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1 Fraser, Sir James George, The Silver Bough, Vol. 1, pp. 97-98.
made the mistake of allowing Iain the “services” of a very
ugly and bent crone by whom the laird had a son named
Murdock. Murdock "the Stunted" escaped to Ireland and
after many years returned to Scotland to become the
ancestor of the present chieftain of Lochbubie. And see next.
EAG, EUG, a nick, a notch, Moon, Ir. feag, Manx agg, Cy. ag,
Eng. peg. Confers with ON. Egg, a nickname for Odin. To
“nick” was to play unfairly, “to cheat.” Notice that Odin
was characterized as “Odin Oathbreaker.” Eagal, fear,
fright, dread, superstition, terror. Eaglais, a pagan temple,
a Christian church.
EALG, obs. noble, expert, EIr. elg, thus Innis Ealga, the
“Noble Isle,” i.e. Ireland, cf. Eng. Elgin. Note also Glen-elg.
EAR. east. Eastward, Ir. soir, eastern, anoir, from the east,
OIr. an-air, “from the elder days.” From “before the sun”
presuming the observer is looking at the dawn. Opposite is
iar, west. Associated with Christianity since Christ’s
nativity took place in the east. Christians were buried
facing east, pagans facing west. More anciently, men faced
the sun-deity at his rising. The expression bheir a fa’n ear
e, is literally “he brings it under the East,” i.e. within the
scrutiny of god. The west was styled “behind or after (the
sun has set).”
EASGA, obs., the full moon, the Moon goddess, archaic. the
Lat. idus, in “full light.” Harvesting, hunting, and the killing
of domestic stock was arranged near this moon, which was
thought to promote fullness in man and beast. This was
considered an appropriate time for weddings, and at one
time, almost everyone abroad at night carried a “lucky
silver” in his pocket which had to be to be turned over three
times at the first sight of the new moon. The new moon of
the goddess Samh was used to cut woodbine during the
month of March. The wood was twisted into moon-wreaths
and preserved until the following March, the invisible spirit
it emanated being helpful in curing children who suffered
consumption or the “wasting fever” (tuberculosis). Those
who were ill were passed three times through the moon-
circle. See earrabhubh for notes on the waning moon.
EBER MAC MIL, Eber Fionn, i.e. “the White,” the son of King
Mil. He slew mac Cumhail the husband of Banbha, a queen of
the Tuatha daoine. He refused Amerigin’s judgement that
his elder brother Eremon should rule Ireland after the
Milesian conquest. He attacked and destroyed his brother in
the first war between the north and the south. In this
contest the north prevailed and Eber established himself as
the High King at Tara.
EBER MAC ESRU, Also known as EBER SCOT. His father was
the son of Goideal who was the son of Scota, a daughter of
the Egyptian pharaoh Nectanebes. Some say this was the line
of the Scottish branch of the Irish race.
Sensing that this was so, the high king turned to his
son and asked what he thought. The young man responded:
“Tis hard for me. I love my own people above all else; yet
this great longing to travel has fallen on me, and I wish to
know the maiden.” The maiden hearing this replied, “Then
the ocean itself is not as strong as the waves of longing.
Come with me in my curragh, the great gleaming crystal
ship that stands on the strand. Soon we will reach Boadag’s
realm. I see the bright sun fail in the west, but we can
reach it before night. At that place is another land and
people worthy of your love, a place joyous to all who seek
it. It is called Tir na-mBan, only wives and maidens dwell
there. If thou wilt we will go there and live long together in
happiness.” When the maiden had ceased to speak, and
before the druid arrived, Connla turned with the invisible
maiden and followed her to a nearby strand where they
leaped into the curragh and departed for the west.
