Éadaoin

Sa Rúraíocht, ba í Éadaoin (Sean-Ghaeilge Étaín) banlaoch an scéil Tochmharc Éadaoine, ar cheann de na scéalta is sine agus is saibhre atá ann i Miotaseolaíocht na nGael. Faightear chomh maith í sa scéal MeánGhaeilge Togail Bruidne Dá Derga. D'aithin T. F. O'Rahilly í mar bhandia na gréine.

Sanasaíocht

Tá an t-ainm Étaín fréamhaithe le foirm dhíspeagadh na Sean-Ghaeilge ét (éad). Tá aithne uirthi scaití faoin mbuafhocal Echraide (marcach capaill), a thugann le fios go bhfuil sí gaolta le déithe na gcapall, agus pearsana amhail Rhiannon na mBreatnach agus Epona na nGallach. Sa scéal Tochmharc Éadaoine, tugann Midhir Bé Find (Fionnbhean) mar ainm uirthi, ach is amhlaidh go bhfuil an dán ina bhfuil an maíomh seo le fáil sa téacs, níos sine agus gan bhaint leis, a cuireadh leis an scéal níos déanaí.

Ginealas

Sa scéal Tochmarc Étaíne, ba iníon Ailill, rí na nUladh, í Éadaoin.

I dToghail Brú Dá Dearga, ámh, ba iníon Éadair í, agus phós sí an t-ardrí, Eochaid Feidlech. Bhí iníon acu, darbh ainm Éadaoin Óg, a phós Cormac, rí na nUladh. Rugadh iníon di, Meas Buachalla, ach mac ar bith. Thréig Cormac Meas Buachalla, ach d'aimsigh tréadaí í agus thóg seisean agus a bhean chéile í. Agus í fásta, phós sí an t-Ard Rí Eterscél Mór agus d'éirigh sí ina máthair Chonaire Mhóir. Sna dréachtaí ginealaigh, deirtear gurbh í bean chéile flaith na nUladh, Cormac Cond Longas.

Tochmharc Éadaoine

When Midhir na dTuath Dé Danann falls in love with and marries her, his rejected first wife Fúamnach becomes jealous and casts a series of spells on her. First Fúamnach turns Étaín into a pool of water, then into a worm, (in some versions a snake) and then into a beautiful butterfly (or a dragonfly). Midir does not know that the butterfly is Étaín, but it becomes his constant companion, and he has no interest in women. Fúamnach then creates a wind that blows the butterfly away and does not allow it to alight anywhere but the rocks of the sea for seven years.

Eventually it lands on the clothes of Aonghas, who recognises it as Éadaoin, but he is at war with Midir and cannot return her to him. He makes her a little chamber with windows so she can come and go, and carries the chamber with him wherever he goes. But Fúamnach hears of this and creates another wind which blows her away from him for another seven years. Eventually the butterfly falls into a glass of wine. The wine is swallowed (together with the butterfly) by the wife of Étar, an Ulster chieftain, in the time of Conchobar mac Nessa. She becomes pregnant, and Étain is reborn, one thousand and twelve years after her first birth.

When she grows up, Éadaoin marries the Ard-Rí na hÉireann, Eochaidh Aireamh. Their meeting is related in the opening episode of Togail Bruidne Dá Derga. Eochaidh brother Ailill Angubae falls in love with her, and begins to waste away. Eventually he admits to Étaín that he is dying of love for her, and she agrees to sleep with him to save his life. They arrange to meet, but Midhir casts a spell which causes Ailill to fall asleep and miss the assignation. However, Éadaoinmeets a man there who looks and speaks like Ailill but does not sleep with him because she senses that it is not actually him. This happens three times, and the man who looks like Ailill reveals himself to be Midir, and tells her of her previous life as his wife. She refuses to leave with him unless her husband gives her permission. She then returns to Ailill to find him cured.

Midhir then goes to Eochaidh in his true form and asks to play fidchell, a board game, with him. He offers a stake of fifty horses, loses, and gives Eochaidh the horses as promised. Midhir challenges him to more games, for higher stakes, and keeps losing. Eochaidh, warned by his foster-father that Midhir is a being of great power, sets him a series of tasks, including laying a causeway over Móin Lámhrí, which he performs reluctantly. He then challenges Eochaidh to one final game of fidchell, the stake to be named by the winner. This time, Midhir wins, and demands an embrace and a kiss from Éadaoin. Eochaidh agrees that he will have it if he returns in a month's time. A month later Midhir returns. He puts his arms around Étaín, and they turn into swans and fly off.

