuid but with
Diarmuid’s hound, realised what this meant and swooned on the
ramparts. The Fianna left. Sorrowing, Grainne and her household
went to fetch the body. They found the love-god Aonghus Og there,
with others of the De Danaan. They raised three bitter cries and
placed Diarmuid on a bier. Aonghus Og told Grainne he would carry
Diarmuid to Bruigh na Boinne. While he could not restore Diarmuid
to life, ‘I will send a soul into him so that he may talk with me each
day’. See Grainne.
Digde. An alternative name for the Cailleach Beara.
Dige. An alternative name for the Cailleach Beara.
Dinn Righ. The fortress of kings in Leinster. It was formerly known as
Duma-Slaigne, the burial mound of Slaigne, the Fomorii king. It was
also known as Tuaim Tenba. It is now identified with Ballyknockan,
on the west bank of the Barrow in Co. Carlow, where an old
earthwork still stands. The ramparts are 237 feet in diameter. In the
tale ‘The Destruction of Dinn Righ’ it was here that the evil ruler
Cobhthach Coel of Bregia was slaughtered with thirty of his warriors
when Moen locked then into an iron hall and set fire to it.
Dinnsenchas. ‘The lore of prominent places’. It is a comprehensive
topography of Ireland and a guide to geographical mythology. It is
contained in the twelfth-century Book of Leinster and is one of the
richest sources of myth. It is here we find the early versions of the
story of the Sons of Usna and many Fianna tales.
Dithorba. A king who ruled Ireland alternately with Cimbaeth and
Aedh Ruadh who are variously given as his brothers or cousins.
When Aedh Ruadh died his daughter Macha Mong Ruadh was
elected to rule. Dithorba and Cimbaeth led an opposition to her but
she made peace with Cimbaeth, eventually marrying him, and slew
Dithorba. She captured his five sons and made them construct the
ramparts of Emain Macha. See Macha 4.
Diuran. A poet and one of Mael Duin’s followers during his fabulous
voyage. When Mael Duin’s ship reached the Pillar of Silver in the sea,
88 Divination

with its top out of sight and a silver net spread around it, Diuran leant
out of the boat and hacked away a piece of silver net. When he
returned home the Christian embellishment is that he placed the
silver on the High Altar at Armagh, the seat of the primacy of Ireland.
Divination. The art of foretelling the future is an essential part of the
myths. In most cases the fate of the hero or heroine is foretold at
birth. Such is the case of Deirdre whose horoscope is cast by
Cathbad. More often than not, it is to escape their fate that the
protagonists set out on their adventures which inevitably lead them to
the fate they seek to avoid. In some cases, such as the death of
Diarmuid the High King at the House of Banban, the prophecy is so
bizarre that its fulfilment seems unlikely. Mortals ignore the warn¬
ings at their peril. Such is the fate of Conaire Mor. Divination was
widely practised in Celtic society. It was practised in many forms -
astrology, dreams, signs and omens from nature and unusual occur¬
rences. One favourite way was the casting of yew wands inscribed
with mystic words in Ogham. Divination was the prerogative of the
druids, both male and female, who were also the interpreters of
people’s dreams or visions. Women who prophesied were usually
related to druids if they were not part of the druidic order. The Old
Irish word for an astrologer was neladoir (cloud diviner) and no house
or palace could be erected without an astrologer being consulted as to
the most propitious time.
Dobhar. King of Siogair, identified as Sicily. He owned two wonderful
horses which could run equally well on land and sea. One of the tasks
of the Children of Tuireann was to acquire these beasts and the king’s
chariot. The task was accomplished when Brian killed Dobhar with
the poisoned spear of Pisear.
Dobhinia. An ancestress, perhaps goddess, of the people of Corco
Duibhne in Kerry.
Doilin. One of Mael Fhothartaig’s hounds.
Domhnall. 1. The Warlike. A champion of Alba to whom Cuchulainn
was sent to finish his military training. He was accompanied by
Laoghaire and Conall Cearnach. In another version Conchobhar Mac
Nessa is the unlikely substitute for Conall. After Domhnall had
taught them all he could he advised them to go to the school of
Scathach, the famous lemale champion. Domhnall had a daughter,
Dornoll, who fell in love with Cuchulainn.
2. Breac. The name of an historical king of the Dal Riada of Alba. He
invaded Ireland and fought in the battle of Magh Rath, the Plain of
Donn 89

Forts (Moira), in ad637. Confusingly, his opponent was another

Domhnall, Domhnall Mac Aedh, who presided over the historic
Assembly of Druim Ceata. He is mentioned here because he pos¬
sessed a shield of magic propensities which Conall pierced during the
battle.
Domnu. Goddess of the Fomorii. The name seems to signify an abyss of
the sea and, significantly, the name Fomorii appears to translate as
‘undersea dwellers’. Indech, the Fomorii leader, is specifically de¬
scribed as the son of Domnu but she appears to be a mother goddess
and mother of all the Fomorii. Through the various sagas and tales an
eternal struggle is seen between the Children of Domnu, represent¬
ing darkness and evil, and the Children of Dana, representing light
and goodness.
Donn. 1. Irish god of the dead whose abode is at Tech Duinn (House of
Donn) which is placed on an island off the south-west of Ireland. See
Tech Duinn. The house is the assembly place of the dead before they
begin their journey to the Otherworld. In modern folklore Donn is
associated with shipwrecks and sea storms and sometimes equated
with the Dagda and Bile. In some versions he is said to be the son of
Midir the Proud. More often than not he is confused with the eldest
son of Milesius. See Donn 2.
2. The eldest of Milesius’ eight sons whose mother was Seang. He
commanded the Milesians in their invasion of Ireland but when he
was greeted by the goddess Eire, who asked that the island might take
her name, he paid her scant respect. She foretold his doom. The
Milesians put the sea again and Manannan Mac Lir caused a great
storm to blow up. In one version Donn goes aloft to spy out the land
and falls into the sea. Another version says he asked his brothers to
bury him on an island off the mainland; this they did, and here his
tradition and that of Donn 1 became intermixed.
3. Foster brother of Mael Fhothartaig who slew Eochaidh and his
wife and son in retaliation for the killing of Mael Fhothartaig.
4. The father of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne who gave his son to Aonghus
Og to be fostered. His wife was unfaithful with Aonghus Og’s
steward Roc and bore him a son. Donn killed this child by crushing it
to death and flung its body to his hounds. Roc, however, smote the
dead child with a magic wand and turned it into an enchanted boar
which was instructed to encompass the death of Diarmuid Ua
Duibhne. It then went to Ben Bulben to await its destiny.
5. Donn Desa. See Desa.
90 Domoll

6. Donn Cuailgne. The Brown Bull of Cuailgne over which the Tain
war was fought. He was originally the swineherd of the Bodb Dearg
(see Nar) whose rival was the swineherd of Ochall. They fought
constantly with each other and continued through numerous re¬
incarnations, as ravens, as water beasts, as demons, as champions, as
great water worms until, finally, they were reborn as bulls: the Brown
Bull of Cuailgne and the White Bull of Connacht. The Brown Bull
was coveted by Medb of Connacht and this provoked the war against
Ulster in which Medb attempted to secure the Brown Bull. At the end
of the war Donn and his rival, Finnbhenach or the White Bull of
Connacht, met and fought. Donn finally killed his ancient rival but
he was mortally wounded.
7. Donn Bo. A youth famed for his singing. See Allen, Hill of.
Dornoll. Bigfist. The loathsome misshapen daughter of Domhnall the
Warlike. She fell in love with Cuchulainn and when he refused her
she sought vengeance. She caused his companions Laoghaire and
Conall to desert him while he journeyed on to the Land of Shadows.
Dragons. Irish mythology abounds with monstrous serpents or
dragons most of whom live at the bottom of lakes. Sometimes they
guard palaces or fortresses. However, there have never been any
venomous reptiles in Ireland. There is a species of small lizard, called
are-luachra or lizard of the rushes. Two centuries before St. Patrick
was supposed to have driven out all the serpents, writers were stating
that no such creatures existed in Ireland.
Druid. Druids were both male and female. They have been mistakenly
called ‘a religious caste’. It is true that druids presided at religious
functions and promulgated the Celtic religion and its rites. However,
they were also important political figures, advisers, judges and
teachers. The philologist Rudolf Thurneysen believed that the word
came from the roots dru-vid meaning ‘thorough knowledge’. Druids
were known throughout the Celtic world and not just in Ireland.
According to the classical writers a strenuous training was needed to
become a druid: some commentators said it took up to twenty years to
learn all the druidical laws and canons. C. Julius Caesar described
druids in this way:

They are concerned with religious matters, perform sacrifices

offered by the state and by private individuals, and interpret
omens. Many of the youth resort to them for education and they
are held in high honour by the Gauls. They have the decision in
Druid 91

nearly all the disputes that arise between the state and individuals;
if any crime has been committed, if any person has been killed, if
there is any dispute about an inheritance or a boundary, it is the
druids who give judgements; it is they who settle the rewards and
punishments. Any private person or any tribe refusing to abide by
their decision is excluded from sacrifice. This is the heaviest
punishment that can be inflicted; for those so excluded are reck¬
oned to belong to the godless and wicked. All persons leave their
company, avoid their presence and speech lest they should be
involved in some of the ill-consequences of their situation. They
can get no redress from injury and they are ineligible to any post of
honour.

The druids were not only ministers of religion but were accounted
philosophers, natural scientists and teachers, and were able to give
legal, political and military judgements. They were trained in ‘inter¬
national law’ as well as tribal law and were the arbiters in disputes
between territorial groups. The druids had power to prevent warfare
between tribes, for the moral and legal authority of the druids was
greater than that of the chieftains or the kings or even the High King
himself. Conchobhar Mac Nessa could not speak at an assembly
before his druids spoke.
The druids appear similar to the eastern Zen masters. Whereas
most of the knowledge of Brythonic Celtic and Continental Celtic
druids has come down to us from Greek and Latin sources, there is a
corpus of native Irish writing describing the role of Irish druids.
However, all of this has been written by Christian monks and so
contains a Christian outlook and veneer. Their role in Irish myths
appears mainly as wizards, masters of the supernatural arts, instead
of merely learned men.
Native sources do acknowledge the druids’ role as teachers. Even
Colmcille (St. Columba) commenced his education under a druid.
Druids had to be consulted on all matters of importance: when
Conchobhar Mac Nessa contemplated attacking Ailill and Medb he
first sought the advice of his druid Cathbad as to the manner and
timing of his punitive raid. But while the druids were respected they
were not sacrosanct. During his adventures with Clann Calatin
Cuchulainn killed a druid working against him.
The Dinnsenchas describes the offices of the druids and notes the
ban-drui or female druid. Before the second battle of Magh Tuireadh,
92 Dubh

it is stated, two female druids promised to enchant the Fomorii army

and cast a spell so that ‘the trees and stones and sods of the earth . . .
shall become a host against them and rout them’. The role of female
druids is also noted in later Christian ecclesiastical writings.
The Latin writers, in particular, were not exactly sympathetic to
the Celtic people or the druids, and they spoke of human sacrifices
as part of the Celtic religion. There is no native tradition of
this, especially connected with the Irish druids. If there had been
some hint of such a tradition then the Christian scribes, in their
efforts to denigrate the older religion and its practices, would have
undoubtedly seized upon it as they did with Cromm Cruach.
Druids in Ireland had a tonsure, as did the later Christian monks.
It is recorded that they cut their hair in a mystic figure called airbacc
Giunnae (perhaps, fence cut of the hair) - a tonsure which ran from
ear to ear instead of being a circular form on the crown of the head.
The Celtic Christian monks copied this fashion and it became one of
the points of contention with Rome. The Roman form of tonsure
finally displaced the Celtic form.
Whereas it is recorded that the Brythonic and Continental Celtic
druids proscribed the writing down of their lore in any form, the Irish
druids are frequently observed as writing things down in Ogham on
wands of wood. See Gods and Otherworld.
Drumcain. The ancient name of Temhair (Tara), which meant
‘beautiful hill’, where the De Danaans and the Milesians first met.
Duanaire Finn. A collection of ballads about Fionn Mac Cumhail.
Volume 1 of Duanaire Finn was edited by Professor Eoin Mac Neill
for the Irish Texts Society in 1908. Professor Gerard Murphy then
took over and edited Volumes 2 (1933) and 3 (1954).
Dubgilla. Sometimes Dubh Giolla. Black servant. The shield of Aedh,
king of Oriel.
Dubh. Black. Wife of Enna and a druidess. She discovered that Enna
had another wife and drowned her rival by magic. She was slain with
a slingshot by Enna and fell into a pool which became known as
Dubh s pool, Dubhlinn. This, it is said, is how Ireland’s capital city
achieved the name of Dublin. In some of the annals the name is
written as Duibh-linn and this is translated in the Latin texts as
Nigratherma - black pool. It was originally the name of a pool on the
River Liffey where the city was built. In early times an artificial ford
of hurdles was constructed across the river where the main road from
Tara to Wicklow crossed. The city that sprang up around this was
Duma 93

called the Town of the Hurdle Ford - Baile Atha Cliath. It is by this
name that the capital of Ireland is known to all Irish speakers today.
Dubh Lacha. The beautiful wife ol Mongan. She was born on the same
night that he was. She was coveted by Brandubh who tricked
Mongan into giving her to him. However, Mongan, a son of
Manannan Mac Lir, used his supernatural powers to secure her
release. The tale is told in Toraigheacht Duibhe Lacha (The Rescue of
Dubh Lacha).
Dubhlaing. The lover of Aoibhell who prophesied he would die in
battle unless he allowed her to wrap his body in a cloak of invisibility.
Dubhthach Doeltenga. Son of Lugaid Mac Casrubae. A warrior of the
Red Branch who is described as ‘a man who has never earned the
thanks of anyone. When warriors of Ulster go out he goes out alone.’
The nickname Doeltenga means ‘backbiter’. He was given on loan
the spear of Celtchair, Luin, which was found discarded after the
second battle of Moytura. Dubhthach assisted Fergus Mac Roth in
his attempts to avenge the killing of the sons of Usna by helping
him against Conchobhar Mac Nessa. It was Dubhthach who slew
Conchobhar’s son Fiachnae and also Maine. However, Fergus once
says of him:

Away with Dubhthach Doeltenga

drag him behind the host.
Never has he done any good
he has slain young women.

Those people he cannot kill

he incites against each other.

Dubhthach is present at ‘The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel’ and

is also seen stirring up trouble at Bricriu’s Feast.
Duineach. An alternative name for the Cailleach Beara. It means
‘strong’ or ‘having a large following’.
Dulachan. Sometimes given as Dullahan. Known to later folklore as a
malicious spirit, he was a headless horseman who rode a headless
horse. With his whip he took out the eyes of any who saw him.
Dul-Dana. Blind, stubborn-born. Manannan Mac Lir’s name for the
baby Lugh Lamhfada whom he fosters. See Lugh.
Duma. A mound or burial ground. Duma na nGall was ‘ The Mound of
Hostages’ at Tara.
94 Dun

Dun. A fortress or fortified palace. Each king and champion had his
dun, such as Cuchulainn’s famous Dun Dealgan in Muirethemne.
The prefix occurs in numerous place names in Ireland, in Britain and
on the European mainland. Sometimes it occurs as a suffix as in the
well-known case of London, from the Latin Londinium which came
from the Celtic Lugdun or Lug’s fortress. Lyon in France derived
from the same name being, in Roman times, Lugdunum. More
usually, the word occurs as a prefix as in Dunboyne (Dun Baeithin),
Boyne’s fortress; Duncannon, Conan’s fortress; Duncormick,
Cormac’s fortress; Dundalk (originally from Dun Dealgan), Delga’s
fortress, the chief residence of Cuchulainn, and so forth.
Dun Bolg, Battle of. One of numerous battles in which the men of
Leinster fought against the imposition of the Boramha by the High
King. In this particular tale the warriors of Leinster were smuggled
into the High King’s encampment in baskets loaded on to three
hundred teams of twelve oxen. The High King’s men were told that
the baskets contained food. Once in the enemy camp the warriors of
Leinster leapt out and routed the High King’s army.
Dunlaing. A king of Leinster who unlawfully slew twelve women for
which act he was himself slain by Cormac Mac Art.
Dun na nGeid. Sometimes Dun na nGedh. According to the story ‘The
Feast of Dun na nGedh’, Domhnall Mac Aedh, the High King of
Ireland, decided that it should become the seat of the High Kings
after the abandonment of Tara. According to the king lists he ruled in
Ireland from ad627 to 641. Just before the feast, two horrible black
spectres - male and female - appeared to the assembly and, having
devoured enormous quantities of food, vanished. They left a baleful
influence for it was a subsequent quarrel which led to the battle of
Magh Rath (Moira) in 637.
Dun na Sciath. Fortress of shields. A circular fortress on the western
shore of Loch EnnellinCo. Westmeath. It was associated with Anind
the son of Nemed and, indeed, it was said that Loch Ennell flooded
from his grave. It became a royal residence of the High Kings after
the abandonment of Tara.
Dun Scaith. Fort of shadows. A synonym for the Otherworld, some¬
times identified with the Isle of Man (see Mannin). Cuchulainn and
his friends landed there and found, in its centre, a pit out of which
came a swarm of loathsome serpents. They fended them off but were
attacked by a further swarm of toads with sharp beaks which turned
into dragons. Cuchulainn and his companions prevailed and carried
Durthacht 95

off three magic crows and a marvellous cauldron with gold and silver
and an inexhaustible supply of meat. They harnessed the crows to
pull their ship home to Ireland. However, the gods who protected
Dun Scaith conjured a storm and the ship was wrecked. Undaunted,
Cuchulainn and his companions managed to swim back but they lost
their treasure.
Durfulla. Sometimes Durbhola. A daughter of the king of the merfolk
who married a human. When she died she was buried on an island but
this was overrun by the sea.
Durthacht. King of Fernmag whose son Eoghan contested the right to
the hero’s portion in the tale of ‘Mac Da Tho’s Boar’. In most
accounts of the ‘Exile of the Sons of Usna’ it is Eoghan Mac
Durthacht who kills Naoise. See Eoghan 3.
E. Eded (aspen) in the Ogham alphabet.
Eachtra. Adventure. A class of tales in mythology usually connected
with a mortal’s journey to the Otherworld and often closely allied
with the Immrama or voyage tales, e.g. Eachtra Fergus Mac Leide,
a saga of a king of Ulster; Eachtra Chormaic i dTir Taimigire
(Cormac’s Adventures in the Land of Promise); Eachtra Chordae
Choim Mate Cuind Chetchathaig (Adventures of Conla the Fair,
son of Conn of the Hundred Battles). The eachtra became very
popular in Irish literature during the fifteenth to seventeenth
centuries and numerous medieval stories survive from this
period.
Eadon. The nurse of the poets of the Tuatha De Danaan.
Easal. King of the Golden Pillars who had seven magic pigs. Even
though they were killed and eaten at feasting every night they were
found alive the next day and anyone eating their flesh was never
afflicted with disease. Easal befriended the sons of Tuireann and gave
them his pigs, which were part of their quest. Easal’s daughter was
married to the king of Ioruaidhe.
Eber. 1. Eber Finn. A son of Milesius. He slew Mac Cuill, husband of
Banba. He refused to acknowledge Amairgen’s judgement that his
elder brother Eremon should be ruler of Ireland after the Milesian
conquest. Eber and Eremon then divided Ireland between them,
Eber taking the southern half from the Boyne to the Wave of
Cliodhna. He subsequently attacked Eremon and was slain by him. It
was a tradition for some chieftains to trace their ancestry to Eber
Finn.
2. Eber Scot. Son of Esru, son of Goidel, son of Scota, daughter of
the Pharaoh Nectanebes, and therefore founder of the ‘Scots’ or Irish
people.
3. Eber White-Knee. An ancestor of Milesius who ruled his people
Eire 97

when they lived in the land of Gaethluighe, eight generations before

they moved to Spain where Bregon ruled them.
Ebhric. Sometimes given as Eric. A young farmer who dwelt on the
shores of Erris Bay and saw the children of Lir in their swan-shapes.
He heard them singing, found out who they were and wrote down
their story.
Ebliu. 1. A sister of Lugh Lamhfada who became wife to Fintan Mac
Dochra. She is associated with Munster and gave her name to one of
the glens of Slieve Eelim (Sliabh Eibhlinne) east of the city of
Limerick.
2. Stepmother to Ecca and Rib, sons of a king of Munster who fled
with her to set up a new kingdom on a plain. But the plain was flooded
to form Lough Neagh and they perished.
Ecca. Brother of Rib. See Ebliu 2.
Eccell. A brother of Ingcel Caech and Dartaid, grandsons of a king of
Britain who led the attack on Conaire Mor at Da Derga’s hostel. See
Conaire Mor and Ingcel Caech.
Ecet. A hero of the Red Branch and father of Amairgen. See Amairgen
2.
Echbel. A hero of the Red Branch, son of Deded, who slew Inloth Mar
son of Fergus Mac Leide at Temuir Luachra.
Echuir. A warrior and one of the three doorkeepers at the High King’s
palace at Tara. He is the son of Ersa and Comla. The other door¬
keepers are his brothers, Tochur and Tegmong.
Ecne. The name signifies knowledge or poetry. Said to be the son in
common of the three sons of the goddess Dana. A curious example of
the ‘Trinity’ motif. See Triads.
Eibhir. Wife of the hero Oisin who is described as a yellow-haired
stranger who came from a sunny country.
Eire. Sometimes Eriu. A De Danaan goddess who gave her name to
Ireland. She was wife of Mac Greine, son of Ogma, and grandson of
the Dagda. Her sisters were Banba and Fotla. When the Milesians
landed in Ireland, Eire, with her two sisters, greeted them, each
wanting the Milesians to name the country after them. ‘Welcome
warriors,’ cried Eire. ‘To you who have come from afar this island
shall henceforth belong and from the setting to the rising sun there is
no better land. And your race will be the most perfect the world has
ever seen.’ Donn, the Milesian leader, did not treat her with respect
and a war ensued between the gods and the Milesians in which Donn
perished. Amairgen, however, the Milesian druid, promised the
98 Eirinn

goddess that Eire would be the country’s principal name. While the
names of her sisters, Banba and Fotla, are used in poetic reference to
Ireland, Eire still remains the Irish name for the country. In its
genitive form this becomes Eireann (hence Erin, Erinn etc.).
Eirinn. Given as mother of Eire, Banba and Fotla by Delbaeth. See
Delbaeth 1.
Eiscir Riada. The traditional boundary line which divides Ireland into
two halves running along a broken ridge of low mounds from Dublin
to Galway Bay. Eiscir - sand hill; riada - to travel by horse or chariot.
From mythological times there are references to the two halves of
Ireland, starting with the partition of Eber Finn and Eremon. In the
days of Conn of the Hundred Battles it was divided into Leth Conn
(Conn’s half) and Leth Moga (Mug’s half).
Eisirt. The poet of Iubdan, king of the Faylinn, a diminutive people.
He made fun of Iubdan’s boastfulness. Eisirt told him that the people
of Ulster were giants and to prove it he went to the court of Fergus
Mac Leide and returned with Aedh (see Aedh 5) who was a dwarf but
seemed a giant to the Faylinn. Eisirt then laid a geis on Iubdan to go to
Emain Macha himself and be the first to eat the porridge there the
next morning. He foretold that Iubdan would fail and be a prisoner
for a year and a day before being released. He would only be released,
however, by parting with his dearest possessions. See Iubdan. By
extra-sensory perception, Eisirt was able to tell that Fergus Mac
Leide was having an affair with the wife of his steward and that his
queen was having an affair with her foster son.
Eithne. See Ethne.
Eithniu. See Ethne.
Elatha. Sometimes Elathan. A Fomorii king whose land lay under the
sea. He was an exception to the rule that all Fomorii were hideous or
deformed. He was a man of fairest form, with golden hair down to
his shoulders . He was the son of Delbaeth of the Fomorii. He arrived
in a silver ship on the shore and met Eri, wife of Cethor, a De Danaan
queen, walking there. He slept with her and foretold that she would
give birth to a son. He gave her a ring and told her to give it to the
boy when he was big enough. Then he sailed off. Eri gave birth to
Bres who became king of the De Danaan. When the De Danaan
threw him out, Eri and Bres went to Elatha and sought his help.
This caused the second battle of Magh Tuireadh. See Eri, Bres 3
and Magh Tuireadh 2.
Elcmar. Sometimes referred to as the husband of Boann instead of
Emain Macha 99

Nechtan. He was sent by the Dagda on a long journey and so

enchanted that nine months passed as one day. This was in order that
the Dagda could sleep with Boann and she could bear a child without
her husband knowing. Her son was called Aonghus Og, the love god,
for Boann observed: ‘Young is the son who was begotten at break of
day and born betwixt it and evening.’ Elcmar returned knowing
nothing. See Boann, Dagda and Aonghus 1.
Ellen. A three-headed monster which came out of the cave of Cruachan.
See Amairgen 2.
Eltar, Plain of. It was the only plain in Ireland when Partholon landed,
a place on which no twig ever grew.
Emain Abhlach. Emain of the apple trees, an island paradise said to be
off the coast of Alba ruled by Manannan Mac Lir. The fabulous
voyage of Bran started when a strange woman appeared to Bran and
gave him a silver branch with white blossom from the apple tree of
Emain Abhlach. She sang a song describing the splendour and
delight of the island and the next day Bran set out in search of it,
Emain Macha. The seat of the kings of Ulster which features promi¬
nently in the Red Branch Cycle. Next to Temuir (Tara) it is, perhaps,
the best known of the royal residences. It is identified with Navan, a
phonetic rendering of ’n Emain, two miles west of Armagh, where
there is still a great mound surrounded by immense circular ram¬
parts, half obliterated but covering eleven English acres. It was said
to have been the capital of the Ulster kings for six hundred years, and
attained its greater glory during the time of Conchobhar Mac Nessa
and the heroes of the Red Branch. In ad355 it was destroyed by the
‘Three Collas’, Colla Uais, Colla Menn and Colla Dachrigh, cousins
of the High King Muiredach. From that time on it was abandoned
and left to ruin. It was founded by Macha Mong Ruadh (see Macha
4) who, having defeated Dithorba and captured his five sons, marked
out the circuit of the city and its ramparts with her brooch and forced
her captives to construct the ramparts. Thus the place was named
‘the brooch of Macha’. There is another version, see Macha 3, which
claims another Macha founded the city and called it the ‘Twins of
Macha’. A fascinating echo of the myths is given in the townland of
Creeveroe, near Navan, which is an Anglicised form of Craobh
Ruadh, the Red Branch.
In the sagas it is said that there were three great halls at Emain
Macha. First, the Craobh Ruadh, the Red Branch, in which the king
and his heroes feasted and slept. This hall contained nine rooms of
100 Emer

red yew partitioned by walls of bronze and all grouped around the
king’s apartment which had a ceiling of silver and bronze pillars
embossed with gold. Second, the Craobh Derg, also meaning Red
Branch, which was the treasure house of the city and also contained
the heads of slain enemies. Lastly, there was the Teite Brecc, the
speckled house, where all the weapons and armour of the Red Branch
heroes were stored, for it was a rule that no weapons should be borne
in the feasting halls in case their owners argued when they were the
worse for drink. In addition to the main halls there was a hospital for
the sick and wounded which was known as the Bron-Bherg, or
warrior’s sorrow.
Emer. Wife of Cuchulainn. She was the daughter of Forgall Manach,
Forgall the Wily, lord of Lusca, a spot a few miles north of Dublin.
Emer is said to have ‘the six gifts of womanhood - the gift of beauty,
the gift of chastity, the gift of sweet speech, the gift of needlework,
the gift of voice and the gift of wisdom’. Cuchulainn, coming to her
father’s fortress, saw her and immediately fell in love. He demanded
marriage but Emer replied that she could not marry before her elder
sister, Fial, although she returned his love. Forgall, her father, was
against the match, and pointed out that Cuchulainn still had his
reputation to earn and suggested he go away to train with Domhnall
the Warlike in Alba. Cuchulainn was told by Domhnall that his
training would best be completed under the female warrior Scathach.
During Cuchulainn’s absence Forgall tried to marry Emer to a
southern king, Lugaid Mac Ros. But Lugaid heard that Cuchulainn
desired to marry Emer and he was fearful of the consequences know¬
ing Cuchulainn’s prowess as a warrior. He refused the marriage.
Cuchulainn finally returned and presented himself at Forgall’s
fortress to claim Emer. Forgall refused him admittance and defended
his fortress. Cuchulainn leapt over the battlements and killed twenty-
four of Forgall’s warriors before Forgall himself leapt to his death
from the ramparts. Cuchulainn carried Emer off, plus her foster
sister and two loads of gold and silver. Forgall’s sister, Scenmed,
raised an army against Cuchulainn but he defeated it, and took Emer
back to his fortress of Dun Dealgan.
All was not ‘smooth’ in their subsequent relationship for Cuchu¬
lainn was loved by many women. But the only affair which en¬
dangered his relationship with Emer was that with Fand, the Pearl of
Beauty, the wife of the sea-god Manannan Mac Lir. Cuchulainn fell
in love with Fand and spent a month with her in the Land of Promise.
Eochaidh 101

Emer decided to kill Fand. She discovered the spot where Cuchu-
lainn and Fand had an assignation and went there. She and Fand
argued over Cuchulainn but when she saw how Fand loved him she
proved her own love by suggesting that she give Cuchulainn up for
the greater good. In response, Fand realised how much Emer loved
Cuchulainn and decided it would be best for all if she returned to her
husband Manannan Mac Lir. She was helped in this decision by
Manannan who shook his cloak between Fand and Cuchulainn to
ensure they would never meet again. Cuchulainn fell sick until the
druids of Ulster gave him a draught of forgetfulness. Emer, too, took
a similar potion. The affair was forgotten.
Just before Cuchulainn’s death at the Pillar Stone, he had a vision
of Emain Macha in flames and Emer’s body being tossed over the
ramparts. He hurried to Dun Dealgan and found her alive and well.
But it was a forewarning of his own impending doom. Emer tried to
persuade him to stay with her but he went on to the road which would
lead him to the Pillar Stone and his own death.
Enna Airgthetch. A High King who made the first silver shields in
Ireland and gave them to his chieftains. They were produced at
Srgetos (silverwood) at Rathbeag on the Nore, Co. Kilkenny. As well
as airget there are two other words in Irish for silver, cimb and cerb. It
was mined in Ireland from early times and features prominently in
the sagas.
Eochaidh. The name signifies ‘horse’.
1. Given as the foster father of Lugh Lamhfada instead of Manannan
Mac Lir.
2. A king of Dunseverick who gave his daughter in marriage to
Ronan, a king of Leinster. The daughter tried to have an affair with
Ronan’s stepson, Mael Fhothartaig, and when he rejected her she
encompassed his death. Eochaidh, his wife and son were slain by
Ronan’s champion, Donn, in revenge.
3. A king of the Desi, sometimes Eochaidh Allmuir. See Aonghus 2
and Desi. He fought seven battles with Cormac Mac Art after the
High King attempted to expel the clan from Ireland in revenge for
Aonghus’ slaying of his son, Cellach. Eochaidh finally took his people
to settle in the kingdom of Dyfed in southern Wales. Independent
Welsh records show the historical presence of the Desi as late as
ad730 when Teudor Mac Regin, a descendant of Eochaidh, ruled
them.
4. A king of Leinster who married Fithir, the elder daughter of
102 Eochaidh

Tuathal Teachtmhaire (given as High King ad 130-160). Eochaidh

actually wanted to wed Dairine, the younger daughter, but could not
until Fithir was married. So Eochaidh married Fithir and took her
back to his palace. After a while he returned to Tara and said Fithir
was dead. Tuathal then allowed him to marry Dairine. When
Eochaidh took Dairine back to his palace at Rath Immil she found her
elder sister still alive. Both girls then died of shame and Tuathal went
to war with Eochaidh forcing him to pay a tribute which became
known as the Boramha. Eochaidh was killed in this war. The High
Kings continued to exact the Boramha tribute for many years but it
was seldom given by Leinster without recourse to warfare. To exact it
at least once in a reign was a point of honour and test of the High
King’s authority. See Boramha.
5. Eochaidh Airemh (Airemh - ploughman). High King of Ireland
who married Etain Echraidhe while in her human guise. He was
unmarried and looking for a wife when his envoys reported that
Etain, the daughter of Etar, was the most beautiful woman in all
Ireland. He went to see her, fell in love and married her. Etain was, in
fact, a De Danaan who was wife to Midir the Proud. Through the
jealousy of Midir’s first wife, Etain had been reborn as a human. See
✓

Etain 2. Eochaidh had a brother Ailill (see Ailill 3) who fell in love
with Etain. However, Midir appeared to Etain and rewoke her
memory. She agreed to return with Midir provided Eochaidh agreed.
Midir appeared to Eochaidh on the Hill of Temuir (Tara) and then
came to his palace and offered to play a game offdchell with him. He
allowed Eochaidh to win most of the games and in payment per¬
formed several tasks for him, such as clearing forests, building
causeways and reclaiming land. But when Midir won the final game
he asked, as his reward, Etain. Eochaidh was honour-bound to let
Midir return in one month to claim her. Eochaidh then barricaded his
fortress against Midir but Midir duly appeared in the feasting hall of
the palace, summoned Etain, and both turned into swans and flew
off.
Distraught, Eochaidh summoned his druid Dalan and for a year
they searched Ireland until Dalan finally tracked down Midir’s sidhe
at Bri Leith. It took Eochaidh nine years to dig open the sidhe. Midir
finally offered to return Etain and sent fifty maidens to Eochaidh all
looking like Etain. Eochaidh, however, recognised the real Etain and
she returned to live with him and bear his daughter, Etain Oig
(Young Etain).
Eochaidh 103

During one version of this story there is a reference to Eochaidh

imposing on the tribes of Tethbae (a district comprising parts of Co.
Westmeath and Longford) the task of building a causeway across the
Bog of Lamrach. The account describes how the foundations of this
road were laid with the trunks of trees. The tale goes on to say that the
people resented the task and so they waited until the Feast of
Samhain and set fire to Eochaidh’s palace with him inside. Eochaidh
is said to have perished inside and the road was never completed.
In July 1985, during operations by Bord na Mona (the Irish Turf
Board), part of an old road was discovered in a County Longford bog.
The Department of Archaeology, University College of Dublin, took
over the excavation and discovered 1000 yards of a sophisticated
roadway laid on a foundation of oak beams placed side by side on thin
rails of oak, ash and alder. The roadway was dated to 150bc. The
existence of roads, frequently mentioned in mythology as taking
heavy chariots and other methods of transport, is thus confirmed.
The Co. Longford road may well be the same as that mentioned in the
Eochaidh saga.
6. Eochaidh Belbuidhe, of the Yellow Lips. A champion of the Red
Branch.
7. Eochaidh Bres. Alternative name for Bres. See Bres 2.
8. Eochaidh Dala. A king of Connacht who married Medb, daughter
of Eochaidh Feidhleach, High King of Ireland. He was appointed
High King with the consent of Medb if he married her. See Medb 1.
9. Eochaidh Feidhleach, son of Find son of Findlag. High King of
Ireland about 140bc, according to the king lists. He was brother of
Eochaidh Airemh (see Eochaidh 5) and also of Ailill Anubhail. His
most famous daughter was Medb of Connacht who is sometimes
confused with Medb of Leinster who also appears as his daughter.
Another daughter is given as Mughain Attenchaithreach, daughter of
his wife Ethne, who married Conchobhar Mac Nessa of Ulster.
Conchobhar is also said to have married Medb of Connacht at one
time. In one account Eochaidh Feidhleach woos Etain at the time of
the Destruction of Da Derga Hostel but dies shortly after their
meeting.
10. Eochaidh Iuil. One of three warriors with whom Cuchulainn
was asked to fight during the story ‘The Wasting Sickness of
Cuchulainn’. Cuchulainn was told that if he fought Eochaidh Iuil,
Senach Siarbarthe and Eoghan Indh Inbher, Fand would come back
to him. At first Cuchulainn refused. Later he attacked the warriors.
104 Eogabail

Coming across Eochaidh washing in a spring, Cuchulainn cast a spear

at him which pierced his shoulder and went on to kill thirty-three of
his men. He later said:

I heard Eochaidh Iuil groan

a sound that comes from the heart;
if that truly was one man, and not an army,
my cast was well aimed.

