Ériu
Ériu [ 'eːrʴu ], also Eri and Éire , is a queen of Ireland in the Celtic mythology of Ireland .
mythology
Eriu is referred to in Lebor Gabala Eirenn as a descendant of Iarbonel , granddaughter of Bresal , daughter of Ernmas and Delbaeth and is a member of the Tuatha de Danaan . Together with her sisters Banba and Fohla, she is considered the genius of Ireland , which symbolizes rulership over the country. The name Eriu is therefore sometimes used as the main name for Ireland. But also of their death in the battle of Tailtu (today Teltown ) against the Milesians is reported in a version of the legend. With the former Elatha she is said to be the mother of Bress .
In two different versions, the three sisters with the three brothers Mac Cecht ([ mak kʼeːxt ] "son of the ploughshare", with Fohla), Mac Gréine ([ mak 'gʼrʼe „nʼe ] "son of the sun", with Eriu) and Mac Cuill ( [ mak kuLʼ ] "son of hazel", with Banba) married, with which the Tuatha de Danann take over the legitimate rule over the island. In the other reading, the sisters' husbands are the brothers Sethor, Cethor and Tethor, the sons of Cermat , who is said to be a son of Dagda . In both versions, the three kings ruled Ireland until the arrival of the Milesians.
Fiacha mac Delbaíth , the brother of the three sisters, is said to have been the predecessor of their husbands Mac Cecht, Mac Gréine and Mac Cuill as High King of Ireland.
See also
- List of Celtic gods and legendary figures
- Celtic deities
- Celtic religion
- Myths and legends from Ireland
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 .