Eochaidh and his men begin digging at the mound of Brí Léith where Midhir lives. Midhir appears to them and tells Eochaidh his wife will be restored to him the following day. The next day fifty women who all look like Éadaoin appear, and an old hag tells Eochaidh to choose which one is his wife. He chooses one, but Midhir later reveals that Étaín had been pregnant when he had taken her, and the girl he has chosen is her daughter. Eochaidh is horrified, because he has slept with his own daughter, who became pregnant with a girl. When the girl is born she is exposed, but she is found and brought up by a herdsman and his wife. She later becomes the mother of the High King Conaire Mór.

Sa Dinnseanchas

Tá dha dhán ann sa Dinnseanchas maidir le hÉadaoin. Sa dán faoi Ráth Easa, insítear conas ar éirigh le hEochaidh Aireamh, Étaín a fháil ar ais. Sa dá faoi Ráth Cruachan, luaitear fuadach Éadaoine ag Midhir.

Sa Togail Bruidne Dá Derga

Sa lámhscríbhinn na MeánGhaeilge Togail Bruidne Dá Derga (Athleagan II), faightear cur síos sách fada, ornáideach fúithi sa sraith inár bhuail sí le hEochaidh Aireamh i mBrí Léith.

[...] con-accai in mnaí for ur in tobair & cír chuirrél argit co n-ecor de ór acthe oc folcud a l-luing argit & ceithri h-eóin óir furri & gleorgemai beccai di charrmogul chorcrai h-i forfleascuib na luingi. Brat cas corcra fo loí chaín aicthe. Dúalldai airgdidi ecoirside de ór oibinniu isin bratt. Léne lebur-chulpatach isí chotutlemon dei sítiu úainide fo derginliud óir impi. Túagmíla ingantai di ór & airget fora bruindi & a formnaib & a gúallib isind léne di cach leith. Taitned fria in grían co m-ba forderg dona feraib tuídhleach ind óir frisin n-gréin asin títiu uainidi. Dá trilis n- órbuidi fora cind. Fige ceithri n-dúal ceachtar n-dé, & mell for rind cach dúail. Ba cosmail leó dath ind foiltsin fri barr n-ailestair h-i samrad nó fri dergór íar n-dénam a datha.

[...] chonaic Eochaidh bean ag ur (bruach) an tobair. Bhí cíor airgid aici le hornú óir uirthi, agus bhí an bhean á folcadh ó long airgid agus ceithre éan óir uirthi, agus gealsheoid bheaga de charrmhogal corcra ar a fleasc. Bhí brat corcra de lomra catach álainn aici, dúnta le dealg airgid d'ór corntha. Bhí léine fhadchocaill aici de shíoda crua, bláith, uaine, bróidnithe le hór dearg, agus bhí dealga éachtacha ainmhithe d'ór agus airgead ag a brollach agus ar a guaillí. Agus an ghrian ag taitneamh uirthi, lonraigh an t-ór fíordhearg i gcoinne an tsíoda uaine. Bhí dhá thrilseáin órbhuí aici ar a cionn. Ba thrisleán é gach dual de cheithre coirnín le cruinnmheall ag a bun. Dúradh gur cosúil le feileastram faoi bhláth sa samhraidh a gruaig, nó ór dearg agus loinnir tagtha ann.

Sa stíl lúcháireach céanna, díríonn an scéalaí isteach ar áilleacht a coirp:

Is and buí oc taithbiuch a fuilt dia folcud & a dá láim tria derc a sedlaig immach. Batar gilithir sneachta n-oenaichde na dí dóit & batar maethchóiri & batar dergithir sían slébe na dá grúad n-glanáilli. Batar duibithir druimne daeil na dá malaich. Batar inand & frais do némannaib a déta ina cind. Batar glasithir buga na dí súil. Batar dergithir partaing na beóil. Batar forarda míne maethgela na dá gúalaind. Batar gelglana sithfhota na méra. Batar fota na láma. Ba gilithir úan tuindi in taeb seng fota tláith mín maeth amal olaind. Batar teithbláithi sleamongeala na dí slíasait. Batar cruindbega caladgela na dí glún. Batar gerrgela indildírgi na dé lurgain. Batar coirdírgi íaráildi na dá sáil. Cid ríagail fo-certa forsna traigthib is ing má 'd-chotad égoir n-indib acht ci tórmaisead feóil ná fortche foraib. Solusruidiud inn éscae ina saeragaid. Urthócbáil úailli ina mínmailgib. Ruithen suirghe ceachtar a dá rígrosc. Tibri ániusa ceachtar a dá grúad, co n-amlud indtibsen do ballaib bithchorcra co n-deirgi fola laíg, & araill eile co solusgili sneachta. Bocmaerdachd banamail ina glór. Cém fosud n-inmálla acci. Tochim ríghnaidi lé. Ba sí trá as caemeam & as áildeam & as córam ad-connarcadar súili doíne de mnáib domain. Ba dóig leó bed a sídaib dí. Ba fria as-breth: cruth cách co h-Étaín. Caem cách co h-Étaín.