11. Eochaidh Mac Ere. The Proud. A king of the Firbolg at the time
of the De Danaan invasion. He was married to Tailtu (sometimes
Tailta), daughter of the King of the Land of the Dead. He named his
royal palace Tailltinn (now Teltown, Co. Meath) after his wife. He
refused to share the kingdom with the De Danaans, saying, ‘If we
give them half they will take the whole.’ He fought a great battle at
Magh Tuireadh (See Magh Tuireadh 1) and finally fled to the strand
at Ballysadare (Baile-easa-dara, town of the cataract of the oak) in Co.
Sligo where he was slain.
12. Eochaidh Mac Muchtra. A king of Munster in the time of
Conchobhar Mac Nessa who formed an alliance with Ailill and Medb
of Connacht. He claimed a pedigree reaching back to Ith son of
Bregon. But, we are told, he had one eye, which would disqualify him
from kingship. In many of the Ulster tales people from Munster
appear with deformities, mainly as having one eye. This seems to
demonstrate a curious prejudice towards Munster on the part of the
Ulster saga writers.
13. Eochaidh Muigl Mheadhoin. Sometimes Muigmedon. Father of
Niall of the Nine Hostages who was said to have died in ad366. He
traced his lineage back to Eremon.
14. Eochaidh Oll-Athair. An alternative name for the Dagda. See
Dagda.
15. Eochaidh Salbuidhe. Yellow Heel. The father of Nessa, mother
of Conchobhar.
Eogabail. Foster son of Manannan Mac Lir. A druid who is father of
the love-goddess Aine. See Aine.
Eoghan. 1. A king of Connacht who was mortally wounded when
fighting with the warriors of Ulster. He was buried on the Connacht
border facing Ulster as it was said that his spirit would protect his
kingdom against their attacks. The Ulster warriors, however, dug up
his body and reburied it face downwards near Loughill. The name
Erannan 105

derives from leamhchoill, elm wood, and not from the word loch, a
lake.
2. Son of Ailill, a king of Munster, who was killed in the same battle
as Art. His story parallels Art’s tale. On the night before the battle of
Moy Machruinne he slept with the daughter of a druid at her father’s
request. The druid had prophesied that a child of the union, if born
on a certain day, would rule all Ireland. Eoghan went on to his death
and the girl conceived. But the child was about to be born before the
specified time and so the girl sat astride a boulder in the middle of a
ford to prevent the child’s birth. At the auspicious time, the girl
allowed its birth but died in the process. The child, because its head
had been pressed against the stone and flattened, was known as
Fiachra Broad-Crown and fulfilled the prophecy.
3. Son of Durthacht. A champion of the Red Branch who slew
Naoise and his brothers at the request of Conchobhar. In some tales
the name of Naoise’s killer is given as a Norse prince named Maine.
See Maine 1. After Naoise’s wife Deirdre had lived with Conchobhar
for a year, never smiling, Conchobhar asked her who she disliked
most in the world. She replied: ‘You and Eoghan son of Durthacht.’
In a rage Conchobhar gave her to Eoghan to keep as his wife for a
year. As she was being placed on Eoghan’s chariot, her hands tied
behind her to prevent her escape, she threw herself from it,
purposefully smashed her head against a rock and died.
4. Eoghan Mor. The true name of Mug (or Mag) Nuadat, a king of
Munster who married Beara, daughter of a king of Spain. See Beara.
He went to war with the High King Conn and forced Conn to split
Ireland into two. He then ruled Mug’s Half, the southern half of
Ireland. Not content he wanted more, seeking a share of the rich
merchandise that passed through Dublin. He made a further war on
Conn which resulted in the battle of Moy Leana (Moylena) in which
he was slain by Conn who thus regained the High Kingship of all
Ireland. Eoghan Mor’s son was Ailill Olamh who married Sadb,
Conn’s daughter, and became High King.
Eolas. A son of Partholon’s three druids. Another instance of the ‘joint
parentage’ between three fathers or three mothers which occurs in
the myths, representing the mystical Celtic trinity. The name
signifies ‘knowledge’.
Er. A son of Partholon.
Erannan. A son of Milesius who climbed to the mast of his vessel to
spy out the land during the invasion of Ireland and fell to his
106 Ere

death. In another text this death is accorded to Milesius’ eldest

son, Donn.
Ere. 1. Son of Fedilimid, a Red Branch champion.
2. Mac Cairbre. One of Cuchulainn’s greatest enemies. A king of
Leinster. His father was slain by Cuchulainn in battle. It was Ere who
cast his spear and slew one of Cuchulainn’s horses, the Grey of
Macha, just before the Ulster champion met his own death at the
hands of Erc’s companions. Ere was slain by Conall of the Victories in
revenge for Cuchulainn’s death.
Ercol. A Connacht warrior and foster father of Medb of Connacht. His
wife was Garmuin. When Cuchulainn, Conall and Laoghaire went to
the court of Ailill and Medb for their judgement as to which of them
was the greatest warrior and deserving of the hero’s portion, Ailill
and Medb sent them to Ercol. Ercol sent them to Samera but Samera
sent them back to Ercol to challenge him to single combat to prove
their worth. Laoghaire fought him first but was sent fleeing back to
Emain Macha after Ercol’s gelding killed his horse. Laoghaire
claimed Ercol had slain Conall and Cuchulainn in order to justify his
flight. Conall was similarly despatched by Ercol and in his flight his
son Rathand was drowned. When Cuchulainn’s turn came his Grey
of Macha (Liath Machae) killed Ercol’s gelding; Cuchulainn defeated
the champion and bound him behind his chariot, taking him back as
hostage to Emain Macha.
Eremon. Sometimes Anglicised as Heremon. The first Milesian king of
Ireland. He was the eldest of the remaining sons of Milesius and
Amairgen the druid decreed that he should rule Ireland. His brother
Eber refused to accept this judgement and, to keep peace, Eremon
agreed to the division of the country. But eventually Eber wanted
more and attacked Eremon. See Eber 1. Eremon slew him and
founded the institution of the High Kingship at Temuir (Tara) which
takes its name from the goddess Tea, becoming the traditional seat of
central government in Ireland.
Eri. Wife of Cethor, a De Danaan. She was gazing out to sea one day
when a handsome young man arrived on a silver ship. He was Elatha,
a Fomorii king. He made love to her and prophesied the birth of a
son, giving her a ring which she was to put on her son’s finger when he
was man enough to wear it. The boy was born and named Bres.
He became king of the De Danaan after Nuada lost his arm and
was thus precluded from kingship. However, the De Danaan
rose up against Bres’ tyranny and Eri took him on a journey to
Etain 107

the Fomorii kingdom to seek his father’s aid. See Elatha and
Bres 3.
Eric. A penalty or compensation fine imposed particularly for the crime
of homicide or bodily injury in ancient Irish law. It consisted of an
honour-price (log-enech) which was carefully specified according to
the rank and position of the dead or injured person.
Erin. See Eirinn.
Eriu. See Eire.
Emi. The female keeper of the treasures of Medb of Connacht. She is
also chief of her handmaidens at Rath Cruachan.
Ersa. Husband of Comla and father of the three doorkeepers of the
High King at Temuir (Tara) - Echuir, Tochur and Tegmong.
Esa. Sometimes Ess. She appears in a conflicting tradition as the
mother of Mess Buachalla in the place of Etain Oig. Through incest
with her father Eochaidh Airemh, the High King, she conceived the
child which Eochaidh then ordered destroyed. See Etain 3 and Mess
Buachalla.
Etain. 1. Wife of Ogma. The daughter of Dian Cecht, god of medicine,
she was an artificer in her own right. Her sons were Tuireann and
Cairbre.
2. Etain Echraidhe. The daughter of Ailill of Echraidhe in Ulster.
The god Midir the Proud fell in love with her and asked his foster son,
the love-god, Aonghus Og, to go to Ailill and make the arrangements
for the wedding. Ailill, however, demanded that Aonghus Og per¬
form three tasks for him before he would allow the marriage: he had
to clear twelve plains, drain the land by making twelve rivers and give
Ailill Etain’s weight in silver and gold. Aonghus Og received help
from his father, the Dagda, and finally brought Etain to Midir.
Etain went to live with Midir in Bri Leith where his first wife,
Fuamnach, was jealous of the beautiful maiden. She enlisted the aid
of her druid foster father Etarlann (sometimes given as Bresal), and
with his help Etain was turned into a pool of water. The pool was then
turned into a worm and the worm into a fly in order to confuse Midir
who was searching for Etain. Midir found Etain in the guise of a fly
and the fly became his constant companion. Fuamnach, still jealous,
prevailed on Etarlann to create a strong wind which blew the fly
away. After seven years the fly came to Bruigh na Boinne, the sidhe of
Aonghus Og. The love-god recognised her and went to seek Midir.
Fuamnach, hearing that Etain was found, blasted her with another
wind which lasted for a further seven years. See Fuamnach.
 Etar
108

Ultimately, in the time of Conchobhar Mac Nessa of Ulster, the fly

alighted on the roof of a house in Ulster belonging to the hero Etar.
The fly fell through the roof into a golden cup which the wife of Etar
was drinking from. The fly was swallowed and eventually Etar’s wife
became pregnant. A daughter was born called Etain who, although
the reincarnation of Midir’s wife, had no knowledge of her past.
When she grew up she, too, was beautiful. The High King Eochaidh
Airemh, hearing of her beauty, came to see her, was captivated and
married her. Eochaidh’s brother, Ailill, also fell in love with her. See
Ailill 3. Midir the Proud then found her. See Eochaidh 5. He
took her back to Bri Leith but Eochaidh followed and forced Midir
to give her up. She returned to live with Eochaidh until his
death ten years later and gave birth to his daughter Etain Oig.
See Etain 3.
3. Etain Oig. Daughter of Etain (Etain 2) and Eochaidh (Eochaidh
5). She married Cormac of Ulster and bore him a daughter but
Cormac was so embittered that the child was not a boy that he ordered
his servants to throw her into a pit. The baby was saved because it
captivated the hearts of its would-be assassins and they left it with the
cowherd of the High King Eterscel to look after. See Mess Buachalla
and Eterscel.
4. Etain daughter of Ole Acha the Smith. Art, son of Conn, was on
his way to the battle of Moy Muchruinne to fight the rebel Lugaid
Mac Con. He rested for the night at the house of Ole Acha. There was
a prophecy that great honour would derive if Art slept with his
daughter, Etain. Art, knowing that he was to die in battle the next
day, slept with Etain and told her that if she conceived she must take
her child to be fostered by Lugna of Connacht. Etain did become
pregnant and set out to Lugna’s fortress, but just as she reached the
Connacht borders her labour pains overtook her and she gave birth to
a son. Exhausted, she fell asleep and while she slept a she-wolf came
and stole the baby. Lugna had received word of Etain’s coming and
set out in search of her. He found her distraught and took her back to
his fortress where he announced a reward for the recovery of the
child. It was Grec, one of Lugna’s warriors, who discovered Cormac
being raised by wolves and crawling about on all fours. Grec rescued
the child and returned him to Etain. Lugna named him Cormac Mac
Art. See Cormac 3.
Etar, of Echraidhe, a champion of Ulster at the time of Conchobhar
Mac Nessa. His wife swallowed a fly which was Etain the wife of the
Ethlinn 109

god Midir. His wife thereby became pregnant and gave birth to a girl,
Etain Echraidhe. See Etain 2.
Etarlann. Also given as Bresal or Bresal Etarlam. The foster father of
Fuamnach, he assisted her in changing Etain into a pool, a worm and
a fly. See Etain 2. He was eventually slain by Aonghus Og, Midir’s
foster son.
Eterscel. Sometimes Eidirseal, among many other variants. High King
of Ireland and husband of Mess Buachalla. It was prophesied that
Eterscel would have a son by a woman of an unknown race and when
he saw the beautiful Mess Buachalla, his cowherd’s foster child, and
heard how she had been raised by the cowherd, not knowing her
origins, he said: ‘This is she that has been prophesied to me.’ He
married her and she gave birth to Conaire Mor who succeeded him as
High King. See Etain 3, Mess Buachalla and Conaire Mor.
Ethal Anubhail. A De Danaan, ruler of the sidhe of Uaman in
Connacht. Aonghus Og, the love-god, fell in love with his daughter
Caer Ibormeith. In one version of the tale he refused to reveal where
his daughter was and only did so when he was taken prisoner and
threatened with death by the Dagda, Aonghus Og’s father. See Caer
Ibormeith and Aonghus 1.
Ethlinn. Sometimes given as Ethniu and Ethnea. Daughter of Balor of
the Evil Eye. When Balor, the Fomorii ruler, heard a prophecy that
he would be slain by his grandson, he had his only child Ethlinn im¬
prisoned in a crystal tower on T ory Island that she would know no man.
She was placed in the charge of twelve matrons with strict instruc¬
tions to prevent her seeing any male. She grew up as a beautiful
maiden. It happened that Balor stole a cow, Glas Gaibhnenn,
which Cian, son of Dian Cecht, the god of medicine, was looking
after. To retrieve the cow, Cian and a druidess, Birog, followed Balor
back to Tory Island. Birog disguised Cian as a woman and in this
guise he entered Ethlinn’s tower and was struck by her beauty. Birog
sent the twelve matrons to sleep while Cian and Ethlinn made love.
Cian and Birog then returned to Ireland, having retrieved the cow.
Ethlinn became pregnant and, at first, her attendants tried to keep
this a secret from Balor of the Evil Eye. Ethlinn gave birth to three
sons, the mystical trinity occurring once again. Balor discovered this
and ordered them all to be drowned in a whirlpool. The children were
rolled up in a sheet and carried to the appointed place. However, a
pin securing the sheet dropped out, letting one of the babies fall out at
a spot called Port na Delig (Haven of the Pin). While the other two
 Ethne
no
children were drowned, Birog the druidess found the third, a boy,
and conveyed him to the sea-god Manannan Mac Lir to foster. In
another version Cian’s brother, the smith-god, Goibhniu, fosters the
child. He was called Lugh Lamhfada, and became god of arts and
crafts. See Cian and Lugh.
Ethlinn eventually wed Nuada of the Silver Arm and conceived a
line through which Murna of the White Neck and her son Fionn Mac
Cumhail claimed descent.
Ethne. Sometimes given as Eithne and Eithniu.
1. First wife of Ronan of Leinster and mother of Mael Fhothartaig.
See Mael Fhothartaig.
2. Daughter of Dichu from the Maigue.
3. Daughter of Eochaidh Feidhleach. When she was pregnant she
was drowned by her sister Clothra. Her child had to be cut from
her womb, which shows the Caesarean operation was known and
practised, and he was called Furbaide.
4. Daughter of Roc, steward of Aonghus Og, the love-god. She was
born at the same time the sea-god Manannan Mac Lir took his
daughter to be fostered by Aonghus Og. Ethne was given the task of
being handmaiden to Manannan’s daughter and she grew into a
lovely and gentle maiden. It was discovered that she took no nourish¬
ment, neither food nor drink. On investigation Aonghus Og dis¬
covered that a De Danaan chieftain had attempted to rape Ethne
while he was staying in Bruigh na Boinne and this had awoken in her a
pure spirit and moral nature. She now existed as pure spirit, although
Aonghus Og and Manannan Mac Lir went on a voyage and returned
with two enchanted cows whose milk never ran dry and thenceforth
Ethne lived on their milk.
One day Ethne accompanied Manannan’s daughter to the river
Boyne to bathe, became separated from her and found that she had
lost her Veil of Invisibility which not only hid the De Danaans from
mortal gaze but gave them entrance into the world of immortality.
She was unable to find her way back to Bruigh na Boinne. In this sad
myth, the Christian scribes placed the birth of Ethne in the time of
Eremon, the first Milesian king, but they then made her encounter
St. Patrick who gave her the rites of Christian baptism. She became a
pious Christian. One day she was praying in a little church by the
Boyne when she heard a rushing sound in the air and innumerable
voices seeming from a great distance which lamented and cried her
name. It was her De Danaan kindred searching for her in vain.
Ever Living Ones, The 111

She tried to reply but she was overcome and fainted. When she
came to she was struck with a mortal sickness and St. Patrick
administered the last rites. He ordained that the church be named
after her, Cill Ethne. The tale is a typical example of the bowdleris-
ation of early myths by Christian scribes; however the composition is
done in such a way that it reveals the tenderness, almost regret, with
which some early Christians in Ireland looked back on their lost
world of pre-Christian tradition.
Ever Living Ones, The. A synonym for the gods of the Tuatha De
Danaan.
F. Fern (alder) in the Ogham alphabet.
Fachtna. 1. Physician to the High King Eochaidh Airemh. He di¬
agnosed the illness of Ailill, Eochaidh’s brother, as ‘one of two deadly
pangs that no doctor can cure: the pang of love and the pang of
jealousy’. Ailill had fallen in love with Eochaidh’s wife Etain
Echraidhe.
2. Fachtna Fathach, the giant. A king of Ulster who married
Nessa, daughter of Eochaidh Salbuidhe. She bore him a son,
Conchobhar Mac Nessa, although some versions give Cathbad the
druid as the real father. When Fachtna died his half-brother
Fergus Mac Roth succeeded him to the kingship and married
Nessa.
3. Fachtna Mac Senchad, a hero of the Red Branch.
Fafne. Brother of Aige. Their father was Broccaid Mac Brie. After his
sister’s death at the hands of the High King Meilge’s warriors, he
composed a satire about Meilge so that three blotches appeared on
him and for this affront Fafne was executed.
Fail Inis. A hound whelp owned by the king of Ioruiadh which was
invincible in battle. It was one of the prizes which the sons of
Tuireann had to bring back to Ireland as reparation for the slaying of
Cian.
Falga. A synonym for the Isle of Man. See Mannin.
Falias. One of the four great mystical cities from where the De Danaan
originated.
Fand. Pearl of Beauty. The wife of the sea-god Manannan Mac Lir. She
lived with Manannan in Tir Tairnigiri (the Land of Promise). Once
she quarrelled with Manannan and he left her. During this period her
Otherworld kingdom was attacked by three Fomorii kings. Fand
sent for Ireland’s greatest hero, Cuchulainn, to protect her and
promised him her love if he defeated her enemies. Cuchulainn sent
Fasting 113

his charioteer Laeg to Tir Tairnigiri to ascertain the situation. When

Laeg returned, he told Ciichulainn of the wonders he had seen in the
Land of Promise. Ciichulainn went there and defeated Fand’s en¬
emies and became her lover. He dwelt there for a month before
returning to Ulster. Before he left he made an assignation to meet
Fand again on the strand of the yew tree. Emer, Cuchulainn’s wife,
found out and determined to kill Fand. She said of the goddess,
There is nothing the spirit can wish for that she has not got.’ Fand
argued with Emer over Ciichulainn. Emer, realising that Fand did
love him, offered to give Ciichulainn up thereby proving her own
love. Manannan then arrived and demanded Fand choose between
him and Ciichulainn. Fand said: ‘In truth, neither of you is better or
nobler than the other, but I will go with you, Manannan, for you have
no other mate worthy of you, but Ciichulainn has Emer.’ Manannan
shook his cloak between Fand and Ciichulainn to ensure that they
would never see each other again and Ciichulainn and Emer were
later given draughts of forgetfulness by the druids.
Fannel. Son of Nechtan Scene. With his brothers Foill and Tuachell,
he boasted that there were not more of the Ulster champions alive
than those they had slain. Ciichulainn slew them.
Faolan. A member of the Fianna. His sister became Fionn Mac
Cumhail’s mistress.
Faruach. Son of the king of Innia. He could make a ship by striking
three blows with his axe.
Fasting. The ritual fast, troscad, or hunger strike, occurs frequently in
the sagas and tales. It is an ancient custom laid down in the Brehon
Laws as a means of compelling justice and establishing one’s rights. It
has a parallel in the Hindu practice of dhamia. The person wishing to
compel justice would notify the person complained against and
would then sit before their door and remain without food until the
wrong-doer accepted the administration of justice. It is fascinating,
as well as sad, that the ritual fast continues to have a tradition in Irish
political life. One of the most notable Irish political hunger strikes
was that of the Lord Mayor of Cork, Terence MacSwiney, also an
elected Member of Parliament, who died in a London gaol in 1920
after seventy-four days without food. Perhaps even better known is
the hunger strike in Long Kesh prison camp in Northern Ireland in
1981 when ten Irish political prisoners died, among them Bobby
Sands, Member of the British Parliament, and Kieran Doherty TD,
Member of the Irish Parliament.
 Fathada Canaan
114

Fathad Canaan. He obtained dominion over the entire world by taking

hostages from the birds, streams and the languages.
Faylinn, The Kingdom of. A country of diminutive people, to whom
even dwarfs appeared as giants, ruled over by Iubdan and Bebo.
Fe. An aspen rod used for measuring corpses and graves which had
Ogham inscriptions on it. It was regarded with horror and no one
would touch it apart from the person whose job it was to do the
measuring. According to one ancient verse:

Sorrowful to me to be in life
After the king of the Irish and foreigners:
Sad is my eye, withered my clay,
Since the/e was measured on Flann.

Fea. The Hateful. Said to be wife to Nuada and regarded as another

goddess of war.
Febal. Father of Bran. See Bran 2.
Fee’s Pool. Perhaps synonymous with Brec’s Pool. A pool in the Boyne
in which dwelt the Salmon of Knowledge. See Fintan 2.
Feda. The first Partholonian to die in Ireland.
Fedelm. 1. A female sidhe dweller who fell in love with Cuchulainn.
2. Fedelm Noichride, daughter of Conchobhar Mac Nessa. She was
wife to Laoghaire Buadach and mother of Fiachna.
Fedelma. A woman of the sidhe Cruachan who prophesied to Medb that
the invasion of Ulster to obtain the Brown Bull would be defeated.
She is described as a young maid with tresses of yellow hair that fell
below her knees and wearing a green mantle.
Fedilimid. 1. Fedilimid Chilair Chetach, a champion of the Red
Branch.
2. Fedilimid Mac Dali. See Felim.
Fe-Fiada. Also called ceo-druidechta (druid’s fog). A supernatural fog or
mist which is frequently mentioned. The Tuatha De Danaan covered
themselves in it during their invasion, and both Conall Cerneach and
Laoghaire encountered it.
Feinius Farsaidh. See Fenius Farsa.
Feis. A feast or festival. In the sagas there were three great festivals:
Feis Temrach (Tara), Feis Cruachan (Croghan) and Feis Emna
(Emain Macha). The gatherings at Tailltenn, Tlachtga and Uisneach
were fairs or aenach. There were also four pre-Christian religious
festivals in the ancient Celtic world, those of Brigit (1 February),
Female champions 115

Beltaine (1 May), Lughnasa (1 August) and Samhain (1 November).

Each of these festivals commenced the evening before, lasting eve¬
ning to evening, as the Celts measured their units of day in this
fashion. The word is not cognate with the Latin festus (hence the
English, festival) but is derived from fo-aid - to spend the night or
sleep, therefore meaning food or entertainment for the night.
Felim. Sometimes Fedilimid. Son of Dali and father of Deirdre. He was
the bard of Conchobhar Mac Nessa and was entertaining the Ulster
king when the news of her birth came. Cathbad the druid was asked
to cast her horoscope and prophesied: ‘The infant shall be fairest
among the women of Ireland and shall wed a king but because of her
shall death and ruin come upon the province of Ulster.’
Female champions. Because in ancient Irish society, as indeed in all
early Celtic societies, women had an equality of rights with men,
being able to be elected to any office, inherit wealth and hold full
rights of ownership under law, many prominent female warriors or
champions are to be found among the myths and sagas. Perhaps one
of the most famous women in Irish saga, who was both queen and
warrior, was Medb of Connacht. In one of the Tain battles she slew
the hero Cethren with her spear. Conchobhar’s own mother, Nessa,
is described in one passage as a champion. The principal instructor of
martial arts to Cuchulainn was Scathach, the great female champion
of Alba. Scathach’s sister, Aoife, was also a champion and Cuchu¬
lainn, as great as he was, had to resort to a trick to distract her
attention in order to overcome her. There was also Creidne, the
female champion of the Fianna, and Coinchend, the monstrous
warrior woman, who was slain by Art. The ‘Life of St. Mochua of
Balia’ refers to two female warriors named Bee and Lithben. It is
significant that the battlefields are presided over by goddesses of war.
In ancient history one of the most famous Celtic warrior queens
was Boudicca (Boadicea) of Britain who rose against the Romans in
ad60. She was queen of the Iceni tribe (in what became East Anglia)
and her name means ‘Victorious’ (in Irish Buadach, in Welsh
Buddogal). In Irish history, the tradition continued with women like
Eabha Ruadh Mac Murchu who was said to have wound iron bars in
her long red braids before a battle. She lived in the thirteenth
century. In the fifteenth century Maire O Ciaragain led her clans into
battle against the English and was believed never to have spared a
man overthrown in battle. In the following century there lived one of
the most famous Irishwomen, Grainne Ni Maillie. She was not only
116 Fenian Cycle

chieftain of her clan but became an insurgent leader and sea captain.
According to Sir Richard Bingham, she was ‘a nurse of all rebellions
in Connacht’; she trod on English sensibilities so much that, accord¬
ing to Lord Justice Drury, she was ‘a woman who has overstepped
the part of womanhood’.
The tradition continued to modern times with the indomitable
Countess Markievicz (nee Constance Gore-Booth) who was known as
the Red Countess because of her avowed socialism. She was the only
uniformed and armed female insurgent officer who fought in the
Easter Rising of 1916 and she became a national heroine. She was
sentenced to death by firing squad for her part in the uprising, and
was reprieved ‘solely and only on account of her sex’. In December
1918 she was elected to the British House of Commons for the St.
Patrick’s Division of Dublin, the first woman ever to be so elected,
but refused to take her seat and joined the separatist parliament, Dail
Eireann, in Dublin. She was appointed Minister for Labour on 2
April 1919 in De Valera’s first revolutionary cabinet.
Fenian Cycle. Sometimes known as the Ossianic Cycle. The cycle
concerning the deeds of Fionn Mac Cumhail and his Fianna, thought
to date from the third century ad. The first bold synthesis of the eight
major parts of the cycle into a cohesive whole appeared in the
twelfth-century tract Acallm na Senorach (Colloquy of the Ancients).
Next to the Tain it is one of the longest medieval compositions. The
Fenian Cycle became very popular with the ordinary people during
the medieval period.
Fenians. See Fianna, The.
Fenius Farsa. King of Scythia who was ancestor of the Gaels. His son
Niul went to Egypt and married Scota, daughter of the Pharaoh, and
their son was Goidel.
Feradach Fechtnach. A king of Ireland whose two sons Tuathal and
Fiacha divided Ireland between them.
Feramorc. Alternative for Fir More. The kingdom in Gaul of which
Scoriath was king.
Ferann. A son of Partholon.
Fer Caille. Man of the Wood. A monstrous black man with one eye, one
hand and one foot, accompanied by a huge loathsome woman who
was his wife. He overtook Conaire Mor on the High King’s way to Da
Derga’s hostel. Fer Caille carried a squealing black pig on his back. It
is obvious that he was a seer for he said ominously to Conaire Mor:
‘Long has your coming been known,’ before continuing his way.
Fer Ferdiad 117

Fer Cherdne. Sometimes Ferchertnae.

1. A bard of Cu Roi, king of Munster. After Cuchulainn had attacked
and sacked Cu Rot’s fortress and slain the king, Fer Cherdne was
taken hostage by Cuchulainn. He discovered that Cuchulainn’s
victory had been achieved with the help of Cu Rof s wife, Blathnat,
who was in love with the Ulster champion. Fer Cherdne sought
vengeance for his king. In an unguarded moment, as Blathnat was
standing by the cliffs on the Beara Peninsula, Fer Cherdne ran
forward, seized her round the waist and leapt with her to their doom
over the cliffs.
2. A bard of Moen who accompanied him and the harpist Craiftine in
his exile to Gaul.
Ferchertnae. See Fer Cherdne.
Fer Chertnae. See Cairbre 6.
Fer Cuailge. A warrior at Da Derga’s hostel.
Ferdia. Son of Daman the Firbolg. He became a friend of Cuchulainn
and was taught his skill in arms with Cuchulainn at the school of the
female warrior Scathach of Alba. During the war of the Tain he took
the side of Ailill and Medb. He tried to avoid open conflict with his
friend, Cuchulainn, but Medb goaded him into single combat
with the Ulster champion. On the fourth day of the fierce combat
Cuchulainn killed him. It was Cuchulainn’s greatest combat and he
fell exhausted. ‘Rise up, Cuchulainn,’ cried Laeg, his charioteer.
Cuchulainn replied wearily: ‘Why should I rise again now he that lies
here has fallen by my hand?’ Cuchulainn fainted and was given up for
dead while Ailill, Medb and their warriors poured across the ford
rejoicing with war songs. Laeg rescued him from falling into their
hands. The exultant army of Ailill and Medb paused by the ford to
bury Ferdia and raised a pillar stone inscribed in Ogham to his
memory.
Fer Doirich. The Dark Druid. A shadowy figure who changed Bodb
Dearg’s daughter Sadb into a fawn. Having met Fionn Mac Cumhail,
Sadb was able to change back into a human shape but, after a while,
when Fionn was away, Fer Doirich reappeared and changed her back
into a fawn.
Fer Febe. Father of Fiachna. See Fiachna 5.
Fer Ferdiad. A druid of the De Danaan sent by Manannan Mac Lir to
lure the beautiful woman Tuage for him. Disguised as a woman, Fer
Ferdiad lulled Tuage to sleep and brought her to Inbhear Glas where
he left her to search for a boat. In his absence, she drowned. In
118 FerFogel

anger, Manannan slew the druid for his neglect of the object of his
love.
Fer Fogel. A chieftain who appears at Da Derga’s hostel.
Fergal. Son of Mael Duin, a hero who is defeated at the Battle of Allen.
See Allen, Hill of.
Fer Gar. Son of the champion Donn Desa. See Desa.
Fer Gel. Alternative of Fer Fogel.
Fergiman. A champion of the Fianna.
Fergna. 1. One of Partholon’s three sons.
2. The owner of a great hostel.
3. A physician of Cond who was sent for by Aonghus Og to interpret
his dream in ‘The Dream of Aonghus’. He tells the love-god: ‘You
have the divine illness’ (i.e. love).
Fergus. Sometimes given as Feargus.
1. Son of Nemed who slew Conann, the Fomorii leader, on Tory
Island.
2. Son of Fionn Mac Cumhail, also known as ‘Fairmouth’ as he was
the bard, diplomat and ambassador of the Fianna.
3. Blacktooth, the High King, defeated by Cormac Mac Art who
succeeded him as High King.
4. Long Hair, the brother of Blacktooth.
5. The Fiery, brother of Blacktooth and Long Hair.
6. Lethderg or Redside. A leader of the Nemedians who escaped
from the victorious Fomorii in a ship.
7. Mac Ere, an historical king of the Scottish Dal Riada who was
brother of the High King of Ireland Murtagh Mac Ere (ad5 12-533).
He asked his brother to send the coronation stone, the Lia Fail, to
Alba so that he could be crowned on it and then refused to send it
back to Ireland. See Lia Fail.
8. Mac Leide. A king of Ulster who encountered the Muirdris (a sea
monster) beneath Loch Ruaraidh. His face became twisted in fright,
a state of affairs which was permanent. Such a blemish should have
deprived him of the throne but he was so popular that his subjects hid
all the mirrors so that he would not discover what was the matter with
him. A servant girl unwittingly revealed the truth and Fergus, in
rage, returned to the loch to kill the monster before his own death.
Fergus Mac Leide also features in the story in which his court
encounter Iubdan, the king of the Faylinn, or little people. See Aedh
5, Bebo, Eisirt and Iubdan.
9. Mac Roth. The name is given variously as Mac Roich, Mac Roy
Fergus 119

and Mac Roi. He was the half-brother of Fachtna Fathach and

succeeded him as king of Ulster. He was in love with Nessa, Fachtna
Fathach’s widow. Nessa would only marry him if he would give up
the throne of Ulster for one year to allow her son Conchobhar Mac
Nessa to rule in his place. Fergus Mac Roth agreed to this condition
and when Conchobhar reached the age of maturity, Fergus gave up
the throne. After a year he went to reclaim it but Conchobhar had
ruled so wisely, under Nessa’s guidance, that when he refused to give
it up the people of Ulster supported him. This was, of course, as
Nessa had planned things. Fergus Mac Roth appears to have served
Conchobhar for some time afterwards.
Conchobhar sent him as his ambassador to Naoise and his brothers
to invite Deirdre and Naoise back to Ireland, following their self¬
exile in Alba. Fergus gave his solemn word that no harm would befall
them, little dreaming of the vengeance that Conchobhar intended
(see Conchobhar Mac Nessa, Deirdre and Naoise). Fergus was
tricked into leaving Deirdre, Naoise and his brothers to proceed
without him to Conchobhar’s capital, Emain Macha. Fergus sent
his two sons Buinne and Iollan to guard them. When he learnt that
Conchobhar had had them all murdered, including his son Iollan
while Buinne has been bribed to desert them, Fergus Mac Roth led a
dissident group against Conchobhar. With Dubhtach and Cormac he
slaughtered three hundred of Conchobhar’s champions and burnt
Emain Macha.
Fergus and the dissident Ulstermen went into exile in Connacht,
seeking refuge with Ailill and Medb. It is said that these exiles
numbered three thousand. ‘For sixteen years they made sure that
weeping and trembling never died away in Ulster; there was weeping
and trembling at their hands every single night.’ In the war of the
Tain, Fergus and his followers naturally took the side of Connacht
against Conchobhar. Fergus, however, in the days when he was
friendly with Cuchulainn, had given a solemn undertaking that he
would never fight in single combat with the ‘Hound of Ulster’.
During the final battle of the Tain Cuchulainn recalled this oath and
Fergus had to pretend to run away from Cuchulainn on the under¬
standing that the next time they met Cuchulainn would have to run
away from him. This episode set the seal on the defeat of Ailill and
Medb’s army. Tradition has it that it was Fergus Mac Roth who first
set down the events of the Tain saga in Ogham and that this version
was lost when a bard took the Ogham wands to Italy. Fergus was
120 Fer Le

eventually slain by Ailill with a cast of his spear as he bathed in a lake

with Medb.
10. Truelips. A champion of the Fianna rescued from an enchanted
cave by Goll Mac Morna.
Fer Le. A son of Donn Desi.
Fer Logs. Charioteer of Ailill of Connacht. He managed to capture
Conchobhar Mac Nessa but was persuaded to release the Ulster King
when Conchobhar promised to entertain him at Emain Macha with
women sent to him every evening. Fer Logs stayed at Emain Macha
for a year before returning to his home at Ath Luain (Athlone) with a
personal gift from Conchobhar of two of his horses with gold bridles
for each of them.
Fernmag. A kingdom ruled by Durthacht whose son Eogan became a
Red Branch warrior.
Fer Rogain. Son of Donn Desi.
Feron. A survivor of the Deluge in Ireland.
Fiacha. 1. Son of Firaba. He fought with Ailill and Medb against
Ulster during the Tain war. Nevertheless, he felt compassion for
Cuchulainn when the members of the Clann Calatin were about to kill
him. He cut off the hands of the children of Calatin and rescued the
Ulster champion. In another tale the same Fiacha is said to be a
follower of Cumal, the father of Fionn Mac Cumhail. After Cumal’s
death he kept his magic spear which filled a man with strength and
battle fury when it was laid against his forehead. Fiacha eventually
gave this to Fionn.
2. Broadcrown. Son of Eochaidh of Munster. His mother was the
daughter of a druid. It had been told that a child born on a certain day
would have great fortune. His mother, in order to prevent the birth
occurring before the auspicious time, sat astride a rock in a stream
and this flattened his head and gave him his name.
3. The son of Fergus Mac Roth. He tried to prevent Eoghan Mac
Durthacht from killing Naoise. When Eoghan thrust his spear
through Naoise and broke his back, Fiacha threw his body across the
Ulster champion but Naoise was finished off through Fiacha’s body.
4. Fiacha Finailches. ‘It was by this king that earth was first dug in
Ireland in order that water might be in wells,’ records the Annala
Rioghachta Eireann.
Fiacail Mac Conchinn. A champion of the Fianna who went to the
Paps of Anu on the eve of Samhain and saw two sidhe opening. Even
though he had prepared himself by carrying twelve lead balls to stop
Fianna, The 121

him from running away, he was so frightened that he fled, casting the
balls as he ran.
Fiachadh. High King of Ireland in 300bc who first organised the
Fianna Eireann as the royal bodyguard.
Fiachna. 1. Son of Laoghaire Buadach.
2. Son ol Retach. His wife and daughter were abducted and while he
slew their abductor, Goll Mac Golb took them and defeated him
in seven battles. Fiachna eventually regained his wife with the
aid of Laoghaire of the Red Branch who married his daughter
Der Greine.
3. Fiachna Finn. A king of Dal nAraidi. One version of the tale is that
he was sorely pressed while fighting in Lochlann when a tall warrior
appeared and offered him victory. The warrior is identified as
Manannan Mac Lir. The condition was that Manannan should
change his shape into Fiachna and sleep with Fiachna’s wife who,
Manannan prophesied, would bear a son, Mongan, who would be a
great champion. Fiachna assented and a son was born whom
Manannan then took to the Land of Promise to foster until he
obtained maturity. See Mongan.
4. Mac Dairi. He fished a water worm from a river in Cuailgne and
this was swallowed by one of his father’s cows which gave birth to the
Brown Bull of Cuailgne. The worm was one of the reincarnations of
the swineherd of the Bodb Dearg. See Donn 6.
5. Son of Fer Febe. A Red Branch warrior who recited one of ‘The
Boyhood Deeds of Cuchulainn’.
Fiachra. 1. Son of Lir, the ocean-god, who was turned into a swan, with
his brother and sisters, by his stepmother.
2. Son of Conchobhar Mac Nessa. When Conchobhar ordered the
attack on the Red Branch Hostel, Fiachra led the attack. He was
bested by Iollan in combat but he was carrying his father’s shield,
which moaned when its bearer was in danger. This alerted Conall
Cearnach who mortally wounded Iollan. Dying, Iollan told Conall of
Conchobhar’s treachery and Conall, in rage at what he had done, slew
Fiachra.
Fial. The elder sister of Emer, Cuchulainn’s wife.
Fianchuibhe. See Finchory.
Fianna, The. Popularly called Fenians. A band of warriors guarding
the High King of Ireland, said to have been founded in 300bc by the
High King Fiachadh. They consisted of twenty-five battalions. It has
been suggested that historically they constituted a military caste or
 Fidchell
122

elite. They consisted mainly of members of the Clan Bascna and the
Clan Morna, and Fionn Mac Cumhail was their most celebrated
leader. The stories of his adventures are called the Fenian Cycle or,
sometimes, the Ossianic Cycle. During the nineteenth century the
term ‘Fenians’ was revived and used as a synonym for members of the
Irish Republican Brotherhood. The Fenian Uprising was that of
1867. The word fianna is the modern Irish word for soldiers and is
also used in the title of one of the main Irish political parties, Fianna
Fail (Soldiers of Destiny).
Fidchell. Wooden wisdom. An ancient Irish board game, said to be
akin to chess, in which a piece, known as a king, attempts to escape to
the side of the board, and has to be prevented by the opponent’s
pieces. It was played extensively in the sagas and tales by heroes,
kings and gods. Lugh, the god of arts and crafts, is said to have
devised it. Cuchulainn was recognised as a champion of the game and
it was necessary that all the heroes had a mastery of it. In Welsh myth
gwyddbwyll has the same meaning and is obviously the same game.
See also Brandubh.
Figol. Son of Mamos, a druid of the De Danaans, who boasted he would
take two-thirds of the strength and valour out of the Fomorii so that
they could be beaten in battle.
Filidh. Or Fill. A class of poets whose first duties were to praise their
patron, to preserve their genealogy and to be learned in history and
literature, as well as to master their craft. The Brehon Laws are
particular in prescribing the number of tales a Filidh must know, the
metres he must learn and the works he must examine in the course of
twelve years of study. The Filidh was both honoured and feared in
ancient Irish society and seems something akin to a Brahmin. In
pre-Christian times the Filidh was obviously a druid but during the
Christian era he retained all the prestige that had been given to the
druids.
Finchory. Anglicised form of Fianchuibhe. A sunken island. The sons
of Tuireann were asked to fetch a spit from it.
Findbec. Daughter of Eochaidh and wife to Cethren Mac Fintan.
Findbhair. Fair Eyebrows. A daughter of Ailill and Medb who fell in
love with Fraoch and helped him kill the water demon. See Fraoch.
She was offered to Ferdia in order to coax him into single combat with
Cuchulainn during the war of the Tain.
Findchaem. Sometimes Finchoem. Daughter of Cathbad and sister of
Dechtire, mother of Cuchulainn. She became wife of Amairgen
Finias, City of 123

