Lir
Lir [ Lʴirʴ ] ("sea") is in the Celtic mythology of Ireland the father of Manannan mac Lir , in the legends of the High and Late Middle Ages the embodiment of the sea.
mythology
In the early sagas, Lir is only the nickname Manannans, which is supposed to indicate his origin and sphere of activity. In later stories, however, Lir appears as a separate person.
In Children of Lir ( "The story of the children Lir") gives him Bodb , son of the Dagda to keep the peace and to vote him kindly, his foster daughter Aobh wife, this gives birth Lir four children, the boys Aed , Conn Cétchathach and Fiachna and their daughter Fionnuala, however, dies giving birth to their last two children. Lir then married Aobh's sister Aoife , who remains childless and tries to kill her sister's children out of jealousy and envy. When this doesn't bring her conscience, she turns the children into swans instead. The four children have to wander for 900 years until their fate is fulfilled and they can assume human form again, but die because of their age. In a folk myth it will be when a woman from the south of Ireland marries a man from the north.
One of Lir's granddaughters was Sionan , who is said to have given the river Shannon its name.
In the Cymric legend, Lir corresponds to the figure of Llŷr .
literature
- Bernhard Maier : Lexicon of Celtic Religion and Culture (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 466). Kröner, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-520-46601-5 .