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Fráech
Fráech (Fróech, Fraích, Fraoch) is a Connacht hero and demigod in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He is the nephew of Boann, goddess of the river River Boyne, Boyne, and son of Idath of the men of Connaught and Bébinn (sister of Boann of the sidhe), and is renowned for his handsomeness and exploits.''Táin Bó Fraích.'English translationfrom ''Heroic Romances of Ireland vol. II.'' trans. and ed. by A.H. Leahy. London: David Nutt, 1906. Cf. alsOld Irish versionfrom the Corpus of Electronic Texts. He belongs to the Fir Domnann. Irish mythology The Cattle-Raid of Fráech In "The Cattle-Raid of Fráech" Fráech travels to the court of Ailill mac Máta, Ailill and Medb in pursuit of their daughter Findabair, after it becomes known that she is in love with him. Findabair falls in love with Fráech because of the great stories being told about him, Fráech's household convince him to visit his maternal aunt Boann, Boand to obtain wondrous gifts from her. Boand gives Fráech fift ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Conall Cernach
Conall Cernach (modern spelling: Conall Cearnach) is a hero of the Ulaid in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He had a crooked neck and is said to have always slept with the head of a Connachtman under his knee. His epithet is normally translated as "victorious" or "triumphant", although it is an obscure word, and some texts struggle to explain it. Alternative meanings include "angular, having corners", "swollen", or "possessing a dish or receptacle". The original form of the name "Conall" in Ogham inscriptions was ''Cunavalas''. Legendary biography Physical description In the destruction of Da Derga's Hostel, Conall Cernach is described as follows: "I saw a man there in an ornamented dining compartment, who was the fairest of the warriors of Ireland. A fleecy crimson cloak about him. As white as the snow one of the cheeks on him, as freckled-red as the foxglove the other cheek. One of his two eyes is as blue as a hyacinth, as black as a beetle’s back the other eye. The me ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Boann
Boann or Boand is the Irish mythology, Irish goddess of the River Boyne (''Bóinn''), an important river in Ireland's historical province of Kingdom of Meath, Meath. According to the ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' and ''Táin Bó Fraích'' she was the sister of Bébinn, Befind and daughter of Delbáeth, son of Elatha, Elada, of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Her husband is variously Nechtan (mythology), Nechtan or Elcmar. With her lover the Dagda, she is the mother of Aengus. Etymology Her name is interpreted as "white cow" (; ) in the ''dinsenchas'', where she is also called "White Boand". Ptolemy's 2nd century ''Geography (Ptolemy), Geography'' shows that in antiquity the river's name was ''Bouvinda'' [Βουουίνδα], which may derive from Proto-Celtic language, Proto-Celtic ''*Bou-vindā'', "white cow". An alternate version of her name is given as Segais, hence Well of Segais. We are also told that Eithne was the wife of Elcmar and that another name for Eithne was Boand. Mytholo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ulster Cycle
The Ulster Cycle (), formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the Ulaid. It is set far in the past, in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties Armagh, Down and Louth. It focuses on the mythical Ulster king Conchobar mac Nessa and his court at Emain Macha, the hero Cú Chulainn, and their conflict with the Connachta and queen Medb. The longest and most important tale is the epic '' Táin Bó Cúailnge'' (Cattle Raid of Cooley). The Ulster Cycle is one of the four 'cycles' of Irish mythology and legend, along with the Mythological Cycle, the Fianna Cycle and the Kings' Cycle. Ulster Cycle stories The Ulster Cycle stories are set in and around the reign of King Conchobar mac Nessa, who rules the Ulaid from Emain Macha (now Navan Fort near Armagh). The most prominent hero of the cycle is Conchobar's nephew, Cú Chulainn. The Ulaid are most often in conflict with the Connachta, le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Findabair
Findabair or Finnabair (Modern , ) was a daughter of Ailill mac Máta, Ailill and Queen Medb of Connacht in Irish mythology. The meaning of the name is "white phantom" (etymology, etymologically cognate with ''Gwenhwyfar'', the original Welsh language, Welsh form of Guinevere). The Dindsenchas also mention a Findabair who is the daughter of Lugaid Laigde. Though not considered a main character in the ''Táin'', Finnabair occupies a crucial role in the epic. During the war of the ''Táin'', her hand is offered to a succession of warriors in exchange for their sparring with Cúchulainn, Cú Chulainn. Ultimately her beauty and charms serve as the driving force behind the deaths of hundreds of men, even compelling Ferdiad, Fer Diad to fight Cú Chulainn, his beloved foster-brother and best friend, in the single combat which leads to his death by Cú Chulainn's Gáe Bulg. In the ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'', Finnabair's husband Fráech (whose story is told in the ''Táin Bo Fraích'') is ki ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ailill Mac Máta
Ailill mac Máta is the king of the Connachta and the husband of queen MedbMatson, Gienna: ''Celtic Mythology A to Z'', page 2. Chelsea House, 2004. in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Cruachan (Rathcroghan in County Roscommon). Family background, marriage and offspring The sagas explain ''mac Máta'' as a matronymic: his mother is Máta Muirisc, daughter of Mága, of the Fir Ol nEchmacht, a tribal grouping of Connacht, through whom he claimed the throne of the Connachta. His father is Rus Ruad, king of the Laigin, whose other sons include Cairbre Nia Fer, king of Tara, Find Fili, who succeeded him as king of the Laigin, and in some texts Cathbad, chief druid of Conchobar mac Nessa of the Ulaid. The ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'' says Medb chose him as husband, ahead of Find, Cairbre and Conchobar, because he alone among them was without meanness, jealousy or fear.Cecile O'Rahilly (ed. & trans.), ''Táin Bó Cúalnge from the Book of Leinster'', Dublin Institute fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Medb