Iarngiunnach (see Amairgen 2) and mother of Conall Caernach. She

was foster mother to Cuchulainn.
Findige. Wife of Eoghan, son of Durthacht, king of Fernmag.
Findlam. Herdsman to Eterscel, High King of Ireland. It was he who
found Mess Buachalla, the baby daughter of Etain Oig and Cormac,
and raised the child. See Mess Buachalla and Eterscel.
Fine. Loosely applied to almost any subdivision of Irish society from
the clan in its largest sense to a small group consisting of the same
family.
Finegas. A druid who taught science and the arts to Fionn Mac
Cumhail. He also watched for the fabulous Salmon of Knowledge,
hoping to catch it so that he could eat it and acquire all the wisdom of
the ages. He finally caught the fish and gave it to Fionn, his pupil, to
cook. Fionn burnt his thumb on the flesh of the fish while turning the
spit and sucked the burn. He thereby gained knowledge. Finegas,
realising that it was his pupil and not he who was destined to eat the
Salmon of Knowledge and acquire wisdom, allowed Fionn to eat the
whole fish.
Finegin. Sometimes Finegeen. Physician to Conchobhar Mac Nessa.
He made the diagnosis about Conall’s ‘brain ball’. See Conchobhar
Mac Nessa and Cet.
Fingal. A synonym in Scotland for Fionn Mac Cumhail, made famous
by MacPherson in his Ossian (1760-63) and also by the composer
Mendelssohn with his overture movement ‘Fingal’s Cave’, although
this was not directly inspired by MacPherson but by a visit to Fingal’s
Cave in Scotland which takes its name from the hero of the Fianna.
Fingal, however, is not really cognate with Fionn. Fionn means ‘fair’
while Fingal means ‘fair foreigner’. The name Fingal was borne by a
king of the Isle of Man (see Mannin); this was Fingal Mac Godred
(1070-77), a name which demonstrates the intermarriage between
the Manx Gaels and the Vikings.
Fingel. The mother of Noidhiu Naoi mBreathach, or Noidhiu of the
Nine Judgements. When he was born, she wanted him killed but the
baby spoke and gave nine judgements which thus preserved his life.
Fingin. 1. Mac Aedha, father of Sechnasach. His wife Mor fled from his
house hearing voices prophesying evil.
2. Mac Luchta of Munster. He visited a prophetess every Samhain
who related all the occurrences in Ireland on that sacred night and the
results that would issue for the next twelve months.
Finias, City of. One of the four mystic cities from where the De Danaan
 Finnbhenach
124

were said to have come and from where the magic spear of the De
Danaan was taken.
Finnbhenach. The White Horned Bull of Connacht, born into the herd
of Medb of Connacht. The bull was originally the swineherd of
Ochall of Connacht and arch-rival of the swineherd of the Bodb
Dearg. They went through many reincarnations, fighting as ravens,
water beasts, demons, champions, water worms and finally as bulls.
Finnbhenach decided that it was unseemly that he should be born
into the herd of a woman and so he transferred himself to the herd of
Ailill, thus starting the chain of events which led to the war ol the
Tain. He was slain by Donn, the Brown Bull of Cuailgne. See Donn
6, Cuailgne, Nar Thuathcaech and Friuch.
Fintan. 1. Husband of Cesair, the first ‘invader’ of Ireland. He
abandoned her and survived the Deluge by turning himself into a
salmon.
2. The Salmon of Knowledge, a separate entity from Fintan 1. He ate
of the Nuts of Knowledge before swimming to a pool in the River
Boyne. Here he was eventually caught by the druid Finegas and given
to Fionn Mac Cumhail to cook. Fionn burnt his thumb on the flesh of
the fish as he was turning the spit, sucked his thumb and thus
acquired wisdom.
3. Son of Niall of the Nine Hostages. His son was Cethern, fostered
by Conchobhar Mac Ness at Dun Da Bend.
Fionghal Ronain. The title of the tale ‘How Ronan killed his son’.
Fionghal is a legal term in the Brehon Laws to denote the killing of a
kinsman or relative. This story, imperfectly preserved in a tenth-
century manuscript, appears to date back to the seventh or eighth
century. The theme finds a parallel in the Greek myth of Phaedra and
Hippolytus (which Racine turned into his greatest play). Ronan, an
old king, married a new wife, a young daughter of Eochaidh of
Dunseverick. The girl fell in love with her handsome stepson, Mael
Fhothartaig. He rejected her and she, in rage, accused him of
attempting to rape her. The old king, blind with passion, had his son
killed, found out the truth and died of grief. His wife died by her own
hand. Other versions give a tale of vengeance wreaked by the sons of
Mael Fhothartaig on everyone concerned.
Fionn. Sometimes given as Finn, meaning ‘Fair’.
I. Fionn Mac Cumhail. Frequently Anglicised as Finn Mac Cool.
One of the most celebrated heroes in Irish myth. His father Cumal of
Clan Bascna was a leader of the Fianna, the royal bodyguard of the
Fiona 125

High Kings. He tell in love with Murna but was opposed by Murna’s
father. Eloping with her, he sealed his own fate for Murna’s father
incited Goll of the Clann Morna to kill him. Murna bore Cumal’s
child - Demna. The child was then entrusted to the care of two
women — Bodhmall and Liath Luachra. On growing to early youth
Demna slew Lia, lord of Luachtar, and rescued the Treasure Bag of
the Fianna. He then sought out his uncle Crimmal and others of his
father’s clan who had escaped from Goll, who now ruled the Fianna.
Demna was sent to get further education from Finegas, a druid who
dwelt beside the Boyne. Finegas had been waiting for years to catch
the Salmon of Knowledge, Fintan, which lived in a pool in the river.
He did so and gave the fish to his pupil, Demna, to cook. The boy
burnt his thumb on the flesh of the fish and in sucking it he obtained
wisdom. He became known as Fionn, the Fair One, son of Cumal.
Having saved the High King’s palace at Tara from the attacks of a
demon, after being given his father’s magic spear by Fiachra, he was
made head of the Fianna, over Goll, by Cormac Mac Art, the High
King. Fionn Mac Cumhail’s exploits in leading the Fianna are many,
involving hunting, fighting and sorcery. His hounds, Bran and
Sceolan, were his own nephews, being the offspring of his bewitched
sister. His son Oisin was the child of a goddess Sadb, who had been
transformed into a fawn. He had many loves during his career but
none is better known than his unrequited love for Grainne. He was
elderly when Cormac Mac Art gave his daughter Grainne to him in
marriage. But before the ceremony, Grainne eloped with one of
Fionn’s warriors, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (see Diarmuid 3). ‘The
Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne’ is one of the classic love tales and a
major epic of the Fenian Cycle. In the story ‘Cath Fionntragha’
(Battle of Ventry), or ‘Fionn’s Strand’, Fionn overcomes Daire
Donn, the King of the World, in one of the great military exploits of
his career. This is described in a fifteenth-century manuscript in the
Bodleian Library.
Accounts of Fionn’s death are varied. Some tales say he was killed
by Aichleach while trying to quell an uprising among his own Fianna.
One version contains a typical Celtic motif: the tale concludes that
Fionn is not dead but is sleeping in a cave, waiting for the call to help
Ireland in her hour of need. This is, of course, paralleled in the tale of
Arthur of Britain and the story of Owain Llawgoch of Wales.
2. Son of Oisin, born to Niamh in the Otherworld.
3. Son of Brasal, a member of the Fianna.
126 Fionnbharr

4. The name of the three brothers of Medb of Connacht, sons of

Eochaidh Feidleach, the High King.
5. Sister of Fergoman. When Fergoman was dying, mortally
wounded by his own son, Fionn was standing by the side of a loch and
heard the echoes of his cries. She swam towards them but, on
reaching the far side of the loch, she heard his cries on the other side.
Perplexed she swam back and forth, always hearing the cries on the
opposite side, until, exhausted, she was drowned. The loch is called
Loch Finne (Co. Donegal) after her.
Fionnbharr. One of the De Danaans who was assigned Sidhe Meadha
(Knockma, five miles west of Tuam) when the De Danaan were
driven underground by the Milesians. He had seventeen sons and
took part in the fight between Midir the Proud and the rest of the De
Danaan over the kingship. His wife was Oonagh. In one tale he is said
to have carried away the wife of Eochaidh Airemh, but it was clearly
Midir who took this role. As the memory of the old gods faded and
they degenerated into the fairies, Fionnbharr and his wife, Oonagh,
became king and queen of all the fairies in Ireland in popular
tradition.
Fionnuala. Daughter of Lir, the ocean-god. She was transformed with
her brothers into swans by her evil stepmother Aoife.
Fios. Knowledge. One of Partholon’s three druids.
Firbolg. The name seems to signify ‘bag men’. They came to Ireland
after the Nemedians but before the De Danaans and may therefore
represent the genuine pre-Goidelic population of Ireland. In some
accounts it is said that they descended from the Nemedian survivors
who had fled to Thrace where they became enslaved. The name was
given to them because they were made to carry bags of earth from the
fertile valleys to the rocky hills during their enslavement. They came
to Ireland in three groups known as the Fir Bolg, Fir Domnan and
Fir Gallion, although all three took the general name Fir Bolg. They
play no spectacular part in the myths. It is recorded that one of their
rulers, Eochaidh Mac Ere, married Tailtu, daughter of the ruler of
the Land of the Dead, and that he founded Tailltinn (Teltown) in her
honour. See Tailtu.
Fithir. The elder daughter of the High King Tuathal Teachtmhair.
See Eochaidh 4.
Flaithius. Royalty. A beautiful young woman who prophesied to
Niall of the Nine Hostages that he would be the greatest king of
Ireland.
Forbai 127

Flann Mac Dima. He had an affair with Mughain, wife of the High
King Diarmuid. See Diarmuid 2. In revenge Diarmuid caused his
death by setting fire to the house where he was staying. Seeking to
avoid the flames, Flann climbed into a bathing vat where he was
drowned. It was prophesied that Diarmuid would meet his end in the
same way.
Flidias. Chief figure in the Tain Bo Flidias, one of the lesser known
cattle raid tales.
Fochmart. Questioner. One of Partholon’s three druids, the others
being Eolas (Knowledge) and Fios (Knowledge).
Fodla. Also Fodhla and Fotla. Wife of Mac Cecht, sister of Banba and
Eire. She asked the Milesians if they would name the country after
her. The name was used as a poetic synonym for Ireland. As a place
name it also survives in Scotland where Fotla was thought to be one of
the children of Cruithne. The province named for her was actually
called Ath-Fhotla (New Ireland) which in Anglicised form is Atholl.
Foill. Son of Nechtan Scene, slain by Cuchulainn with his brothers. See
Fannell.
Follaman. The youngest son of Conchobhar Mac Nessa who was
commander of the Boy Corps of Ulster. When Cuchulainn first
arrived in Emain Macha they gave him a rough time. Folloman led
the Boy Corps against Medb for, while the warriors of Ulster suffered
their debility, the Boy Corps was unaffected. However, Medb’s
warriors slaughtered every one of them.
Foltor. A member of the Fianna. He was son of the king of Innia who
could follow any track on land or sea. He assisted Fionn Mac
Cumhail.
Fomorii. Sometimes Fo-Moir and Fomorach. A misshapen and violent
people who are the evil gods of Irish myth and whose centre appears
to be Tory Island. However, the name seems to mean ‘under-sea
dwellers’. They reached Ireland about the same time as Partholon
and they battled not only with the Partholons but with the
Nemedians and the Tuatha De Danaan, sometimes succeeding,
sometimes failing. Their leaders include Balor of the Evil Eyre,
Conann, More and Cical. They often appear with only a single hand,
foot or eye. Their power was broken for all time at the second Battle
of Magh Tuireadh.
Forbai. Sometimes Forbay. Son of Conchobhar Mac Nessa. He killed
Medb of Connacht while she was bathing in Loughrea (Co. Galway) -
Loch riabhach, the grey lake. He had practised for weeks with his
128 Forgall Manach

slingshot in preparation and succeeded in striking her in the centre of

the forehead.
Forgall Manach. The Wily Lord of Lusca. Father of Emer. He tried to
prevent his daughter marrying Cuchulainn and, rather than face the
champion’s wrath, leapt to his death from the ramparts of his
fortress.
Formenius. A king of Thrace whose name seems unknown outside the
Irish legend in which he calls on the gods to strike down Dathi, the
king of Ireland who invaded his country.
Fors. Son of Electra, son of Seth, who survived the Deluge to die in
Jerusalem.
Fortrenn. The name of a southern kingdom of the Tuatha Cruithne,
the Piets, which lasted into historical times and was once an alterna¬
tive name for Alba, Scotland itself. Fortrenn was also a synonym for
Ireland. He is recorded as one of the seven children of Cruithne - Cat,
Ce, Cfrech, Fiobh, Moireabh, Fotla and Fortrenn (sometimes
Fortriu) - who divided Alba between them.
Fosterage. An important feature of Celtic society lasting in Scotland
until as late as the eighteenth century. Boys entered fosterage at the
age of seven when they were sent to the household of a distinguished
person, a chieftain, a druid, or later a monk, to be educated. They
would live and study with them until they reached the aimsir togu (age
of choice) which was seventeen years. Fosterage was also given to
girls, their age of choice being fourteen years. During the period of
fosterage they would be taught many subjects, music, literature,
poetry, the art of warfare, the virtue of single combat, the high value
of honour, recreational pursuits such as fidchell and brandubh, and
team games. They were also taught to be efficient in hunting. In
Christian times they were taught Latin, Hebrew and Greek, in
addition to their own language.
Fothad. A king slain by Celta of the Fianna in battle.
Fotla. See Fodla.
Fountain of Knowledge. During Cormac Mac Art’s journey in Tir
rairnigiri (the Land of Promise), the ramparts of a royal dun or
fortress were seen. Inside was a shining fountain with five streams
issuing from it making a murmur more melodious than mortal music.
Five salmon swam in the fountain and nine hazel trees grew around
it. Whenever a hazel nut (large purple nuts) dropped in the fountain
one of the salmon caught it, rejected the husk and ate the kernel. See
Salmon of Knowledge and Nuts of Knowledge.
Friuch 129

Fraich. See Fraoch.

Fraoch. Sometimes Fraich and Froech. The name means ‘wrath’ or
‘fury’. Son of Idath of Connacht and Be Find of the sidhe, a sister of
the goddess Boann. Fie is the hero of the Tain Bo Fraoch, Cattle Raid
of Fraoch, which has been claimed to be the main source of the
English saga of Beowulf. Fraoch was the most handsome warrior in
Ireland, served by the sons of fifty chieftains. He was in love with
Findbhair, the daughter of Ailill and Medb. While she returned his
love, he could not persuade her to elope with him nor could he pay the
exorbitant bridal price which her parents demanded. Ailill and Medb
were not so much against their daughter’s marriage to Fraoch but
were afraid that the jealousy of the other kings of Ireland who wanted
to marry her might bring about their destruction.
Worried by Fraoch’s continued attention to their daughter, Ailill
and Medb plotted to kill him. They suggested he swim in a lake
where a monster dwelt. While he was bathing Ailill told him to bring
a rowan branch from the far bank. He did so. The monster did not
appear and so Ailill sent him for another branch. This time the
monster did attack him. Findbhair came to his rescue by seizing his
sword, lying on the bank, and rushing into the water with him.
Fraoch took the sword and managed to kill the creature. He was
wounded and was taken off by the gods and goddesses to be healed.
Fraoch, through the relationship of his mother, was one of their
number. The next day he returned and Ailill and Medb were forced
to consent to his wedding with their daughter.
In the second part of his story he returned to his fortress to find that
his wife, Findbhair, and his three children and his cattle herds had
been carried off. Among the cattle were twelve supernatural cows
given him by his mother Be Find. Fraoch set out to track them down,
meeting the foster brother of Cuchulainn, Conall Cearnach, on the
way. Conall joined him in this quest. They eventually found them¬
selves in the fastness of the Alps, in a country inhabited by truculent
warriors who delighted in cattle raids. They overcame these warriors,
rescued Fraoch’s wife, children and cattle and returned in triumph to
Ireland.
Freagarthach. The Answerer. The sword of Manannan Mac Lir, the
sea-god. Every wound it made was mortal. It was brought by Lugh
Lamhfada from Tir na mBeo as a personal gift to Manannan.
Friuch. Boar’s bristle. The swineherd of Ochall Ochne of Connacht.
He was in perpetual rivalry with Nar, the swineherd of Bodb Dearg
130 Froech

of Munster. They fought through many reincarnations until Friuch

was reborn as Finnbhenach, the White Horned Bull of Connacht,
while Nar was reborn as Donn, the Brown Bull of Cuailgne.
An alternative name for Friuch is Ruch Chnint. See Donn 6,
Finnbhenach and Nar Thuathcaech.
Froech. See Fraoch.
Fuad. A hero of the Milesians who was slain on the slopes of the
mountain named after him - Sliabh Fuad (Slieve Fuad).
Fuamnach. Daughter of Beothach son of Iardanel. She was fostered by
Bresal Etarlam, who is sometimes referred to as her father. He was a
druid. She became the first wife of Midir the Proud and grew jealous
when he took Etain Echraidhe as his second wife. Using the skills
Bresal had taught her she turned Etain into a pool, then a worm and
finally a fly in order to part her from Midir. Then she raised a tempest
which blew Etain, in the guise of a fly, away from Midir’s palace. See
Etain 2. Fuamnach is described as clever and resourceful. However,
she was finally bested and slain by Aonghus Og who was helping
Midir track down Etain. Fuamnach was sheltered at the house of
Bresal. Aonghus Og took her head to his palace at Bruigh na Boinne
as a trophy after slaying Bresal as well.
Furbaide. 1. Son of Ethne and Eochaidh Feidleach. Like Goll Mac
Morna he is recorded as having been born of a Caesarean operation.
2. A son of Conchobhar Mac Nessa and called Furbaide Fur Bend.
Fury. Among the swords of Manannan Mac Lir were two called Fury
(Fraoch): Great Fury (Fraoch Mor) and Little Fury (Fraoch Beag).
 6
G. Gort (ivy) in the Ogham alphabet.
Gabalgline. An ancient seer of the Clan Dedad who was blind. He was
consulted by Ailill and Medb about the prophecy connected with the
debility of the men of Ulster.
Gabhra, Battle of. Anglicised as Gowra. The last great battle in which
the Fianna took part and in which they were exterminated. Cairbre,
the High King, trying to curb the power of the Fianna after the death
of Fionn Mac Cumhail, finally provoked a conflict. The Fianna, led
by the hero Oscar, fought against the Clan Morna, who sided with the
High King. In the battle, Oscar and Cairbre killed each other. The
battle is full of melancholy grandeur and a fitting end to the Fenian
Cycle. Fionn himself returned from the Otherworld to lament his
grandson, Oscar, while Oisin, Oscar’s father, and Celta carried
Oscar’s body from the field on a bier. The site of the battle is
identified with Garristown, Co. Dublin. See Oscar.
Gabur. He plays a role in ‘The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel’ with
his companions Fer Ger and Fer Rogain.
Gae-Bolg. ‘Belly-spear’, the famous spear of Cuchulainn. It was
originally owned by Scathach, the female champion of Alba, who
taught him the martial arts. She taught him how to cast it with one
foot and gave it to him as a gift. It made one wound when entering a
man’s body but thirty barbs opened so that ‘it filled every limb and
crevice with wounds’. Cuchulainn used it to kill his son Conlai, his
friend Ferdia and Medb’s champion Loc Mac Mofebis.
Gaedhal. See Goidel.
Gael. See Goidel.
Gaiar. A son of Manannan Mac Lir who had an affair with Becuma
which caused her expulsion from Tir Tairnigiri, the Land of
Promise.
Galian. The ancient name for the province of Leinster. See Laighin.
Galioin. Fir Galioin, one of three groups identified as Firbolg.
132 Gall

Gall. The oldest meaning of the word was a person from Gaul. In
subsequent usage it became the word for a stranger, or foreigner,
particularly a Norseman, an Anglo-Norman and, finally, an English¬
man. See Gaul.
Gamal. A doorkeeper at Tara at the time of Nuada of the Silver Hand.
Gamhanrhide. The Connacht military elite, equivalent to the Red
Branch.
Gan-Ceann. ‘Without a head’, sometimes referred to as ‘love talker’. A
spirit from the sidhe which filled girls’ heads with pleasant fantasies
when they should be working. The personification of ‘day¬
dreaming’.
Gancomer. An amorous member of the sidhe who spent his time
making love to milkmaids and shepherdesses.
Gann. One of the five sons of Dela who led the Firbolg invasion. Gann
and Sengann divided the province of Munster between them. Gann
and Sengann also appear as Fomorii leaders fighting against the
Nemedians.
Garach, Battle of. The final battle of the Tain war where the armies of
Ailill and Medb faced Conchobhar Mac Nessa’s forces on the Plain of
Garach. Fergus Mac Roth, commanding the men of Ireland, was
within sight of victory when, about midday, Cuchulainn arrived on
the battlefield. Cuchulainn reminded Fergus of an oath they had
sworn, never to fight each other, and this caused Fergus to leave the
field. His going caused the men of Munster and of Leinster to follow
him. By evening the Ulster army defeated the army of Connacht.
Ailill and Medb’s men flooded backwards to Connacht. In chasing
them from the field Cuchulainn came across Medb sheltering under
her chariot. He told her that he did not kill women and so allowed her
to go back to her kingdom after Ailill.
Garmuin. Wife of Ercol. See Ercol.
Gaul. The name of the Continental Celts and their territory, often
mentioned in the Irish sagas and tales. Ancient Greek and Roman
writers tended to use the term ‘Gaul’ rather than ‘Celt’ in their
references to the Celtic peoples. As a geographical description, it is
rather a loose term. Cisalpine Gaul consisted of the territory of
northern Italy which was settled by the Celts around 600bc and
stretched down to Senigallia (Senones Gaul) just north of Ancona. A
great many northern Italian place names and river names are Celtic in
origin. On 18 July 390bc, the Celts conquered Rome. It was not until
349bc that Rome felt strong enough to continue aggressive actions
Geilt 133

against them. A systematic conquest of the northern Italian Celts was

undertaken in 196bc but it was not until 180bc that the last Celtic
tribes there surrendered. The Gaulish language lasted long after¬
wards. Many ancient Latin writers were Celts, for example Virgil,
Gallus, Trogus Pompeius and Cornelius Nepos. Livy was raised in
Cisalpine Gaul and his histories, epic and fabulous, bear more than a
cursory resemblance to Irish sagas.
The main Gaulish territory was, of course, the modern territories
of France, Belgium (named from the Celtic tribe, the Belgae)
and parts of Switzerland (which still uses the Celtic tribal name
Helvetica). Celtic territories stretched to Bohemia (named after the
Boii) and as far as Galatia in what is now modern Turkey. They also
included parts of Spain.
The Gaulish language survived for a long while after the Gaulish
territories had been overrun. Apollinarius Sidonius, Bishop of the
Avernii of Gaul (d. ad479), writing to his brother-in-law Ecdicius,
comments that ‘leading families, in their efforts to throw off the scurf
of Celtic speech’ were making efforts to learn Latin. Many Celtic
words survived in Low Latin and thus into modern French. Gaulish
Celtic inscriptions now date back to the fifth century bc. For a long
time the most extensive text in Gaulish was the Coligny Calendar,
engraved on bronze, and dated to the first century ad. In 1983,
however, a more extensive text, written on a lead tablet, was found at
La Vayssiere, in the neighbourhood of Millau, and is the longest
Gaulish text so far discovered.
Many Irish gods have Gaulish equivalents: Lugh was known to
the Gaulish Celts as Lugus, and his name occurs in place names in
France, Holland, Switzerland, Spain and Silesia. Ogma was known
in Gaul as Ogmios and Bile was Belenus. It is clear, therefore, that
had Gaulish mythology survived it would have closely resembled
Irish and Welsh myth.
Gebann. Father of Cliodhna, the Irish goddess of beauty. See
Cliodhna.
Geena. See Giona Mac Lugha.
Geilt. One who goes mad with terror or flees panic-stricken from the
field of battle. During Cath Fionntragha (Battle of Ventry) when
Fionn Mac Cumhail fought with Daire Donn, the King of the World,
one of his young warriors named Goll fled frenzied from the battle.
He made his way to Gleann na nGealt (Co. Kerry), the glen of
lunatics, which was the one place in all Ireland to which - so it was
134 Geis

said - lunatics left to their own devices would go. In the glen
(Glennagalt) he found Tobergalt, the lunatics’ well, and by drinking
from it and eating the cresses that grew near, and living in seclusion,
he recovered his senses. Suibhne, who fled frenzied from the Battle of
Moyrath, also made for Glennagalt. See Suibhne Geilt.
Geis. A taboo or bond which, when placed on someone, compelled
them to obey the instruction. From the sagas as well as the Brehon
Laws themselves, the geis comes down primarily as a modus operandi
put at the disposal of the druids to ensure their authority and the
efficacy of their edicts. They had two particular powers: the geis and
the glam dicin: see Glam diem. Thegm tended to be complex. It was
primarily a prohibition imposed on a particular person and since it
influenced the whole fate of that person it must not be cast or imposed
lightly. Anyone transgressing a geis was exposed to the rejection of his
society and placed outside the social order. Transgression, as well as
bringing shame and outlawry, usually meant a painful death. The
power of the geis was above human and divine jurisdiction and
brushed aside all previous rulings, establishing a new order through
the wishes of the person controlling it.
Examples of the geis in mythology are as follows. When Setanta
was given the name Cuchulainn (Hound of Culann) he was also given
a geis never to eat the flesh of a dog. However, trapped by his enemies,
he eventually had to eat dog flesh and the infringement inevitably led
to his death. Fergus Mac Roth’s geis was the prohibition never to
refuse an invitation to a feast and on this fact turned the tragedy of the
sons of Usna. Conaire Mor was subjected to a whole series of
complicated and independent geise which led to his downfall and
death. The giving of a geis was usually reserved for the druids but
there are exceptions. In some stories ordinary men and women seem
capable of pronouncing the taboo. Perhaps the most famous example
of this is that placed by Grainne on Diarmuid: ‘I place on you a geis of
danger and destruction, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, unless you take me
with you out of this house before Fionn and the chiefs of Ireland wake
from their slumber. If you do not come with me you are not only a
dead man but dishonoured. Diarmuid, therefore, has no choice but
to accompany Grainne and thus begins the story of ‘The Pursuit of
Diarmuid and Grainne’.
Gelban. A son of the king of Lochlann who, according to one version of
the tragic tale of the sons of Usna, went to spy on the Red Branch
Hostel. Conchobhar Mac Nessa asked him to ascertain whether
 Giants’ Causeway 135

Deirdre s looks had faded. Naoise, playing fidchell with Deirdre,

glanced up and saw Gelban peering through the window. He threw a
fidchell piece and knocked out one of his eyes. Gelban, nevertheless,
was able to make his report to Conchobhar saying that he would
gladly give his other eye to gaze on Deirdre’s beauty. The same story
is given elsewhere with Conchobhar’s servant Trendorm as the spy.
Gentradea. Together with Goltrade and Suantrade of the Uaithne, he
was one of a trio of harpists whose sad music caused the death by
sorrow of many young men.
Ger. A companion of Gabur. See Gabur.
Gerald (Gearoid Iarla) Fitzgerald. Third Earl of Desmond (1359-98)
and Lord Justiciary of Ireland. The historical figure of Gerald
Fitzgerald takes its place here due to a later legend which connects
him with the love goddess Aine. It is obviously based on the story of
Ailill Olom and Aine. The story is that Maurice, first Earl of
Desmond (d. 1356), raped the love goddess and that Gerald was their
son. According to the Annals of Clonmacnois (now lost save in a
seventeenth-century English translation) Gerald ‘was a nobleman of
wonderful bounty, cheerfulness in conversation, easy of access,
charitable in deeds, a witty and ingenious composer of Irish poetry, a
learned and profound chronicler & etc.’ Gerald composed danta
gadhra, courtly love poetry, preserved in the Book of Fermoy and the
Book of the Dean of Lismore. He was instrumental in getting the un¬
precedented decision which allowed one of the ‘mere Irish’, the son
of Conor Mac Conamara, a chieftain, accepted at Oxford University
to study in 1375. When Gerald died he was so popular that numerous
legends arose that he was not dead but simply sleeping and would rise
again from the waters of Loch Guirr in time of Ireland’s danger - a
typical Celtic motif best known through the Arthurian legends.
Other stories are that he rose every seven years and rode the loch on an
enchanted steed. His son John actually drowned nearby in 1400. Loch
Guirr is said to be the love goddess Aine’s resting place. See Aine.
Germane. A companion of Mael Duin. See Mael Duin.
Giants. Giants occur in the myths and sagas several times. It should be
stressed that Fionn Mac Cumhail came to be regarded as a giant only
in later legends. The term for a giant in Old Irish was aithech. During
the second battle of Magh Tuireadh the Fomorii appeared in the
guise of giants and, indeed, when Oisin followed Niamh to the
Otherworld he had to battle with a Fomorii giant.
Giants’ Causeway. The Irish name is Clochan na bhFomharaigh or the
 Giolla
136

stepping stones of the Fomorii. It is one of the world’s outstanding

geological curiosities, formed by the cooling of lava bursting through
the earth’s crust in the Cainozoic Period, resulting in the splitting of
basaltic rock into innumerable prismatic columns, mostly hexagonal
but some pentagonal and others variously sided. It is situated on the
west side of Benbane Head, in the north of Co. Antrim.
Giolla. Sometimes Anglicised as Gillie. An attendant, servant or
follower, sometimes used as title or name as in Giolla Deacair. See
Abarta.
Giolla Deacair. See Abarta.
Giolla Greine. The daughter of a human father and a sunbeam. When
told of her birth she jumped into Loch Greine (lake of the sun) and
floated to Daire Greine (oak grove of the sun) and died at Tuam
Greine (tomb of the sun).
Giona Mac Lugha. A leader of the Fianna. His mother was the
warrior-daughter of Fionn Mac Cumhail and he was fostered by a
woman called ‘Fair Mane’ or ‘Fair Tresses’ (Mong Ban). He was
slothful and selfish as well as being boastful. So impossible did he
become that eventually his men laid down their weapons by Loch
Lena and refused to fight under him. Fionn was sent for and taught
him the things necessary to be a good leader. He heeded Fionn’s
counsel and became one of the Fianna’s greatest champions.
Gods. There is a degree of confusion about the gods of the ancient Irish
because of the fact that the myths were first set down in writing by
Christian monks who often changed things to fit their religious
sensibilities. The Tuatha De Danaan are clearly the ‘immortals’ of
ancient Ireland. The gods and goddesses are not creators of people,
they are the ancestors of the people. They come and go throughout
the sagas and myths and can, in fact, die on occasion like Nuada of the
Silver Hand. There are no hard and fast rules between gods and
mortals; mortals can wound gods. Cuchulainn took out the eye of the
goddess of battle, the Morrigan. Yet the gods are also respected and
venerated and given their feast days, as with Lugh, Brigit, Bile etc.
The Irish, like their fellow Celts, made their gods and goddesses into
heroes and heroines and their heroes and heroines into gods and
goddesses. The gods and goddesses are totally human and subject to
all the natural virtues and vices.
Glam Diem. Like the geis this was one of the two particular powers of
the druids to ensure their authority and the efficacy of their edicts.
The glam didn is a satirical incantation directed against a particular
Goidel 137

person and having the strength of obligation - it is in fact a curse

which can be pronounced for such valid reasons as infringement of
divine or human laws, treason, breaking a contract or murder. The
men of Ulster had to tolerate the poet Athirne because he placed them
under threat of an unjust glam ditin. Its pronouncement was feared as
it put its victims under a sense of shame, sickness and death. The
victim was rejected by all levels of society.
Glas Ghaibhnenn. The magic cow stolen by the Fomorii Balor of the
Evil Eye and taken to Tory Island. It belonged to Cian who pursued
it. See Cian.
Glass Castle. Also known as Conann’s Tower. A tower of glass or
crystal built by the Fomorii on Tory Island. The Nemedians, led by
their king Fergus, stormed it and slew Conann Mac Febar, the
Fomorii king, but More Mac Dela drove them off. Balor of the Evil
Eye is said to have imprisoned his daughter in a glass tower on Tory
Island. In the various voyages to the Otherworld, glass towers are
often one of the sights encountered. There is a reference in Welsh
mythology to Caer Wydyr, a glass castle, which seems a synonym for
the Otherworld.
Goibhniu. 1. The smith-god. Founder of artistry and handicraft. He
had two brothers, Cian and Samhain - again constituting the Celtic
trinity of craft gods. In other texts Goibhniu’s brothers are given as
Credne Cred and Luchtar. He could make a sword or spear by three
blows of his hammer. He also presided over the Otherworld feast
Fled Ghoibhnenn at which he served a special ale which rendered all
who drank it exempt from disease and death. During the second
battle of Magh Tuireadh, Ruadan, son of Bres, a Fomorii spy, came
to see how Goibhniu was making spears. Ruadan seized one and
drove it through Goibhniu. The smith-god merely pulled it out and
mortally wounded Ruadan before making his way to Dian Cecht, the
god of medicine, and having his wound healed from the spring of
health. He has his counterpart in the Welsh smith-god Govannan.
And the word ‘smith’ in all the Celtic languages has a common
provenance: Irish, gabha\ Scottish Gaelic gobha; Manx, gaaue\
Welsh, go/; Cornish, go/; Breton, gof. In later Irish legend, a figure
called Gobhan Saer, the Wright, became a master mason and
architect of the fairies.
2. Son of Lorgnech, a hero mentioned in ‘The Destruction of Da
Derga’s Hostel’.
Goidel. Also given as Gaedhal and Gael. Son of Niul and Scota, a
138 Goidelic

daughter of the Pharaoh Cingris. He is acclaimed as the progenitor of

the Goidelic or Gaelic people (the Irish, Manx and Scots). In what
seems to be a Christian embellishment to the story, Goidel was healed
by Moses for his father Niul had befriended Aaron during the
Hebrew enslavement in Egypt. Goidel’s son was Esru, whose son Sru
was father of Eber Scot.
Goidelic. Usually given as Gaelic. The Q-Celtic branch of the Celtic
languages spoken by the Irish, Manx and Scots. See Celt.
Golamh. The original name of Milesius.
Golden Pillars, Kingdom of the. See Easal.
Goll. A name meaning ‘blind of one eye’ or ‘one-eyed’.
1. The Fomorii son of Garb. His wife was Lot, described as having
bloated lips in her breasts and four eyes in her back. He was father of
Cichol Gricenchos.
2. Described as a stranger from beyond the seas who is defeated by
Cuchulainn.
3. A young warrior of the Fianna who fled in a frenzy during the
Battle of Fionntragha (Ventry) when Fionn Mac Cumhail fought
Daire Donn, the King of the World. See Geilt.
4. Mac Golb. The ruler of Magh Mell. He abducted the wife of
Fiachna Mac Retach and defeated Fiachna in seven battles. Fiachna
offered a reward for the champion who would slay Goll. Laoghaire
Mac Crimthann and fifty warriors attacked Magh Mell and Laoghaire
slew Goll. He rescued Fiachna’s wife and married his daughter Der
Greine.
5. Brother of Bricriu, a son of Carbad.
6. Mac Morna. The leader of the Fianna before Fionn Mac Cumhail.
He killed Fionn’s father Cumal, in one account, to gain the leader¬
ship of the Fianna. However, when Cormac Mac Art rewarded Fionn
with the leadership, he seemed to accept him. He eventually married
Fionn’s daughter Cebha. He features prominently in the tales of the
Fenian Cycle. Fionn quoted one of Goll’s sayings: ‘A man lives after
his life but not after his honour.’ Goll eventually slew Cairell, Fionn’s
son, and when Oscar tried to mediate in the affair, Goll cast his spear
at him. He fled, and was pursued and finally trapped by the Fianna.
Refusing to surrender, he died after twelve days from lack of
food.
Goltrade. A harpist. See Gentradea.
Gorias, City of. One of the four great cities of the De Danaan - Falias,
Finias, Gorias and Murias. It was from Gorias that Lugh brought his
Grainne 139

invincible sword. Urais of the Noble Nature dwelt in the city said to
be steeped in wisdom.
Gorm Glas. ‘Blue green’. Conchobhar Mac Nessa’s sword.
Gortigern. The language spoken by all mankind before the develop¬
ment of different languages. A parallel tale to the Tower of Babel
story.
Grainne. Daughter of Cormac Mac Art, the High King. She was
promised to Fionn Mac Cumhail who, though still a renowned
warrior, had grown elderly at this time. Fionn and his Fianna came to
feast at Tara on the night before the wedding. Grainne speculated on
the handsome appearance of the warriors of his Fianna. At first she
was taken with Fionn’s son Oisin and asked him to save her from a
marriage to an old man. When he refused she turned her attention on
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. With the help of her druid Daire she
prepared a sleeping draught with which she ensured everyone at the
feast fell asleep except Diarmuid. She demanded that he rescue her
from the marriage and take her from Tara that night. He refused but
she placed a geis on him. Diarmuid had no course but to obey and
they fled.
When Fionn awoke and discovered the elopement he flew into a
rage. ‘The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne’ begins. Diarmuid had
been a friend of Fionn and sought to reassure him that there was
nothing between him and Grainne. At each spot where they had
been, the pursuing Fionn found pieces of unbroken bread, or
uncooked salmon. The symbolism was a subtle message that he had
not slept with Grainne. But Grainne was determined to have Diar¬
muid for herself. When crossing a stream she said mockingly: ‘You
are a mighty warrior, O Diarmuid, in battles and sieges and forays,
yet it seems that this drop of water is bolder than you.’ In other
words, she mocked him for keeping his distance from her. Eventually
Diarmuid grew to love her. The pursuit continued for sixteen years
until Aonghus Og, the love-god, interceded, and, helped by Cormac
Mac Art, persuaded Fionn Mac Cumhail to forget his anger. Diar¬
muid and Grainne set up residence in Rath Grainne where Grainne
bore Diarmuid four sons and a daughter.
Grainne wanted Fionn and Cormac to show their forgiveness by
coming to dine with her and Diarmuid at their fortress. Fionn did so
though he still nursed thoughts of revenge. Towards the end of the
feasting Diarmuid accompanied him and his Fianna on a hunt near
Ben Bulben where Diarmuid was wounded by a magic boar, fulfilling
140 Grec

the destiny chosen by the gods at his birth. Fionn, however, could
have saved his life but refused to do so. Grainne, seeing the hunting
party coming back without Diarmuid but leading his hound,
swooned on the ramparts of the fortress. Diarmuid’s body was borne
to the Otherworld by Aonghus Og, the love-god.
Grainne at first swore vengeance on Fionn when she learnt the
truth of the matter. She sent her four sons to learn skill in arms for
this purpose. But Fionn Mac Cumhail began to woo her and even¬
tually was able to bear her back to his fortress on the Hill of Allen as
his bride thus preventing further trouble from her sons. The Fianna,
seeing Grainne in such circumstance, jeered at her. They would ‘not
haven given one of Diarmuid’s fingers for twenty such as Grainne’.
Grainne’s character is always drawn with consistency in the myths.
She is a shallow person, wilful, ruthless and passionate, and what in
modern terms would be described as a neurotic.
Grec. A warrior of Connacht who rescued Cormac Mac Art as a baby
from a pack of wolves. See Etain 4.
Grey of Macha. Sometimes Liath Macha. One of Cuchulainn’s two
horses which were foaled at the same time as he was born. The other
was the Black of Sainglenn. Before Cuchulainn went on his final foray
the Grey of Macha refused to be bridled and shed tears of blood.
During the last fight the Grey was mortally wounded by Ere, king of
Leinster, but still managed to kill fifty warriors with its teeth and
thirty more with its hoofs before it died.
Grian. Said to be a queen of a sidhe, from grian, the sun. Her palace was
on top of Cnoc Greine at Pailis Greine (Pallas Green) in Co. Limerick.
Grianainech. An alternative name for the god Ogma, meaning ‘sunny
countenance’.
Grianan. A solarium or sun house which seems to have been a feature of
Irish houses mentioned in the sagas. Bricriu had one built at his rath
as did Ailill and Medb at Rath Cruachan. It is recorded that Medb’s
gnanan had twelve large glass windows.
Grianan Aileach. A tumulus where Nuada of the Silver Hand was
buried after Balor of the Evil Eye had killed him during the second
Battle of Magh Tuireadh.
Grianan Lachtna. The residence of the rulers of the Dal na gCas of
North Munster. It lies two miles north of Killaloe on the western
shore of Loch Derg.
Gruacach. Often used as a term for an ogre or monster, also an
enchanter or wizard. Gruacach signifies hairy, long-haired or maned.
H. Not found in early Ogham inscriptions and not a ‘proper’ letter of
the Irish alphabet which had seventeen letters. It is now used only in
conjunction with other letters to denote lenition; e.g. bh, ch, dh, fh,
gh, mh, ph, sh and th. Formerly this sound had been written b', c ,
® jF ) s j 1,1 ) p ? r jC .
Hag of Beara. See Cailleach Beara.
Hallowe’en. See Samhain 2.
Head, Cult of the. The ancient Irish revered the human head as,
indeed, did all ancient Celtic societies. It was in the head and not in
the heart that they seemed to locate the souls of men and women.
In battle they collected the heads of their enemies as trophies.
According to Diodorus Siculus:

They cut off the heads of enemies slain in battle and attach them to
the necks of their horses. The blood-stained spoils they hand over
to their attendants and carry off as booty, while striking up a paean
and singing a song of victory; and they nail up these fruits upon
their houses, just as do those who lay low wild animals in certain
kinds of hunting.
They embalm in cedar oil the heads of the most distinguished
enemies, and preserve them carefully in a chest, and display them
with pride to strangers, saying that for this head one of their
ancestors, or his father, or the man himself refused the offer of a
large sum of money. They say that some of them boast that they
refused the weight of the head in gold; thus displaying what is only
a barbarous kind of magnanimity, for it is not a sign of nobility to
refrain from selling the proofs of one’s valour.