EIGIS, 'S A' BHEINN BHAIN, eigis, a bard, The “Sages of the
White Mountain” in North Uist, Scotland. A druidic school
which persisted in the Hebrides until the last century;
eisgiseach. erudite. "the rightful heirs of the ancient
knowledge and logic of pre-Christian Ireland; but the Church
grew powerful on the mainland of Europe and bit by bit the
Christian faith prevailed in Scotland and everything was
preserved that the Church wished preserved, and everything
was destroyed that the Church wished destroyed." (Donald
Son of Alexander, 1790-1884, The Hebridean Connection, p.
385).
EILID, a hind. Oir. elit. Obs. The twenty-nine day month the
Brythons called Elembivios (roughly, March). Cy. alain.
Elathu gave him land and sea forces, and directed him
to Tory Island, where he received further support from
Balor "of the Evil Eye." Nuada ard-righ was unable to regain
the countryside against this combined host, but fortunately
a god-hero appeared in the form of Lugh "of the Long Arm."
A foster-son of Manan mac Ler, Lugh brought with him to
the Tuatha daoine cause the Boat of Manan, which travelled
by reading thoughts, the Horse of Manan, which could travel
on the sea as well as on land and an invincible sword named
Fragarach, the “Answerer.”
ERI. The wife of the Tuathan named Cethor. She met the
Fomorian king named Elathu and consented to sexual acts.
Their son was Breas who became king of the land when King
Nuada lost his hand in battle. The Tuatha daoine found him
parsimonious and rose up against him. He went to his father
for help thus starting the war between the “gods” and the
“giants,” an event that led to the complete destruction of
the Fomorian interests in the east.
EUN, bird, OIr. en, Cy. edn, root pet, to fly, Lat. penna, wing,
Eng. feather, Skr. patati, to fly. Hence eunlaith, birds.
Animals of special importance to the art of prognostication.
“The motif of the bird lover is one which is very widespread
and of great antiquity. It is found in Celtic contexts in the
earliest strata of literary tradition and in the later folk
tales. It is also found in Scots folklore and widely
throughout Europe...In the Irish tradition the role is not
confined to men, both men and women appearing in the role
of bird-lovers. Furthermore, the bird or bird-flock may
bring about the desired situation without the lover himself
(or herself) adopting bird form. There would appear to be a
close link between birds and the sexual act in the case of
divine or semi-divine beings. Frequently the bird or birds
make magic music so that the lovers can better achieve
union. - Anne Ross. The birds most often specified in this
way were ravens, crows, swans, herons, owls, eagles,
cranes and geese. Some of these birds were of an
unspecified species, as next entry.
EUN LUGHA, The “lord of heaven’s hen,” the wren, “If the
wren calls from the east, enemies are about to call. Should
the wren call from the south-east, buiffons are on the way;
if from the northeast, a bedfellow or woman is on the way;
if from the north, dear to you is he that approaches. From
the north-west expect pious folk. If the call is from the
south a man will be slain that is important in your life,
providing the sound is not between you and the sun. If the
sound falls on your left ear there will be union with ,m,an
from afar or cohabitation with a young woman. If the call
comes from behind you will be cuckhold. If it arises from
the ground behind you your wife will be taken by rapine on
the part of another man in spite of all you may do. If the
sound issues from the east poets may be on the road to
greet you, or at least there will be tidings from them. If
from the south you may soon see clergy, or hear death-
tidings of some noble layman. The southwest indicates the
coming of robbers, evil peasants or prostitutes. Sounds
from the west are often allied with the advance of kinsmen.
A noble hero is announced from the nnotrthwest. Noble
hospitallers and good women come on this sound. From the
north there advanced bad warriors, ill clerics, infamous
women and wicked youths. From the south, expect sickness
and wolves among the herds. If the song is from a stone or
the ground a male relative will die. If the call comes from a
cross, many men will die. The number of times the sound
reverberates will be the number of dead, and the quarter
from which the wren speaks is where men will die.” “The
little gold filigree wren from Garryduff, Ireland, although
post-Roman in date, may be associated with the Druidic
practise of augury rather than have a Christian
connotation.” See droen, a wren.