Post by bluefedish on Apr 10, 2008 7:50:36 GMT -5
In Irish Mythology, Aine (pronounced "awnya" in Connacht Irish and "enya" in Ulster Irish) is a goddess of love, growth, crops, and cattle, also perhaps associated with the sun. She gave the meadowsweet its scent. She is the daughter of Egobail, and sister of Aillen and/or Fennen. In some of the tales that mention her, she is the wife of Gearoid Iarla. In other tales, rather than having a consensual marriage, he raped her, and she exacted her revenge by either changing him into a goose, killing him, or both. In yet other versions of her myth, she is the wife or daughter of the sea god Manannan mac Lir. The feast of Midsummer Night was held in her honor. In County Limerick, she is remembered in more recent times as a "fairy queen".
Aine is sometimes mistakenly equated with Danu as her name bears a superficial resemblance to Anu.
"Aynia", reputedly the most powerful fairy in Ulster, may be a variant of the same figure.
About seven miles from Aine's hill, Cnoc Aine in County Limerick, is the hill of the goddess Grian, Cnoc Greine. Grain (literally, "sun") is believed to be either the sister of Aine, or another of Aine's manifestations. Due to Aine's connection with midsummer rites, it's possible that Aine and Grian may share a dual-goddess, seasonal function (such as seen in the Gaelic myths of the Cailleach and Brighid)with the two sisters representing the "two suns" of the year: Aine representing the light half of the year and the bright summer sun, and Grian the dark half of the year and the pale winter sun.
Selected Sources:
The Witches' Goddess By: Janet & Stewart Farrar
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aine
lynette.covenspace.com
Aine is sometimes mistakenly equated with Danu as her name bears a superficial resemblance to Anu.
"Aynia", reputedly the most powerful fairy in Ulster, may be a variant of the same figure.
About seven miles from Aine's hill, Cnoc Aine in County Limerick, is the hill of the goddess Grian, Cnoc Greine. Grain (literally, "sun") is believed to be either the sister of Aine, or another of Aine's manifestations. Due to Aine's connection with midsummer rites, it's possible that Aine and Grian may share a dual-goddess, seasonal function (such as seen in the Gaelic myths of the Cailleach and Brighid)with the two sisters representing the "two suns" of the year: Aine representing the light half of the year and the bright summer sun, and Grian the dark half of the year and the pale winter sun.
Selected Sources:
The Witches' Goddess By: Janet & Stewart Farrar
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aine
lynette.covenspace.com