Livy describes the placing of the head of an enemy chieftain in a

temple by the victorious Celtic Boii in 216bc. He says how ‘some
142 Heber

Gallic (Celtic) horsemen came in sight, with heads hanging at their

horses’ breasts or fixed on their lances and singing their customary
song of triumph’.
In the Irish sagas and stories the cult is mentioned often, particu¬
larly in the Ulster Cycle. Cuchulainn, returning to Emain Macha
after his first battle foray, is described as having three heads on his
chariot and ‘nine heads in one hand and ten in the other, and these he
brandished at the hosts in token of his valour and prowess’. The
magic power of the head is demonstrated in ‘The Destruction of Da
Derga’s Hostel’ when Conaire Mor, having been slain, has his head
taken off. When Conall, the warrior, pours water into the mouth of
the head, it speaks and thanks him.
Archaeological finds give full corroboration to this cult.
Heber. See Eber.
Heremon. See Eremon.
High King. See Ard Ri.
Hy-Brasil. See Breasal.
I. Idad (yew) in the Ogham alphabet.
Iarbanel. Sometimes given as Iarbonel and Iardanel. One of the three
sons of Nemed who escaped after the defeat and death of their father.
His son was Beothach. Iarbanel is said to be the ancestor of the
Tuatha De Danaan while his brother Starn was acclaimed the
ancestor of the Firbolg.
Ibath. Son of Beothach. A Nemedian who fled to Boeotia after the
Fomorii defeated them. He, also, is said to be an ancestor of the De
Danaan.
Ibcan. Son of Beothach.
Ibor. The charioteer who accompanied Cuchulainn during the
adventures told in ‘The Boyhood Deeds of Cuchulainn’.
Ibor cind trachta. The spot where the goddess Fand arranged her
assignation with Cuchulainn; but Emer, Cuchulainn’s wife, having
discovered this, arrived with fifty maidens with sharpened knives to
destroy Fand. See Cuchulainn, Emer and Fand.
Id. Son of Riangabur. He was the charioteer of Conall Cearnach and
brother of Cuchulainn’s charioteer Laeg.
Idath. A warrior of Connacht who married the goddess Be Find, the sis¬
ter of Boann. His son is Fraoch, the handsomest warrior in Ireland.
Ilbreg. Sometimes Ilbhreach. Son of the sea-god Manannan Mac Lir.
He was ruler of the sidhe Eas Aedha Ruaidh, the mound of Mullach-
shee near Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal. He was also one of the five
candidates for the kingship of the De Danaan when the Dagda
announced his intention to give up the role. During the subsequent
war between the gods, Ilbreg fought for Midir the Proud alongside
the contingent of mortals led by the Fenian warrior Caoilte who slew
Lir, his grandfather.
Ildanach. A title bestowed on Lugh Lamhfada when he presented
himself at the court of Nuada. It meant ‘The All Craftsman’.
144 Iliann

Iliann. See Iollan.

Imbolg. One of the four great annual pre-Christian festivals which was
sacred to Brigid, the fertility goddess, and held on 1 February. See
Brigid. It was subsequently taken over by the Christian Church and
became St. Brigid’s feastday.
Immrama. Voyages, a class of tales including such famous ones
as ‘Immram Curaig Maile Duin’ (The Voyage of Mael Duin) and
‘Immram Curaig Bran Mac FerbaV (The Voyage of Bran).
Indech. A Fomorii warrior, son of the goddess Domnu, who was killed
by the god Ogma at the second Battle of Magh Tuireadh.
Ingcel Caech. The one-eyed son or grandson of the king of Britain who
had been exiled. He met up with Conaire Mor’s three dissident foster
brothers and joined forces with them and other Irish dissidents, such
as the sons of Ailill and Medb. Together they raided and plundered
Ireland and Britain. In Britain they attacked a fortress where Ingcel’s
father, mother and seven brothers, who were guests there, were
destroyed. The final raid of this band was against Da Derga’s Hostel
in which the High King Conaire Mor was finally slain. Ingcel played a
prominent role in this and was sent to spy on Conaire Mor before the
attack.
Invasions, The Book of. Leabhar Gabhala, sometimes known as The
Book of Takings. Professor Eoin Mac Neill once referred to it as ‘a
true national epic’. The book contains the mythical history of
Ireland, citing all the invasions of the country from Cesair before the
Deluge, through the invasions of Partholon, Nemed, the Firbolg, the
De Danaan and the Milesians. It then follows the subsequent
myth/history of Ireland down to the High King Malachai Mor
(Malachai II) (ad980-1002). The book survives in various ancient
manuscripts, mainly in the Book of Leinster (Leabhar Laignech) from
the twelfth century. However, the historian Micheal 6 Cleirigh,
compiler of the first printed Irish dictionary (published at Louvain
in 1643), compiled a version of the Leabhar Gabhala drawn from
several ancient manuscripts which are now lost. It is 6 Cleirigh’s
compilation to which people generally refer.
Iollan. The Fair, son of Fergus Mac Roth. He accompanied his father
and his brother, Buinne the Ruthless, to Alba to bear Conchobhar
Mac Nessa s invitation to Deirdre and the sons of Usna. Conchobhar
had said he had forgiven Naoise and his brother for eloping with his
bride-to-be, Deirdre, and asked them to return to Ulster. While
Iollan and Buinne were guarding them in the Red Branch hostel in
Iron 145

Emain Macha, Conchobhar betrayed his word and ordered them

killed. At first, Buinne and Iollan defended them. Buinne was then
bribed with a gift to stop fighting. Iollan, however, continued to
fight. He ran out to meet the attackers and wounded Fiachra, son of
Conchobhar Mac Nessa, who was leading the attack on the hostel.
Fiachra was carrying Conchobhar’s enchanted shield, Ochain
(Moaner) which moaned when its bearer was in danger. The hero
Conall Cearnach, hearing its cry, rushed up and mortally wounded
Iollan. Before he died, however, Iollan told Conall, who had been his
friend, of Conchobhar’s great treachery. Conall, in rage, then slew
Fiachra. It is significant in this tale that both Iollan and Fiachra are
said to have been born on the same day.
Ioruaidhe. A kingdom whose ruler possessed a hound-whelp called Fail
Inis who was irresistible in battle, turned any running water it bathed
in into wine and caught every wild beast it encountered. In reparation
for killing Cian, Lugh’s father, the sons of Tuireann had to bring it
back to Ireland. They fought with the king of Ioruaidhe, took him
captive and demanded the hound in return for his life and freedom.
Ir. A son of Milesius. He was killed by a storm conjured by the De
Danaan to prevent the Milesian landing in Ireland.
Irgalach. Son of Lach. He commanded ‘three fifties’ of elderly warriors
of Ulster who were no longer of military age. They volunteered to
accompany Conchobhar Mac Nessa in the war against Ailill and
Medb in order that they might give advice to the younger warriors.
Irnan. One of the three sorceress daughters of Conaran the De Danaan
who dwelt at Dun Conaran. With her sisters she was sent to capture
some numbers of the Fianna. This was accomplished by spinning a
magic web with which to capture the warriors. Goll Mac Morna,
coming along later, saw what the three ‘hags of Conaran’ were about
and he killed two of them. Irnan begged for mercy and promised to
release the warriors. While they were being released Fionn arrived.
Irnan then changed into a monster and laid a geis on Fionn or his
warriors to accept single combat. Oisin, Oscar and Celta all refused to
fight the monster. Fionn decided to accept but Goll, still tired from
his previous combat, said it was not seemly for Fionn to fight the hag
even if she was disguised as a monster. Goll fought and killed Irnan
and for this Fionn gave his daughter Cebha in marriage to him.
Iron. Appears frequently in the myths as a valuable and magical
property. At the start of the first millennium BC the Celtic peoples
were possessed of great skill in metal work, especially in the use of
146 Irusan

iron, a metal only then becoming known to craftsmen of the classical

world. By the sixth century BC their formidable armaments of spears,
swords, axes and agricultural implements rendered the Celts militari¬
ly superior to their neighbours and they were able to open roadways
through the previously impenetrable forests of Europe. An ancient
Irish word for a road, still in use today, is slighe from the word sligim, I
hew. The iron swords of the Celts were particularly devastating and
enabled them to sweep across Europe, conquering Rome itself in
390bc and defeating the armies of Thrace, Macedonia and the other
Greek states including the Athenian army. The very word ‘iron’ is
derived from the Celtic lam, spreading from that source into most
European languages including Latin and the Old Germanic lan¬
guages. Iron bars of certain weight were used in ancient Celtic society
as currency. In the story of the Tain, Ailill and Medb, counting their
treasures, list iam-lestair or iron vessels. Sliabh-an-Iairinn (Mountain
of Iron), east of Lough Allen, Co. Leitrim, was said to be where
Goibhniu the smith-god worked.
Irusan. A monstrous cat which dwelt in a cave near Knowth on the
Boyne. It was said to have seized the poet Senchan in its jaws and run
off with him.
Islands. Islands are usually used as representations of aspects of the
Otherworld. They appear as fabulous places. Good examples of this
occur in the ‘Voyage of Mael Duin’, the ‘Voyage of Bran’, etc.
Ith. Son of Bregon. He was said to have dwelt in a great tower which his
father had built in Spain. Spain is a synonym for the Land of the
Dead in early Irish literature. From this tower, Ith saw Ireland and
resolved to go there. He embarked with ninety of his followers and
they landed at Corea Duibhne (Corkaguiny, Co. Kerry). The De
Danaan had just defeated the Fomorii at the second Battle of Magh
Tuireadh and Nuada had been killed. Mac Cecht, Mac Cuill and Mac
Greine were attempting to divide Ireland between them. Ith was
asked to make a judgement as to how this should be done. His
panegyric was interpreted as an indication that Ith wanted the island
for himself. He was killed by the De Danaan and his body was taken
back to Spain where his children resolved to take vengeance by
conquering Ireland: thus began the Milesian invasion.
Iubdan. King of the Faylinn, a kingdom of diminutive people. His wife
was Bebo. His poet Eisirt told him that Ulster was a land of giants, in
order to quell Iubdan’s constant boasting. To prove it he went there
and returned with Aedh, the dwarf of the Ulster king Fergus Mac
Iunsa 147

Leide. Eisirt then placed a geis on Iubdan to go to the Ulster court and
be first to taste the porridge of the king on the next morning.
Accompanied by Bebo, Iubdan went to Ulster and, in making the
attempt, fell into the porridge and was made prisoner. This had
actually been prophesied. His people tried to obtain his release by
offering a ransom of corn. When this was refused they made the
calves of Ulster take all the milk from the cows, defiled the rivers and
wells, burned mills and kilns and cut off the hair of the men and
women while they slept. Whereupon Fergus Mac Leide threatened
to kill Iubdan unless they stopped.
In one version of the story Fergus fell in love with Iubdan’s wife
Bebo. The story illustrates the free approach to sexual relations
enjoyed by the early Irish. When Fergus was making love to Bebo he
placed his hand on top of her head. When Bebo asked why, Fergus
explained that his penis was ‘seven fists long’ while Bebo was ‘only
three fists high’ and he was afraid it would go through her head. Bebo
told him not to worry as ‘it’s many a thing that a woman’s loins
absorb’.
Fergus told Iubdan that he had made love to his wife Bebo. ‘She
liked that,’ replied Iubdan unperturbed. Fergus told him that he
made love a second time. ‘You liked that,’ responded Iubdan. Fergus
then said he made love a third time. ‘Both of you enjoyed that,’
Iubdan commented. However, when Fergus said he made love a
fourth time, Iubdan condemned his human passion and lust.
After Iubdan and Bebo had been prisoners for a year and one day,
Fergus Mac Leide offered them freedom if Iubdan gave up his most
treasured possession. This was his enchanted shoes; whoever wore
them could travel over or under water as freely as on dry land. Iubdan
gave them up and when Fergus put them on they grew into the size of
his feet. Iubdan and Bebo were then released and returned to
Faylinn.
Iuchar. The second son of Tuireann. See Brian and Tuireann.
Iucharba. The third son of Tuireann. See Brian and Tuireann.
Iunsa. Father of Eibhir, wife of Oisin.
L. Luis (mountain ash) in the Ogham alphabet.
Labraid Loinseach. Sometimes Labra the Mariner. See Moen.
Labraid Luathlam ar Cledeb. Labra Swift Hand on the Sword. Ruler
of Magh Mell and husband of Li Ban. He sent Li Ban to Cuchulainn
with a promise to send the goddess Fand to him in exchange for one
day’s fighting against the three champions Eochaidh Indber,
Eochaidh Iuil and Senach Siabarthe.
Ladra. The pilot of Cesair’s ship during her coming to Ireland. When
Cesair and her companions decided to divide Ireland between them,
Ladra took sixteen of the women but his companions had seventeen
women each and so he argued about the fairness of the division. He
finally accepted his lot and went off to form his kingdom where it is
said he died ‘of an excess of women’.
Laeg. Sometimes given as Loeg. A son of Riangabur and called
‘the king of charioteers’. His brother Id was charioteer to Conall
Cearnach. He became charioteer of Cuchulainn and his faithful
companion in many adventures. Cuchulainn trusted him to go to the
Otherworld in the company of Li Ban to report on Fand’s kingdom.
When Laeg returned he told Cuchulainn of the wonders he had seen
and thus decided the hero on his journey there. During Cuchulainn’s
famous combat with Ferdia at the ford, during the war of the Tain,
Cuchulainn told Laeg: ‘If I look like being bested you must taunt me
and deride me to get my battle anger up.’ Laeg performed this so that
Cuchulainn emerged the victor. During the final combat at the Pillar
Stone, Laeg threw himself in front of a spear cast by Laoghaire and
meant for Cuchulainn.
Laighin. The province of Leinster. There are two stories about how this
province received its name: first, that it took its name from Liath son
of Laigne Lethan-glas, a Nemedian; second, that it was named the
province of ‘spearmen’ after the Gauls who accompanied Moen
Lepers and Leprosy 149

(Labraid Loinseach) to Ireland to help him overthrow his evil

uncle Cobhthach. The Gauls were said to use a broad pointed spear
called laighen made of a blue-green iron. The province had anciently
been called Galian but after the Gauls settled it was called Laighin.
The termination ster was added at a time of Norse settlement
(stadr, a place) hence Laighin-ster (pronounced Laynster, thus the
Anglicisation Leinster). See Provinces.
Laighlinni. One of the sons of Partholon.
Lairgnen. Son of a Connacht chieftain who was betrothed to Deoca of
Munster. She asked him to capture the four singing swans as a bridal
present. These were, in fact, the children of Lir.
Laoghaire. Sometimes given as Loegaire, Laery, Leary.
1. Buadach, the Triumphant, son of Ugaine and a Red Branch hero.
2. Lore, king of Leinster, murdered by Cobhthach. See Cobhthach
Coel.
3. Mac Crimthann of Connacht. He assisted Fiachna Mac Retach to
regain his wife and daughter who were abducted by Goll of Magh
Mell. He slew Goll and married Fiachna’s daughter, Der Greine.
Leabhar Gabhala. See Invasions, The Book of.
Lebharcham. The nurse of Deirdre who is also a poetess. When
questioned by Conchobhar Mac Nessa as to whether Deirdre’s
beauty had faded during her years in Alba with Naoise and his
brothers, she tried to persuade the Ulster king that her beauty had
faded. She knew that Conchobhar still harboured thoughts of
vengeance against Naoise for eloping with his bride-to-be. Con¬
chobhar sent a spy to check on Lebharcham’s story and discovered
that she was lying.
Leinster. See Laighin.
Leith Cuinn. Conn’s Half (of Ireland). See Eiscir Riada.
Leith Moga. Mug’s Half (of Ireland). See Eiscir Riada.
Len. The goldsmith of the god Bodb Dearg who gave his name to Loch
Lena (Lough Leane, near Killarney).
Lepers and Leprosy. Leprosy features in several tales and the con¬
dition was well known in ancient Ireland by various names: clam,
samthrusc, trosc etc. The Brehon Laws provided for special leper
hospitals and several of the medieval Irish medical tracts have
sections of information on leprosy and its forms. Slieve Loughter in
Co. Kerry was known as Luachair na Lubhair (Loughter of the
Lepers). When Ron Cerr attempted to enter an enemy camp he
disguised himself as a leper so that none would challenge him.
ISO Leprechaun

Leprechaun. See under Lugh.

Li. Son of Dedad, or Degad, who founded the Degad or military caste
of Munster (equivalent of the Ulster Red Branch). Traigh Li Mic
Dedad, the strand of Li son of Dedad (Tralee, Co. Kerry), was said
by the Annals of Connacht to be named after him.
Lia. Lord of Luachtar, treasurer of Clan Morna and father of Conan
Maol. He became treasurer of the Fianna when Goll Mac Morna
became their leader after deposing Cumal, father of Fionn. The
treasure bag of the Fianna was made from the skin of Aoife (while in
the shape of a crane - see Aoife 3) and in this (see Treasure bag of the
Fianna) were kept great jewels and magical weapons. Lia was slain by
Fionn Mac Cumhail who took the treasure bag and subsequently had
to fight against Lia’s son for several years.
Lia Fail. The Stone of Destiny. There seem to be two separate stones
called the Lia Fail: first, that used at Temuir (Tara) which roared
with joy at the touch of the foot of a rightful king, and second,
that used at the coronations of the Dal Riada kings of Alba, and
subsequently the Scottish kings until it was stolen by Edward I of
England (1272-1307) and taken to London. Legend has it that the
stone at Temuir, mentioned in the coronations of monarchs such as
Conn of the Hundred Battles, was in fact the same as the one taken to
the Dal Riada kingdom. According to Irish sources Fergus Mac Ere,
of the Scottish Dal Riada, requested that his brother, Murtagh Mac
Ere (High King ad5 12-533), send the Lia Fail to Alba so that he
could be crowned on it. This request was granted but, after the
coronation, Fergus Mac Ere refused to return the stone. However,
some scholars have claimed to have identified the Lia Fail as a six foot
high pillar stone that still stands at Tara.
The tradition of the Scottish Lia Fail is that this was Jacob’s
Pillow, taken out of Egypt by Goidel, son of Scota, daughter of the
Pharaoh Cingris. St. Colmcille crowned Aidan on it and it was kept at
the Dal Riada capital, now Dunstaffnage, Argyll, until the Dal
Riadans united with the Tuatha Cruithne to form the united king¬
dom of Alba. Then in ad848 the High King of Alba, Kenneth Mac
Alpin, took it to Sgain (Scone) which became capital of the country
until the overthrow of MacBeth (1040-57).
After Edward I stole it, it was placed in Westminster Abbey under
the English throne and every English monarch since Edward has
been crowned on it. A new legend grew up, this time among the
English, that should the stone be taken away from Westminster
Li Ban 151

Abbey, it would mark the end of the English monarchy. The Lia Fail
was removed from Westminster Abbey in 1951 by four Scottish
patriots, its successful removal delighting Scottish public opinion
which had long felt that the ancient and sacred relic should be
returned to the country from which it had been plundered. Some
months later the Lia Fail was found wrapped in a Scottish flag in
Arbroath Abbey, site of the Scottish Declaration of Independence in
1320. A second attempt was made to remove it to Scotland in 1967.
Liadin. A poetess with whom the poet Cuirithir fell in love. The story of
Liadin and Cuirithir is a tale of sorrowful love which survives from a
ninth-century text. It reminds one of the tragic story of Heloise and
Abelard of Brittany. The story is not really part of Irish myth
although it tends to be accepted as such and hence this entry is
appropriate. Liadin and Cuirithir of the Desi were in love. For some
reason, instead of waiting for Cuirithir to marry her, Liadin spurned
him and became a nun. In despair, Cuirithir took holy orders in a
monastery. But they both regretted their actions. Religion prevented
a happy outcome. Cuirithir was exiled from Ireland and eventually
Liadin lay down and died of grief on the stone at which Cuirithir used
to pray. She laments:

Cen ainius
in gnim i do-ngenus
an ro-carus ro-craidius . . .

No pleasure
that deed I did, tormenting him,
tormenting what I treasure.

Liagan. 1. A member of the Fianna and a powerful runner.

2. A chieftain killed by Conan Maol after he had challenged any
member of the Fianna to meet him in single combat.
Liath. Son of Laigne Lethan-glas, a Nemedian, who cut down the
tangled woods around Tara so that the corn grew rich there. The site
was named after him as Druimm Leith but later renamed Temuir
(Tara). It is also claimed that the province of Leinster was named
after him.
Liath Macha. See Grey of Macha.
Li Ban. 1. Beauty of women. Wife to Labraid Luathlam ar Cledeb
(Labra of the Swift Hand on the Sword), the ruler of Magh Mell. Her
1S2 Linne

sister was Fand the Pearl of Beauty. She brought a message from
Fand to Cuchulainn inviting the Ulster champion to return to her in
Tir Tairnigiri (the Land of Promise) where, if Cuchulainn would
help fight against the enemies who were attacking it, the evil Fomorii,
Fand would become his lover. Cuchulainn sent his charioteer Laeg
back to Tir Tairnigiri to report on it and then Cuchulainn decided to
accept Fand’s invitation. After the affair was over, Li Ban brought
another message to Cuchulainn, this time from her husband, promis¬
ing Cuchulainn that Fand would be sent to him if Cuchulainn would
slay three champions.
2. A mermaid living in Lough Neagh. The mermaid, according to
the Annals of the Four Masters, was captured there in ad558.
Linne. A friend of Oscar who was accidentally slain by him when he was
in a battle fever.
Lir. The ocean-god, cognate with Llyr in Welsh myth. His greatest son
was Manannan who took over the role as the god of the seas. Lir
married Aobh and had three sons and a daughter who were changed
into swans by his second wife Aoife, who was Aobh’s sister. As a
deity, his name appears in many place names not only in Ireland but
in other countries, for example Leicester in England (Llyr-caster).
Geoffrey of Monmouth’s mention of him as a king, King Leir, caused
him to be immortalised as King Lear in the Shakespeare play.
Lir, Children of. See Aobh and Aoife 2.
Lobais. A Fomorii druid.
Loch. 1. Son of Mofebis, a champion of Medb of Connacht, who was
sent against Cuchulainn during the combat of the ford , succeeded in
wounding him but was then slain by Cuchulainn’s fabulous Gae-Bolg
spear.
2. Lake. Lakes contain several monsters and hold mystic virtues
both in myth and in early Irish chronicles. There was a great monster
in Loch Derg which was slain by Conan. The Loch Grainne monster
appeared once every seven years while Loch Ree contained not only a
monster but an underwater city. Loch Gur also had a supernatural
creature in it but is said to have gone dry once every seven years. The
most famous loch monster, mentioned in early Irish sources as well as
Scottish ones, is the world-famous Loch Ness monster. The first
mention of this mythical beast occurs in a Life of St. Colmcille by
Adamnan, the Abbot of Iona (679-704).
Lochlann. The country of the Norsemen, i.e. ‘land of lochs’. Cognate
with the Welsh Llychlyn. In some tales it may well be a synonym for
Lugh
153

the Otherworld while others have interpreted it as a synonym for

Alba.
Loch-Lethglas. A Fomorii poet killed by Lugh Lamfhada at the
second Battle of Magh Tuireadh.
Lodan. Son of Lir and father of the goddess Sinend.
Lomna. Fionn Mac Cumhail’s jester who wrote Fionn an Ogham
message informing him of his wife’s infidelity. He was then murdered
by her lover but Fionn avenged him.
Lon. See Luin.
Lot. A Fomorii. The wife of Goll and mother of Cichol Gricenchos. She
had bloated lips in her breast and four eyes in her back. She equalled
in strength all the warriors who fought under her, leading them into
battle against Partholon.
Love spot. Ball seirce. See Diarmuid 3.
Luchad. Father of Luchtar.
Luchtar. God of carpentry among the De Danaans. Brother of
Goibhniu and Credne.
Lugaid. 1. Son of Ailill Mac Mata. At his father’s behest he cast a spear
at Fergus Mac Roth while Fergus was swimming in a lake with Ailill’s
wife Medb. Fergus was killed.
2. Mac Con. He usurped the High Kingship and fought against Art
(see Art) whom he killed at the Battle of Moy Muchruinne. The
kingship lists say he ruled from ad250 to 253.
3. Mac Cu Roi, the son of Cu Roi of Munster who was killed by
Cuchulainn. It was Lugaid that killed Cuchulainn’s charioteer Laeg
in the final combat.
4. Riab nDerg. Of the Red Stripes. He was the son of Clothra (see
Clothra) by her three brothers. It was said his body was divided into
three sections by red stripes, each section resembling that part of each
father. According to the kingship lists he was High King from ad65
to 73. He begot a son from his own mother Clothra named Crimthann
Nia Nair who also became High King (ad74-90).
5. Mac Daire. When told in a prophecy that one of his five sons would
be High King of Ireland, he gave the name Lugaid to all of them. The
sons were out hunting when an ugly crone begged a kiss from each.
When the youngest, Lugaid Laigde, kissed her she turned into a
beautiful goddess and called herself Sovranty, proclaiming him to be
the chosen one. A similar story is told of Niall of the Nine Hostages.
Lugh. One of the most important of the Irish gods, cognate with the
Welsh Lieu and the Gaulish Lugos. He was son of Cian and Ethlinn,
 154 Lughnasadh

daughter of Balor of the Evil Eye. He is clearly a sun god, known for
the spendour of his countenance, and god of all arts and crafts.
Rescued from death as a baby, when Balor tried to destroy him
because of a prophecy that his grandson would kill him, Lugh was
fostered by Manannan Mac Lir. In some versions, it is Cian’s brother
Goibhniu, the smith-god, who fosters him. After his fosterage he
presented himself to the court of Nuada of the Silver Hand. Nuada let
him be ruler of the De Danaans for thirteen days. During the second
Battle of Magh Tuireadh, Lugh fulfilled the prophecy that he would
kill his grandfather for he slew Balor of the Evil Eye. He became ruler
for a short time after Nuada’s death at the hands of Balor. Then Mac
Cecht, Mac Cuill and Mac Greine decided to split the country
between them. When the sons of Tuireann killed his father, Cian, he
imposed an eric (fine) on them in which they had to perform certain
tasks in reparation. See Brian and Tuireann 3.
Lugh was the father of the hero Cuchulainn by the mortal woman
Dechtire. When Cuchulainn grew weary during the combat against
Ailill and Medb’s warriors in the war of the Tain, Lugh appeared and
fought beside him. Lugh’s last appearance seems to have been in a
magical mist when Conn of the Hundred Battles (High King ad 177-
212) saw him. Lugh foretold how many children Conn would have
and the length of his reign.
When the old gods were driven underground, Lugh was given the
sidhe of Rodruban by the Dagda. Over the years this mighty god’s
image diminished in popular folk memory until he became simply a
fairy craftsman named Lugh-chromain, ‘little stooping Lugh’, which
became Anglicised as Leprechaun. The leprechaun is now all that
survives of this potent patron of arts and crafts whose name is
remembered in the place names of many lands, not just Ireland:
Lyons, Leon, Loudan and Laon, in France; Leiden in Holland;
Liegnitz in Silesia; Carlisle (Luguvalum in Roman times) in England
as well as the capital city of England itself which, like Lyons, was
named the ‘fortress of Lugh’ - Lugdunum, hence the Latin
Londinium and London.
Lughnasadh. The feast of the god Lugh which was introduced by Lugh
to commemorate his foster mother Tailtu. It was one of the four
major pre-Christian festivals and was basically an agrarian feast in
honour of the harvesting of crops. Early records claim the festival was
celebrated for fifteen days. Christianity took his feast over as Lam¬
mas, the feast of first fruits. The name survives in modern Irish
Lycanthropy 155

(Lunasa) and Manx (Luanistyn) for the name of the month of

August. In Scottish Gaelic, Liinasad is still the name of the Lammas
festival.
Lughlocht Loga. The Cradle of Lugh. A fortress in Bregia which
belonged to Forgall, nephew of Tethra the Fomorii.
Lugna. A king of Connacht who fostered the son of Art and Etain,
Cormac Mac Art. See Etain 4.
Luin. The enchanted spear of Celtchair. It belonged to a god of the De
Danaan but was left discarded on the battlefield after the second
Battle of Magh Tuireadh. It became the property of the Red Branch
hero Celtchair and it is said that when it felt the blood of an enemy it
twisted and writhed in the hands of whoever held it and if blood was
not spilt a cauldron of venom was the only means to quench it before
it turned on its holder. It could kill a man without reaching him.
Lycanthropy. Shape-changing often occurred in the myths. Gods and
even mortals could change their shapes into many forms, mostly
animals. Sometimes it was a druid who changed the shape of his
victim, such as the Dark Druid who changed the goddess Sadb into a
fawn. Often death would come to the victims while they were in
animal shape, as happened to Aoife, changed into a crane for daring
to love the son of the sea-god Manannan Mac Lir. Some sorceresses
could change shape into fearsome monsters. The whole idea of
lycanthropy is in keeping with the old Celtic belief that everything,
even inanimate objects such as stones, was possessed of an indwelling
spirit and that the human spirit, which was immortal, could dwell
within other creatures or objects just as well as within the mortal
form.
M. Mum (vine) in the Ogham alphabet.
Mac An Daimh. A companion of Mongan during his attempts to rescue
his wife Dubh Lacha from Brandubh of Leinster.
Mac An Luin. The sword of Fionn Mac Cumhail which is ‘Son of the
spear’. In MacPherson’s Ossian it is referred to as ‘Son of Luno’.
Mac Cecht. 1. A son of Ogma, the god of eloquence. After the death of
Nuada of the Silver Hand at the second Battle of Magh Tuireadh,
Mac Cecht and his two brothers, Mac Cuill and Mac Greine, took
Nuada’s body for burial at Grianan Aileach (on the Inishowen
Peninsula). They decided to divide Ireland between them. In this
matter they sought advice from a stranger named Ith, a Milesian who
had just arrived in Ireland. Ith gave a judgement which made them
suspicious that he wanted Ireland for himself and so they killed him.
It was to revenge Ith’s death that the later Milesian invasion took
place. During this invasion Mac Cecht was slain by Eremon, Mile-
sius’ son. He was the husband of Fotla, one of the three goddesses
(with Banb and Eire) who asked that their name be given to Ireland.
2. Son of Snade Teched. A champion of Conaire Mor who accompa¬
nied the High King on his last fateful journey to Da Derga’s Hostel.
In one version of the tale it is Mac Cecht and not Conall Cearnach who
takes Conaire Mor’s golden cup and goes in search of water when the
High King is thirsty. The story is basically the same with the gods
against Conaire Mor, causing the water to conceal itself until Mac
Cecht finally reaches Loch Gara, Co. Roscommon. The gods could
not hide the lake in time and so Mac Cecht filled his cup and returned
to Da Derga’s Hostel. But all was lost. He found a warrior making off
with the head of Conaire Mor and he slew the man. Taking the head
he poured the water into his mouth whereupon the head praised him
and thanked him for his valiant deed.
Mac Conmara. Sometimes given as Macnamara. A scoundrel who
Mac Da Tho 157

obtained supernatural powers by stealing eggs from a raven’s nest,

boiling them and returning them to the nest. The raven brought a
magic stone to the nest to revive its offspring and it was this stone that
Mac Conmara sought. He stole it and rubbed himself with it, thus
acquiring a number of extra-sensory powers, including those of
foretelling the future and forcing others to do his will. He also rubbed
his mare, Finis, and she acquired human intelligence. When she
died, however, Mac Conmara lost his powers.
Mac Cuill. A son of Ogma who was husband of Banba. He was slain by
the Milesian Eber. See Mac Cecht 1.
Mac Da Reo. The owner of one of the most famous hostels in Ireland, a
place in Breifne mentioned in the ‘Tale of Mac Da Tho’s Boar’.
Mac Da Tho. Mesorda Mac Da Tho was a king of Leinster who had
two possessions which others coveted. The first was a hound,
variously called Ailbe and Ossar, which could outrun all others in
Ireland. The second was a boar which was the greatest size of any in
the country. Conchobhar Mac Nessa of Ulster and Ailill and Medb of
Connacht made offers for these possessions. Each made a veiled
threat pointing out the advantages of Leinster being allied with either
Ulster or Connacht. After discussing the matter with his wife Buan,
Mac Da Tho agreed to sell the hound to both Connacht and Ulster,
inviting Conchobhar and Ailill and Medb with their retinues to a feast
in order that they might collect it. He slaughtered his famous boar as
the prize dish of the feast.
As he suspected, an argument then broke out. Bricriu of Ulster
pointed out that the boar should be divided according to the martial
accomplishments of the warriors gathered there. Cet of Connacht at
once contended that he was the greatest warrior there and challenged
anyone to disprove it. Conall Cearnach of Ulster then arrived and
claimed he was a greater warrior than Cet. Cet admitted that this
was so but said that his brother Anluan was better than Conall.
Whereupon Conall produced the head of Anluan and flung it at the
Connacht champion. This started a bloody battle in the hall of Mac
Da Tho in which the Ulster warriors finally put the Connacht
warriors to flight. The hound of Mac Da Tho chased the chariot of
Ailill until Ailill’s charioteer struck off the hound’s head. Neither
side won possession of the hound. Yet, while Mac Da Tho had
slaughtered his boar and lost his hound, he had kept his kingdom.
However, in a later story the Ulster druid and poet Athairne the
Importunate arrived to stay with Mac Da Tho. He was offered
158 Mac Glas

hospitality and demanded that he sleep with Mac Da Tho’s wife,

Buan. Although breaking the laws of hospitality, Mac Da Tho
refused this request. Athairne returned to Ulster and demanded that
Conchobhar Mac Nessa make war on Leinster for this affront to him.
Although Athairne was not liked, Conchobhar reluctantly agreed so
as not to rouse the druid’s ire. Conall Cearnach slew Mac Da Tho and
offered himself to Buan, Mac Da Tho’s wife. But, rather than go with
him, she died of grief.
Mac Glas. Mael Fhothartaig’s jester who was killed by Aedh at the
same time Mael Fhothartaig was murdered.
Mac Greine. A son of Ogma, brother of Mac Cecht and Mac Cuill. He
was husband of the goddess Eire who gave her name to Ireland. He
was slain by the Milesian druid Amairgen. Significantly, the name
means ‘son of the sun’.
Macha. A triune goddess, she appears as at least three distinct person¬
alities. She is certainly one of the goddesses of war (see Morrigan), a
personification of battle and slaughter, hovering over warriors and
inspiring them with battle madness. Heads cut off in battle were
known as ‘Macha’s acorn crop’.
1. Wife of Nemed, leader of the Nemedians, who died and was
buried on one of the twelve great plains of Ireland cleared by Nemed.
2. Wife of Nuada of the Silver Hand who was killed by Balor of the
Evil Eye at the second Battle of Magh Tuireadh. She is said to have
consorted with the Dagda a year before this battle.
3. The mysterious wife of Crunniuc Mac Agnomain of Ulster.
Crunniuc’s wife had died when, one day, a beautiful woman arrived
at his fortress and took on the role of his wife and became pregnant by
him. While attending a royal gathering Crunniuc became involved in
a boasting match. The king’s horses and chariot were winning all the
races and Crunniuc claimed that his wife, pregnant as she was, could
win a race on foot against the king’s horses. The king demanded that
the boast should be fulfilled. Macha was brought before the king and
refused to race as she was pregnant. The king said he would kill
Crunniuc if she refused. Macha said: ‘A long-lasting evil will come
out of this on the whole of Ulster.’ When the king demanded who she
was she spoke her name for the first time: ‘Macha daughter of
Sainraith Mac Imbaith.’ She raced against the king’s horses and as
she reached the end of the field she gave birth to twins. In one version
the place was named Emain Macha, or Macha’s Twins. As she gave
birth she screamed and with her dying breath proclaimed that all who
MacP her son's Ossian 159

heard the scream would suffer from the pangs of childbirth for five
days and four nights in times of Ulster’s greatest difficulty. The curse
would last for nine times nine generations. Only three classes of
people were free from the curse: the women, the boys and Cuchu-
lainn himself. Macha died and the men of Ulster were afflicted from
that time to the time of Furc Mac Dalian, son of Mainech Mac
Lugdach.
4. Macha Mong Ruadh, or Macha of the Red Tresses. Daughter of
Aedh Ruadh. She is listed as the seventy-sixth monarch of Ireland,
reigning in 377bc. Significantly, it is claimed that she built Emain
Macha. Her father, Aedh Ruadh, ruled Ireland alternately with his
brothers Dithorba and Cimbaeth. In some versions these brothers are
made into cousins. When her father died Macha was elected ruler in
his place. Dithorba and Cimbaeth disagreed with the decision and
raised armies against her. She defeated Dithorba, killing him, and
taking his five sons captive, making them build the ramparts of
Emain Macha. She persuaded Cimbaeth to marry her and thus give
her claim to rule a greater authority.
The annals say that Macha built Ard Macha (Macha’s Height,
which is Anglicised as Armagh). Macha is also said to have estab¬
lished the first hospital in Ireland, which was called Bron-Bherg
(House of Sorrow) and was in use until its destruction in ad22. It
is generally acknowledged that St. Fabiola established the first
(Christian) hospital in Rome in ad400. While Macha’s establishment
is placed among the myths and sagas, it must be pointed out that
ancient Ireland did have an astonishingly advanced medical system
(see Medicine) which was carefully laid out in the Brehon Law texts.
Mac Ind Og. See Aonghus 1.
Mac Moincanta. When Manannan Mac Lir left Ireland, at the time of
the disagreement among the gods as to who should succeed the
Dagda as their ruler, Mac Moincanta took his place. In folklore
he became a short-lived ‘king of the fairies’ to be succeeded by
Fionbharr to whom the Dagda allotted the sidhe of Meadha.
MacPherson’s Ossian. Although he is not part of Irish mythology in
the strictest sense, nonetheless it is necessary to mention James
MacPherson of Kingussie, Scotland (1736-96). In 1760 MacPherson
published Fragments of Ancient Poetry Collected in the Highlands
which he claimed was a translation of authentic Gaelic poetry written
by Oisfn constituting the Fenian sagas. MacPherson extended this
with Fingal{ 1762) and Temora (1763), the three volumes constituting
160 Mac Riagla

what is popularly known as Ossian. In spite of the work being

denounced as a literary forgery by Dr Samuel Johnson in 1770, it had
a tremendous impact on the literary world causing numerous
Ossianic Societies to be established. While MacPherson was reviled
by the Irish literati, his work did ‘rediscover’ Irish myth and bring it
to a wide audience, being translated into many European languages.
The German poet Goethe classed it with Shakespeare; it had a deep
impression on Blake, Byron and also Tennyson in a later generation.
Napoleon Bonaparte is known to have carried the volume with him
on his campaigns and took it with him into his exile on St. Helena.
Marshal Bernadotte of France, who became king of Sweden, named
his son Oscar after the Fenian hero.
Mac Riagla. Features in a later Christian tale called ‘The Voyage of
Snedgus and Mac Riagla’ which is a fabulous voyage with similarities
to the pre-Christian voyage tales. See Snedgus.
Mac Roth. Medb’s steward who was asked by her to supply details
about the Brown Bull of Cuailgne. During the campaign against
Ulster he was sent to reconnoitre the Plain of Garach and the visions
which he saw there were interpreted by Medb’s druids. He is not to
be confused with Fergus Mac Roth.
Mael. See Maol.
Mael Duin. Sometimes given as Maeldun. One of the major heroes of
the myths whose fabulous voyage, the oldest so far identified, is
thought to have been the inspiration for the later Christian epic
Navigatio Brendam (The Voyage of Brendan). Alfred Tennyson
made the hero popular with his epic poem ‘The Voyage of Mael-
dune’. The earliest extract of Immram Curaig Maile Duin is found
in a tenth-century manuscript but the orthography places it in the
eighth century.
Mael Duin was the son of Ailill Edge-of-Battle of the sept of the
Eoghanachta of Aran. Raiding the Irish mainland, Ailill came to a
church, looted it and raped a nun. He then went on to meet his own
death at the hands of raiders from overseas. The nun gave birth to a
boy, Mael Duin, who was taken to be fostered by the nun’s sister
(who was queen of the territory) after the nun died in childbirth.
Mael Duin grew to manhood and learnt the truth of his parentage. He
set out in a quest to revenge the death of his father. He took with him
sixty warriors and his subsequent voyage has been considered as the
‘Irish Odyssey’.
He came to an island where his father’s killers were but was blown
Magh 161

away by a storm before he could attack them. Then he came to an

island of giant ants; an island of beautiful birds; an island with an
equine monster with dog’s legs and bird’s claws; an island of demon
horses; and an island of fighting horses. The voyage continued with
adventures on a walled island with a monster which could turn itself
around inside its own skin; then to an island of fiery creatures; an
island with a palace and a curious cat; an island divided by a brass wall
with white sheep on one side and black sheep on the other; and an
island with a river of boiling water guarded by a giant. Mael Duin
continued to the dwelling of the Miller of the Otherworld; to an
island of weeping black folk; and on to an island with walls of gold,
silver, copper and crystal. On again to an island with a crystal bridge,
an island of talking birds, an island with a hermit and birds which
contain the souls of his children. The adventures continued on an
island of giant smiths, across a transparent sea to a country where a
stream arced into the air. Beyond was a silver pillar set in the sea,
which supported a country called Aoncos. Further on lay an island
whose queen tried to make love to Mael Duin and bade him stay.
Then on to an island of intoxicating fruit and to another where a bird
renewed his youth by telling him to bathe in a magic lake. On to an
island protected by a wall of fire and, finally, nearing home again,
Mael Duin caught up with his father’s killers, the purpose of his
voyage. They asked to make peace with him and Mael Duin agreed.
Mael Fhothartaig. The son of Ronan, king of Leinster, and Ethne. His
stepmother tried to persuade him to make love to her. When he
rejected her advances she had him falsely accused of attempting to
rape her. Ronan had his son killed but later learnt the truth. Mael
Fhothartaig’s sons later avenged their father. See Ronan.
Maeltine. A De Danaan celebrated for his judgements.
Maen. See Moen.
Maer. Although the wife of someone else, she fell in love with Fionn
Mac Cumhail and sent him nine charm nuts to make him reciprocate
her sentiments. Fionn refused to eat them, guessing their purpose.
Maeve. See Medb.
Maga. Daughter of Aonghus Og, the love-god. She wed Ross the Red.
Their son Fachtna wed Nessa.
Magh'. Sometimes Anglicised as Moy or Mag. A plain. Plains fre¬
quently occur in the myths as euphemisms for the Otherworld as in
Magh Da Cheo (Plain of the Two Mists), Magh Mell (The Pleasant
Plain) or Magh Mon (The Plain of Sports).
162 Magh Indoc

Magh Indoc. The Plain of Indoc features in a Christian embellishment

to the myths. The story is contained in Leabhar na hUidhre (Book of
the Dun Cow) compiled in the early twelfth century. Cuchulainn was
conjured back from ‘Hell’ to face St. Patrick. St. Patrick and St.
Benen were walking on the plain with Laoghaire Mac Neill, High
King of Ireland (ad428-63), trying to convert him to Christianity. St.
Patrick summoned Cuchulainn to prove the truth of Christianity and
the horrors of damnation. A blast of icy wind swept them off their feet
and a dense mist descended on the plain. Through it came a phantom
chariot drawn by one black and one grey horse. It galloped up to them
driven by Laeg. Behind him stood Cuchulainn in battle array. To
prove who he was to Laoghaire, Cuchulainn recounted his famous
deeds. He urged Laoghaire to believe in Christianity.