Bhog sí a cuid gruaige chun í a folcadh, agus tháinig a lámha trí dhéirc a culaith amach. Chomh bán le sneachta aonoíche alt a lámh, agus chomh mín cothrom dearg le lus mór a dá ghrua glanáille. Chomh dubh le droim cíoróige a dá mhala. Fras néamhainn le chéile a chuid fiacla. Bú (butha) glas a súile. Ba dhearg-phairtiach a beola. Forard, mín, maothgheal a dá ghuaillí; fíorgheal bharrchaolaithe a méara; fada a lámha. Chomh bán le cúr na martra a taobh, seang, fada, tláith, mín, chomh maoth le holann. Ba bhláth, smooth, sleek, bán a dá sliasaid. Ba chruinnbheag, caladhgheal a dá ghlúin. Ba ghearrgheal, díreach a dá lurga. Ba choirdhíreach, álainn a dá sáil. Dá gcuirfí riail in aghaidh a cos, is ar éigean a gheofaí locht ar bith, seachas a líonmhaire feola nó craicinn. Solas luisniúil na gealaí ar a haghaidh uasal. Arduaisle ina málaí míne. Ruithne suirí ceachtar dá súile ríoga. Tibhrí (loigíní) áthais ceachtar dá gruanna, chomh dearg le fuil ghamhna agus solasgheal sneachta gach re ball (spota). Bogmhaorgacht bhanúil ina glór. Céim fhosadh an-mhánla aici. Céim ríoga léi. Ba bhean í trá is caoimhe agus is áille agus is córa a chonacthas ar dhomhain. Dúradh go raibh de shidhe í. Díreach fúithi: Cruthúil (dea-chumtha) cách go hÉadaoin. Caomh cách go hÉadaoin.

Long airgid

Is amhlaidh go raibh ciall shamhaltach ag an Long Airgid agus ceithre éan óir ina timpeall. Thug Margaret Dobbs faoi ndeara cosúlacht an trí chorn a thairg Méabh do laochra na nUladh in Fleadh Bhricreann. I ngach corn, bhí éan níos luachmhara lastigh: sa chorn cré-umha, bhí éan fiondruine (cré-umha bán): sa chorn fiondruine, éan óir; agus sa chorn óir, éan cloch lómhar. Moreover, she points out a possible relationship to examples of late Hallstatt pottery and bronzeware from Central Europe in which figures of aquatic birds were attached to bowls or vases, whether they were specifically designed for religious ceremonies or conveyed religious ideas in more general contexts. She suggests that the literary image may preserve "a memory of well-worship and of rites performed there with sacred vessels marked with magic symbols", possibly against evil magic. Such religious practices and ritual vessels may have reached Ireland between about 600 and 300 RC, when immigration took place in Britain and Ireland. In the light of the sacred significance of swans in early Irish literature, Dobbs also notes the episode's possible relevance to Fúamnach's malevolent spells and Étaín's and Midir's transformation into the shape of swans.

Tagairtí

Príomhfhoinsí

• Teimpléad:Cite TBDD II; aistr. J. Ganz, Early Irish Myths and Sagas. Harmondsworth, 1981, ll. 60–106.
• Tochmarc Étaíne, eag. E. Ernst, "Tochmarc Étáine: 'Das Freien um Etain'." In Irische Texte mit Übersetzungen und Wörterbuch 1 (1891), ll. 113-33.
• "Ráth Esa", eag. agus aistr. Edward J. Gwyn, The Metrical Dindshenchas. Vol 2. Dublin: DIAS, 1901. Edition and aistriúchán le fáil ar CELT.
• "Ráth Crúachain", eag. agus aistr. Kershaw Chadwick, The Metrical Dindshenchas. Vol 3. Dublin: DIAS, 1901. 348ff. Eagrán agus aistriúchán le fáil ar CELT.

Fo-Fhoinsí

• Charles-Edwards, T. M. "Tochmarc Étaíne: A Literal Interpretation." In Ogma: Essays in Celtic Studies in Honour of Próinséas Ní Chatháin, eag. Michael Richter agus Jean-Michel Picard. Baile Átha Cliath, 2002, ll. 165-81.
• Dobbs, M.E. "The silver basin of Étaín." Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 24 (1954): ll. 201–3.
• Mac Cana, Proinsias (1989) "Notes on the Combination of Prose and Verse in Early Irish Narrative". In Tranter, Stephen Norman; agus Tristram, Hildegard L. C., Early Irish Literature: Media and Communication, ll. 125–148. Gunter Narr Verlag. ISBN 3-87808-391-2
• MacKillop, James (1998). A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Londain: Oxford. ISBN 0-19-860967-1.
• Sayers, William. "Early Irish Attitudes toward Hair and Beards, Baldness and Tonsure." Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 44 (1991): ll. 154–89 :169.

Naisc sheachtaracha

• The Wooing of Étaín
• The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel