Ériu: Difference between revisions
m →Role and mythic portrayal: http→https for Internet Archive (see this RfC) using AWB |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 6: | Line 6: | ||
The English name for Ireland comes from the name Ériu and the [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] ([[Old Norse language|Old Norse]] or [[Old English language|Old English]]) word ''land''. |
The English name for Ireland comes from the name Ériu and the [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] ([[Old Norse language|Old Norse]] or [[Old English language|Old English]]) word ''land''. |
||
Since Ériu is represented as goddess of Ireland, she is often interpreted as a modern-day personification of Ireland, although since the name "Ériu" is the older [[Irish language|Irish]] form of the word Ireland, her modern name is often modified to "Éire" or "Erin" to suit a modern form. |
Since Ériu is represented as goddess of Ireland, she is often interpreted as a modern-day personification of Ireland, although since the name "Ériu" is the older [[Irish language|Irish]] form of the word Ireland, her modern name is often modified to "[[Éire]]" or "[[Erin]]" to suit a modern form. |
||
==Role and mythic portrayal== |
==Role and mythic portrayal== |
||
With her sisters, [[Banba]] and [[Fódla]], she was part of an important triumvirate of goddesses. When the [[Milesians (Irish)|Milesians]] arrived from [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]], each of the three sisters asked that |
With her sisters, [[Banba]] and [[Fódla]], she was part of an important triumvirate of goddesses. When the [[Milesians (Irish)|Milesians]] arrived from [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]], each of the three sisters asked that their name be given to the country. This was granted to them, although Ériu (Éire) became the chief name in use. (Banba and Fódla are still sometimes used as poetic names for Ireland, much as ''[[Albion]]'' is used as a poetic name for [[Great Britain]].) |
||
Ériu, Banba and Fódla are interpreted as goddesses of [[sovereignty]]. |
Ériu, Banba and Fódla are interpreted as goddesses of [[sovereignty]]. |
||
According to the |
According to the 17th-century Irish historian [[Geoffrey Keating]] (''Seathrún Céitinn''), the three sovereignty goddesses associated with Éire, Banbha and Fódla were [[Badb]], [[Macha]] and [[The Morrígan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100054/index.html|title=Foras Feasa ar Érinn|last=Céitinn|first=Seathrún}}</ref> |
||
Different texts have attributed different personal relationships to Ériu. Her husband has been named as [[Mac Gréine]] (‘Son of the Sun’).<ref>''[[Lebor Gabála Érenn]]''. Online translation at [http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/ctexts/lebor4.html#62 www.ancienttexts.org]</ref> She has also been portrayed as the lover of [[Elatha]], a prince of the [[Fomorians]], with whom she had a son [[Bres]], and as the mistress of the hero [[Lugh]]. Her foster-father in the Rennes ''[[Dindsenchas]]'' was Codal the Roundbreasted, whose feeding Eriu caused the land in Ireland to heave toward the sky.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/revueceltique16pari#page/60/mode/1up]</ref> |
Different texts have attributed different personal relationships to Ériu. Her husband has been named as [[Mac Gréine]] (‘Son of the Sun’).<ref>''[[Lebor Gabála Érenn]]''. Online translation at [http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/ctexts/lebor4.html#62 www.ancienttexts.org]</ref> She has also been portrayed as the lover of [[Elatha]], a prince of the [[Fomorians]], with whom she had a son [[Bres]], and as the mistress of the hero [[Lugh]]. Her foster-father in the Rennes ''[[Dindsenchas]]'' was Codal the Roundbreasted, whose feeding Eriu caused the land in Ireland to heave toward the sky.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/revueceltique16pari#page/60/mode/1up]</ref> |
||
==Name and etymology== |
==Name and etymology== |
||
The [[University of Wales]]' reconstructed Proto-Celtic lexicon gives *''Φīwerjon-'' (nominative singular ''Φīwerjō'') as the [[Proto-Celtic language|Proto-Celtic]] etymology of this name.<ref> |
The [[University of Wales]]' reconstructed Proto-Celtic lexicon gives *''Φīwerjon-'' (nominative singular ''Φīwerjō'') as the [[Proto-Celtic language|Proto-Celtic]] etymology of this name.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wales.ac.uk/documents/external/cawcs/pcl-moe.pdf|title=Proto-Celtic—English lexicon|format=PDF|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20060114133008/http://www.wales.ac.uk/documents/external/cawcs/pcl-moe.pdf|archive-date=}}</ref> This Celtic form implies [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] ''*piHwerjon-'', likely related to the adjectival stem ''*piHwer-'' "fat" (cf. [[Sanskrit]] ''pīvan'', f. ''pīvarī'' and by-form ''pīvara'', "fat, full, abounding") hence meaning "fat land" or "land of abundance", applied at an early date to the island of [[Ireland]]. The Proto-Celtic form became ''*īweriū''<ref>Mallory, J.P. and D.Q. Adams, ed. ''Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture.'' London: Fitzroy Dearborn Pub., 1997, p. 194</ref> in Q-Celtic (Proto-Goidelic). From a similar or somewhat later form were also borrowed Greek {{lang|grc|Ἰέρνη}} ''I[w]ernē'' and {{lang|grc|Ἰουερνία}} ''Iouernia''; the latter form was converted into [[Latin]] ''[[Hibernia]]''. |
||
==References== |
==References== |
||
Revision as of 14:00, 20 January 2017
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2016) |
In Irish mythology, Ériu (Irish pronunciation: [ˈeːrʲu]; modern Irish Éire), daughter of Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was the eponymous matron goddess of Ireland.
The English name for Ireland comes from the name Ériu and the Germanic (Old Norse or Old English) word land.
Since Ériu is represented as goddess of Ireland, she is often interpreted as a modern-day personification of Ireland, although since the name "Ériu" is the older Irish form of the word Ireland, her modern name is often modified to "Éire" or "Erin" to suit a modern form.
Role and mythic portrayal
With her sisters, Banba and Fódla, she was part of an important triumvirate of goddesses. When the Milesians arrived from Galicia, each of the three sisters asked that their name be given to the country. This was granted to them, although Ériu (Éire) became the chief name in use. (Banba and Fódla are still sometimes used as poetic names for Ireland, much as Albion is used as a poetic name for Great Britain.)
Ériu, Banba and Fódla are interpreted as goddesses of sovereignty.
According to the 17th-century Irish historian Geoffrey Keating (Seathrún Céitinn), the three sovereignty goddesses associated with Éire, Banbha and Fódla were Badb, Macha and The Morrígan.[1]
Different texts have attributed different personal relationships to Ériu. Her husband has been named as Mac Gréine (‘Son of the Sun’).[2] She has also been portrayed as the lover of Elatha, a prince of the Fomorians, with whom she had a son Bres, and as the mistress of the hero Lugh. Her foster-father in the Rennes Dindsenchas was Codal the Roundbreasted, whose feeding Eriu caused the land in Ireland to heave toward the sky.[3]
Name and etymology
The University of Wales' reconstructed Proto-Celtic lexicon gives *Φīwerjon- (nominative singular Φīwerjō) as the Proto-Celtic etymology of this name.[4] This Celtic form implies Proto-Indo-European *piHwerjon-, likely related to the adjectival stem *piHwer- "fat" (cf. Sanskrit pīvan, f. pīvarī and by-form pīvara, "fat, full, abounding") hence meaning "fat land" or "land of abundance", applied at an early date to the island of Ireland. The Proto-Celtic form became *īweriū[5] in Q-Celtic (Proto-Goidelic). From a similar or somewhat later form were also borrowed Greek Ἰέρνη I[w]ernē and Ἰουερνία Iouernia; the latter form was converted into Latin Hibernia.
References
- ^ Céitinn, Seathrún. "Foras Feasa ar Érinn".
- ^ Lebor Gabála Érenn. Online translation at www.ancienttexts.org
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Proto-Celtic—English lexicon" (PDF) (PDF).
{{cite web}}:|archive-url=requires|archive-date=(help) - ^ Mallory, J.P. and D.Q. Adams, ed. Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture. London: Fitzroy Dearborn Pub., 1997, p. 194
Bibliography
Boydell, Barra. "The female harp: The Irish harp in 18th- and early–19th-century Romantic nationalism", RIdIM/RCMI newsletter XX/1 (spring 1995), 10–17.