Great was my heroism,

Hard as was my sword,
The Devil crushed me with one finger
into red charcoal.

Cuchulainn ended his appearance by beseeching Patrick to intercede

so that he might leave the Otherworld (Hell) and go to the Christian
Heaven. The writer says that Patrick’s prayer was granted and that
Laoghaire was converted.
Magh Slecht. Sometimes Moyslaught. The Plain of Adoration, said to
be located in the north of Co. Cavan, where the idol Crom Cruach was
erected.
Magh Tuireadh. Sometimes Moytura. The Plain of Towers. Two
famous mythological battles were fought at Magh Tuireadh.
1. The first Battle of Magh Tuireadh is said to have been fought in the
south of Co. Mayo around Cong, between the Firbolgs, led by their
king Ere, and the De Danaan, led by Nuada. The De Danaan won
but Nuada had his hand struck off. Its replacement with a silver one
by Dian Cecht, god of medicine, resulted in Nuada’s name - Nuada
of the Silver Hand.
2. The second Battle of Magh Tuireadh took place in the north of Co.
Sligo between the Fomorii and the De Danaan. Again, the De
Danaan won but their leader Nuada of the Silver Hand was slain
by the Fomorii Balor of the Evil Eye. Balor was slain by Lugh
Lamhfada.
Mag Nuadat. See Eoghan 4.
Manannan Mac Lir 163

Magog. A Biblical character who slips into the myths and is given three
sons: Banbh, Iobath and Fathnachta, who became the ancestor of
Partholon, Nemed and, surprisingly, Attila the Hun.
Maine. There are several persons who bear this name in the sagas and
stories, mostly minor characters. Among the more prominent are:
1. A Norse prince who, according to one version of the tragic tale of
Deirdre and the sons of Usna, was the man who killed the sons of
Usna because Naoise had killed his father and brothers. This role is
more popularly given to Eoghan Mac Durthacht of the Red Branch.
See Eoghan 3.
2. The seven sons of Ailill and Medb were all called Maine. They
were: Maine Mathramail (the Motherlike), Maine Athramail (the
Fatherlike), Maine Morgor (the Strongly Dutiful), Maine Mingor
(the Sweetly Dutiful), Maine Mo Epirt (Above Description, also
known as Maine Milscothach, of the Honeyed Tongue), Maine
Andoe (the Swift) and Maine Gaib Uile (of All the Qualities). They
were all outlawed and joined Ingcel Caech, the one-eyed son (or
grandson) of the king of Britain, who raided Ireland and took part in
the raid on Da Derga’s Hostel in which the High King, Conaire Mor,
was killed. They all responded to their mother’s call to join her army
in its attack on Ulster during the war of the Tain.
Man, Isle of. See Mannin.
Manannan Mac Lir. The son of Lir. The major sea-god. He is cognate
with the Welsh sea-god Manawyddan, son of Llyr. He ruled from
Emain Ablach (Emain of the Apple Trees) in Tir Tairnigiri (the Land
of Promise). He was a shape-changer and could drive his chariot over
the waves as if they were a plain. His wife was Fand, the Pearl of
Beauty. His appearance is always as a noble and handsome warrior.
Although he sired children among the gods, such as his son Gaiar,
whose affair with Becuma caused Becuma’s expulsion from the Land
of Promise, Manannan also sired human children and he is the father
of Mongan.
There are two accounts how this came about. First, he appeared to
the queen of the Dal nAraidi of Ulster while her husband was away at
war and foretold her husband’s death unless the queen would permit
him to sleep with her. Second, he appeared to the king, Fachtna,
while he was being worsted in battle and said he would help turn the
tide of the affray if he could go, disguised as Fachtna, and sleep with
his wife. To this Fachtna agreed. The outcome of both versions is
the birth of Mongan whom Manannan took to Tir Tairnigiri for
164 Mannin

fosterage, returning him when he reached the age of choice.

Mongan became king and a great warrior. The second version of the
tale is remarkably similar to the conception of Arthur in the
Brythonic Celtic myth.
Manannan appears more frequently than most gods, creating
storms to wreck Milesian ships, appearing to Bran at the start of his
epic voyage or conducting Cormac Mac Art around Tir Tairnigiri.
When the Dagda resigned the leadership of the gods, Manannan
refused to accept the succession of the Bodb Dearg. However, unlike
Midir who fought with the Bodb Dearg, Manannan left the gods and
retreated into seclusion.
Mannin. The Isle of Man. In Manx, Elian Vannin, and in Irish, Inish
Manannan. The island is mentioned several times in the sagas and
stories but little is known of it before the fourth century ad. It was
originally thought to be a Brythonic Celtic-speaking kingdom but in
about the fourth century Goidelic-, or Gaelic-, speaking Celts arrived
from Ireland and began to settle. Several Ogham inscriptions survive
on the island. According to Cormac’s Glossary, Senchan Torpeist, the
chief bard of Ireland (d. ad647) visited the island and found a high
degree of literary knowledge there, including a knowledge of the
Irish epics.
The last independent king of the island died in 1266 and it was
ceded to Alexander III of Scotland. The English kings wanted the
island and thus beg^n a series of conflicts and occupations while the
Manx continued to govern their own affairs through their ancient
parliament known as Tynwald (Thing-vollr). The ruling house was
the House of Keys (from Manx kiares-es-feed - twenty-four, the
number of elected members). In 1346 the English finally landed an
army, drove out the Scots and established a permanent rule. Henry
VII instituted a ‘Lordship of Man’. In 1736 this lordship was
inherited by the Duke of Atholl who sold it to the English Govern¬
ment to pay his debts. In May 1866 the island was given self-
government with the House of Keys reconstituted as a democratic
parliament. The status of the island is that of a British Crown
Dependency which is not part of the United Kingdom.
Manx. The Gaelic language of the Isle of Man, closely akin to Irish and
descending from a common root. Manx seems to have become a
distinct language from Irish and Scottish Gaelic in about the
fourteenth century. As an independent literary language, it does not
appear to have taken written form until the early seventeenth
Medb 165

century. The sagas and myths were kept alive by oral tradition on the
island. In the seventeenth century, however, antiquarians began to
copy them down. A fisherman recited some of the Ossianic Cycle to
the scholar Hey wood in 1789 and his manuscript version of this is
retained by the British Museum. In spite of receiving self-
government in 1866, the island adopted an English education policy,
which added to the decline of the language. By 1901 only 8.1 per cent
of the islanders spoke Manx. The last census (1971) showed only 284
people able to speak Manx on the island, although there is a strong
revivalist movement. See Celt.
Maol. Sometimes Mael. Bald.
1. A druid of Conn of the Hundred Battles.
2. A druid of Laoghaire who, with his brother Calpait, taught
Laoghaire’s daughters Ethne and Fedelma. The reference to Maol 2
is important in that it gives proof that druids wore a tonsure called
airbacc Giunnae, which was cut from ear to ear and was similar to the
one which later Celtic Christian monks adopted, as opposed to the
Roman tonsure which was cut on the crown of the head. The matter
of cutting the tonsure was one of the points of contention between the
Celtic and Roman Churches.
Maon. See Moen.
Marban. A swineherd who became the chief poet of Ireland having
contested with Dael Duiled, the ollamh of Leinster. Both men were
set riddles to solve. Such contests often occur in the sagas and heroes
frequently saved their lives by posing a riddle which their judges were
unable to answer.
Marcan. An old chieftain of Connacht and husband of the beautiful
Cred, the would-be lover of Cano.
Mathgen. A druid of the De Danaan.
May Day. See Beltaine.
Meabal. See Breg.
Meargach. Of the Green Spears. Husband of Aille, killed by Oscar at
the battle of Cnoc-an-Aire. See Aille.
Mechi. Son of the Morrigan, goddess of battles. He was slain by
Mac Cecht, son of Ogma, because it was prophesied he would
bring disaster to Ireland. He had three hearts in which grew three
serpents which, when full-grown, would break out and devastate
the land.
Medb. Anglicised as Maeve. It has been contended that Medb was
another triune goddess, a goddess representing sovranty, but only
166 Medicine

two Medbs appear as distinct personages in the myths, the traditions

of each being somewhat confused with the other.
1. Queen of Connacht and wife of Ailill. She was daughter of a High
King and seems to have married Conchobhar Mac Nessa, Tiride Mac
Connra Cas, Eochaidh Dala and finally Ailill Mac Mata, each of
whom is significantly named as king of Connacht, although, of
course, Conchobhar Mac Nessa was king of Ulster. The point being
made by some writers is that Medb represented the sovranty of
Connacht and no king was legitimate unless symbolically wed to her.
It is recorded that she ‘never was without one man in the shadow of
another’.
She figures in the famous epic of the Tain Bo Cuailgne (The Cattle
Raid of Cuailgne) which started when she found her possessions were
not as extensive as her husband Ailill’s. The White Horned Bull of
Connacht had been born into her herd but had betaken itself to
Ailill’s herd as it thought it not seemly to be in the herd of a woman.
Medb heard about the fabulous Brown Bull of Cuailgne and, after
attempts to secure it, she persuaded Ailill to help her lead an army
into Ulster to obtain it. She also features in several other tales of the
Ulster, or Red Branch Cycle. Her affairs were numerous. Finally she
was killed by Forbai, son of Conchobhar Mac Nessa, king of Ulster,
while bathing in a lake. Her most famous sons were the seven Maines.
2. Medb Lethderg, of the Red Side. She is daughter of Conan of
Cuala, and queen of Leinster. Again she appears as a goddess of
sovranty to whom it is necessary for a king to be ritually married in
order to reign legitimately. It is recorded that she was wife to nine
High Kings, including the father of Conn of the Hundred Battles,
Conn himself, Conn’s son Art and Art’s son Cormac.
Medicine. Much is made of the skills of the ancient Irish physicians
and, indeed, in early times the doctors of Ireland were highly
regarded. During the Dark Ages the Irish medical schools were
famous throughout Europe. The premier medical school of
Europe was that founded in the fifth century ad at Tuaim Brecain
(Tomregan, Co. Cavan) where the eminent physician Bracan Mac
Findloga established his practice. The Brehon Laws of Ireland are
very explicit on the rights of the sick and the obligations of doctors.
Macha Mong Ruadh is said to have established the first hospital in
Ireland in 377bc.
From the medieval medical tracts we can see that skills and
knowledge were highly advanced. The oldest medical text surviving
Miach 167

in Ireland is a manuscript dated 1352 in the Royal Irish Academy but

it is obviously a copy of an older text. Some older texts are kept in the
British Museum. The majority of surviving medical texts are from
the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, such as the books of the
O’Hickeys, O’Lees, O’Shiels and the 1512 Book of Mac Anlega (Son
of the Doctor). In the myths and sagas, physicians are skilled with
herbs as well as having surgical ability: they perform Caesarean
operations, amputations and even brain surgery.
Meilge. A High King whose warriors slew Aige when in the form of a
deer. Her brother Fafne composed a satire about Meilge and the
truth caused a blemish in the form of three blotches on his face. For
this Fafne was put to death.
Mend. King of Inis Fer Falga. Father of Blathnat.
Meng. See Breg.
Merban. A champion of Partholon.
Mermaids/Mermen. As in many other cultures mermaids and mermen
(muirgen, sea-child) were fairly common in the sagas and tales. They
appear as sea-dwelling females and males, half-human and half-fish.
Most of the mermen were not as attractive as their female counter¬
parts, having pig’s eyes and red noses to go with their green hair. As
well as being sea-dwellers they are also found in the lochs and are both
benevolent and malevolent. Muiris O Conchuir, chief of the Munster
pipers, is recorded as leaving his home to live beneath the waves with
a mermaid, while St. Patrick is supposed to have turned some women
into mermaids because they would not be converted to Christianity.
Mess Buachalla. The cowherd’s foster child. She was the daughter of
Etain Oig and Cormac, king of Ulster. Cormac ordered the infant
child to be destroyed because he wanted a son. The two men who
undertook this task were captivated by the baby’s smile and so they
left the child in the barn of the cowherd of the High King Eterscel. It
had been prophesied to Eterscel that a woman of an unknown race
would bear his son who would be famous. When the High King heard
of the wondrous beauty of his cowherd’s foster child and learnt how
she was found, no one knowing from whence she came, he decided
that she was the woman of the prophecy and arranged to marry her.
However, on the evening before the wedding, Mess Buachalla was
visited by Nemglan, the bird-god, and they slept together. From
their union was born Conaire Mor although Mess Buachalla, now
married to Eterscel, brought the child up as the son of the High King.
Miach. Son of Dian Cecht, the god of medicine. He proved a better
168 Mide

physician than his father by replacing Nuada’s silver hand (given by

his father) with one of flesh and blood. One of his accomplishments
was an eye transplant, giving a human the eye of a cat. Dian Cecht
grew jealous at his accomplishments and murdered him. Herbs grew
from Miach’s grave which could cure all ills and also give a person
eternal life. These were gathered by Miach’s sister, Airmid, who laid
them out on a cloak in the order of their curative values. Dian Cecht,
however, shook the cloak and so jumbled them that their secrets
vanished for ever.
Mide. Eponym of Meath, the Middle Province. In the days of the
Ulster Cycle, Ireland consisted of only four kingdoms or provinces -
Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster. But already the word for a
province had become coiceda, a fifth (modern Irish, cuiga). The fifth
province was Mide, established in the reign of the High King Tuathal
Teachtmhair (the Acceptable), AD130-160. He established the
province as the territory for the High Kings, in order that they might
be independent from the politics of the four provinces. The name,
and territory, survives in Co. Meath and Co. Westmeath, and hence
the term ‘Royal Meath’. See Provinces and Tuathal Teachtmhair.
Midir the Proud. Son of the Dagda and a powerful god of the De
Danaan. He was always splendidly dressed and his features were
beautiful. He was chosen as the foster father of Aonghus Og, the
love-god. His palace was the sidhe of Bri Leith, Slieve Callory, west of
Ardagh, Co. Longford. His first wife was Fuamnach. But he fell in
love with Etain Echraidhe and married her. Fuamnach, in jealousy,
turned Etain into a pool, a worm and finally a fly to keep her separated
from Midir. Midir and Aonghus searched for Etain but, in the form
of a fly, she was swallowed by the wife of Etar, an Ulster warrior, and
was reborn in human guise. She grew up to marry the High King,
Eochaidh Airemh. Midir found her and stole her away. Eochaidh led
an attack on Bri Leith and finally Midir released the human Etain to
the High King.
When the Dagda resigned the leadership of the gods, Midir
refused to accept the choice of Bodb Dearg as the new leader. He
made a war on Bodb Dearg and in this ‘civil war’ among the De
Danaan he was aided by Fionn Mac Cumhail and the Fianna. The
war seems to be inconclusive, although it meant the end of the power
of the gods. They retreated further into their underground palaces
and eventually, in popular folklore, became fairies in the minds of the
people.
Miodchaoin 169

Milesians. The term is applied to the last group of invaders of Ireland

before the historical period. Medieval mythographers saw in them
the ancestors of the Goidelic Celtic inhabitants of the country. See
Milesius.
Milesius. Sometimes given as Mil. In Irish his name is given as
Golamh, a warrior, but he has become popular under the Latin form
Milesius, signifying a soldier. The name is also given as Mile Easpain,
a soldier of Spain. It was his children who led the Milesians in their
conquest of Ireland. Milesius’ ancestry goes back through twenty-
two Irish names and thirteen Hebrew names to Adam. He is de¬
scribed as a Scythian of Spain who took service with King Reafloir of
Scythia and married his daughter Seang. After Seang died, Reafloir
grew fearful of Milesius and plotted to kill him. Discovering the plot,
Milesius fled to Egypt with his sons, Donn and Airioch Feabhruadh,
and his followers, and took service with the Pharaoh Nectanebus. He
was successful in conducting a war against the Ethiopians for the
Pharaoh. There were, in fact, two Pharaohs of the Thirtieth Dynasty
named Nectanebus but their dates are 380-363bc and 360-343bc.
Milesius married Scota (see Scota 2), the daughter of the Pharaoh,
and two sons Eber and Amairgen were born in Egypt. A third son Ir
was born on the island of Irena near Thrace after Milesius and his
followers quit Egypt. A fourth son Colpa was born on the island of
Gotia. Milesius eventually returned to Spain. Here he learnt of
the death of Ith, given as his nephew, slain by the three sons of
Ogma (Mac Cecht, Mac Cuill and Mac Greine), and decided to take
revenge by conquering Ireland. He did not reach Ireland although
his wife, Scota, did so. She was killed fighting the De Danaan
and was buried in Kerry. It was his sons who carried out the
conquest.
Military organisations. Several elite military organisations appear in
the myths, most famous being the Red Branch warriors of Ulster and
the Fianna, the bodyguard of the High Kings. There are also the
Degad of Munster and the Gamhanraide of Connacht. Ulster also has
its famous Boy Corps as well as a Corps of Veterans, elderly warriors
above military age.
Miodchaoin. Sometimes Mochaen. A fierce warrior who dwelt on Cnoc
Miodchaoin (Miodchaoin’s Hill) with his three sons, Aedh, Corea and
Conn. Their task was to prevent any man raising his voice on the hill
which was said to be located somewhere north of the land of
Lochlann. It became one of the tasks of the children of Tuireann to go
no Moen

to the hill and raise three shouts on it to exonerate themselves from

the guilt of Cian’s death. It was their last task. They slew Miodchaoin
and his sons and raised three shouts, thus fulfilling the reparation
asked of them by Cian’s son Lugh. However, in slaying Miodchaoin
and his sons, they were all mortally wounded and returned to Ireland
to die.
Moen. Sometimes given as Maon and Maen. The word signifies dumb.
Moen later became known as Labraid Loinseach (the Mariner Who
Speaks). He was the son of Ailill Aine, king of Leinster, who was
poisoned by his uncle Cobhthach after Cobhthach had murdered
Ailill’s father Laoghaire Lore, king of Leinster. Cobhthach com¬
pelled the boy to eat his father’s heart and the boy was struck dumb in
disgust, hence receiving his name. He was taken out of Ireland to save
him from a worse fate at the hands of his evil great-uncle and resided
in Britain and then Gaul. He regained his voice after being struck by a
hurly stick in a game.
He came to the Gaulish kingdom of Fir More whose ruler was
Scoriath. Scoriath had a beautiful daughter named Moriath but
Moriath’s mother guarded her daughter well, sleeping always with
one eye open and on her daughter. Moriath, however, fell in love with
Moen and it was she who taught Moen’s harpist, Craiftine, a special
piece of music which would send her father and mother to sleep.
Craiftine played this music and, indeed, Scoriath and his wife fell
asleep while Moen and Moriath met and made love.
On waking, Moriath’s mother realised what had happened.
However, both parents liked Moen and accepted him as the husband
of their daughter. Further, Scoriath promised Moen an army of
Gauls to accompany him back to Ireland to overthrow his evil
great-uncle. Moen and his army set sail and, as they neared Ireland,
they were seen. Fearful of the boy’s return and not knowing that he
had been cured of his dumbness, Cobhthach sent an envoy to ask if
the leader of their army spoke. On being told he did, the envoy
returned to tell Cobhthach that the leader was Labraid Loinseach
(the Mariner Who Speaks).
Moen’s army attacked and Craiftine played his sleep-music which
sent Cobhthach’s men to sleep while the Gauls stormed Dinn Righ,
the fortress of the king. There are two versions: first, Cobhthach
surrendered and Moen became king of Leinster and made a peace
with his great-uncle. Subsequently Cobhthach’s treachery forced
him to kill Cobhthach. Second, in the storming of Dinn Righ
M origan 111

Cobhthach and thirty warriors were shut into a hall and burnt to
death.
Moen himself was not without faults for in an addition to his story
it is said that he had horse’s ears and everyone who cut his hair was
killed in order to keep this fact a secret lest the blemish preclude him
from kingship. The mother of one barber pleaded for her son’s life
and Moen spared him on the oath that he would hold his tongue. The
barber, unable to keep the secret, told a tree. The tree was cut down
and made into a harp for Craiftine and, on being played, the harp
revealed Moen’s secret. We are reminded of the Brythonic Celtic
myth about King Mark of Cornwall, husband of the ill-fated Iseult,
who had horse’s ears and thus earned his name M’arch. See
Craiftine.
Moling. 1. ‘The Swift’. A foster brother of Fionn Mac Cumhail.
2. A Christian saint whose real name was Tairchell, who encountered
a demon but escaped by taking three giant strides.
Mongan. The son of Manannan Mac Lir, the sea-god, by the queen of
the Dal nAraidi. He was born in circumstances which resemble the
conception of Arthur of Britain. Manannan Mac Lir was attracted by
the beauty of the queen of the Dal nAraidi, the wife of Fiachna the
Fair. There are two versions of the tale: see Manannan Mac Lir.
When Mongan was three nights old, Manannan came again and took
the boy back to Tir Tairnigiri (the Land of Promise) where
Manannan raised him until he reached the age of choice.
There is yet another version: that he was a reincarnation of Fionn
Mac Cumhail. Fionn’s foster brother Caoilte appeared from the
Otherworld to announce this fact at the fortress of Moylinny.
There was an historical personage, Mongan, who ruled Ulster and
whose death is recorded in ad625. History and myth become one
here.
Mongan married the beautiful Dubh Lacha, who had been born on
the same night as himself. One day Mongan, in a burst of emotional
friendship for Brandubh, king of Leinster, promised him anything
he desired which it was within Mongan’s power to give him.
Brandubh had secretly desired Dubh Lacha and seized the chance to
demand her. It was, of course, dishonourable to refuse. Dubh Lacha
had to go to Brandubh’s palace. However, Mongan possessed super¬
natural gifts from his sea-god father, including that of shape¬
changing. He called at Brandubh’s palace in the guise of a monk
named Tilbraide, and slept with his wife under Brandubh’s roof.
772 Mongfhinn

Eventually he tricked Brandubh by turning up in the shape of the son

of a king of Connacht, accompanied by an old hag named Cuimne
whom he had turned into the beautiful daughter of a king of Munster.
To Cuimne also he had given a love charm so that Brandubh became
enamoured of her. He then offered Brandubh an exchange of Cuimne
for Dubh Lacha. Eagerly, Brandubh agreed. Mongan and Dubh
Lacha departed from Brandubh’s palace and after they were gone
Cuimne returned to her normal, ugly shape.
Mongfhinn. Sometimes Mongfind. Daughter of Fidach of Munster and
wife of the High King Eochaidh Muigmedon (said to have reigned
from ad358 to 366). She became the hostile and bitter stepmother to
Niall of the Nine Hostages and made several attempts to kill the boy.
Finally she died by accidentally taking poison which she had pre¬
pared for him. The deed was said to have been committed on
Samhain Eve and, in later tradition, this was known as the Festival of
the Mongfhinn when her evil spirit stalked the countryside in search
of children’s souls. In Munster women particularly used to address
prayers to her to ward off her evil presence.
Moonremur. See Muinremur.
Morann. Chief judge and druid of Ulster during the Red Branch Cycle.
He was born with a caul on his head and his father, judging him to be
a monster, gave an order for him to be drowned in the sea. Two
servants went to perform the task and, as he was dropped into the
waves, a surge broke the helmet and the baby immediately spoke.
The servants then rescued the boy and left him at the door of a smith.
The smith raised him and eventually returned him to his father.
Morann’s most famous judgement was on who should foster
Cuchulainn. The matter was referred to him by Conchobhar Mac
Nessa when the king’s advisers quarrelled amongst themselves.
Morann decreed that Sencha should teach Cuchulainn to speak,
Fergus Mac Roth should play with him and Amairgen should
instruct him on all other matters.
Morca. Son of Dela and a king of the Fomorii. When the Nemedians
defeated and killed Conann on Tory Island, Morca arrived with sixty
warships and defeated the Nemedians, annihilating them except for
thirty survivors who fled from Ireland.
Morgan. King of the Land of Wonder, husband of the monstrous
warrior woman, Coinchend, and father of the beautiful Delbchaem.
He was slain by Art at the end of his voyage in search of Delbchaem.
See Art and Delbchaem.
Mughain 173

Moriath. Daughter of Scoriath, king of the Fir Morca of Gaul. She

became lover and then wife of Moen. Her mother’s two eyes never
slept at once: one was always watching the girl so that she would
know no man. Moriath told Craiftine how to play special music which
would put her mother and father to sleep so that she could meet
Moen. In one version of the story, she also composed a special song
for Craiftine to play which would restore Moen’s speech. See Moen.
Mor Muman. Daughter of Aedh Bennan. Although Aedh was an
historical king of Munster, Mor Muman is presented as a manifes¬
tation of a sun goddess.
Morrigan. Sometimes Morrigu. The major goddess of war, of death
and slaughter. The name seems to signify ‘great queen’ and she
appears as another of the typically Celtic triune goddesses. She seems
interchangeable with Macha, Badb and Nemain. Her favourite shape
was that of a crow or raven. She embodied all that was perverse and
horrible among the supernatural powers. She helped the De Danaan
at the battles of Magh Tuireadh. Having first tried to incite
Cuchulainn to make love to her, she fought with him and he managed
to wound her. For this his fate was sealed. When he was eventually
killed she settled on his shoulder in triumph in the form of a crow and
watched while a beaver drank his blood. She also appeared to Conaire
Mor before his death at Da Derga’s Hostel. The famous whirlpool,
Corryveckan, between the northern end of Jura and the Isle of Scarba
in the Inner Hebrides (Coire-Bhrecain, the cauldron of Brecan), was
referred to as the Morrigan’s Cauldron in some tales.
Mountains. According to the sagas there are twelve chief mountains of
Ireland. These are: Sliabh-liag (mountain of flagstones), Slieve
League, Co. Donegal; Sliabh Bladhma (mountain of the hero Bladh),
Slievebloom; Sliabh Denna Ulaidh; Bri-ruadh (the red hill); Blai-
Slaibh: Sliabh Snechta (mountain of snow); Sliabh-Mis (mountain of
Mis), Sleemish, Co. Antrim; Mughdhorna (the Mourne mountains);
Nephon; Sliabh Maccu Belgodon; Sliabh Segais (Curlieu) and
Cruachan Aigle (Croagh Phadraig).
Moytura. See Magh Tuireadh.
Mug Eime. The first lapdog to be introduced into Ireland from Britain
in spite of the laws forbidding the export of small dogs to Ireland.
Mughain. 1. A matriarchal queen of Munster also referred to as Mor.
2. She bore a child by her own father. The old text says: ‘This
Mughain was his mother, he to her was brother.’
3. Wife of the High King Diarmuid. She had an affair with Flann
174 Munster

Mac Dima and when Diarmuid had him slain it began a chain of
events which resulted in Diarmuid’s own death in a like manner
according to prophecy. See Diarmuid 2.
4. Mughain Attenchaithrech, daughter of Eochaidh Feidlech, and
wife to Conchobhar Mac Nessa, king of Ulster. When Cuchulainn
returned to Emain Macha still in a battle fever she stripped naked
with her handmaidens to shame him and stifle the fever.
Mug’s Half. The southern half of Ireland. See Provinces and Eoghan
4.
Mug Nuadat. See Eoghan 4.
Muinremuir. Sometimes Anglicised as Moonremur. Son of Ferrgend.
He is described as one of the three greatest heroes of Ulster. He
features particularly in the feasting of ‘Mac Da Tho’s Boar’. In
‘Bricriu’s Feast’ he was the first to step forward and accept the
challenge when a churl appeared and invited the warriors to cut off
his head if, on the next day, he could return the stroke. Muinremuir
cut off the man’s head, whereupon the churl picked it up and walked
out, leaving the company horrified. The next night Muinremuir
failed to appear when the churl arrived to demand his return stroke.
Muirdris. Also called Sineach, a water monster killed by Fergus Mac
Leide. ‘Sineach’ implies a mammal - ‘having teats or paps’.
Muirenn. The nurse of the hero Cael who composed a poem for him
praising the possessions of the beautiful Credhe, on the strength of
which Credhe married him.
Muirthemne, Plain of. Part of Co. Louth between Dundalk and the
Boyne which, although mentioned in other tales, is associated mainly
with the hero Cuchulainn, who lived there in his fortress of Dun
Dealgan (Dundalk). Lady Gregory’s re-telling of the Cuchulainn
saga was entitled Cuchulain of Muirthemne (John Murray, 1902).
Mumhan. See Munster.
Muncnican. One of Partholon’s champions.
Munster. A province. The Anglicised name is derived from the Irish
Mumhan with the addition of the Norse ster. Early forms are given as
Mumu and Muma. It stands apart from the other provinces of Ireland
and current academic opinion is that the Munster kings did not
recognise the High Kingship of Ireland at Tara until as late as the
ninth century ad. It is thought that Munster itself was divided into
five provinces at one time: certainly there is evidence that there were
two Munster provinces. There are several aspects which single
Munster out from the other provinces. It is associated with the dead:
Music 175

Tech Duinn, the gathering place of the dead, lies just off its coast.
And it is not without significance that the ruling house of Munster
was called ‘The House of Donn’. The province is associated with
more female gods than any other place. It appears in the ancient
stories as a primeval world, a place of origin. It is the place where
several of the mythical invaders landed. The chieftains and kings of
Munster did not trace their ancestry back to the sons of Milesius, as
did the chieftains of the other provinces, but to Lugaid, the son of
Ith. In Munster the occult powers are supreme. In one text the
famous king of Munster Cu Roi is referred to as ‘King of the World’.
Murias. One of the four great cities of the De Danaan (Falias, Gorias,
Finias and Murias). It was from Murias that the magic cauldron of
the Dagda, a gift from Lugh, was taken.
Muma of the White Neck. She was a descendant of Nuada and
Ethlinn, the daughter of Balor of the Evil Eye. Cumal son of
Trenmor, chief of the Clan Mascna and leader of the Fianna of
Ireland, fell in love with her. Her father, Tadhg, a druid, refused to
allow them to marry so Cumal eloped with Murna. In revenge, her
father incited Goll Mac Morna to kill Cumal, which he did, assuming
the leadership of the Fianna. Murna fled into the forests around
Sliabh Bladh (Slievebloom) and there she bore Cumal’s son named
Demna. The boy grew up and was called ‘The Fair One’ - Fionn Mac
Cumhail. He went on to revenge his father and become the greatest
leader of the Fianna. Murna eventually married a chieftain in Kerry.
Murtagh Mac Ere. High King of Ireland (ad5 12-33) whose brother
Fergus became king of the Dal Riada of Alba. He asked Murtagh to
send him the Lia Fail (Stone of Destiny) so that he could be crowned
on it. Murtagh sent it but his brother refused to send it back. See Lia
Fail.
Music. Heroes and heroines had to be accomplished in the arts,
particularly in music. Various instruments - harps, stringed instru¬
ments, bagpipes, and timpani - are mentioned by name. The earliest
surviving example of Irish musical notation and composition is
contained in an eleventh-century manuscript. Early music would
seem to consist of short airs divided into two strains or parts, and it
showed a great preoccupation with harmony. Irish musicians were
celebrated from earliest times.
N. Nin (ash) in the Ogham alphabet.
Naas. Said to be a wife of Lugh Lamhfada who died and was buried at
the site of a town which bears her name, Naas, Co. Kildare. The town
was the chief residence of the kings of Leinster until as late as ad908
when Cearbhall was slain there by the Norse.
Nair. Modesty. A goddess who consorted with the High King Crebhan
and took him to the Otherworld where he obtained fabulous
treasures.
Naisii. See Naoise.
Naked warriors. References to warriors stripping naked to do battle or
to engage in single combat indicate a religious significance in the
ancient Celtic world. Polybius recounts how a tribe, which he
designated the Gaesatae, went naked into battle, throwing them¬
selves in fury at the Romans at the Battle of Telamon in 225bc. Poly¬
bius did not realise that the name, which he thought was just a tribal
one, was the word for ‘spearmen’. Gae for a javelin or spear occurs
in Old Irish, and Cuchulainn’s spear was, of course, the Gae-Bolg.
The Gaesatae were probably a group of warriors akin to the Fianna.
Naoise. Sometimes Noisiu, also given as Noise. The eldest of the three
sons of Usna and his wife Elbha, daughter of Cathbad the druid.
With his two brothers, Ainle and Ardan, he was a champion of the
Red Branch. While in the service of Conchobhar Mac Nessa he met
Deirdre, who was due to wed the Ulster king. They fell in love and
resolved to run away together. Naoise took Deirdre and his brothers
and they fled to Alba, taking service with the king of the Tuatha
Cruithne (the Piets). After some years it seemed that Conchobhar had
mellowed for he sent Fergus Mac Roth as his emissary to invite
Naoise, Deirdre and Naoise’s brothers to return to Ulster. Although
Deirdre foresaw disaster, Naoise decided to return with Fergus Mac
Roth.
Navan 111

Fergus was tricked into allowing the party to go on to Emain

Macha, the capital, under the protection of his two sons, Buinne and
Iollan. Conchobhar asked Deirdre’s old nurse, Lebharcham, if
Deirdre was as beautiful as ever. The nurse, realising what
Conchobhar had in mind, said that she was withered. However,
Conchobhar sent a spy, Trendom in one version and Gelban
in another, and ascertained that Deirdre was still as beautiful as
ever. Naoise saw the spy peering through the window of the Red
Branch Hostel where they were staying as he played fidchell with
Deirdre. He threw a fidchell piece and struck out the eye of the
spy.
Conchobhar then attacked the Red Branch Hostel. At his request
Cathbad the druid cast a spell creating a green slime which bogged
the brothers and Fergus’s sons down, making their fighting difficult.
Then Fergus’s son Buinne was persuaded to stop fighting by a bribe.
Iollan continued and he was killed as were Ainle and Ardan, Naoise’s
brothers. Finally Eoghan Mac Durthacht seized the magic sword of
Manannan Mac Lir, which the sea-god had given to Naoise during
one adventure, and slew him. (Another version gives Maine, a Norse
prince, as killing Naoise.) Conchobhar was then able to take Deirdre
by force. See Conchobhar Mac Nessa and Deirdre. From Naoise’s
grave grew a pine tree. When Deirdre was buried on the opposite side
of the lake to Naoise, a similar pine tree grew from her grave. The
branches twisted and entwined across the water.
Nar Thuathcaech. The name signifies ‘shame’. He was the swineherd
of the Bodb Dearg. ‘He has never attended a feast where he does not
shed blood,’ comments a warrior during ‘The Destruction of Da
Derga’s Hostel’. He was a rival of the swineherd of Ochall Ochne of
Connacht. They fought together through many reincarnations until
Nar was reborn as Donn, the Brown Bull of Cuailgne. See Donn 6,
Finnbhenach and Friuch.
Natchrantal. A Connacht champion in Medb’s army. While Cuchu-
lainn was engaged in single combat, Natchrantal took a third of his
army and made a swift raid into Ulster, penetrating as far as
Dunseverick on the northern coast. He found the Brown Bull of
Cuailgne in the great glen of Antrim and drove it and its herd back to
the Connacht army in triumph. See Buie, to whom this adventure
falls in another version.
Nath \. See Dathi.
Navan. See Emain Macha.
178 Neamhuain

