Áine

Áine [ 'aːnʴe ] is a common name in Irish Celtic mythology . Her holy mountain is the 164 m high Cnoc Áine (today Knockainey Hill in County Limerick ) in Munster ( Ireland ). She is the patroness of Munster, although place, mountain and spring names are associated with her throughout Ireland.

In Lebor Gabala Eirenn an Áine is mentioned as the daughter of Partholon and later also as the daughter of Dagda , in the saga of Diarmuid and Gráinne as the daughter of Manannan . Her brother is said to be the fire demon Aillén .

Today Áine occurs in Ireland as a female given name with the meaning "the shine".

The fairies

• See also: Anu, Chapter: Anu and the fairy Áine

Several fairy figures have been named Áine in Irish literature and folklore. In the legend of the battle of Mag Mucrama ( Cath Maige Mucrama ) it is said that the fairy was raped by King Ailill Aulom on Cnoc Áine (now Knockainey Hill near Limerick ) and that Áine's father was slain by the king's companion. In revenge, she bit off Ailill's ears, which led to his name ( aulom , "without ears").

Another fairy Áine had once sworn in her youth that she would never sleep with a man who was already graying at temples. When she was a little older, she fell in love with the young hero Fionn mac Cumhaill . The fairy Miluchradh also fell in love with Fionn and so she used a ruse to win Fionn over. Knowing of Áine's oath, she enchanted a lake and let Fionn dive into it for a gold ring. When he left the lake his hair was shiny silver, so that Áine had to disdain him.

According to Bernhard Maier and Helmut Birkhan , Áine can be traced back to a figure from pre-Christian mythology. The future King of Ireland had to perform a “holy wedding” ( old Irish banais rígi ) with this female patron deity in order to be able to take up his office.

See also

• List of Celtic gods and legendary figures
• Myths and legends from Ireland
• Celtic women

literature

• Helmut Birkhan : Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. 2nd, corrected and enlarged edition. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-7001-2609-3 .
• Ingeborg Clarus : Celtic Myths. Man and his otherworld. Walter, Düsseldorf et al. 1991, ISBN 3-530-70014-2 , pp. 290 ff. (2nd edition. Patmos, Düsseldorf 2003, ISBN 3-491-69109-5 ).
• Bernhard Maier : Lexicon of Celtic Religion and Culture (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 466). Kröner, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-520-46601-5 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Áine on behindthename.com (Engl.)
2. ^ Ingeborg Clarus: Celtic myths. Man and his otherworld. Walter Verlag 1991, ppb edition Patmos Verlag, Düsseldorf, 2000, 2nd edition, ISBN 3-491-69109-5 , p. 220 f.
3. ^ Bernhard Maier: Lexicon of the Celtic religion and culture. P. 12.
4. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. Pp. 530, 883.
5. ^ Bernhard Maier: Lexicon of the Celtic religion and culture. P. 163 f.