Bé Chuille, also known as Becuille and Bé Chuma, is the daughter of

Flidais Flidas or Flidais (modern spelling: Fliodhas, Fliodhais) is a female figure in Irish Mythology, known by the epithet ''Foltchaín'' ("beautiful hair"). She is believed to have been a goddess of cattle and fertility. Mythology Flidas is mentioned ...

and one of the

Tuatha Dé Danann The Tuath(a) Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deities of pre-Christian Gae ...

Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later written down in the early medieval era by Ch ...

. In a tale from the

Metrical Dindshenchas ''Dindsenchas'' or ''Dindshenchas'' (modern spellings: ''Dinnseanchas'' or ''Dinnsheanchas'' or ''Dınnṡeanċas''), meaning "lore of places" (the Irish language, modern Irish word ''dinnseanchas'' means "topography"), is a class of onomastic tex ...

, she is a good sorceress who joins three other of the Tuatha Dé to defeat the evil

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

witch

Carman In Celtic mythology, Carman or Carmun was a warrior and sorceress from Athens who tried to invade Ireland in the days of the Tuatha Dé Danann, along with her three sons, Dub ("black"), Dother ("evil") and Dian ("violence"). She used her magica ...

. According to the Book of Leinster (1150) Bé Chuille was killed, along with Dianann, by "gray demons of air." During the second Second Battle of Moytura, Bé Chuille and Dianann are called Lugh's two witches, and when asked what they will do in battle, they respond that they will enchant the trees, stones, and grasses of the earth to route the

Fomorians The Fomorians or Fomori ( sga, Fomóire, Modern ga, Fomhóraigh / Fomóraigh) are a supernatural race in Irish mythology, who are often portrayed as hostile and monstrous beings. Originally they were said to come from under the sea or the eart ...

with horror and affliction.''The Second Battle of Moytura'' Sections 116,117
/ref> In the Lebor Gabála Érenn Bé Chuille and Dianann are called "she-farmers" and mentioned along with their sisters Argoen and Be Theite as the daughters of

. Becuille is often confused with Bechuma of the Fair Skin. In ''Echtrae Airt meic Cuinn'' (''The

Echtra An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld or with otherworldly beings. Definition and etymology In Irish literature ''Echtrae'' and ''Immram'' are tales of voy ...

, or Adventure, of Art mac Cuinn''), Bechuma is the wife of Eogan Inbir, but commits adultery with Gaidiar, son of

Manannán mac Lir Manannán or Manann, also known as Manannán mac Lir ("son of the sea"), is a warrior and king of the Otherworld in Irish mythology who is associated with the sea and often interpreted as a sea god, usually as a member of the Tuatha Dé Dana ...

, and is banished to the human world. Conn of the Hundred Battles marries her, but she becomes infatuated with his son Art. The druids inform Conn that Bechuma's wickedness has turned his realm into a

Wasteland Wasteland or waste land may refer to: * Desert or barren area * an uncultivated area of land, whether wooded or not, whether common land or not Art, entertainment, and media Comics * ''Wasteland'' (DC Comics), 1987–1989 anthology-style horror/ ...

, and she is eventually exiled.

References

*Gwynn, Edward (Ed) (1906). ''The Metrical Dindshenchas'' volume 3

* MacKillop, James (1998). ''Dictionary of Celtic Mythology''. London: Oxford. . Cycles of the Kings Irish goddesses Tuatha Dé Danann {{Celt-myth-stub