Neamhuain, Clan. Fionn Mac Cumhail’s trackers. They tracked down

Diarmuid and Grainne to a hut which had a fence around it with
seven doors. However, Diarmuid managed to extricate himself for
Fionn’s siege.
Nechtan. An early water-god and husband of Boann. Sidhe Nectain, or
Nectan’s Hill (Hill of Carbery, Co. Kildare) held a sacred well, the
secret Well of Segais which was the source of knowledge. See Nuts of
Knowledge. Only four persons were privileged to go there, Nechtan
and his three cup-bearers. Boann disobeyed this taboo and went to
the well which rose and chased her, thus forming the river Boyne
named after her. See Boann.
Nechtan Scene. The mother of three supernatural sons - Foill, Fanned
and Tuachell. In Cuchulainn’s first battle foray he came to their
fortress. He was told that they had boasted ‘that more of the men of
Ulster have fallen by their hands than are yet living on the earth’. He
challenged them to single combat and slew first Foill, then Fanned
and then Tuachell. While Nechtan Scene set up a lament, he cut their
heads off and tied them to his chariot before returning to Emain
Macha.
Nectanebus. Pharaoh of Egypt who emerges in Irish myth by virtue of
the fact that his daughter Scota married Milesius and was killed
fighting the De Danaan in Co. Kerry. She is not to be confused with
Scota, the daughter of the Pharaoh Cingris and mother of Goidel, the
progenitor of the Gaels. It is interesting that there were two Pharaohs
named Nectanebus in the Thirtieth Dynasty; the first ruled from 380
to 363bc and the second from 360 to 343bc. The name, in the form of
Nechtan, was apparently popular in Ireland and several historical
personages bore it.
Neide. A Red Branch poet. He was the son of Adna, chief Ollamh and
poet of Ireland in the days of Conchobhar Mac Nessa. Having learnt
ad he could from his father, Neide went to Alba to study under
Eochaidh Ech-bel (Horse Mouth). One day he went down to the sea
for ‘poets believe that the place where poetry was always revealed to
them was at the edge of the water’. He composed a lament to the
rhythm of the waves and wondered why this mood was upon him; a
wave answered and told him that his father, Adna, was dead. Neide
returned to Ireland to claim the tugen or mantle in succession to his
father. He had to fight a contest with Fer Cherdne who also claimed
the honour of being chief poet. This story is featured in ‘The
Dialogue of the Sages’, which has survived in three different manu-
Nemedians 179

scripts, the principal being in the Book of Ballymote, composed in

1391 from earlier texts.
Neimed. See Nemed. Old Irish for a ‘sanctuary’ or ‘sacred grove’. In
view of the closeness to the names Nemed and Nemain it is worth
pointing out that a war goddess named Nemetona was worshipped as
the goddess of the sacred grove at Aquae Sulis (Bath, in England)
during the Romano-Celtic period. The name is found in Celtic place
names in many spots: Nemetacum (north-east Gaul), Nemetobrigia
(Galicia, Spain), Nemetodurum (Nanterre), Nemeton (Vaucluse),
Vernemeton (Nottingham), Medionemeton (on the Antonine Wall,
Scotland) and so on. Drunemeton was the chief settlement of the
Galatian Celts near Ankara in Turkey.
Neit. Sometimes Net. A god of war. His wife appears as Nemain, who
seems part of the triune goddess Morrigan. See Nemain. Neit occurs
in some manuscripts as the father of Mac Cecht, Mac Cuill and Mac
Greine, instead of Ogma. He is said to have been slain in the second
Battle of Magh Tuireadh after which his sons divided Ireland
between them. As it was Nuada’s death which caused this division,
and as Nemain is sometimes confused with Nuada’s wife Macha, it
may well be that Neit is merely a synonym for Nuada himself.
Nem. One of the three doorkeepers of the palace of Conchobhar Mac
Nessa. The others were Dali and Dorcha.
Nemain. A war goddess and wife of Neit. She is listed as one of five
goddesses who hover over battlefields inspiring battle madness: Fea
(Hateful), Badb (Fury), Nemain (Venomous), Macha (Personifica¬
tion of Battle) and the Morrigan (Great Queen or supreme war
goddess). Nemain is sometimes referred to as Nuada’s wife, as is
Macha, and it may be that she and Macha are one entity or part of the
triune goddess Morrigan. Neit himself is often confused with Nuada.
See Neit.
Nemanach. The radiant one. A son of Aonghus Og, thought to be
cognate with Nemglan.
Nemed. A descendant of Magog and Japhet who sailed to Ireland from
Scythia with thirty-two ships. They spent a year and a half on the sea
and most of his people perished from hunger, except for Nemed and
four women. After they landed in Ireland, their numbers increased
again and Nemed was able to defeat the Fomorii three times in battle
and clear sixteen plains. He finally died on the Great Island in Cork
Harbour.
Nemedians. The followers of Nemed. After Nemed’s death, the
180 Nemglan

Nemedians, groaning under the rule of the Fomorii, rose up and

attacked the Fomorii stronghold on Tory Island. Fergus, the new
Nemedian ruler, killed the Fomorii king Conann. But Morca Mac
Dela arrived with a new Fomorii battle host and slaughtered 16,000
Nemedians leaving only thirty alive and these left Ireland in despair,
searching for a new land. It is said that half went to the ‘northern
world’ while half went to ‘Greece’.
Nemglan. A bird god (perhaps the same as Nemanach) who appeared to
Mess Buachalla and made love to her. The son of this union was
Conaire Mor. When the High King Nuada Necht died a flock of birds
descended over Conaire Mor’s chariot. They had such marvellous
plumage that Conaire Mor took out a sling but they immediately
turned into armed warriors. One, more handsome than the rest, came
forward and introduced himself as his father Nemglan. Nemglan laid
a gets on Conaire Mor, telling him to walk naked along the road to
Tara with only a stone and his sling. If he did so, and presented
himself to Tara, he would be High King. Conaire Mor obeyed and
the prophecy was fulfilled.
Nera. A servant of Ailill of Connacht. One Samhain Ailill offered a
prize of a gold-hilted sword to whoever would go to the gallows
outside Rath Cruachan on which two captives had been executed the
previous day and encircle the foot of one with a withe or band of
willow twigs. It being Samhain, it was a time when the Otherworld
became visible to mortal men and the spirits set out to wreak
vengeance on the living. Several of Ailill’s warriors set out but all
returned frightened. Nera accepted the challenge.
As he was placing the band on the foot of the dead man, the corpse
spoke, asking Nera to take him down and carry him to the nearest
house for he needed a drink. Nera obeyed. The first house was
encircled by a lake of fire and so they went on; the second house was
encircled by a lake of water and so they moved on again; at the third
house the corpse was given three cups of water. He drank two of them
and spat out the third at the people who had offered him hospitality,
whereupon they died. The corpse then instructed Nera to carry him
back to the gallows.
Returning to Rath Cruachan, Ailill and Medb’s palace, Nera saw
it in flames; the heads of Ailill and his warriors had been cut off
and were being taken away by Otherworld dwellers. Nera followed
them to the Cave of Cruachan, one of the famous entrances to the
Otherworld, and plunged through.
Niall Noighiallach 181

He was in the sidhe of the Otherworld people and was ordered to

serve the king of the sidhe by bringing firewood. He was lodged with a
woman of the sidhe and they became lovers and had a child. The
woman then told Nera that what he had seen at Rath Cruachan was
only a vision but it would come to pass unless he went back to Ailill
and warned him to destroy the sidhe. Nera took the woman and their
child and escaped back to Ailill. Ailill sent Fergus Mac Roth to
destroy the sidhe and the warriors of Connacht took a great plunder
from it, including the Crown of Brion, one of the three wonders of
Ireland. The tale seems clearly pre-Christian in origin but Eachtra
Nerai is said to be dated back to an eighth-century text.
Nerbha. The wife of Partholon’s son Er.
Nessa. Daughter of Eochaidh Salbuidhe of Ulster. She married
Fachtna, king of Ulster. According to one version she slept with
Cathbad the druid and bore him a son who was called Conchobhar
Mac Nessa. Her husband Fachtna died and his half-brother Fergus
Mac Roth succeeded to the throne of Ulster. Fergus was in love with
her but Nessa would only agree to become his wife if he would let her
son Conchobhar rule as king in Ulster for a year. Nessa was a
powerful and ambitious woman. Fergus gave up the kingship and
during the year she instructed Conchobhar how to be an exceptional
monarch. When the time arrived for Fergus to become king again,
Conchobhar was thus able to refuse to surrender the kingship with
the support of the people. Thus did Conchobhar become king of
Ulster and Nessa, initially, the most powerful woman in the land.
However, Nessa’s power diminished as Conchobhar grew more
secure in his kingship.
Nia. 1. The name for a warrior or champion.
2. A king of Connacht, half-brother of Cormac Mac Art and son of
Etain (2) by Lugaid.
Nia, Plain of. The spot near Cong which was known as Magh Tuireadh.
See Magh Tuireadh.
Nia Nair. See Crimthann 1.
Nia Natrebuin Chro. A hero of the Red Branch.
Niall Noighiallach. Niall of the Nine Hostages. The youngest son of
Eochaidh Muigl Mheadoin (see Eochaidh 12) said to have ruled as
High King (ad358-66). Niall became High King from ad379 to 405
and was the progenitor of the Ui Neill dynasty. He is recorded as
raiding Britain and Gaul during the time of Theodosius the Great and
being forced to retreat by the Roman general Stilicho. While on a raid
182 Niamh

in Gaul he was assassinated on the shores of the Loire by one of his

own Leinster chieftains after he had been distracted by some women.
The story of Niall is a typical case in which myth and history are
combined in the minds of the medievalists.
Niall was Eochaidh’s youngest son; the others were Brian,
Fiachra, Ailill and Fergus. His mother died in childbirth and his evil
stepmother, Mongfhinn, sought ways to rid herself of the child, at
one time abandoning him as a baby naked upon the hill of Tara. He
was found by a wandering bard named Torna Eices and returned to
the High King. Mongfhinn sent all five boys to Sithchenn the Smith,
who was also a prophet, to see who would succeed as High King. He
sent the five boys into the forge and set fire to it. The four eldest boys
ran out carrying hammers, pails of beer, spearheads and dry sticks.
Niall came out with the anvil. By this sign Sithchenn recognised that
he would be High King.
Monghfinn attempted to poison Niall but took the poison herself
by mistake and so died. See Mongfhinn.
There was another sign for Niall. The five boys were out hunting
when they developed a thirst. They came across an old hag with grey
hair, black skin and green teeth. She offered them water in return for
a kiss. The three eldest boys refused but Fiachra pecked her cheek,
whereupon she prophesied that he would reign briefly at Tara. When
Niall kissed her properly, she demanded that he have intercourse
with her. He did so and she turned into a beautiful woman named
Flaithius (Royalty) who foretold that he would be the greatest High
King of Ireland.
There is a further confusion of myth and history when some saga
writers place Niall’s son Fintan of Dun Da Bend as a contemporary
of Cuchulainn in the story of the intoxication of Ulster.
Niamh. 1. Daughter of Celtchair. Celtchair married her to Conganchas
Mac Daire, the brother of Cu Roi, a warrior whom no one could
slay. Celtchair asked her to learn the secret of his invulnerability. She
did so and told her father so that he could kill Conganchas. See
Conganchas Mac Daire. Niamh then married Cormac Cond
Longes, son of Conchobhar Mac Nessa, king of Ulster.
2. Wife of Conall Cearnach. She tended Cuchulainn in his sickness
and became his mistress during the last period of his life. She tried to
prevent him from leaving the fortress until he was well but Badb, the
daughter of the druid Calatin, whom Cuchulainn had slain, along
with all the male children of Clan Calatin (see Calatin), took the
Nuada 183

shape of Niamh’s handmaiden and enticed her from the sickroom.

Badb put a spell of straying on Niamh so that she was lost. Badb then
returned to Cuchulainn in the form of Niamh and bade him rise and
go out, putting into movement the events that would lead to his
death.
3. Of the Golden Hair. A daughter of Manannan Mac Lir. She
appeared to Oisin on the shores of Loch Lena and requested him to
accompany her to Tir Tairnigiri (the Land of Promise) and live there
as her lover. Oisin did so. After three weeks he found that three
hundred years had passed. They had a daughter named Plur na mBan
(Flower of Women).
Nibe. From the sidhe of Breg, considered one of the nine best pipers in
the world.
Niul. The son of Feinius Farsaidh. He was so famous as a wise teacher
that he was invited by the Pharaoh Cingris to settle in Egypt. He
married Cingris’ daughter Scota and their son was Goidel, the
progenitor of the Gaels. It is said that Niul befriended Aaron and the
Israelites during the period of the exodus from Israel and that Moses
healed Niul’s son Goidel from the bite of a serpent, it being foretold
that no serpent could live in the land of the Gaels.
Noidhiu. Son of Fingel who had been kept guarded by her parents to
prevent her becoming pregnant. However, one night a god mysteri¬
ously appeared and slept with her. After nine years and nine months
she gave birth to Noidhiu. Fingel wanted the child put to death
whereupon the baby uttered nine judgements and thus obtained the
right to live. He was given the name Noidhiu Naoi mBreathach
(Noidhiu of the Nine Judgements).
Noinden. The curse put on the men of Ulster by the woman Macha. See
Macha 3. It is sometimes called ‘The Birth Pangs of Ulster’.
Nuada. 1. The chief druid of Cahir Mor, a king and ancestor of Fionn
Mac Cumhail who built the fortress on the Hill of Allen, which was
covered with lime (almu, dative Almain) ‘until it was all white’ - the
place taking its name from this. See Allen, Hill of.
2. Argetlamh. Nuada of the Silver Hand. He appears as the supreme
leader of the gods with a sword from which none could escape. He
was the first ruler of the De Danaan on their arrival in Ireland but lost
his hand at the first Battle of Magh Tuireadh fighting against the
Firbolg. He had to give up the kingship as a consequence. Dian Cecht
made him a silver hand but Dian Cecht’s son Miach made him a hand
of flesh and blood with which he was able to regain the kingship. In
184 Numbers

displacing Bres, the half-Fomorii, as ruler, Nuada set off the events
which led to the second Battle of Magh Tuireadh against the Fomorii.
In this battle Nuada, and his wife Macha, were slain by Balor of the
Evil Eye. Nuada is cognate with the Welsh Nudd of the Silver Hand.
The name also appears in the form of Llud and Nodons, surviving in
London’s Ludgate.
3. Nuada Necht (the White). He was the king who directly preceded
Conaire Mor as High King at Tara and is given in the king lists as the
107th High King of Ireland.
Numbers. It should be noted that numerology plays a significant and
symbolic part in myth. Some numbers can be particularly noted.
Five is significant in that there are five great roads in Ireland, five
celebrated hostels, five paths of law, five prohibitions for provincial
king, five provinces; Fionn Mac Cumhail counts in fives, as do the
people of the sidhe-, there are five masters of every great art; Cuchu-
lainn has five wheels painted on his shield. The number nine can be
described as a sacred number, the counterpart of the seven of eastern
cultures. There are traces that the ancient Celts reckoned with a
nine-day week; Medb rides off to Ulster with nine chariots; Bricriu’s
Hall has nine rooms; Cuchulainn has nine weapons; the curse on
Ulster is for nine times nine generations; there are the nine judge¬
ments of Noidhiu, and Niall of the Nine Hostages. Combinations of
nine also play an important part. Twelve is significant; kings usually
have twelve companions. Seventeen is mystic: seventeen kings accept
gifts at Cashel; several events are listed as taking place after periods of
seventeen days or seventeen years; there are said to be seventeen
petty kingdoms in Meath; a youth becomes a man at the age of
seventeen years; a druid suggests Mael Duin takes seventeen men
with him on his voyage; and on the fabulous Island of Women they
are greeted by seventeen maidens. Lastly, the number thirty-three
crops up as another frequent symbol.
Nuts of Knowledge. They are described as rich crimson in colour and
are inevitably hazel nuts. Nine hazel trees of wisdom grew over
Segais’ Well (sometimes Conlai’s Well). The hazel nuts dropped into
the well causing bubbles of mystic inspiration. The location of the
well is variously described. One is at the source of the Boyne (see
Nechtan and Boann) and the other is at the source of the Shannon
(see Sionan). The most popular story is how the Well of Segais
chased the goddess Boann to form the river named after her, taking
the salmon Fintan with it. The salmon had eaten of the Nuts of
Nuts of Knowledge 185

Knowledge and settled in a pool on the Boyne where the druid

Finegas caught it and gave it to his pupil Fionn Mac Cumhail to cook.
Fionn’s thumb brushed against the salmon and he sucked at the spot
where it was burnt, thus obtaining knowledge.
O. Onn (furze) in the Ogham alphabet.
Oak. The oak is mentioned as a tree sacred to the druids. Veneration of
the oak was widespread among the British and Continental Celts but
not so much among the Irish. The yew, hazel and rowan trees are
more frequently referred to. Sacred trees were common. Each clan or
confederation of clans had its sacred tree or bile. Not infrequently
reference is made to a hostile clan invading a territory and felling a
sacred tree as a dramatic gesture which would shame and demoralise
their enemies for many of these trees were considered as the crann
bethadh, ‘tree of life’. Oaks are mentioned in an early Christian
context in Ireland and it has been noted that many early churches
were significantly sited by druidic oaks. Most famous are St. Brigid’s
monastic foundation at Cille Daire (Kildare), ‘Church of the Oak’,
and the great monastic school of Daire Maugh (Durrow), ‘Plain of the
Oaks’, in Wexford. St. Colmcille’s favourite church was Daire
Calgaich (Derry), ‘the oak grove of Calgaich’. However, the popular
image associated with the British and Continental Celts, of druids
cutting mistletoe in sacred oak groves, does not occur in an Irish
context. Mistletoe is not a native Irish plant and was only transported
to Ireland in the eighteenth century.
Oak of Mughna. According to the Leabhar Gabhala this was the earliest
sacred oak tree in Ireland.
Oath. There are many references to oaths being taken by the elements,
in particular the sun and the moon. For an oath in testiculis see Geis.
O Brasil, an alternative name for Hy-Brasil. See Breasal.
Ocean-sweeper. In Irish Aigean scuabadoir. Sometimes Wave-
sweeper. A magical ship which knew a man’s thoughts and was
propelled without sails or oars wherever he willed it. It was brought
from the Otherworld by Lugh Lamhfada and given as a gift to
Manannan Mac Lir, the sea-god.
Ogham 187

Ochain. Sometimes Acein or ‘Moaner’. The enchanted shield of

Conchobhar Mac Nessa, king of Ulster. Whenever its bearer was in
danger, it moaned a warning and was answered by the roars of the
Waves of Tuaithe, Cliodhna, and Rudraidhe, the chief waves of
Ireland. See Tonn. It was carried by Fiachra, Conchobhar’s son,
when he led the attack on the Red Branch Hostel and moaned when
Fiachra was in danger, thus bringing Conall Cearnach to his rescue.
Ochall Ochne. King of the sidhe of Connacht. He had a swineherd
named Friuch who was in perpetual rivalry with Nar, the swineherd
of Bodb Dearg of Munster. See Friuch.
Octriallach. Son of Indech, a Fomorii, who was killed by Ogma at the
second Battle of Magh Tuireadh. During this battle it was Octriallach
who discovered how the De Danaan god of medicine, Dian Cecht,
was able to bring the slain De Danaan back to life and cure the
wounded by use of a magical ‘Spring of Health’. Octriallach led the
Fomorii warriors in filling in the spring by placing great rocks over it
and erecting the ‘Cairn of Octriallach’.
Odras. Daughter of Odarnatan, keeper of the hostel of Buchat
Buasach. She tended Buchat Buasach’s cow herd. The Morrigan
came with a bull called Slemuin (Smooth) and mated it with one of
Odras’ cows. The Morrigan then enticed the cow away with the bull
to the Cave of Cruachan, one of the entrances to the Otherworld.
Odras, fearing to lose a cow from the herd, pursued the Morrigan.
Becoming tired, she fell asleep in the wood of Falga. The Morrigan
then sang an enchantment over her and turned her into a pool of
water.
Oenghus. See Aonghus.
Oes. See Aes.
Ogham. Sometimes Ogam. The earliest form of Irish writing, fre¬
quently mentioned in the myths and sagas. Its invention is ascribed to
Ogma, god of eloquence and literature. Its use is varied throughout
the myths. In the story of ‘Baile Mac BuairC we hear of a library of
‘rods of FilV on which ancient stories and sagas are inscribed. In the
‘Voyage of Bran’ we are told that Bran writes poetry in Ogham,
having written down fifty or sixty quatrains of a poem on Ogham
rods. In the Tain saga Cuchulainn carves warnings and challenges the
warriors of Ailill and Medb on pieces of wood. In a tale from the
Fenian Cycle, Lomna writes a cryptic message to Fionn Mac
Cumhail informing him of his wife’s infidelity. More often Ogham
was used to inscribe magic spells. At the funerals of great heroes it
188 Ogma

was used to inscribe the hero’s name on a wand of aspen to be placed

in the tomb.
Ogham consists of short lines drawn to, or crossing, a base line in
the following manner:

—I-H-HH-H-H-IlHI
a o u e i

h d t c q

b I v s n

/ // /// tW ~/////~
m g ng z r

Mention is made of vast libraries of Ogham writing usually inscribed

on the bark or wands of hazel and aspen. Over four hundred Ogham
inscriptions have survived, the majority being in Ireland, but these
have been carved on stone. The language is an archaic form of Irish
and most of the surviving inscriptions date from the fourth to the
sixth centuries. The Book of Ballymote, compiled in the fourteenth
century in Co. Sligo, contains a treatise on Ogham. Parts of this book
are said to be copied from earlier ninth-century texts. Ogham is
sometimes called ‘The Tree Alphabet’ because each letter takes the
name of a tree: e.g. A, ailim (elm); B, beithe (birch); C, coll (hazel).
Ogma. God of eloquence and literature. A son of the Dagda. He was
skilled in dialects and poetry as well as being a warrior. Some sources
say that he had another role in conveying souls to the Otherworld. He
was also called Ogma Grian-aineach (of the Sunny Countenance) and
Ogma Cermait (of the Honeyed-Mouth). He is cognate with the
Continental Celtic god Ogmios whom Lucian claimed was the Celtic
equivalent of Heracles. This god was also known among the British
Celts and a piece of pottery found at Richborough bears the name
Ogmia and depicts a figure with long curly hair and sun rays
proceeding from his head. He also holds the whip of the Sol Invictus.
In Ireland Ogma is credited with the invention of Ogham script.
His children appear varied. In some stories he is married to Etain,
Oisin 189

given as daughter of the god of medicine Dian Cecht, and among

their offspring are Tuireann and Cairbre. But Mac Cecht, Mac Cuill
and Mac Greine are also listed as his children. Ogma fought at the
second Battle ol Magh Tuireadh and slew Indech, son of the Fomorii
goddess Domnu. After the battle he claimed the sword of Tethra, the
Fomorii king, which was called Orna and could speak, recounting
the deeds it had performed. With the passing of the old gods, Ogma
retired to the sldhe of Airceltrai.
Oillpheist. A fabulous beast. Oille signifies greatness or vastness and
pheist means a beast or monster in the fabulous sense. It features
several times in the myths. A late legend has an oillpheist learning that
St. Patrick was coming to Ireland to drive out its kind. The oillpheist
fled towards the sea cutting its way through the land and forming the
River Shannon. On its way it swallowed a piper named O Ruairc who
continued to play his pipes to the beast’s discomfiture so that it finally
threw him back to land.
Oilmelc. ‘Sheep’s milk’. An alternative name for the feast of Imbolg.
See Brigid and Imbolg.
Oirbsen. An alternative name for Manannan Mac Lir, the sea-god. An
ancient name of Lough Corrib, Co. Galway, was Loch Oirbsen
in which, tradition has it, Manannan Mac Lir met his death by
drowning.
Oisin. Sometimes Ossian. Son of Fionn Mac Cumhail and of Sadb,
daughter of the god Bodb Dearg. He was acknowledged to be the
greatest poet in Ireland as well as being a warrior of the Fianna. Oisin
was found by his father while Fionn was searching Ireland for Sadb,
who had been turned into a deer. The shapely young boy had been
raised by his mother while in her deer shape. Fionn named him Oisin
(fawn). He grew up to be one of the leading champions of the Fianna.
He married a yellow-haired stranger from a sunny country named
Eibhir and his most famous son was the warrior Oscar. Oisin took
part in many of the adventures of the Fianna but he refused to help
his father, Fionn, exact vengeance on the ill-fated lovers, Diarmuid
and Grainne.
One day, while Oisin was hunting with the Fianna, a beautiful
maiden appeared on an enchanted horse. This was Niamh of the
Golden Hair, one of the daughters of Manannan Mac Lir. Oisin fell in
love with her and she invited him to accompany her back to Tir
Tairnigiri (the Land of Promise). Without further ado, Oisin
mounted behind her and they rode off across the sea. Oisin had
190 Ole Acha

several adventures, including the rescue of a De Danaan goddess

from an evil Fomorii giant. Niamh had several children by him,
Oscar and Fionn and also a daughter called Plur na mBan (Flower of
Women). But Oisin began to pine for Ireland. Niamh gave him her
magic horse but warned him not to dismount when he returned to
Ireland for three hundred years had passed since last he was there.
This version, of course, contradicts the tale where Oisin laments the
death of his son Oscar at the Battle of Gabhra. Oisin returned to
Ireland to find the Fianna no longer existed and the Christian era had
commenced. He fell from the horse by accident, the beast dis¬
appeared and Oisin was changed immediately from a divine youth
into a blind, grey-haired, withered old man. The tale, obviously a
Christian embellishment, has Oisin meet St. Patrick. He is made
welcome by the saint and invited to recount all the adventures of the
Fianna.
The Fenian Cycle is often referred to as the Ossianic Cycle.
The tales were made famous by the Scot, James MacPherson,
whose rendering of them under the general title Ossian was
based loosely on Irish sources and became a European classic.
See MacPherson.
Ole Acha. A smith and father of Etain. See Etain 4.
Ollamh. Sometimes given as Ollave.
1. Of the seven grades of fill or poet, the ollamh was the highest grade
and therefore the highest dignitary among the bards. It took a
candidate nine to twelve years of study to memorise the two hundred
and fifty prime stories and one hundred secondary stories necessary
to claim the title. Ollamh is the modern Irish word for a professor.
2. Son of Delbaeth, and grandson of Ogma.
3. Ollamh Fodhla. Recorded as the eighteenth High King of Ireland
to reign after the first Milesian king Eremon, according to the
Leabhar Gabhala. Other texts say he was the fortieth High King after
Eremon and reigned in 714bc Ollamh Fodhla is traditionally recog¬
nised as founding rule by legislature in Ireland and giving the country
a codified system of law. He is claimed as founding the great Feis
Temrach or Festival of Tara, which was held every three years. He is
said to be buried at Tailltinn (Teltown, Co. Westmeath).
Olloman. Father of At. See Ai.
Oonagh. Sometimes Onagh. Wife of Fionnbharr, she became relegated
in popular folklore from an ancient goddess of the De Danaan to
‘queen of all the fairies in Ireland’. Oonagh and Fionnbharr dwelt at
Oscar 191

the sidhe of Meadha, five miles west of Tuam. They had seventeen
sons.
Oral tradition. Although the ancient Celtic people knew and possessed
the use of writing, they preferred to maintain a lively oral tradition.
Surviving Celtic inscriptions and texts actually date back to the same
period as the earliest surviving Latin literary remains. Celtic tra¬
dition, however, was that all knowledge - law, poetry, philosophy,
science etc. - should be passed on orally. Julius Caesar comments:
‘They commit to memory immense amounts of poetry. And some of
them continue their studies for twenty years. They consider it
improper to commit their studies to writing.’ The epics, such as the
Tain Bo Cuailgne, may well have been passed down orally for a
thousand years before being finally written down during the Chris¬
tian period. In the myths we learn that the ancient Irish literati had a
secret literary language, berla na Filled (the language of the poets),
which only the initiated could understand. Both Cuchulainn and his
wife Emer, we are told, knew this exclusive literary language. Celtic
heroes and heroines were no empty-headed beauties but were always
accomplished in the arts and sciences.
Orba. The second son of Partholon.
Orc-Triath. Sometimes Tore Triath. King of Boars. He is listed as
being among the possessions of the fertility goddess Brigid, daughter
of the Dagda. According to the Leabhar Gabhala (Book of Invasions)
Brigid owned Fea and Femen, two oxen of Dil, and the Orc-Triath,
three powerful Otherworld creatures which symbolised plunder and
destruction.
Oriel. The Irish form is Airgialla and signifies ‘subject people’. The
kingdom of Oriel consisted of the territory of the modern counties of
Armagh, Monaghan, Tyrone and most of Fermanagh and Derry.
The kingdom was carved from Ulster and the name occurs in some
stories even though it was a later development and set in the
historical period.
Orlam. A son of Ailill and Medb who was slain by Cuchulainn during
the war of the Tain. Cuchulainn met Orlam’s charioteer repairing his
chariot and told the man to warn his masters that he was coming.
Cuchulainn met Orlam in single combat and slew him.
Orna. The sword of Tethra, the Fomorii king, which could speak and
recount its deeds. Ogma claimed it, having killed Tethra at the
second Battle of Magh Tuireadh.
Oscar. 1. Son of Oisin and Eibhir. The name Os (deer) car (lover)
192 Oscar

reflects that of his father whose mother was Sadb, a goddess turned
into a deer by the Dark Druid. He was the mightiest warrior among
the Fianna, a man of hard strength with a heart ‘like twisted horn
sheathed in steel’. As a youth, however, he was so clumsy that the
Fianna refused to take him on their expeditions. One day he followed
them unbeknown and found them falling back before their enemies.
He armed himself with a piece of wood and went into the attack with
such a battle frenzy that he slew two kings and his own friend Linne
before the fever left him. Thereafter he was given command of a
battalion of Fianna which had as its banner ‘The Terrible Broom’
(.Scuab Uafasach) because it would not retreat an inch but swept its
enemies from the field. Oscar, like his father Oisin, refused to help
Fionn Mac Cumhail exact vengeance on Diarmuid and Grainne.
Oscar married ‘the fair Aidin’.
At the end of Oscar’s life we seem to have entered a period where
Fionn Mac Cumhail is dead and Oisin is on his sojourn to Tir
Tairnigiri with Niamh, Manannan Mac Lir’s daughter. Cormac Mac
Art, the High King and patron of the Fianna, is also dead and his son
Cairbre is High King. Cairbre disliked the Fianna and sought a way
of breaking their power. His daughter Sgemih Solais was about to
wed the son of the king of the Desi. The Fianna claimed their
customary tribute of twenty ingots of gold for their attendance at a
royal wedding. Cairbre refused to pay them and summoned the Clan
Morna to help him curb the Fianna, thus resurrecting a long term
enmity between Clan Morna and Fionn’s clan, the Clan Bascna.
Cairbre led Clan Morna to meet the Fianna in battle at Gabhra (said
to be Garristown, Co. Dublin). The Fianna were commanded by
Oscar. The battle saw the destruction of the Fianna. Oscar killed
Cairbre in single combat but not before Cairbre had inflicted a mortal
wound on Oscar. In one version we are told that Fionn himself came
to bewail his grandson’s death, arriving in a ship, presumably from
the Otherworld. According to another version Oisin came to lament
his son with the hero Celta. Oscar sighed before his death:

No man ever knew

A heart of flesh was in my breast.

Oisin and Celta raised the body of Oscar on a bier of spears and
carried him from the field with his battle flag draped over him. Aidin,
his widow, hearing the news of his death, died of grief. It fell to Oisin
Otherworld 193

to bury her on Ben Edair (Howth) and build a great cairn over her
grave. Oscar s death at the Battle of Gabhra is a fitting melancholy
end to the Fenian Cycle.
Lady Jane Francesca Wilde, the nineteenth-century Irish national¬
ist once prosecuted for sedition, wrote several works on Irish myths
and legends including Ancient Legends of Ireland (ISSS). She gave the
names of two ancient Fenian heroes to her son Oscar Fingal
O’Flahertie Wills Wilde - the playwright Oscar Wilde. Another
famous person to bear the name of Oscar was the son of Marshal
Bernadotte of France, whose wife Desiree was the daughter of a
Dublin merchant Francis Cleary (Clary) who settled in Marseilles.
Bernadotte became Charles XIV of Sweden and his wife became
Queen Desideria. Their son was Oscar I of Sweden and Norway
(1844-59).
2. Oisin had a second son Oscar by the goddess Niamh, born in Tir
Tairnigiri (the Land of Promise).
Ossar. The hound belonging to Mac Da Tho which was coveted by
Ailill and Medb and also by Conchobhar Mac Nessa. In another
version the hound is called Ailbe. At the end of the story of‘Mac Da
Tho’s Boar’ the hound chases Ailill’s chariot and is killed by his
charioteer. See Mac Da Tho.
Ossian. See Oisin.
Otherworld. A general term for the various lands of the gods, both good
and evil, and for the place where one was reborn after death. The
Celts were one of the first European peoples to evolve a doctrine of
immortality of the soul. Their basic belief was that death was only a
changing of place and that life went on with all its forms and goods in
another world, a world of the dead which gave up living souls to this
world. A constant exchange of souls was always taking place between
the two worlds; death in this world brought a soul to the Otherworld
and death in the Otherworld brought a soul to this world. Several
Greeks, such as Sotion of Alexandria in the second century bc, and
Clement of Alexandria, claimed that their own immortality doctrine
was borrowed by the ancient Greeks from the Continental Celts.
It was believed that on one night of the year the Otherworld
became visible to mankind and the ancient Celtic world celebrated
this as one of their four major feasts of the year. This was the Feast of
Samhain (31 October/1 November). On this night all the gates to the
Otherworld opened and the inhabitants could set out to wreak
vengeance on those living who had wronged them. This ancient
194 Owel

pagan belief survived the coming of Christianity and still continues

today as Hallowe’en, the evening of the Christian All-Hallows or All
Saints’ Day on 1 November. It is thought that this is the night when
witches and demons and spirits from Hell set out to ensnare unsus¬
pecting souls; it is a direct survival from the old Celtic Otherworld
festival.
The concept of the Otherworld in Irish mythology is a very fluid
one. It is not just the place where the souls of the dead go. There is a
definite ‘realm of the dead’. This realm is known as Tech Duinn
(House of Donn) which was thought to be a small rocky islet off the
south-west coast of Ireland. There were several gods of the dead,
such as Bile and Donn, and Ogma was said to be one of the
transporters of souls to this realm.
The other forms of Otherworld range from the dark, brooding
purgatories of the Fomorii islands such as Hy-Falga and Dun Scaith
to the sunny lands of Tfr Tairnigiri and Tir na nOg. In such exotic
places as Tir na nOg, the god of metal work, Goibhniu, presided over
an Otherworld feast, Fledh Ghoibhnenn. Any mortal who took part
in the feast and drank the intoxicating liquor which Goibhniu served
became an immortal.
Among the synonyms for the Otherworld are: Tir na nOg (the
Land of Youth); Tir Tairnigiri (the Land of Promise); Tir na
tSamhraidh (Land of Summer); Magh Mell (Plain of Happiness); Tir
na mBeo (Land of the Living); Magh Da Cheo (Plain of the Two
Mists); Tir fo Thuinn (Land under the Wave); Hy-Brasil (Breasal’s
Island); Hy-Falga (Falga’s Island) and Dun Scaith (Fortress of
Shadows).
Many heroes had adventures in the various lands of the Other-
world. Cuchulainn and his companions went to Hy-Falga and Dun
Scaith and fought with terrible serpents. Later he went to live with
the goddess Fand in Tir Tairnigiri. Conn of the Hundred Battles was
lured away to the Otherworld in a magical mist by Lugh. His son
Connla was wooed by a goddess and borne off to the Otherworld in a
boat made of glass. The most famous sojurn in the Otherworld was
that of Oisin who rode off on a magical horse with Niamh, the
daughter of the sea-god Manannan Mac Lir, and stayed for three
hundred years.
Owel. See Eogabaill.
P. Pin (perhaps - dwarf elder) in the Ogham alphabet. The letter ‘p’ was
not found in pre-Christian Irish nor in early Ogham. Consequently
words beginning with ‘p’ in Old and Middle Irish are derivates from
Latin, British Celtic, Romance and Scandinavian.
Parthanan. A wraith from the Otherworld who, at the end of the
harvest, would thresh any corn left standing. It is suspected that
Parthanan may be a folk memory of Partholon.
Partholon. The leader of the third mythical invasion of Ireland. He was
a descendant of Magog, son of Japhet. He murdered his father, Sera,
and his mother, hoping to inherit their kingdom. When he failed in
this attempt he led his followers to Ireland and settled in Munster. On
arrival they found Ireland inhabited by the Fomorii led by Cichol
Grinchenghos (the footless) and did battle with them. Partholon’s
wife was Dealgnaid. He left her alone with his servant Todga to go on
a journey and they had an affair. When Partholon returned home he
accepted blame by saying that it was his fault for leaving her alone.
Accounts credit him varyingly with three sons and ‘a hireling’ and
with four sons. His eldest son appears as Eber (the same name as a son
of Milesius), the others being Rudraidhe and Laighlinne. He is said
to have introduced agriculture into Ireland and among his followers
were two ploughmen who had two iron ploughs and four oxen. The
Partholonians also hunted, set up the first hostels and cleared plains.
During his time new lakes sprang forth and one of these came from
the grave of his son Rudraidhe, and was named Loch Rudraidhe.
Partholon and his followers were killed by a plague.
Perilous Plain, The. The plain of devouring wild beasts through which
Cuchulainn had to cross to get to Scathach’s fortress.
Pharo! Pharo! Occurs as a battle cry. Seathrun Ceitinn (d. 1650)
believed this to be a corruption offaire 6! (look out, 6!).
Piets. Sometimes given as Pictii. In Old Irish, known as Tuatha
196 Pigs

