Uirne, or Tuirn(e),
("sharp-mouth") was the sister of
Muirne
Muirne or Muireann Muncháem ("beautiful neck") was the sister of Uirne and the mother of Fionn mac Cumhail in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology.
She had many suitors, but her father, the druid Tadg mac Nuadat, had foreseen that her marriage ...
and the aunt of
Fionn mac Cumhail
Fionn mac Cumhaill, often anglicised Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is the leader of the ''Fianna'' bands of young roving hunter-warriors, as well as being a seer and ...
in the
Fenian Cycle
The Fenian Cycle (), Fianna Cycle or Finn Cycle () is a body of early Irish literature focusing on the exploits of the mythical hero Fionn mac Cumhaill, Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill and his Kóryos, warrior band the Fianna. Sometimes called the ...
of
Irish mythology
Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally Oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era. In the History of Ireland (795–1169), early medieval era, myths were ...
.
The daughter of the
druid
A druid was a member of the high-ranking priestly class in ancient Celtic cultures. The druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no wr ...
Tadg mac Nuadat
Tadg, son of Nuada, was a druid and the maternal grandfather of Fionn Mac Cumhail in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. It is unclear whether his father was the short-lived High King Nuada Necht, the god Nuada Airgetlam of the Tuatha Dé Da ...
, Uirne is married three times. First, she and Conall have a son named Dáire. Then, she is wed to Imcad, the son of the king of Dal n-Araide. The queen transforms a pregnant Uirne into a dog, and her offspring from that union,
Bran and Sceólang
Bran, also known as miller's bran, is the component of a cereal grain consisting of the hard layersthe combined aleurone and pericarpsurrounding the endosperm. Corn (maize) bran also includes the pedicel (tip cap). Along with the germ, it is ...
, are born as dogs. Finally, she and her third husband, Lugaid Lága, have three human children: Eogan Ruad, Sciath Brecc, and Cael Croda.
It has been argued by at least one scholar that Uirne is actually a variant of Muirne, and not a separate figure.
References
Fenian Cycle
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