Medb (), later spelled Meadhbh (), Méabh(a) () and Méibh (), and often anglicised as Maeve ( ), is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Her husband in the core stories of the cycle is Ailill mac Máta, although she had several husbands before him who were also kings of Connacht. She rules from Cruachan (now Rathcroghan, County Roscommon). She is the enemy (and former wife) of Conchobar mac Nessa, king of Ulster, and is best known for starting the ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'' ("The Cattle Raid of Cooley") to steal Ulster's prize stud bull Donn Cúailnge. Medb is strong-willed, ambitious, cunning and promiscuous, and is an archetypal warrior queen. She is believed by some to be a manifestation of the sovereignty goddess.Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Myth, Legend & Romance: An encyclopaedia of the Irish folk tradition''. Prentice Hall Press, 1991. pp. 294–295Monaghan, Patricia. ''The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore''. Infobase Publishing, 2004. p.31 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Book Of The Dean Of Lismore
The ''Book of the Dean of Lismore'' () is a Scottish manuscript, compiled in eastern Perthshire in the first half of the 16th century. The chief compiler, after whom it is named, was James MacGregor (''Seumas MacGriogair''), vicar of Fortingall and titular Dean of Lismore Cathedral, although there are other probable scribes, including his brother Donnchadh''The Edinburgh Companion to the Gaelic Language'', Edinburgh University Press, 2010, p. 14 and William Drummond (Uileam Druimeanach), curate of Fortingall. It is unrelated to the similarly named '' Book of Lismore'', an Irish manuscript from the early 15th century. The manuscript is primarily written in the " secretary hand" of Scotland, rather than the ''corra-litir'' style of hand-writing employed for written Gaelic in Ireland and Scotland. The orthography is the same kind used to write Lowland Scots, and was a common way of writing Scottish Gaelic in the Late Middle Ages. Although the principal part of the manuscript ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cú Chulainn
Cú Chulainn ( ), is an Irish warrior hero and demigod in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore. He is believed to be an incarnation of the Irish god Lugh, who is also his father. His mother is the mortal Deichtine, sister of King Conchobar mac Nessa. Born Sétanta, he gained his better-known name as a child, after killing Culann's fierce guard dog in self-defence and offering to take its place until a replacement could be reared, hence he became the "Hound (''cú'') of Culann". He was trained in martial arts by Scáthach, who gave him the spear Gáe Bulg. It was prophesied that his great deeds would give him everlasting fame, but that his life would be short. At the age of seventeen he defended Ulster single-handedly against the armies of Queen Medb of Connacht in the famous '' Táin Bó Cúailnge'' ("Cattle Raid of Cooley"). He is known for his terrifying battle frenzy (''ríastrad''), in which he becomes an unrecognisable mo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Irish Language
Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous language, indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was the majority of the population's first language until the 19th century, when English (language), English gradually became dominant, particularly in the last decades of the century, in what is sometimes characterised as a result of linguistic imperialism. Today, Irish is still commonly spoken as a first language in Ireland's Gaeltacht regions, in which 2% of Ireland's population lived in 2022. The total number of people (aged 3 and over) in Ireland who declared they could speak Irish in April 2022 was 1,873,997, representing 40% of respondents, but of these, 472,887 said they never spoke it and a further 551,993 said they only spoke it within the education system. Linguistic analyses o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Connacht
Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhna). Between the reigns of Conchobar mac Taidg Mór (died 882) and his descendant, Aedh mac Ruaidri Ó Conchobair (reigned 1228–33), it became a kingdom under the rule of the Uí Briúin Aí dynasty, whose ruling sept adopted the surname Ua Conchobair. At its greatest extent, it incorporated the often independent Kingdom of Breifne, as well as vassalage from the lordships of western Mide and west Leinster. Two of its greatest kings, Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair (1088–1156) and his son Ruaidri Ua Conchobair (c. 1115–1198) greatly expanded the kingdom's dominance, so much so that both became High King of Ireland. The Kingdom of Connacht collapsed in the 1230s because of civil war within the royal dynasty, which enab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lombards
The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and 796) that the Lombards descended from a small tribe called the Winnili,: "From Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/winnaną, winna-'', meaning "to fight, win" who dwelt in northern Germany before migrating to seek new lands. Earlier Roman-era historians wrote of the Lombards in the first century AD as being one of the Suebian peoples, also from what is now northern Germany, near the Elbe river. They migrated south, and by the end of the fifth century, the Lombards had moved into the area roughly coinciding with modern Austria and Slovakia north of the Danube. Here they subdued the Heruls and later fought frequent wars with the Gepids. The Lombard king Audoin defeated the Gepid leader Thuris ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