Cruithne. An ancient people who appear in the sagas and tales as well
as being an historical group. This popular name, which displaced the
native Irish word Crutnech, derives from the Latin pingere, to paint,
and means ‘painted people’. They were one of the Celtic groups and,
as far back as historical record, were recognised as a Goidelic people.
William F. Skene, the Celtic scholar, was one of the first to identify
them as Gaelic-speaking although Joseph Loth and Kuno Meyer
point to the fact that the names in their king lists show a slight
predominance of Brythonic Celtic names. The Piets were found both
in Ireland (the Annals of Ulster note them still living in the Irish
midlands as late as ad809) and in Scotland (Alba). It is said that a
warrior named Cruithne settled in Alba and his seven children
divided the country into provinces: Cat (Caithness), Ce (Marr and
Buchan), Cfrech (Angus and Mearns), Fiobh (Fife), Moireabh
(Moray), Fotla (Ath-fhotla, Atholl) and Fortriu (Strathearn). During
the first four centuries of the Christian era the Piets were very
prominent as raiders and there are references to their ability as
ship-builders and sailors. They were also literate and references
occur in chronicles to quotations in vetemmus Pictonum libris (in old
books of the Piets).
Pigs. Pigs as magical animals have a special place. They have certain
properties of enchantment. The pig skin of Tuis, which the sons of
Tuireann were asked to bring to Ireland, cured all wounded and sick
and if dipped into a stream would turn the water into wine for three
days. The seven pigs of Easal of the Golden Pillars provided an
inexhaustible feast for, if eaten on one night, they would appear next
day ready to be slaughtered for another feast.
Plur na mBan. The Flower of Women. The daughter of Oisin and the
goddess Niamh, daughter of Manannan Mac Lir.
Polyandry/Polygamy. Plurality of marriages was permitted in ancient
Irish society and was enshrined in the Brehon Laws. The practice
continued well into the Christian era. Men and women enjoyed equal
rights in pre-Christian Ireland and nowhere is this more carefully
demonstrated than in the laws relating to marriage. Divorce could be
had by mutual consent as well as for numerous ‘offences’. Rights
were carefully listed in the law tracts giving protection to both sides.
Pooka. See Puca.
Provinces. Irish geography is a special feature of the myths. Today
Ireland consists of four historic provinces: Connacht, Leinster,
Munster and Ulster, the ster ending being a survival from the Norse
Pursuit 197

period. Yet the world tor a province is cuiga - a fifth. The fifth
province was ‘the Middle Province’ Mide, the name surviving in Co.
Meath and Co. Westmeath. See Mide. These five ancient provinces
met at a central point called the Hill of Uisneach (sometimes Usna) in
Westmeath by a great stone called Aill na Mirenn, the stone of
divisions, which still stands there. It was at this point that Tuathal
raised his royal palace.
The division of Ireland goes back to the sons of Dela, the Firbolg,
who also divided Ireland into five. The Leabhar Gabhala says: ‘And
that is the division of the provinces of Ireland which shall endure
forever, as the Firbolg divided them.’ Another story tells how
invaders slew three nobles; their pregnant wives fled to Alba where
their sons Conn, Araide and Eoghan Mor were born. The sons
returned, chased out the invaders and the provinces of Connachta
(for Conn) Ulaidh (for Araide) and Mumhan (for Eoghan Mor) were
named after them. Laighin (Leinster) received its name later from
Gaulish warriors.
See Connachta, Laighin, Munster and Ulaid.
Puca. Anglicised as Pooka. A mischievous spirit or demon who led
travellers astray or performed other devilment. It occurs in later
legend and seems to have no basis in myth, probably being an import
from the Norse puki, an imp, from where it also went into Welsh
pwca and into English as puck. The famous Puck Fair held in August
in Killorglin, Co. Kerry, is nothing to do with the puca. The Puck
Fair is named from poc (pronounced puck), a buck-goat. The old
song ‘An Poc ar Buile’ (The Mad Goat) is associated with the festival
which has been held since the seventeenth century and may have its
origins in the Feast of Lughnasadh.
Pursuit. In Irish toruidheacht. A class of tales of which the most famous
is Toruidheacht Dhiarmuda is Ghrainne (The Pursuit of Diarmuid and
Grainne). There are numerous pursuit tales.
R. Ruis (dwarf elder) in the Ogham alphabet.
Ragallach. A king of Connacht whose death at the hands of his own
child was foretold by a druid. Ragallach ordered his wife to kill their
baby daughter and the child was cast into a bag and given to a
swineherd to destroy. However, the swineherd left the bag at the
door of a woman who raised the child. The daughter of Ragallach
grew up into a beautiful maiden who became her father’s own
concubine and eventually fulfilled the prophecy. It is recorded that
Ragallach, king of Connacht, was assassinated at Rath Cruachan in
ad645 or 648. The assassin was a male and Ragallach’s son Cathal, a
student at Clonard, avenged his father by slaying the man.
Raighne. A son of Fionn Mac Cumhail.
Rann. Also rannaigecht. A type of verse, the general scheme being a
stanza of four heptasyllabic lines but including variations. The form
for the verse and for the versifier often appears in Irish texts and is so
used in modern Irish.
Rath. He was lulled to sleep by a mermaid singing and then torn to
pieces by her and her companions, a fate that occurred to several
unwary mariners.
Rath. A fortress or earthwork, usually circular, surrounding a chief¬
tain’s house as in Rath Cruachan, the fortress of Ailill and Medb of
Connacht; Rath Grainne at Tara; Rath Luachara, where Lia, Lord of
Luachtar, hid the Treasure Bag of Clan Morna.
Rathand. A son of Conall Cearnach who was fleeing with his father en
route to Emain Macha when he was drowned in a river at a spot
subsequently known as Snamh Rathaind.
Raven. See Crow.
Red Branch. The body of warriors who were the guardians of Ulster
during the days of Conchobhar Mac Nessa. Cuchulainn was their
greatest champion. As far back as Irish tradition goes there is an
Red riders 199

institute of ‘knighthood’, the Irish terms being ridire (often inter¬

preted as riders) and curad. Many scholars feel that the Red Branch
(Craobh Ruadh) may be a corruption, the word ruadh being confused
with righ meaning ‘king’ (thus Royal Branch). A boy started his
‘apprenticeship’ in the Red Branch at the age of seven (as did
Cuchulainn). There was a Boys’ Corps at Emain Macha consisting of
‘three fifties’ of sons of chieftains and kings. It was led by Follaman
Mac Conchobhar and was totally destroyed in the war of the Tain.
The Red Branch had their headquarters in Emain Macha and their
banner was a yellow lion on a field of green silk. The Red Branch
claimed to be founded by Ross the Red of Ulster who wed Maga,
daughter of the love-god Aonghus Og. Near Navan (Emain Macha) is
a village called Creeveroe, an Anglicisation of Craobh Ruadh, the
Red Branch.
Red Branch Cycle. Also known as ‘The Ulster Cycle’. This is the great
heroic cycle of Irish mythology, comparable to the Iliad in theme and
heroic tone. The main stories comprise the famous epic of the Tain
Bo Cuailgne. Scholars accept that the cycle must have been trans¬
mitted orally for nearly a thousand years, preserving, in a remarkable
way, faithful descriptions of a remote past. Weapons, crafts, cus¬
toms, political and social conditions are depicted. The basic texts of
the epic survive in the Leabhar nhUidre (the twelfth-century Book of
the Dun Cow) and in the Leabhar Laigeneach (the twelfth-century
Book of Leinster).
In addition to the Tain itself, the other stories of the cycle consist of
enlargements on themes occurring in the Tain, preparatory tales
leading up to the epic, romances that were added later to fulfil the
desire of people to know the later fortunes of the main characters and
several entirely independent tales. These stories fall into three main
groupings: 1. the prologue to the Tain, ‘The Debility of the Men of
Ulster’, ‘The Conception of Cuchulainn’, ‘The Wooing of Emer’,
‘Conchobhar’s reign’ etc. 2. ‘The Great Rout of Muithemne’,
‘Cuchulainn’s Death’, ‘Red Rout of Conall Cearneach’, ‘Battle of
Rosnaree’ and the Death Tales of Heroes. 3. ‘Bricriu’s Feast’, ‘The
Intoxication of the Men of Ulster’, ‘Mac Da Tho’s Boar’ and ‘The
Fate of the Children of Usna’.
Red Javelin. In Irish Gae-Ruadh. A spear of Manannan Mac Lir, the
sea-god.
Red riders. In Irish ndire ruadh. Three horsemen in red, riding red
horses, who appeared to Conaire Mor while he was on his way to Da
200 Reincarnation

Derga’s Hostel. One of his geise (taboos) was that ‘no three reds shall
go before thee to the house of red’. Of course, Da Derga means ‘of the
red’. Conaire Mor sent a messenger to the riders asking them to fall
behind him but the messenger, lash his horse as he would, failed to
catch up with them. He shouted to them but they refused all the
rewards offered. They chanted:

Lo, my son, great the news!

Weary are the steeds we ride,
- steeds from the Otherworld -
Though we are living, we are dead,
Great are the signs, destruction of life,
satiation of ravens, feeding of crows,
strife of slaughter, wetting of sword-edge,
shields with broken lances after sundown.
Lo, my son!

They rode up to Da Derga’s Hostel, dismounted and fastened the

horses to the portal. The red riders were the last of Conaire Mor’s
taboos to be broken before doom and disaster overtook him.
Reincarnation. A theme occurring frequently. See Otherworld. Not
only could the gods enter the womb of a woman and be born again,
passing through different stages of existence, but people could do so
as well. The most interesting reincarnation cycle was that of the
swineherds Friuch and Nar who went through various changes to
emerge in their final forms as Finnbhenach and Donn, the two
massive bulls who had their final clash in the closing stages of the Tain
Bo Cuailgne.
Remanfissech. A chief of Feden Chuailgne, the father of Uma, a Red
Branch champion referred to as ‘one of the three battle strays of
Ulster’.
Retaliator. In Irish Dioltach. One of the three swords of Manannan
Mac Lir which never failed to slay. This was the sword which
Manannan gave to Naoise and with which Eoghan Mac Durthacht
killed Naoise. There is another version however that Naoise and his
two brothers were captured and awaiting execution. Each brother
wanted to be killed first so that he would not have to look on his slain
brothers. Naoise finally gave the sword to the executioner (in this
story a Norse prince named Maine) so that he could slay them all with
one blow.
Ronan 201

Riada. The ancestor of the Dal Riada (of both Ulster and Alba). In the
fourth century ad there was a famine in Munster and its ruler Conaire
was driven north with his people. He settled first in Co. Antrim
where the first Dal Riada kingdom was established. Then he and his
followers quarrelled and he crossed the sea into Scotland, forming
a second Dal Riada kingdom on Airer Ghaidheal (Argyll), the
seaboard of the Gael.
Rianbind. A piper of Sidhe Breg named by Fer Rogain as one of the
nine best pipers in the world. Also named are Bind, Robind, Nibe,
Dibe, Dechrind, Umal, Cumal and Cialgrind.
Riangabur. Father of the two most famous charioteers of Ulster: Laeg,
charioteer to Cuchulainn, and Id, charioteer to Conall Cearneach.
Riastarthae. The name given to Cuchulainn’s battle fury.
Rib. See Ebliu 2.
Ridge of the Dead Woman. See Aedh 10 and Bebhionn.
Righairled. He introduced war chariots into Ireland and is given as the
fourteenth High King after Eber, son of Milesius.
Rinnal. A High King of Ireland in whose time weapons were first
supposed to be given points (rinn, spear point).
Roc. The steward of Aonghus Og, the love-god. Roc had a son by the
wife of Donn, the father of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. Donn killed
Roc’s child by crushing it between his knees. Roc smote his dead
child with a magic wand and it revived as a huge boar without ears or a
tail. Roc charged this boar to follow the fortunes of Donn’s own son,
Diarmuid, and encompass his death. The boar then went off to Ben
Bulben to await its destiny in destroying Diarmuid. See Diarmuid 3
and Grainne. Roc also had a daughter - see Ethne 4.
Rochad. Son of Fathemen. A warrior of the Red Branch.
Roech. See Roth.
Roitheachtaigh. The innovator of the chariot, confused with
Righairled. The name means ‘possessor of wheels’.
Romit Rigoinmit. The jester of Conchobhar Mac Nessa of whom Cu
Roi says: ‘No want nor sorrow that has ever afflicted the people of
Ulster has not departed when they saw Romit Rigoinmit.’
Ronan. A king of Leinster and father of Mael Fhothartaig. When his
wife Ethne died, Ronan decided to marry again to the daughter of
Eochaidh, a king of Dunsverick. Ronan’s young wife lusted after her
stepson but when he refused her love she told Ronan that Mael
Fhothartaig had attempted to dishonour her. In a jealous rage, Ronan
ordered a warrior named Aedh to slay his son. The warrior transfixed
202 Ron Cerr

the boy in his chair with a spear. Ronan later learnt the truth and died
of grief. His wife took poison while Mael Fhothartaig’s children
exacted vengeance on Aedh.
Ron Cerr. A young champion of Brandubh, king of Leinster. Before
the Battle of Diinbolg he put on a wooden leg and smeared himself
with calf’s blood and dough of rye to give himself the appearance of a
leper. In this disguise he entered the camp of the High King Aedh,
with whom Brandubh was at war, and pulled him from his horse,
cutting off his head.
Rosai. Infrequently used as an alternative title to ollamh (professor),
perhaps from the Old Irish ros, knowledge.
Ross the Red. The father of Fachtna, king of Ulster, by Maga, the
daughter of the love-god Aonghus Og. See Red Branch.
Rosualt. A mighty and fabulous sea monster who was cast ashore on the
plain of Murrish under Croagh Phadraig (Co. Mayo). Murrish seems
to take its name from muir-iasc (sea-fish). Rosualt is said to have
vomited three times in three successive years before its death. The
first time it vomited into the sea and in consequence all the fish died
and the curraghs and ships were wrecked or swamped. The second
time it vomited into the air and all the birds fell dead. The third time
it vomited on land causing a pestilence to spread killing all men and
four-footed creatures.
Roth. Often given as Roy and Roeth and sometimes Roi. The father of
Fergus Mac Roth and Sualtaim Mac Roth.
Roy. See Roth.
Ruadan. 1. A son of Bres the half-Fomorii ruler of the De Danaan and
the goddess Brigid. At the second Battle of Magh Tuireadh he was
sent to spy on Goibhniu. Ruadan wounded the smith-god but was
himself slain in the combat. The goddess Brigid came to the battle¬
field to bewail her son and it is recorded that this was the first keening
(caoine, lament) heard in Ireland.
2. Of Lorrha. Sometimes given as Rodan and Ruadhan. Described as
‘of the race of Eoghan Mor, son of Ailill Olom’. An early Christian
saint, one of the ‘Twelve Apostles of Ireland’, he sheltered a kinsman
guilty of the crime of murdering an officer of the High King. For
refusing to give up the kinsman, the High King had Ruadan arrested.
For daring to lay hands on the saint, Diarmuid was cursed. Ruadan
also cursed Tara and brought about its downfall as the seat of the
High Kings of Ireland. ‘Let Tara be desolate for ever!’ See Diarmuid
2.
Rus Mac Fiachu 203

Ruadchoin. Three heroes of the Ui Briuin from Cuala in Leinster bear

this name. They each commanded twelve score men and a ‘frenzied
troop’ during the attack on Da Derga’s Hostel.
Ruadh. 1. Son of Rigdonn. He voyaged with three ships off the north
coast of Ireland and found himself becalmed. With his crew getting
weaker, he swam to hnd assistance and came upon a secret island
under the sea on which dwelt nine beautiful women. For nine nights
he slept with them ‘without gloom, without fearful hurt, under the
sea, free from waves, on nine beds of bronze’. One of the nine bore
him a son.
2. This Ruadh may well be the same character as Ruadh 1. He, too,
went on a voyage. En route his ship was stopped by three goddesses
who took him to the seabed where he slept with them. They told him
that they would bear him a son (collectively) and entreated him to
return to them when he came back from his voyage. When he did not,
they pursued him, with his young son. Seeing their pursuit to be in
vain the three goddesses cut off the young boy’s head and threw it
after Ruadh.
Ruadh Rofessa. Thought to be identical to the Dagda, and represented
as a god of druidism among the De Danaan. See Dagda, The.
Rudraidhe. One of the sons of Partholon and acclaimed as the founder
of the royal house of Ulster. The men of Ulster were known as the
Clan Rudraidhe and sometimes as Rudricans.
Rus Mac Fiachu. One of three brothers (with Daire and Imchad) who
were champions of the Red Branch.
S. Sail (willow) in the Ogham alphabet.
Sacra. A name anciently applied to Ireland. It is mentioned by
Anvienius (c. ad380) in an account of the voyage of Himilco the
Phoenician in 510bc. Sacra is apparently a translation of the Greek
Iepa, Eiriu.
Sacrifices. Contrary to popular belief, there is no conclusive evidence
that druids practised human sacrifice. The prime source for this is
Julius Caesar who was, of course, an implacable enemy to the Celts
and particularly to the druids. There is a reference to human
sacrifices being performed in Ireland in the Book of Leinster, in the
Dinnsenchas tract which speaks of children being sacrificed to Cromm
Cruach, an idol set up by Tigernmas on Magh Slecht. However,
the story is put forward as an aberration rather than the norm.
See Cromm Cruach and Tigernmas. Cromm Cruach was quickly
overthrown by the normal druidic practices.
Sadb. 1. Daughter of Bodb Dearg. She was turned into a fawn by the
Dark Druid. One day, hunting near his fortress on the Hill of Allen,
Fionn Mac Cumhaill came across a fawn and his two hounds refused
to kill it - although another version says that Fionn killed his hound
Bran by crushing him between his legs to prevent it killing the fawn.
That night Sadb appeared to Fionn in human form as a beautiful
woman, told him her story, and became Fionn’s mistress. They lived
happily for a while until, while Fionn was away hunting, the Dark
Druid caught up with Sadb and turned her back into a fawn and she
vanished. Fionn searched Ireland until, near Ben Bulben, he found a
naked boy who had been raised by a fawn. Fionn recognised in him
his son by Sadb and called him Oisin (Little Fawn).
2. Sadb Subhair, a daughter of Ailill and Medb.
Saidhthe Suaraigne. ‘Bitch of evil’, one of the hounds of Cromm
Dubh.
Samhair 205

Sainnth. Son of Imbath and father of Macha 3 who cursed the men of
Ulster.
Sal Fhada. Son of a king of Greece who, when his father died, was sent
out of the kingdom by a king of Munster who, being related to his
father, wanted the kingdom of Greece for himself. In the story
Seachranuidhe Sal Fhada', Sal Fhada joined the Fianna of Fionn
Mac Cumhaill and they eventually restored him to his kingdom, but
not before he had been mortally wounded and then restored to life by
use of a magic cup.
Salmon of Knowledge. See Fintan 2.
Samaliliath. A Partholon who is said to have introduced ale into
Ireland. Irish ale was well known even in Europe from a very early
period. An ale-house - coirmthech - was a place where it was made.
Samhain. 1. Brother of Cian and Goibhniu who was looking after
Cian’s magical cow, Glas Gaibhnenn, when Balor of the Evil Eye,
disguised as a little red-haired boy, tricked him into parting with it.
He was obviously one of the gods but his role does not seem clearly
defined although one of the four major Celtic feasts appears to have
been named after him.
2. Feis na Samhain. One of the four major pre-Christian festivals. It
was held on the evening of 31 October into the following day, 1
November. It marked the end of one pastoral year and the com¬
mencement of the next. It was also an intensely spiritual time for it
was the period when the Otherworld became visible to mankind and
when spiritual forces were let loose on the human world. Christianity
took this pagan festival over as a harvest festival. The feast became St.
Martin’s Mass (Martinmas). The festival also became All Saints’ Day
or All-Hallows and the evening prior was Hallowe’en, still celebrated
as the night when spirits and ghosts set out to wreak vengeance on the
living and when evil marches unbridled across the world. In Ireland,
as in the other Celtic countries, the fires were extinguished and could
only be rekindled from a ceremonial fire lit by the druids at Samhain
on Tlachtga (now the Hill of Ward). Significant events always
occurred on Samhain in myth. It was the time when the Fomorii
oppressed the people of Nemed and when the De Danaan defeated
the Fomorii at the second Battle of Magh Tuireadh.
Samhair. A daughter of Fionn Mac Cumhail who married Cormac Cas,
son of Ailill Olom, of Munster. Cormac Cas is recorded as ruling in
the third century ad. He built a palace for his bride and their bed
was supported by three pillar stones. Hence the palace was called
206 Scathach nUanaind

Dun-tri-liag, the fortress of the three pillar stones, which is now

Duntryleague, Co. Limerick. It is recorded that Cormac received a
terrible wound in the head from which he recovered.
Scathach nUanaind. Also known as Scathach Buanand (Victory). She
was the daughter of Ard-Greimne of Lethra and the most famous of
female warriors. She lived in Scathach’s Island (scathach, shadowy)
which is thought to be Skye and ran a military academy there at which
many heroes of Ireland received their training in the martial arts. Her
most famous pupil was Cuchulainn. She taught him his famous battle
leap and also gave him the Gae-Bolg, the terrible spear. Cuchulainn
trained with her for a year and a day during which time her daughter,
Uathach, became his mistress. Later, he joined her in her expedition
against her sister Aoife, reputed to be the strongest of female
warriors. After her defeat Aoife became Cuchulainn’s lover and bore
him a son, Connlai.
Sceal. Story. In old Irish sgeal. Used as a title in many of the tales,
e.g. ‘Sgeala Muccee Maic Da Tho’ (‘The Story of Mac Da Tho’s
Boar’).
Sceanb. Wife of the harpist Craiftine. She became the lover of Cormac
Cond Longes. Her husband had him killed in jealous fury. See
Craiftine.
Scena. Wife of Amairgen, son of Milesius. She died on the voyage to
Ireland and was buried at Inbhirscena, said to be an ancient name for
the mouth of the Kenmare River in Co. Kerry.
Scenmed. Sister of Forgall Manach. Following Forgall’s death, when
Cuchulainn eloped with Fogall’s daughter Emer, Scenmed raised
an army and followed the Ulster champion to exact vengeance.
Cuchulainn defeated and slew her.
Sceolan. A hound of Fionn Mac Cumhail but also his nephew. With its
brother Bran it was born to Fionn’s sister (sometimes given as
sister-in-law and even aunt) Tuireann while she had been trans¬
formed into the form of a bitch-dog. She was changed into this form
by the jealous mistress of her husband Ullan. See Tuireann 1.
Sciathbhreag. A member of the Fianna. The name signifies ‘speckled
shield’.
Scoriath. A king of the Fir Morca in Gaul and father of the beautiful
Moriath. He welcomed Moen to his court, allowed him to marry his
daughter and supplied him with an army of Gauls to help him
establish himself as king of Leinster and exact vengeance on his evil
great-uncle Cobhthach.
Scottish Gaelic 207

Scota. 1. Daughter of the Egyptian Pharaoh Cingris. She became wife

of Niul and mother of Goidel, the progenitor of the Gaels.
2. Daughter of the Egyptian Pharaoh Nectanebus and wife of
Milesius. She was killed fighting the De Danaan and was buried in
Scotia’s Glen, three miles from Tralee in Co. Kerry.
Scotland. See Alba.
Scots. In early medieval Latin, the term Scottus meant Irishman. This
created confusion when the kingdom of Alba began to be referred to
by the same name. The utter confusion it caused is demonstrated by
the Wurzburg Schottenkloster, which was an Irish Benedictine
monastery until 1497. By that time there had been a linguistic change
and the terms Scottus, Scotia and Scot now applied to the kingdom of
Alba. Scottish clerics demanded that the Pope expel the Irish from
Wurzburg on the grounds that it was, by name, a Scottish founda¬
tion. The Pope did so and Wurzburg became a Scottish monastery
until as late as 1803. However, Johannes Scottus Eriugena, Sedulius
Scottus, Marianus Scottus, Clemens Scottus, etc. were all Irishmen
and not from modern Scotland.
Scottish Gaelic. The language of Alba. Irish mythology is very similar
to Scottish Gaelic mythology because the literature of both cultures
descended from a common root after the myths and sagas had been
well established. The first written differences between Old Irish and
Scottish Gaelic (Gaidhlig) occur in the ninth century Book of Deer,
now in Cambridge. Professor Kenneth Jackson has pointed out that
the Gaelic language achieved its greatest territorial expansion when
Scotland annexed the tiny kingdom of Angles around the mouth of
the Tweed in 1018 and ‘in consequence of this the whole of Scotland
became for a time Gaelic in speech’. Scottish Gaelic did not begin to
recede from the ‘Lowlands’ of Scotland until the fourteenth century.
The last Gaelic speakers of Galloway, for example, did not die out
until the late eighteenth century when Robert Burns was a child.
Today, however, only 1.6 per cent of the people of Scotland speak
Gaelic as a first language (79,303 according to the 1981 census). This
census is only concerned with Scotland and there are many thousands
of Gaelic speakers living outside the census areas as well as outside the
United Kingdom itself. Canada’s 1971 census gave 18,420 ‘mother-
tongue’ Gaelic speakers there. Even before the Union with England
of 1707, Gaelic was one of Europe’s most persecuted languages. The
Reformation particularly dealt it a severe blow. Entire libraries of
Gaelic books were destroyed. Literary remains date from the
208 Scuab Uasafach

eleventh century. They are sparse but indicative of a greater lost

literature. Works such as the sixteenth-century Book of the Dean of
Lismore show the sophistication of a long tradition of literary en¬
deavour. The first book printed in Gaelic was Form na hOrdaigh, a
book of common prayer, by Bishop John Carswell, in 1567.
Scuab Uasafach. Terrible Broom. The name of the battalion of the
Fianna commanded by Oscar which swept the enemy from the
battlefield and never gave an inch of ground. Its banner was a broom.
Seanchaidhe. Seanchai in modern Irish. A story-teller and historian.
The word has now been adopted into English in varying forms as
seannachie, seannachy and sennchie.
Seang. Daughter of the king of Scythia and wife to Milesius. She died,
and he left Scythia for Egypt where he remarried Scota. See Scota 2.
Searbhan. The surly. A one-eyed Fomorii warrior who guarded a
magic tree, squatting at its foot all day and sleeping in its branches all
night. So terrible was his appearance that none of the Fianna would
go near him. During the pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne, Diarmuid
made friends with him so that the couple could hide in the tree safe
from the pursuing Fianna. All went well until Grainne grew restless
and wanted to eat the magic berries from the tree. When Searbhan
refused to allow her to do this, Diarmuid slew him.
Sechnasach. Son of Fingen Mac Aedha, whose wife was Mor of
Munster. She fled before his birth under the influence of voices
prophesying evil.
Segais, Well of. See Nuts of Knowledge.
Segda Saerlabraid. Son of the ‘king and queen of Tir Tairnigiri’,
‘sinless people’, according to the medieval scribes, who never slept
together except at his conception. Interestingly, this Christian
embellishment forgets that the rulers of Tir Tairnigiri (the Land of
Promise) were Manannan Mac Lir and his wife Fand.
Semion. Son of Stariat from whom all the Firbolgs were descended.
Senach Siaborthe. A warrior with whom it was suggested that
Cuchulainn fight, as a reward for which Fand would be sent to him.
Senboth. Partholon’s eldest chieftain and adviser.
Sencha Mac Ailella. Chief judge and poet of Ulster in the days of
Conchobhar Mac Nessa. He acted as a foil to Bricriu, the creator of
discord, and it was he who taught Cuchulainn how to speak.
Sera. Father of Partholon and Starn. In some versions it was Sera who
was married to Dealgnaid and not Partholon.
Setanta. The original name of Cuchulainn. It is interesting to note that
Sithchenn 209

there was a Celtic tribe called the Setantii who inhabited an area in
what is now north-west England.
Seth. In Christian-orientated accounts this Biblical character, son of
Adam and Eve, and the three daughters of Cain were the first people
to see Ireland.
Sgeimh Solais. Light of Beauty. The daughter of the High King
Cairbre whose marriage to the son of the Desi started the war between
Cairbre and the Fianna which resulted in the eventual destruction of
the Fianna.
Shape-changing. A very common motif in the myths and tales. Gods
often did it, frequently changing shape to sleep with mortals. Druids
and druidesses also were able to change their shape and turn others
into various forms of animals.
Sidhe. A mound or hill, the dwelling place of the De Danaan after their
defeat by the Milesians. The ancient gods, thus driven underground,
were relegated in folk memory to fairies, aes sidhe, the people of the
hills. Most popular is the banshee (bean sidhe), the woman of the
fairies. Each god was allotted a sidhe by the Dagda before he gave up
leadership of them. For example, Sidhe Fionnachaidh went to Lir;
Sidhe Bodb went to Bodb Dearg; Sidhe Bri Leith went to Midir;
Sidhe Airceltrai to Ogma; Sidhe Rodrubai to Lugh; Sidhe Eai Aedha
Ruaidh to Ilbreach son of Manannan; Bruigh na Boinne to Aonghus
Og.
Simon Breac. Son of Starn. After the Nemedian defeat by the Fomorii
he and his followers fled from Ireland. Arriving in Thrace they were
enslaved and became the ancestors of the Firbolg.
Simon Magus. The New Testament character makes a surprising
appearance in the myths when his sons are said to have raped the
goddess Tlachtga.
Sineach. See Muirdris.
Sinend. See Sionan.
Sionan. Daughter of Lir’s son Lodan. She went to the Well of
Knowledge at the source of the Shannon, even though it was
forbidden. As with Boann, the water of the well rose up and chased
her westward and drowned her. The path of the water became the
river Shannon, named after her. The Shannon has its source in Co.
Cavan and, at 170 miles in length, is the longest river in the British
Isles. The story is a complete parallel to that of Boann and the
formation of the Boyne.
Sithchenn. A druid, seer and smith, to whom Niall of the Nine
210 Slaine

Hostages and his four brothers were sent by Mongfhinn to see what
their futures were. Sithchenn enticed them into his forge and set fire
to it to see what items they would rescue. While the others came out
with sledge hammers, a pail of beer, bellows, spearheads and dry
sticks, Niall came out with the anvil and from this Sithchenn foretold
he would be the greatest High King of Ireland.
Slaine. 1. Sometimes Slainge. The name signifies ‘health’. He was a
son of Partholon who was the first physician in Ireland. His grave
is at Dinn Righ which was also known as Duma Slainge, Slaine’s
Grave.
2. SonofDelatheFirbolg. He was an antagonist ofNemed and ruled
Leinster.
Slemuin. A bull which belonged to the Morrigan. See Odras.
Sliabh Mis. Anglicised as Sleemish. Situated in Corco Duibhne (Co.
Kerry), this was the fabulous fortress of Cu Roi. The entrance could
never be found at sunset. No matter what part of the fortress he was
in Cu Roi only had to utter a spell and the fortress was able to revolve
like a millstone. It is not to be confused with a mountain of the same
name in Co. Antrim where St. Patrick passed his youth herding
swine.
Slieve. In Irish sliabh, a mountain. Slieve Fuad, near Newtonhamilton
in Co. Armagh, the dwelling place of the god Lir, was where the hero
Fuad was slain. Slievebeagh (Sliabh Beatha), the mountain of the
hero Bith, is on the borders of Cos. Monaghan, Fermanagh and
Tyrone. Slievebloom is the mountain of Bladh (Sliabh Bladhma), a
Milesian hero. Slieve Slanga was named after Slaine (Slainge), the
physician son of Partholon who was buried on its summit. This is
now called Slieve Donard (the highest of the Mourne mountains),
renamed from Donart, son of a king of Ulster who became a disciple
of St. Patrick. There is also Slieve Eelim (Sliabh Eibhlinne), the
mountain range east of Limerick, which took its name from Ebliu
(see Ebliu 1), the sister of Lugh.
Smirgat. A wife of Fionn Mac Cumhail. She prophesied that if he drank
from a horn he would die. He was therefore careful to drink from
goblet or bowl.
Snedgus. A cleric in the service of St. Colmcille who enters into myth
because of a fabulous voyage - ‘The Voyage of Snedgus and Mac
Riagla’. While it is preserved in the fourteenth-century Yellow Book
of Lecan, scholars have dated the tale to the seventh century. Snedgus
and Mac Riagla sat in judgement on the men of Ross who had
Sr eng 211

assassinated a tyrannical king. Rather harshly, in view of the circum¬

stances, they said judgement should be left to God and that sixty
couples should be cast upon the sea in curraghs. The two clerics,
however, decided to join them, and as their own curragh drifted on
the sea they visited many marvellous lands, seeing strange beasts,
until they came to an island on which they lived in a form of
immortality.
Socht’s sword. It would cut a hair off a man’s head without touching
his flesh and would cut a man in two ‘so that neither half knew what
had befallen the other’.
Somhlth. Sometimes Sowlth. A supernatural without shape.
Sovranty of Ireland. The form of‘sovranty’ appears in various myths as
a female figure. Invariably she starts off as an ugly crone but turns
into a beautiful maiden who bestows the kingship on the man deemed
‘rightful’.
Spain. This country is frequently mentioned but is a synonym for ‘The
Land of Death’. It was probably introduced by Christian monks
when they began to record the sagas because of some reticence about
pre-Christian terminology. Spain, or rather the Iberian peninsula,
was settled by Celts from 900bc, classified as Celtiberians by
archaeologists and early historians. They left much archaeological
evidence and some of the earliest Continental Celtic inscriptions such
as the text found at Botorrita. When the British Celts were moving
out of Britain during the settlements of the Angles and Saxons
(ancestors of the English) in the fifth and sixth centuries ad, some
Celtic tribes settled on the north-west of the Iberian peninsula,
mainly in Astruias. The Celtic Church flourished there for a time
before accepting Roman orthodoxy at the Council of Toledo in 633.
This settlement has given rise to a popular modern myth that Galicia,
which received a form of home rule from Spain in 1980, is a Celtic
country. This is, of course, not so. Galician is a Romance language
deriving from the same Hispanic dialect as Portuguese.
Sreng. A Firbolg who was sent as ambassador to the De Danaan when
they landed in Ireland. He met with Bres who suggested they divide
Ireland between then. Sreng was impressed with the weapons of the
De Danaan: they were light and sharply pointed compared with
the Firbolg heavy and almost blunt weapons. The Firbolg rejected
the De Danaan offer and the first Battle of Magh Tuireadh took
place. Sreng fought in single combat with Nuada and gave him a
terrific blow which cut Nuada’s shield in two and cut off his hand.
212 Stam

The god Dian Cecht had to give Nuada a silver hand in replacement,
thus earning Nuada’s name. In Connacht, until the middle of the
seventeenth century, people still claimed to trace their descent to
Sreng.
Starn. 1. A son of Sera and brother of Partholon.
2. Son of Nemed and father of Tuan, acclaimed the ancestor of the
Firbolg.
Stone. Reverence for stones was common among all the ancient Celts.
The Celts dwelt in a firm communication with Nature, believing in
the consciousness of all things. Trees, fountains, even weapons and
implements were but a fragment of one cosmic whole. Stones
particularly were thought to have an indwelling spirit, thus could the
Lia Fail (the Stone of Destiny) roar with joy when it felt the touch of a
rightful ruler’s foot. Another stone could tell if a man lied. See Lia
Fail.
Sualtam Mac Roth. Also Sualdaim. The brother of Fergus Mac Roth.
He was Cuchulainn’s ‘mortal father’. The night before his wedding to
Dechtire, the god Lugh took her off and slept with her. She gave
birth to Setanta who was to become known as Cuchulainn. When
Ailill and Medb invaded Ulster during the war of the Tain he
attempted to raise the warriors of Conchobhar Mac Nessa. Unable to
wake the men of Ulster he turned his horse, the spirited Grey of
Macha, so angrily that the sharp rim of his shield sliced off his head.
The severed head continued to cry its warning until the curse of
Macha was lifted and the warriors were roused to the danger.
Suantrade. One of the harpists of Uaithne who made such sad music
that men died listening to it.
Suibhne Geilt. A king cursed by St. Ronan so that, in spite of his
human form, he assumed the characteristics of a bird, leaping from
tree to tree. In this Suibhne, interestingly, has a Welsh counterpart in
Myrddin Wyllt. He is said to have fled frenzied from the Battle of
Moyrath. See Geilt.
Sun. Heliolatry or sun-worship, judging from the abundance of solar
motifs, was a common Celtic practice, although there is little evi¬
dence in the myths and sagas of a sun-cult. There are references,
however, to sun-deities, such as Mac Greine (son of the sun) who was
the husband of Eire, who gave her name to Ireland. The god Bel
(Irish Bile) was known as ‘the shining one’ and his feast of Beltaine (1
May) was obviously connected with a sun-cult. On Mount Callan
(near Ennis) there stands a sun altar where the Beltaine festival was
Swans 213

celebrated on midsummer’s day down to 1895. Near Macroom is a

standing stone called ‘the stone of the sun’ while Seathrun Ceitinn
(c. 1570-1650) claimed that many of the dolmens associated with
Grainne were, in fact, originally connected with Greine (the sun).
Among the various sun references in Irish, we have Giolla Greine,
whose mother was a sunbeam.
Swans. A favourite form among shape-changers. The children of Lir
were turned into swans and Caer, of whom the love-god Aonghus Og
dreamt and went in search, was a human who lived in the form of a
swan.
T. Time (holly) in the Ogham alphabet.
Tabhall-Iorg. A tablet staff. Frequently mentioned is the fact that
records, books of poetry, genealogy and history were kept by druids
and ollamhs on rods of wood in Ogham. These were variously called
tabhall-lorg, taibhli-filidh (poets’ staffs), tamlorga filidh and flesc filidh
(poets’ rods). The Brehon Laws say it was only lawful for poets to
carry them. They were collections of wooden sticks, usually of beech
or birch, which opened into the shape of a fan on which Ogham was
recorded. In a few instances other forms of wood are referred to,
especially yew. See Ogham.
Tabhfheis. The Bull Feast. A ceremony particularly associated with
the choosing of the High Kings. A druid would eat the flesh of a bull
and drink its blood. He was then put to sleep by four other druids.
The person that he dreamed of was the one who was to become High
King. If he lied about his vision then the gods would destroy him.
Taboo. See Geis.
Tadhg. 1. Son of Cian king of Munster, Tadhg allied himself with
Cormac Mac Art. He was wounded in the Battle of Crinna, fought
against the men of Ulster. Cormac had promised to reward his
alliance with any land which he could circumnavigate in his chariot
after the battle. But Cormac knew that Tadhg really wanted Temuir
(Tara) and therefore the High Kingship. Cormac therefore bribed
Tadhg’s charioteer and Tadhg was so wounded in the battle that he
kept swooning. Therefore his charioteer was able to make a circum¬
navigation of land which formed an ‘L’ shape around Tara, excluding
it. When Tadhg discovered the trick played on him, he slew his
charioteer. The goddess Cliodhna appeared to Tadhg during his
voyage in ‘The Adventures of Tadhg, son of Cian, son of Ailill
Olum’. Standish Hayes O’Grady, translating the story in his Silva
Gadelica, believed the story to date back to the third century ad.
Tailtu 215

2. Son of Nuada. He was a druid and father of Murna of the White

Neck, the mother of Fionn Mac Cumhail. When Cumal wanted to
marry her, he opposed it for it had been prophesied that the marriage
would result in his losing his power and estates. Cumal abducted her
and so Tadhg persuaded Conn, the High King, to send Goll Mac
Morna after him and in the resultant battle Cumal was slain. See
Cumal and Murna.
Taidle Ulaidh. A steward of the household of the High King Conaire
Mor. The heroes are told, in ‘The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel’,
that ‘it is necessary to listen to his judgements for he has power over
seat, couch and food’.
Taillcenn. The name given by the druids to St. Patrick. The druids
prophesied to Laoghaire the High King (ad428-63) of his coming, an
incident quoted in ‘The Life of St. Patrick’ by Muirchiu of Armagh,
written before 700, and surviving in th eBook of Armagh.

