Here is a glossary of mythology Celtic : Eithne, Elatha, Elcmar, Elffin, Emain Macha, Emer, Eochai, Eochaid Mac Eirc, Epona, Ériu, Esras (and Lug's Spear), Esus, Etain, Evnissyen
Celtic glossary
Eithne is a first rank deity found under different spellings: Ethle, Eithliu, Eithlenn, Eblend, but also under the names of Brigit and Boand and it is not unrelated to Étain. She represents femininity at the divine level.
According to the narrative texts Irish, she is the daughter of Delbaeth who is the primordial chaos. She is the wife of Lug, the supreme god of the Tuatha Dé Danann and also his mother since she is the mother of all the gods.
This name is carried by several deities or mythical women.
Incidentally, it has become the poetic representation of Ireland.
Elatha mac Delbaeth is a king of the Fomorians. Elatha means "art" in the sense of "knowledge, science". From her union with Eriu, a Tuatha Dé Danann will be born Bres. The latter will be king of the Tuatha Dé Danann for a short time and will take refuge with his father, after his abdication.
Elcmar is the brother of Dagda (the good god) of which he is the opposite, the negative aspect. Elcmar's name means "envious, jealous". He is actually an avatar of Ogma (Ogme, Ogmios), the god of the warrior class who is in charge of war, magic, writing and eloquence.
During a trip to Elcmar (his absence of nine months seems to him to last only one day) the Dagda commits adultery with his wife Boand, from this relationship will be born Oengus (Mac Oc).
Elffin, son of Gwyddno is a character from Celtic mythology, which belongs to Welsh tradition. We meet him several times in the Mabinogion.
Alors qu’il pêche avec le filet magique de son père, il attrape un enfant que sa mère, Ceridwen avait confié à l’océan. Cet enfant, c’est le futur druide Taliesin, qui va demeurer chez son sauveur, jusqu’à l’âge de 13 ans et devient son initiateur.
Lors du conflit entre Elffin et le roi Maelgwn, son oncle, Taliesin intervient efficacement en faveur du premier et lui fait découvrir un chaudron, plein d’or.
Emain Macha, in Irish Celtic mythology, is the name of the residence of the King of Ulster Conchobar Mac Nessa. It was given to him by the goddess Macha (plain) of the Tuatha Dé Danann, who is an avatar of Morrigan.
While she was pregnant with her husband Crunmiac, her delivery is scheduled for the day of the assembly of Ulates (inhabitants of Ulster). Recklessly, the husband brags, and claims that his wife can run faster than the best horses in the king's stable. Masha, summoned to prove this assertion, asks for a delay, given her condition. It is denied him. Obliged to run, she runs faster than the horses, and once there, following the effort, she immediately gives birth to twins. Emain Macha means: the "Twins of Macha". To avenge herself for this obligation, she lets out an evil howl that bewitches all the men of the province. They suffer the pains of childbirth, for four days and five nights, as soon as the kingdom is in danger.
The only one who escapes the curse is Cúchulainn, the hero who must defend the kingdom alone. This is the subject of the story Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cooley's Cow Raid), in which we see him defending the border, facing alone the coalition army of the kingdoms of Ireland.
The site is located at Navan Fort, near Armagh.
Emer is the daughter of Forgall Manach (the crafty), king of Meath, her name means "ambrosia". After having been the wife of Manannan Mac Lir, she becomes that of Cúchulainn not without difficulty, her father having promised her to another; the hero is dispatched in Scotland, with his friend Ferdiad, with the magician Scáthach for a whole year, and on his return he must attack the fortress of Forgall and kidnap Emer. In the story Serglige ConCulaind we see her, driven by jealousy, leave with fifty servants armed with knives to kill her husband's mistress, Fand (the wife of Manannan). Finally she forgives and a druid makes her drink the potion of oblivion.
Epona — from Gallic epos, « cheval » — était la déesse gauloise protectrice des chevaux, également appelée « la jument divine ». Elle est représentée assise sur le dos d’un cheval (type équestre), ou dans une chaise entre deux chevaux ou poulains (type impériale). Elle tient souvent une patère ou une corne d’abondance. Épona est un avatar important de Brigantia, la grande déesse des Celts.
