Milesians
he tricked Eochaid into letting her go. Either way, Eochaid and his men rescued Etain and brought her back home again.
Milesians The final wave of invaders of Ireland, as described in the Lebcjr GabAla (Book of Invasions). They were led by MiL Espaine, who wanted to avenge the death of his uncle, Ith. Mil, for whom the group was named, did not survive the journey. When Mil's sons and followers arrived in Ireland, they were greeted by Banba, Eriu, and Fodla. Each of the three beautiful goddesses asked the newcomers to name the land after her. Then the Milesians met three kings of the ruling Tuatha De Danann, who asked them to stay away from the island for three days. They agreed to wait offshore, but the druids of the Tuatha De Danann produced a storm that threatened to drive them away. They were saved when another druid cast a spell to calm the waters. The Milesians finally met the members of the Tuatha De Danann and defeated them in battle, banishing the race of gods to the regions beneath Ireland. The Milesians granted Eriu's wish; in addition to naming the land for her, they are credited with inventing the Irish language (see GoiDEL Glas). During the first 100 years of their rule the Milesians briefly lost power in a rebellion. This led to the disastrous rule of Cairbre Cinn-chait. Cairbre's son, who could have ruled after his father's death, instead returned the land to the Milesians.
MiL ESPAlNE Founder of the Milesians, the mythical invaders of Ireland as told in the Lebor GabAla (Book of Invasions). He was the nephew of ith, the adventurer who visited Ireland only to be killed by the Tuatha De Danann. Seeking revenge, Mil set out for Ireland with his sons but died during the voyage. His sons defeated the Tuatha De Danann at Tara and banished them to the remote hills and caves of Ireland. The descendants of Ith and Mil eventually became known as the Celts.
Minerva The Roman goddess of war, education, and domestic arts. In Rome, she was the patron goddess of schools for boys, where master teachers were known as Minervals. Her connection to Celtic mythology was as a domestic goddess.
In Gaul and Britain, Minerva was also known as Sulevia Minerva, or mother-goddess, a patron of poets, traditional learning, healing, and domestic arts, especially those involving textiles. Many wives would pray to Minerva or ask for her help when weaving cloth, dying wool, or sewing their family's garments, a habit that Christian-era leaders tried to discourage. In many Celtic regions, Minerva's name was substituted or combined with the name of other local goddesses who shared some of her powers. For example, the Aqua Sulis mineral springs in what is now Bath, England, were originally dedicated to the healing goddess Sulis, but the walls bear later dedications to Minerva. Third century Roman chroniclers told of a temple in England that kept a fire continually burning to honor Minerva.
MISTLETOE A plant believed by druids to have magical powers. Esus, the Gaul god of woodcutting, is often shown chopping down a mistletoe tree. See oak.
MOCCUS A Gaulish god of pigs or swine; perhaps a patron of boar hunters.
MODRON A Welsh mother goddess.
MongAn Son of Manannan mac Lir in the Cycle of Kings, a record of Irish legend and history. He had the ability to shift shapes. He correctly predicted his own death when, while walking with his mother on a beach, he picked up a stone and told her it would be used to kill him.
Morann A druid who advised Conchobar mac Nessa and predicted the birth of Cuchulainn.
Morfran (Afagddu) The dark, ugly son of the Welsh sorcerers Ceridwen. He was the intended recipient of his mother's potion of knowledge. Cerid-wen's servant, who later became Taliesin, won the gift instead.
MOR MUMAN Irish sun goddess and symbol of sovereignty. (See also sun gods and sun goddesses.)
MORRiGAN (Phantom Queen, Great Queen) Irish war goddess. She is one of a trio of war goddesses, along with Badb and Macha (1). Together, they are called the MoRRiGNA. Morrigan is sometimes a consort of the Irish father god Dagda. She predicted to him that the Fomorians would attack the Tuatha De Danann at Mag Tuired.
Morrigan was a shape-shifter who could appear as an old hag, a beautiful maiden, or a black crow. Her greatest powers were revealed in battle, where
she chose who would live and who would die. She flew over battlefields in the form of a crow to pick out the war's victims. She sometimes appeared as a woman, washing the clothes of the damned in a river.
Morrigan had a love-hate relationship with Cuchulainn. She offered herself to him, but he did not recognize her and so turned her away. When she perched on his shoulder in the form of a crow, she foreshadowed his death. She also had a hand in the death of the Fomorian warrior Indech.
MORRiGNA The collective name for a frightful trio of Irish war goddesses: Badb, Macha (1), and MoRRiGAN. Sometimes the war goddess Nemain is part of the grouping.
Mother Goddesses Females who were credited with being the mothers, protectors, caretakers, and creators of races, lands, heroes, and kings. Female deities are often revered for their associations with fertility. Ana or Danu, one of the most important Irish Celtic deities, was the mother of the Tjatha De Danann gods, who took their name from her. She was also associated with the rich soil and lush landscape of Ireland. Her Welsh counterpart Don also bore important children and had powers over fertility. The goddess Domnu is named as the mother of the Fomorian leader Indech. She is also called the mother of all Fomorians. The Celtic mother goddess was often depicted as three women, each holding a different item, such as an animal, a fish, and a basket of fruit.
MUGAIN (1) An early territorial Irish goddess who gave birth to a fish.
MUGAIN (2) Sister of Medb and wife of Con-chobar mac Nessa.
Mug Ruith A high-ranking druid whose patron was Ana. He had only one eye and may have evolved from an Irish sun god. (See also sun gods and sun goddesses.)
Muirenn (Murna) The mother of Fionn. Her husband, Cumhall, died before their child was born. She put the infant under the care of other women, including her sister, Uirne, and a female druid.
MUNSTER The largest of Ireland's the others are Connacht, Leinster, and Ulster.
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