The Taillcenn will come over a furious sea,

His mantle head-holed, his staff crook-headed,
His dish in the east of his house,
All his household shall answer - Amen! Amen!

Tailltinn, Battle of. A great battle between the De Danaan and the
Milesians. It is said that three kings and queens of the De Danaan
were slain.
Tailtu. Daughter of the Firbolg king of the Great Plain. Eochaidh Mac
Ere, another Firbolg king, married her. She became foster mother to
Lugh Lamhfada and gave her name to Tailltinn (sometimes Teltin)
which is Anglicised as Teltown, midway between Navan and Kells.
She cleared the forest of Breg, making it into a plain. As a result of her
labours she died and was buried at Tailltinn. Lugh Lamhfhada
decreed a feast in her honour which became known as Lughnasadh.
See Lughnasadh. 1 August was supposed to be the anniversary of the
date on which the Firbolg landed in Ireland. The festival became a
major event in pre-Christian Ireland. Its games corresponded to the
Olympics of ancient Greece. According to Cuan O Lathchain, whose
poem on Tailtu survives in the twelfth-century Leabhair Laighnech
(Book of Leinster), the games were held around the graves on the hill
of Tailltinn. Ollamh Fotla is said to be another distinguished person¬
age buried there. According to Annala Rioghachta Eireann (Annals of
the Four Masters) the last official games held at Tailltinn were on 1
216 Tain

August 1169, under the jurisdiction of the last High King, Ruraidh O
Conchobhar. This was almost on the eve of the Anglo-Norman
invasion of Ireland.
Tain. A plundering expedition, usually a cattle-raid. Reference to ‘The
Tain’ usually means the epic Tain Bo Cuailgne, the Cattle-Raid of
Cuailgne (sometimes Anglicised as Cooley), the most famous ‘cattle-
raid’ tale. There are, however, several of these tales although the two
most quoted are those of Cuailgne and Fraoch. See Tain Bo Cuailgne
and Tain Bo Fraoch.
Tain Bo Cuailgne. The Cattle-Raid of Cuailgne. The most famous epic
in mythology. It has been compared with the Greek Iliad. Its date of
origin is uncertain although we can be sure that it had an oral
tradition for many centuries before it was written down. The first
reference to it being put in written form is in the seventh century
when it is recorded that Senchan Torpeist, the chief ollamh of Ireland
(d. ad647), committed it to writing. However, surviving texts date
from much later. The basic texts are found in Leabhar na h-Uidhre,
the eleventh-century Book of the Dun Cow, and Leabhar Laighnech,
the twelfth-century Book of Leinster. Both versions are incomplete
but additions are to be found in The Yellow Book of Lecan. The Tain,
as it is popularly known, describes the campaign by Medb, the
masterful queen of Connacht, to capture the famous Brown Bull of
Cuailgne in Ulster. She led a vast army against Ulster whose warriors
were prevented from defending the kingdom by a strange debility
inflicted by Macha, perhaps a war goddess. Only the youthful
champion Cuchulainn was able to carry on a defence, a long,
single-handed resistance, until the Ulster men recovered from their
debility and came to his aid. It is the longest, most elaborate and
powerful of all the Irish myths and is the central theme of the Red
Branch Cycle.
Tain Bo Fraoch. Sometimes Tain Bo Froech. Cattle-Raid of Fraoch.
The second most popular cattle-raid tale. The first part of the story
tells how Fraoch, the most handsome warrior in Ireland, set out to
woo Findbhair, the beautiful daughter of Ailill and Medb. It is
famous for the encounter between Fraoch and a water monster in
which Findbhair assisted him. It has been suggested by Professor
C. W. von Sydow (Beowulfskalden och nordisk tradition, Arsbok, 1923)
that the story provided the model for the English saga of Beowulf.
Beowulf was, of course, written in Northumbria about the reign of
Aldfrith (c. ad685). Aldfrith was the son of Osy, born at Druffield
Tara 217

on the Humberside, but he was sent for his education to the Irish
monastic school at Lisgoole, on the west bank of Loch Erne. He com¬
posed poetry in Irish and the authorship of three extant composi¬
tions is credited to him. It has been suggested that Aldfrith, with his
obvious knowledge of the Irish language and literary traditions, was
the ‘begetter' of Beowulf. Von Sydow’s theory is also supported by
Professor Gerard Murphy in his work Duanaire Finn. It is claimed
that there are nine significantly close points of identity between the
two compositions.
Tairchell. See Moling 2.
Tallaght. A mound near Dublin. Formerly known as Taimhleacht
Muintir Partholain, the plague grave of the people of Partholon.
According to Cormac’s Glossary, the term tamhlachta was given to
plague graves and this occurs in several Irish place names. It is said
that 9000 of Partholon’s people died of the plague and were buried at
this spot. The monastery of Mael Ruain, who founded the Cele De
(Culdee) order, was also at Tallaght.
Tanaiste. The successor to a king or professional man elected during
his predecessor’s lifetime. The word means ‘second’. His or her
position is clearly delineated in the Brehon Laws but Professor Eoin
Mac Neill believed that the tanaistech (tanistry system) was not an
ancient institution but a custom which only spread as late as the
thirteenth century. This is disputed by other scholars. The deputy
Prime Minister of the modern Irish Republic is called the Tanaiste.
Tara. Also Temuir and Temair. The modern form is Teamhair. A site
in Co. Meath generally regarded as the capital of ancient Ireland and
the main royal residence of the High Kings. Muirchiu, in his ‘Life of
St. Patrick’ (c. seventh century) described Tara as caput Scotorum -
the Irish capital. The name is derived from the goddess Tea, wife of
Eremon, the first Milesian High King. Temair is to be found in other
place names, most notably Temair Luchra, the chief royal residence
of south Munster at the time of the Red Branch Cycle. The Degads,
the Munster equivalent of the Red Branch, had their headquarters
there.
Tara is certainly an ancient site and parts of the remains have been
dated back to 2000bc. There are two detailed early descriptions of the
site extant, one written by Cineth O hArtigan in the tenth century,
and the other by Ciian O Lathchain in the eleventh century.
The principal fortification was Rath Rfgh (fortress of kings) whose
ramparts measured 853 feet in diameter. There were apparently two
218 Tara

walls with a ditch in between them. One, at least, of these ramparts

was of stone. Within the central enclosure was the forradh or public
meeting place which also had two outer rings or ramparts. Here
stands a remarkable pillar stone, 6 feet high, which is thought to have
been the Irish Lia Fail (Stone of Destiny), an inauguration stone for
the High Kings which roared with joy at the touch of a rightful
king’s foot. See Lia Fail. Within the enclosure also stands Tech
Cormaic, Cormac’s House, a circular rath which is said to have been
erected by Cormac Mac Art. Duma na nGiall, the mound of hostages,
is also within the main fortification and was anciently described as a
timber house in which the hostages of the High King lived. A little to
the side stands Duma na Bo, the mound of the cow. It is 40 feet in
diameter and 6 feet high and this is where the celebrated legendary
cow of Cian, stolen by Balor of the Evil Eye, is believed to have been
buried.
One hundred paces from Rath Righ on the north-east side is a well
called Nemnach (sparkling or bright), celebrated in the legend of
Cormac Mac Art’s mill.
Rath na Senaid, the rath of synods, now called the King’s Chair and
partly encroached on by the walls of a modern church, was the spot
where the major Christian synods were held: the first in 433 when St.
Patrick preached to the High King Laoghaire, the second in 560
when St. Ruadan of Lorrha pronounced his curse against Tara, and
the last in 697 when Adamnan procured acceptance in Irish law that
women could be exempt from military service in time of war. Nearby
are the remains of an old Celtic cross called Adamnan’s Cross. The
Tech Miodhchuarta or banqueting hall (literally, mead-circling
house) can be seen on the northern slope. The hall was, according to
record, a timber building standing 45 feet high, ornamented, carved
and painted in colours. There was an elaborate sub-division of inner
space. Entrance was gained by twelve or fourteen doors and this
ancient description is supported by the remains.
Rath Caelchon to the north was named after a Munster chieftain
named Caelchu, a contemporary of Cormac Mac Art. He died in Tara
and was interred in a leacht beside which the rath was raised in
commemoration. Next to this rises Rath Grainne, 258 feet in diam¬
eter, where, it is said, the lady Grainne, daughter of Cormac Mac Art,
entertained her father and Fionn Mac Cumhaill. The forradh or
meeting place rises next to it. To the north of Rath Grainne is Tobar
Fionn, or Fionn’s Well.
Teideach 219

To the south of the complex at Tara stands Rath Laoghaire, 300

feet in diameter, named after the High King during the arrival of St.
Patrick. West of this fortress is a well called Tobar Laegh (signifying
a calf) which, according to the seventh-century ‘Annotations of
Tirechan’ is where St. Patrick baptised his first convert at Tara. This
was Ere Mac Dego who afterwards became Bishop of Slane.
Significantly, five main roads led from Tara to the provinces of
which three are still quite traceable - Slige Dala and Slige Midluachra
are covered by modern roads and Slige Asail can also be seen.
Close to Tara there are two other great circular forts which are
worth noting. Rath Medb lies a mile south of Rath Rfgh, 673 feet in
diameter, said to be erected by Queen Medb of Leinster when she
was wife of Art the Solitary. The other lies one mile north of the
banqueting hall, Rath Miles, 300 feet in diameter. Nothing is known
of its history.
The story of the abandonment of Tara as the seat of the High Kings
is told in the story of Diarmuid son of Fergus Cearbaill (ad545-568).
See Diarmuid 2. However, the curse of St. Ronan (or Ruadan) of
Lorrha is contradicted by the annals for as late as 786 Tara appeared
neither cursed nor deserted. However, shortly after 734, Tara did
seem to lack the importance of previous years and, while it was still
used, the High Kings tended to take up residence where they
pleased, usually in the safety of their own provinces.
Tea. Wife of the first Milesian king, Eremon. She is referred to as a
goddess of the De Danaan and Eremon named his capital of Tara
(Tea-mhair) after her. See Tara.
Tech Duinn. The House of Donn. The gathering place of the dead,
said to be an island lying to the south-west of Ireland presided over by
Donn, god of the dead.
Tech Screpta. Sometimes Teach Screpta. Libraries, mentioned in the
Book of Leinster, which existed as early as the sixth century ad. As
Ireland was the seat of European scholarship and learning during the
so-called Dark Ages, vast libraries were common in Ireland presided
over by leabhar^coimdaech (librarians). Many of these were destroyed
during the period of the Viking raids.
Tegmong. One of the three doorkeepers of Tara in the days of Conaire
Mor.
Teideach. One of the two sons of Cromm Dubh, the other being
Clonach. He appears as a god although the name also occurs as that
of a chieftain with whom St. Patrick fought.
220 Tlachtga

Teltown. See Tailtu.

Temuir. See Tara.
Tethra. A Fomorii who seems to be a sea-god. Like the De Danaan
Manannan Mac Lir he was known as ‘lord of the joyous Otherworld'.
He took part in the second Battle of Magh Tuireadh and there lost his
sword Orna, which was found by Ogma. See Orna and Ogma.
Three, Significance of. See Triads.
Three gods of craftsmanship. See Credne Cred, Goibhniu and
Luchtar.
Three-headed bird. A creature that devastated Ireland but was slain by
Amairgen.
Threefold Death. A popular motif where a person fulfils an unlikely
prophecy that they would suffer three different types of death.
Diarmuid Mac Fergus’ multiple death is a typical example. See
Diarmuid 2.
Tigernmas. Son of Follach. The name signifies ‘lord of death’. In king
lists he is given as the twenty-sixth High King, being either fifth or
eighth after Eremon, the first Milesian ruler. He is said to have found
the first gold mine in Ireland, and to have introduced silver-work and
variegated colours in the clothing of his people, i.e. the tartan. The
number of colours varied and went up according to rank. He is also
recorded as having introduced the worship of an idol called Cromm
Croich or Cromm Cruach (Bloody Crescent) which involved human
sacrifice. The idol was worshipped on the Plain of Adoration (Magh
Slecht) on the feast of Samhain. Tigernmas was mysteriously slain
during the frenzied worship of the idol.
Tiobraide Tireach. King of Ulster who slew Conn of the Hundred
Battles as the High King was preparing to celebrate the annual
festival at Tara.
Tir. The Irish word for ‘Land’ or ‘Country’ as in Tir fo Thuinn (Land
under the Wave); Tir na mBan (Country of Women), Tir na mBeo
(Land of the Living); Tir na nOg (Land of Youth); Tir Tairnigiri
(Land of Promise), etc. All these countries appear frequently in the
myths and equate with the Otherworld.
Tlachtga. 1. A goddess who was daughter of the druid Mug Ruith of
West Munster. She ‘had been with her father learning the world’s
magic’. It is said that she was raped by the sons of Simon Magus. She
produced three sons by three different fathers at one birth, but she
died in the process. She gave her name to the Hill of Tlachta.
2. Hill of: now the Hill of Ward near Athboy, Co. Meath, 12 miles
Toll Tumde 221

from Tara. The Hill ol Tlachtga was associated with the Samhain
Festival.
Toba. See Todga.
Tobar. Sometimes tober. A well. Wells play a significant part in the
religion of pre-Christian Ireland as places of worship. Unable to
suppress the custom, Christianity designated them as holy wells.
Pope Gregory, realising the problems of loyalty to pre-Christian
cults, wrote in 601: ‘The temples of the idols in that nation ought not
to be destroyed; but let the idols that are in them be destroyed; let
holy water be made and sprinkled in the said temples; let altars be
erected and relics placed. For if those temples are well built, it is
requisite that they be converted from the worship of devils to the
service of the true God; that the nation, seeing that their temples are
not destroyed, may remove error from their hearts and knowing and
adoring the true God, may the more familiarly resort to places to
which they have been accustomed.’ There are many places in Ireland
named after the former pagan wells: Toberaheena (Friday’s well),
Toberbilly (well of the ancient tree), Tobercurry (well of the
cauldron), Tobermore (great well), etc.
Tochmarc. Wooing. A class of tales such as ‘Tochmarc Enter’ (The
Wooing of Emer), ‘Tochmarc Ailbe\ ‘Tochmarc Etain’, ‘Tochmarc
Fithime agus Datrine, da ingen TuathaiV (The wooing of Fithirne and
Dairine, the two daughters of Tuathal), etc.
Tochur. One of the three doorkeepers of Tara in the time of Conaire
Mor.
Todga. A servant of Dealgnaid, the wife of Partholon. He seized the
opportunity of her husband’s absence to have an affair with her.
Togail. Destruction. A class of tale, such as ‘Togail Bruidhne Da Derga’
(Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel), ‘Togail Bruidhne Da Choca’
(Destruction of Da Choca’s Hostel), ‘Togail Trof (Destruction of
Troy), etc.
Toice Bhrean. The guardian of the well out of which rose Loch Guirr.
The name implies a guardian of ‘fortune’ from the Old Irish toice
(.toicthiu), fate or destiny. See Aine.
Toll Tuinde. Hill of the Wave. Forty days after Cesair’s landing in
Ireland, Fintan, son of Bochra, Cesair’s husband (given in other
versions as her husband, not her son), fled to Toll Tuinde, sometimes
Tul Tuinde. Cesair and her companions died while he spent a year
sheltering there and then, when the Deluge came, he survived it by
becoming metamorphosed into a salmon.
222 Tonn

Tonn. A wave. ‘The Three Great Waves of Ireland’ are much cel¬
ebrated in the sagas and myths. These were: Tonn Tuaithe at the
mouth of the Bann, Co. Derry; Tonn Rudraidhe, Dundrum Bay, Co.
Down; Tonn Cliodhna, Glandore Bay, Co. Cork. See Cliodhna,
Rudraidhe and Tuaithe. The three waves used to roar in response to
the moan of the magic shield of Conchobhar Mac Nessa, which cried
out when its bearer was in trouble. See Ochain.
Tdraigheacht. Rescue. A class of tales such as ‘Toraigheacht an Chairthe
Sgarloide’ (Rescue of the scarlet cloth), ‘Toraigheacht Duibhe Lacha’
(Rescue of Dubh Lacha), ‘Tdraigheacht Fiacail Riogh Greag’
(Rescue of the tooth of the King of Greece), ‘7'oraigheachta Ghruaidhe
Grian-S holms’ (Rescue of the lady of sunburnt cheeks),
‘Toraigheachta na hEilite’ (Rescue of the does), etc.
Tore. Torque. An ornament of twisted or modelled gold worn around
the neck (muin-torc, the neck tore, being the commonest form). This
was a common adornment to all the Celtic peoples in ancient times
and the famous statue of The Dying Gaul (Capitoline Museum,
Rome) depicts a warrior with such a tore around his neck. Numerous
tores have been found in Ireland as well as in other Celtic areas.
Usually, the terminals of these tores have animals or other exotic
figures moulded into them. They clearly have a religious connotation
and are often seen on the necks of gods as well as heroes. Signifi¬
cantly, the Old Irish word tore signifies a chieftain or hero.
Tore Triatha. See Orc-Triath.
Torna Eices. Torna the Learned. A Munster poet who found a baby
abandoned and naked near Tara and fostered him. The baby grew up
as Niall of the Nine Hostages.
Tory Island. Chief island of the Fomorii. The name derives from torach
(tower-like) which is an apt description of the island which lies off the
coast of Donegal. Conann’s Tower, which the Nemedians attacked,
was built on it. On Tor Mor, a headland, Balor of the Evil Eye
imprisoned his daughter Ethlinn in a tower of crystal.
Tradaban, Well of. Celta the warrior, in a Christian embellishment to
the story of the Fianna, is said to have met St. Patrick and led him to
the well where he uttered an exquisite lyric in praise of its healing
properties.
Traighthren. Son of Traighlethan. A Red Branch champion who,
together with his brother, was slain by Fergus Mac Roth when
Fergus realised how he had been deceived by Conchobhar Mac Nessa
over the sons of Usna.
T nads 223

Transmigration of souls. A basic belief in pre-Christian Ireland. See

Otherworld. Souls migrated from the Land of the Living to the Land
of the Dead and vice versa. They also migrated through various
births. People could not only be reborn as other people but could go
through various metamorphoses, for example Fintan who survived
the Deluge by changing into a salmon, the swineherds of Bodb and
Ochall who became various animals before ending as the two great
bulls of Connacht and Cuailgne, and Tuan Mac Cairell’s varying
transformations.
Treasure bag of the Fianna. It contained numerous articles with
magical properties such as the knife and shirt of Manannan Mac Lir.
The treasures would appear in the bag at full-tide but vanish at
ebb-tide. It was made from the skin of Aoife who was killed while in
the form of a crane. Lia, lord of Luchtar, was keeper of the bag until
slain by Fionn Mac Cumhail. See Aoife 3.
Tree of Life. Crann Bethadh. Sacred trees were talismans of all tribes
and clans. Each had its own sacred tree standing, usually, in the centre
of its territory. Often a tribal raid by a rival clan would simply be for
the purpose of destroying the tree and thus demoralising the enemy.
Trendorn. A spy of Conchobhar Mac Nessa sent to inform the Ulster
king whether Deirdre was as beautiful as ever. In other versions of
the story this role falls to Gelban. Although Naoise put Trendorn’s
eye out, the spy told Conchobhar that he would gladly give the other
to gaze on the beauty of Deirdre.
Tren-fher. Strong man. A champion in the retinue of a chieftain or
king. He is sometimes referred to as cath-miled (battle soldier). He
answers any challenges to single combat on behalf of his chieftain. In
some romances he appears as aire-echtra (avenger of insults) and the
position is actually prescribed in Brehon Law. Even St. Patrick had
his personal tren-fher. This was St. Mac Carthen, the first Bishop of
Clogher. Anglicised, this title is to be found in the Irish name
Traynor.
Treon. Father ofBebhionn.
Triads. The concept of three or the trinity seems more or less universal
among Indo-European cultures, although nowhere is it more promi¬
nent than in Celtic culture. Diogenes Laertius (c. second or third
century bc) mentions that the druids taught in the form of triads. In
both Irish and Welsh myth the gods came in threes, triune gods and
goddesses. Three and three times three permeate Celtic philosophy
and art. Hilary, who became Bishop of Poitiers about 350, is regarded
224 Triath

as the first native Celt to become an outstanding force in the Christian

movement. Significantly, his greatest work was De Tnmtate, defining
the concept of a Holy Trinity which is so integral to Christian belief
today. As a Celt, Hilary was imbued with the mystical tradition of
his people and therefore the Trinity in Christian tradition probably
owes its origin more to Celtic concepts than to the Judaic-Greco
background of the religion.
Triath. Son of Febal. A foster son of Midir who told Aonghus Og the
truth about his parentage.
Trinity. See Triads.
Triscatal. The champion of Conchobhar Mac Nessa. He was a mighty
broad-fronted, shaggy-haired man with thighs as thick as an ordinary
man’s body, wearing a leather apron from his armpit down; his limbs
were bare and his aspect so fierce that he killed by his very glance.
Tuage. A woman for whom Manannan Mac Lir lusted. He sent a druid,
Fer Ferdiad, to bring her to him. The druid lulled her to sleep and led
her to Ibhear Glas. While he went to seek a ship to transport them,
Tuage drowned and for this neglect Manannan Mac Lir slew the
druid.
Tuaithe. A god of whom little is known save that the Wave of Tuaithe,
at the mouth of the Bann, Co. Derry, was named after him.
Tuan Mac Cairell. Son of Starn, brother of Partholon. When a plague
destroyed the Partholons, he survived and found himself trans¬
formed into a stag. After living as king of the stags in Ireland until
old age, he was then changed into an eagle. Eventually he meta¬
morphosed into a salmon which was caught and eaten by the wife
of Cairell who then gave birth to him in human form again with
his memory of the whole history of Ireland from the coming of
Partholon. The story typifies the Celtic belief in reincarnation.
Tuan Mac Starn. The original name of Tuan Mac Cairell. See above.
Tuatha. A people, tribe or nation. It is also used in the sagas to denote a
country or petty kingdom or territory and it later became used as a
term for the state or people as opposed to the church.
Tuatha Cruithne. See Piets.
Tuatha De Danaan. The people of the goddess Dana. The gods of the
pre-Christian Irish who inhabited the land before the coming of the
Milesians. When Christian monks started to write down the sagas,
these gods and goddesses were demoted into heroes and heroines
although much remained to demonstrate their god-like abilities.
Under their leader Nuada, the De Danaan came to Ireland from a
Tuireann 225

northern country where they had four fabulous cities - Falias,

Gorias, Finias and Murias. They defeated the Firbolg and then
overcame the Fomorii to become rulers of Ireland. They are rep¬
resented as gods of light and goodness as opposed to the more sinister
Fomorii. This is not to say that they were without vice. All human
passion was experienced by them. Eventually, they were overcome
by the Milesians, regarded as the ancestors of the Gaels, who drove
them underground. The gods of the De Danaan were common to all
the Celtic peoples: their names are cognate with many deities who
appear in the Welsh myths. As they were pushed underground they
were demoted in the eyes of the people and became merely fairies.
However, the argument created by the Christian monks was still
raging in the tenth century when the poet Eochaidh Ua Flainn (d.
974) wrote a poem asking whether the De Danaans were gods or
humans. He concludes that they were humans and emphasises: ‘I do
not worship them, I worship the one true god.’ It is an interesting
point to end with. Does it mean that the gods were still worshipped in
some parts at that time?
Tuathal Teachtmhair. Tuathal the Legitimate. According to the king
lists he was High King from ad 130 to 160 and was father of Fedilimid
Rechtmar (the Lawgiver, who ruled from ad164 to 174). He was also
the father of Fithir and Dairine, whose marriage to Eochaidh of
Leinster is the story of the beginning of the famous Boramha
Tribute, the fine placed on the kings of Leinster. Tuathal was of
Connacht ancestry and it is said that during a rebellion his mother
fled to Britain where he was born. Returning to Ireland, Tuathal rose
from provincial king to High King and it was he who formed the new
province of Meath as the personal estate of the High Kings. Meath
and Westmeath now constitute only half of the original ‘middle
province’. Tuathal also built palaces at Tara, Teltown, Tlaghtga and
Uisneach.
Tugen. Sometimes Taiden or Stuigen. The multi-coloured cloak of
bird feathers which was the official robe of the chief ollamh of Ireland,
described in ‘The Dialogue of Two Sages’ when Fer Cherdne and
Neide debated as to who would fill the office.
Tuirbe. Claimed as the father of Goibhniu the smith-god in some texts.
He was the greatest axe-thrower among the gods.
Tuireann. 1. A female - she appears varyingly as the sister of Fionn
Mac Cumhail, the sister of Fionn’s mother Murna and sometimes as
Fionn’s sister-in-law. She was married to Ullan who was having an
226 Tuis

affair with a druidess. In jealousy, the druidess turned Tuireann into

a bitch-dog. In this form she gave birth to Fionn’s hounds Bran and
Sceolan. Ullan promised the druidess that he would leave Tuireann
and go to live with her if she turned her back into a human being.
2. A male - he had three sons by the goddess Brigid, Brian, Iuchar
and Iucharbha. He was the son of Ogma and Etain 1.
3. Children of: Brian, Iuchar and Iucharba slew Cian the father of
Lugh Lamhfhada. In compensation they were ordered by Lugh to
obtain for him the following items: three apples from the Orient
Garden; the healing pig-skin of King Tuis of Greece; the Luin or
spear of King Pisear of Persia; the chariot and horses of King
Dobhar of Siogair; the magic pigs of King Easal of the Golden
Pillars; Fail-Inis, the whelp of the king of Ioruaidh; and the cooking
spit of the women of Fianchuibhe. Finally they were to give three
shouts on the Hill of Miodchaoin. This saga is said to be the Irish
equivalent to the voyage of Jason and his quest for the Golden Fleece.
See Brian.
Tuis. King of Greece who had a magical pig-skin which had the
property of healing all battle wounds and illnesses. It was one of the
items which the children of Tuireann had to bring back to Ireland.
 II
U. Ur (blackthorn) in the Ogham alphabet.
Uaig Buana. Buan’s Grave. See Buan 1.
Uaithne. 1. Sometimes Uathe. The harp of the Dagda. It was en¬
chanted and would only sound when summoned to do so by the
Dagda. It was stolen by the Fomorii but the Dagda traced it to their
feasting house and called it. It leapt forward, killing nine Fomorii,
and began to sing a paean praising the Dagda.
2. The Dagda’s harpist who had an affair with Boann. They had
three sons, Goltrade, Gentrade and Suantrade, who played such sad
music that it was said twelve men once died listening to it and
weeping for sorrow.
Uaman. The name of the sidhe in Connacht which was ruled by Ethal
Anubhail, the father of Caer with whom Aonghus Og, the love-god,
fell in love.
Uan. One of the six servers of the High King at Temuir (Tara).
Uar. The name signifies ‘cruel’. He and his sons, Ill-Omen, Damage
and Want, dwelt in Munster but appear to be Fomorii. They clashed
with Fionn Mac Cumhail. Uar’s three sons were described as ‘three
foemen - lame-thighed . . . left-handed of the race of wondrous evil,
and from the gravelly plain of Hell below . . . venom on their
weapons, and venom on their dress, and on their hands and feet and
on everything they touched’.
Uarad Garad. Sometimes Uaran Garaid. A river in Connacht where
Conall Cearnach (in other versions Mac Cecht) filled his cup to take
water back to Conaire Mor at the time of ‘The Destruction of Da
Derga’s Hostel’.
Uath Mac Imoman. The name signifies ‘Horror, son of Terror’.
During the story of ‘The Feast of Bricriu’ the heroes Cuchulainn,
Laoghaire and Conall were sent to Uath’s Lake, where Uath dwelt, so
that he should judge which of them was the greatest warrior in
228 Uathach

Ireland. Uath is said to have been able to transform himself into any
shape that pleased him. Uath asked the warriors to submit to a test.
They could take his axe and cut off his head provided that he could
cut theirs off the next day in turn. There are two versions as to what
happened next. In one, both Laoghaire and Conall refused on the
grounds that they had not the power to remain alive when Uath cut
their heads off, but they knew Uath, being a sirite (elfman), had such
power. The other version says that they did cut off Uath’s head but
when he picked it up and replaced it, they refused to return the next
day to receive Uath’s stroke. In both versions only Cuchulainn agreed
to the conditions. When Uath came to cut off Cuchulainn’s head, the
blade of the axe reversed whereupon Uath hailed Cuchulainn as the
true champion of Ireland. However, Laoghaire and Conall refused to
accept this judgement. There are other variants of this tale in which a
nameless churl presents himself at Bricriu’s hall and challenges all the
warriors of Ulster along the same lines.
Uathach. Daughter of Scathach, the female champion who ran a school
of martial arts in Alba where Cuchulainn trained. As Scathach’s name
means ‘shadow’, so Uathach’s name means ‘spectre’ and she is
usually referred to as Uathach of the Glen. When Cuchulainn arrived
at Scathach’s fortress, it was Uathach who let him in. While she
served him food, Cuchulainn forgot his strength and broke her finger
in taking a dish from her hand. Her scream brought the champion
Cochar Crufe, her lover, to her. He challenged Cuchulainn and
Cuchulainn slew him. In reparation Cuchulainn had to accept Cochar
Crufe’s duties as guardian of Dun Scathach. Uathach became
Cuchulainn’s mistress.
Ugaine Mor. Sometimes give as Ugony Mor or ‘The Great’. Said to
have been High King in the sixth century bc. His rule extended not
only to all of Ireland but to the Continental Celts of Gaul. He married
a Gaulish princess named Cesair and their children were Laoghaire
Lore and Cobhthach. It is said that on his death Ireland was divided
into twenty-five parts among his children and that this division of
Ireland lasted three hundred years. The number twenty-five appears
frequently in the myths; there are twenty-five battalions of the
Fianna, and, according to Seathrun Ceitinn, originally twenty-five
dioceses in the country.
Ui Corra. Lochan, Emne and Silvester were three heroes of the clan Ui
Corra who went on a voyage among strange and exotic islands.
Scholars suggest that the composition of this story seems to date
Ulaid 229

from the sixth century ad and that it was for Christian moral
edification.
Uigreann. Sometimes Uirgriu. He was slain by Fionn Mac Cumhail. In
one account the five sons of Uigreann revenged themselves on Fionn,
each casting a spear at him so that it was said that all five killed him. It
is also significant that Fionn was said to be one of the five masters of
every art, the numeral having special significance.
Uillin. A grandson of Nuada who was said to have slain Manannan Mac
Lir in Loch Corrib and given his name to Moycullin, Co. Galway.
Uisneach. 1. SeeUsna.
2. The Hill of Uisneach (formerly Balor’s Hill), thought to be the
‘navel of Ireland’ or the exact centre of the country where the great
Stone of Divisions (Aill na Mirenn) stands, marking the joining of the
five provinces of Ireland. The actual site is near Rathconrath, Co.
Westmeath. Tuathal Teachtmhair built one of his four great palaces
here and one of the three major festivals of Ireland was held here.
Seathrun Ceitinn says that the Feast of Bel (Bile) was the prime
ceremony at Uisneach. However, St. Patrick is said to have cursed
the ancient stones there so they could not be heated by fire nor hiss
when they were cooled by water. According to Geoffrey of Mon¬
mouth, Stonehenge in Britain was built by the druid Merlin who took
the stones from ‘Mount Killaraus’ which is identified as Uisneach.
Ulaid. Dative form Ulaidh. Ulster. The ancient province and kingdom
covers approximately the same geographical boundaries as the mod¬
ern province, though this province must not be confused with the
political province of Northern Ireland which only includes six out of
the nine Ulster counties. These six counties (Antrim, Armagh,
Down, Derry, Fermanagh and Tyrone) were partitioned from the
rest of Ulster and Ireland in 1921. The Cos. Cavan, Monaghan and
Donegal also comprise the province of Ulster. Rudraidhe, son of
Partholon, was said to have founded the royal house of Ulster and the
people were sometimes known as Clan Rudhraidhe and Rudricans.
Its capital was at Emain Macha (Navan) two miles west of Armagh.
The heroes of Ulster are more widely known than those of the other
provinces thanks to the tremendous popularity of the Red Branch, or
Ulster Cycle. Tradition has dated the decline of this kingdom as a
significant power to the days of Cormac Mac Art (ad254-77). But
some records show that the change in its fortunes was brought about
by the northern expansion of the family of Niall of the Nine Hostages
(c. ad379), that is the Ui Neill. See Provinces.
230 Ullan

Ullan. Husband of Tuireann, the sister of Fionn Mac Cumhail. He had

an affair with a druidess who became jealous of his wife Tuireann and
changed her into a bitch-dog. In this form she gave birth to Sceolan
and Bran who became Fionn’s faithful hounds. Ullan promised the
druidess that he would go with her if she turned his wife back into
human shape.
Ulster. See Ulaid.
Ulster Cycle. See Red Branch Cycle.
Ultonia. Latin name for Ulster.
Uma. Son of Remanfissech. See Remanfissech.
Umal. One of the nine best pipers in the world.
Uman-sruth. The bronze stream. Cuchulainn possessed a spear named
Cletine with which he had slain many warriors and which Medb of
Connacht coveted. She asked a bard to go to Cuchulainn and request
the spear on the grounds that one must never refuse a gift demanded
by a poet. The bard and Cuchulainn were standing by a stream when
the bard requested the gift. Cuchulainn was so enraged that instead of
handing the spear to the poet he flung it. With such strength did he
fling it that it pierced the bard’s head and the force broke the bronze
(umal) of the spear which fell into the stream, giving it its name.
Underwater. There are several survival stories of human beings taken
underwater by gods and able to return to the surface unharmed. In
the Book of the Dun Cow there occurs the story of the flooding of
Lough Neagh by Ecca. A woman survived the flooding and lived in
her house for a year under the waves with her dog. Bored by this
existence she changed into a salmon and lived three hundred years
more until rescued by Congall who named her Muirgen ‘born of the
sea’. Ruadh and Mael Duin both visited underwater kingdoms. The
Cothulin Druith, placed on the head, enabled humans to live under¬
water. There appears a firm belief in the sea as the ‘mother of all life’.
Numerous submerged cities, fortresses and towns are a peculiar part
of Celtic folklore.
Underworld. See Otherworld.
Undry. Sometimes Uinde (an act of beholding). The enchanted caul¬
dron of the Dagda in which everyone found food in proportion to
their merits and from which no one went away hungry.
Urias. Of the Noble Nature. He dwelt in the city of Gorias, one of the
four fabulous cities from which the De Danaan originated. He was
steeped in wisdom.
Ursceal. Old Irish ursgeul. A saga or romance.
Utherchair 231

Usna. Variously given as Uisliu, Usnach, Uisneach and Usnagh. He

was the husband of Ebhla. Ebhla was daughter of the druid Cathbad
and of Maga, a daughter of the love-god Aonghus Og. Usna and
Maga had three sons, the Red Branch heroes Naoise, Ainle and
Ardan who feature in the tragic tale of ‘Oidhe Cloinne Uisneach’ (The
Exile of the Sons of Usna), the oldest of the famous Tri Truagha na
Scealuidheachta, The Three Sorrows of Story-telling. See Deirdre
and Naoise.
Utherchair. Hornskin. Father of the Red Branch champion Celtchair.
 Select Bibliography

I T would be an impossible task to attempt a comprehensive bib¬

liography of Irish mythology in a work of this nature. The primary
sources of Irish mythology are to be found in some five hundred or
more manuscripts which date back to the eleventh century ad and
which are mainly copies of older manuscripts which have not survived.
A large proportion of these manuscripts have not been edited and there
remains much work to be done in the field.
Among the principal sources are Leabhar na hUidhre (The Book of
the Dun Cow), dating from the late eleventh century, and Leabhar
Laignech (The Book of Leinster), a twelfth-century compilation, both
of which are in the Royal Irish Academy. These have been edited by
such scholars as R. I. Best, Oscar Bergin and M. A. O’Brien. The Book
of Ballymote, which contains the famous ‘Book of Rights’, put together
in 1391, is also held by the Royal Irish Academy. Its date of compilation
was contemporary with the Yellow Book of Lecan, held by Trinity
College, Dublin. This is not to be confused with the Great Book of
Lecan, compiled about 1416, which is preserved by the Royal Irish
Academy.
The main source book on these manuscripts remains R. I. Best’s
Bibliography of Irish Philology and Manuscript Literature, Dublin, 1913.
An additional volume covering new materials found from 1913 to 1941
was published in Dublin in 1942.
It would be equally impossible to give an adequate listing of all the
academic papers, essays and articles which have appeared over the years
in the numerous scholastic journals such as Eriu, Revue Celtique,
Journal of Celtic Studies, Gadelica, Etudes Celtiques, Transactions of the
Ossiamc Society, Bealoideas (Journal of the Folklore Society of Ireland)
and so forth.
The purpose of this bibliography is, therefore, merely to give a
selected general introduction to the many studies and interpretations
Select Bibliography 233

that exist in book form, both academic and for the lay reader, together
with a selection of re-tellings or fictional works based on the myths.

Academic studies

Atkinson, R., The Book of Leinster. Oxford, 1880.

Begin, Oscar, and Best, R. I., Leabhar na hUidre (Book of the Dun
Cow). Dublin, 1929.
— Tochmarc Etain. Dublin, 1936.
Best, R. I. and O’Brien, M. A., The Book of Leinster. 5 vols. Dublin,
1954-67.
Binchy, Daniel A.,Crith Gablach. Dublin, 1941.
Bjersby, Brigit M. H., The Interpretation of the Cuchulain Legend in the
Works of W. B. Yeats, Uppsala Irish Studies No 1. Uppsala, 1950.
Byrne, F. J., Irish Kings and High Kings. London, 1973.
Campbell, J. ]., Legends of Ireland. London, 1955.
Campbell, John G., The Fions: Account of the Fenians in Scottish
Tradition. London, 1891.
Carmichael, A., Carmina Gadelica. Edinburgh, 1928.
Chadwick, H. M. and Nora, The Growth of Literature. 3 vols. Oxford,
1932.
Coghlan, Ronan, Pocket Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend. Belfast,
1985.
Comyn, David, Mac Gniomharta Fhinn (The Youthful Exploits of
Finn). Dublin, 1846.
Connellan, Owen, The Annals of Ireland (The Four Masters). Dublin,
1846.
Cross, Tom Peete, Motif Index of Early Irish Literature. Indiana Uni¬
versity, 1919.
De Blacam, Aodh, Gaelic Literature Surveyed. Dublin, 1929.
— A First Book of Irish Literature. 1934.
De Jubainville, H. D’Arbois, The Irish Mythological Cycle. Dublin,
1903. (Translation of French original L’Epopee Celtique en Irland.
Paris, 1884).
Delargy, J. FL, The Gaelic Storyteller. London, 1947.
Dillon, Myles, The Cycle of the Kings. London, 1946.
— Early Irish Literature. Chicago, 1948.
— Serglige Con Culainn. Dublin, 1953.
— Irish Sagas. Dublin, 1954.
234 Select Bibliography

— Leborna Cm (Book of Rights). London, 1962.

— See Sjoestedt, M. L.
Flower, Robin, Byron and Ossian. Oxford, 1928.
— The Irish Tradition. Oxford, 1947.
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