Son culte s’est transmis par les auxiliaires Gaulois aux Romains et des traces de ce culte furent retrouvées au Latran dans la caserne des equites singularum, cavaliers barbares de la garde impériale. Les palefreniers lui érigeaient des sanctuaires dans les étables. Elle fut la seule déesse gauloise à avoir eu un lieu de culte dans Rome.
Ériu (ou Erin, Eri) est une déesse souveraine de l’Irlande dans la mythologie celtique. Epouse de Mac Greine, fils d’Ogma. Elle faisait partie des Tuatha Dé Danann. Déesse éponyme de l’Irlande, tout comme ses sœurs Banba et Fotla. Elle devient la personnification de la nation irlandaise qui prendra son nom : Eire.
Elle demanda aux Gaëls qui venaient d’arriver sur le territoire de lui promettre, s’ils réussissaient à s’y établir, de donner son nom au pays. Le « voyant » (ou file), Amorgen assura à Eriu que l’Irlande porterait son nom et celle-ci prophétisa en retour que le pays appartiendrait définitivement aux Gaëls. Elle offrait un gobelet de breuvage rouge aux rois mortels successifs pour symboliser leur union et la fructification du sol. Ériu apparaît également en reine, épouse d’Elatha et mère du héros Bres.
Esras, dont le nom signifierait « moyen (d’agir) » était le druide qui gouvernait l’île de Gorias (le sens du toponyme est « feu, inflammation »). C’est de là que vient le talisman de la Lance de Lug Samildanach, arme mortelle à chaque coups mais qui sert aussi à l’adoubement royal ; elle est inséparable du Chaudron du Dagda rempli de sang, il faut qu’elle y soit plongée pour éviter qu’elle ne détruise tout autour d’elle.
Ésus semble avoir été l’un des dieux les plus importants de la mythologie celtique gauloise, il est équivalent au Dagda irlandais qui règne sur les Tuatha Dé Danann, sans en être l’exacte réplique. Dans certaines représentations, il est figuré par un taureau accompagné de trois grues. Les activités sous sa tutelle sont l’agriculture, le commerce et la guerre.
Tin, in Irish Celtic mythology, is a primordial goddess whose name means "poetry". Also known as Étan and Étaine, she appears in several mythical tales, including the Tochmarc Étaine (the Courtship of Étaine), the Fled Bricrend (the Feast of Bricriu) and the Lebor Gabála Érenn (the Books des conquêtes de l’Irlande).
She is the daughter of Diancecht (or Riangabair according to some sources), the wife of King Eochaid Airem on earth and of the god Midir in the sidh (the Other World of the Celts). Out of jealousy, Fuamnach, Midir's first wife, transforms her into a pool of water by touching her with a branch of a mountain ash, then into a fly that a druidic wind carries in the air for seven years. She becomes a tiny earthworm and falls into a cup. In this form, she is swallowed and then "delivered" by the wife of the King of Ulster, Etar.
Étain marries Eochaid Airem, the Ard ri Érenn (Supreme King of Ireland), but Midir who wants to get her back, offers the king a game of chess, in which the stake is his own wife. Eochaid loses, but does not keep his word and permanently banishes the god from his capital Tara. However, Midir manages to enter the city and the palace, and joins Étain. Both turn into swans and fly away. The king pursues them in all the sidhs, but the god will use his magic: he transforms fifty young girls into look-alikes of Tin and asks Eochaid to choose one, only one. The king complies and sure of his choice sleeps with the girl, who turns out to be his own daughter, Étain Óg. From this incestuous relationship, a daughter Mes Buachalla will be born, at the origin of a dynasty of kings, giving birth to Conaire Mor.
Comme toutes les déesses de la mythologie celtique, elle n’est qu’un avatar de la divinité féminine unique Brigit/Brigantia.
Evnissyen is the prototype of the evil character. It appears especially in the Mabinogi of Branwen, of whom he is the half-brother as well as of Manawyddan Fab Llyr and Bran the Blessed, son of Llyr.
When Matholwch King of Iwerddon (Ireland), comes to ask for Branwen's hand from King Bran the Blessed, Evnissyen, furious at not having been consulted, cuts off the lips, ears and tails of Irish horses. The offense is finally repaired by the offering of new mounts and a magic cauldron. Later during the war between the Welsh aux Irlandais, c’est lui qui jette Gwern, le fils de Branwen, dans le feu.
