Labraid Moen

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Labraid [ 'Lavriðʴ ], also Labraid Moen ("the dumb speaks"), Loingsech ("the exile") and Lore ("the grim"), is the name of a king from the historical cycle of Celtic mythology of Ireland .

Mythology and Etymology

Labraid is said to have ruled over the province of Leinster and as the Hochkönig over Ireland in the 3rd or 4th century .

The story Orgain Denna Ríg ("The Murder of Dinn Ríg") tells how he got his nickname. After falling silent because of the terrible things his uncle Cobthach Cóel Breg had done to him, he was given the name Moen ("the dumb one"). One day he injured himself and shouted: “I was hurt!”, Which is why he was called Labraid Moen (“the dumb one speaks”) from then on . Because of his exile in Munster , he was also called Loingsech ("the exile"). The cruel revenge that he exercised on his uncle and all co-conspirators ultimately earned him the nickname Lore ("the grim one").

In a later popular version of the legend of Labraid Moen it is said that he had horse ears. To keep this secret, he had every barber executed after the haircut. When one day a widow pleaded with him to spare her son, he lets him live. But the son cannot keep the secret to himself and tells it to a willow, as recommended by a druid . The willow is felled later and a harp is carved out of its wood, which now always sings: “Labraid has the ears of a horse!” So ​​the king's secret is finally revealed.

According to Bernhard Maier, this legend is based on the ancient story of King Midas with the donkey ears, which could have entered the narrative repertoire of Irish poets via Britain.

See also

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Publius Ovidius Naso : Metamorphosen , Tusculum Collection, Artemis & Winkler, Düsseldorf and Zurich 1996, ISBN 3-7608-1569-3 , Chapter 11, Verses 146–193.
  2. ^ Bernhard Maier: Lexicon of the Celtic religion and culture. S, 201, 259.