Everything about Riu totally explained
In
Irish mythology,
Ériu (/ˈeːrʲu/), daughter of
Ernmas of the
Tuatha Dé Danann, was the eponymous patron
goddess of
Ireland. Her husband was
Mac Gréine (‘Son of the Sun’). She was the mother of
Bres by Prince
Elatha of the
Fomorians.
The English name for Ireland comes from the name Ériu and the
Germanic (
Old Norse or
Anglo-Saxon) word
land.
Role and mythic portrayal
With her sisters,
Banba and
Fodla, she was part of an important triumvirate of goddesses. When the
Milesians arrived from Spain each of the three sisters asked that her name be given to the country. This was granted to them, although Ériu (
Éire) became the chief name in use (Banba and Fodla are still sometimes used as poetic names for Ireland, much as
Albion is for
Great Britain).
Ériu, Banba and Fodhla are interpreted as goddesses of sovereignty.
According to
Seathrún Céitinn the three goddesses of Éire, Banbha and Fódhla were
Badhbh,
Macha and
Móirríoghan (respectively?). Like Ériu, Badb is also sometimes named as a daughter of Ernmas; the two goddesses may possibly therefore be seen as equivalent.
Name and etymology
The
University of Wales' reconstructed Proto-Celtic lexicon gives *
Φīwerjon- (nominative singular
Φīwerjō) as the
Proto-Celtic etymology of this name. 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 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.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Riu'.
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