Aengus
Encyclopedia
In Irish mythology
, Óengus (Old Irish), Áengus (Middle Irish), or Aengus or Aonghus (Modern Irish
), is a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann
and probably a god of love, youth and poetic inspiration. He is also called Aengus Óg ("Aengus the young"), Mac ind Óg ("son of the young"), Mac Óg ("young son") or Maccan.
and Boann
. He was said to have lived at Newgrange
by the river Boyne
.
The Dagda had an affair with Boann, wife of Nechtan
. In order to hide their affair, the Dagda made the sun stand still for nine months; therefore, Aengus was conceived, gestated and born in one day. Midir
was his foster-father.
When he came of age Aengus dispossessed the Dagda of his home, the Brú na Bóinne
(an area of the Boyne River Valley that contains the Passage tombs Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth). He arrived after the Dagda had shared out his land among his children, and there was nothing left for Aengus, so Aengus asked his father if he could live in the Brú for a day and a night, and the Dagda agreed. But Irish has no indefinite article, so "a day and a night" is the same as "day and night", which covers all time, and so Aengus took possession of the Brú permanently.
In a different version of this story, appearing in "The Wooing of Étaín", Aengus uses the same ploy to trick Elcmar
out of Brú na Bóinne, with the Dagda's connivance. In this version, Midir
is Aengus's foster-father, while Elcmar is the husband of Boann cuckolded by the Dagda.
According to the Death Tales of the Tuatha de Danaan, Aengus killed his step father Elcmar for killing Midir.
Aengus also slew the poet of Lugh Lamfada for lying about his brother Ogma an Cermait. The poet claimed that Ogma was having an affair with one of Lugh's wives. Aenghus killed the poet in front of Midir.
In the Wooing of Etain, Aengus was able to partially lift Fuamnach's spell against Etain, the horse goddess he had won for his brother Midir. Fuamnach in a jealous rage had turned the girl into a butterfly. Turning her into a woman at night, Aengus made her his lover until Fuamnach found out about it and drove her away. Aengus killed his foster mother for her treachery.
In the Tale of the Two Pails, a sidhe woman and foster daughter of Aengus gets lost and winds up in the company of St. Patrick. The girl converts to Christianity, and Aengus can not win her back. He leaves, and she dies of grief a few weeks later.
In the Battle of Ventry Aengus helped defend the battle weary men of Finn mac Cumaill against Roman invaders.
Aengus fell in love with a girl he had seen in his dreams. His mother, Boann, searched Ireland for an entire year. Then his father, the Dagda, did the same. Finally, King Bodb Dearg of Munster found her after a year.
Aengus went to the lake of the Dragon's Mouth and found 150 girls chained up in pairs. He found his girl, Caer Ibormeith
. On November 1, Caer and the other girls would turn into swan
s for one year, every second Samhain
. Aengus was told he could marry Caer if he could identify her as a swan. Aengus succeeded. He turned himself into a swan and they flew away, singing beautiful music that put all its listeners asleep for three days and nights.
Aengus was the foster-father and protector of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
of the Fianna
. He rescued Diarmuid and Gráinne
from one or two tight spots during their pursuit by the Fianna
.
He owned a sword named Moralltach, the Great Fury, given to him by Manannan mac Lir. This sword he gave to his foster-son Diarmuid. There was also a sword named the Little Fury and two spears of great power that he gave to Diarmuid. When the young man died, Aengus took his body back to the Brugh where he breathed life into it whenever he wanted to have a chat.
There are other legends that he was able to repair broken bodies and return life to them.
ic god Maponos
and his Welsh
equivalent, Mabon ap Modron
.
name Óengus is attested in Adomnan's Life of St. Columba as Oinogus(s)ius, showing that its etymology is from the Proto-Celtic
roots *oino- "one" and *guss- "choice".
The Old Irish spelling of the name was Óengus. Middle Irish spellings included Óengus and Áengus. The Early modern (classical) Irish form was Aonghus.
Modern Irish spellings are Aengus and Aonghus (Óengus is very rare).
Aonghas is the Scots Gaelic spelling.
and Scots Gaelic
name, borne by a variety of historical and legendary figures, including:
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
, Óengus (Old Irish), Áengus (Middle Irish), or Aengus or Aonghus (Modern Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
), is a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann
Tuatha Dé Danann
The Tuatha Dé Danann are a race of people in Irish mythology. In the invasions tradition which begins with the Lebor Gabála Érenn, they are the fifth group to settle Ireland, conquering the island from the Fir Bolg....
and probably a god of love, youth and poetic inspiration. He is also called Aengus Óg ("Aengus the young"), Mac ind Óg ("son of the young"), Mac Óg ("young son") or Maccan.
Life of Aengus
His parents were the DagdaDagda
The Dagda is an important god of Irish mythology.Dagda can also refer to:*Dagda, Latvia, a city in eastern Latvia*Dagda , an Irish New Age band...
and Boann
Boann
Boann or Boand is the Irish mythology goddess of the River Boyne, a river in Leinster, Ireland. According to the Lebor Gabála Érenn she was the daughter of Delbáeth, son of Elada, of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Her husband is variously Nechtan, Elcmar or Nuada. Her lover is the Dagda, by whom she had...
. He was said to have lived at Newgrange
Newgrange
Newgrange is a prehistoric monument located in County Meath, on the eastern side of Ireland, about one kilometre north of the River Boyne. It was built around 3200 BC , during the Neolithic period...
by the river Boyne
River Boyne
The River Boyne is a river in Leinster, Ireland, the course of which is about long. It rises at Trinity Well, Newbury Hall, near Carbury, County Kildare, and flows towards the Northeast through County Meath to reach the Irish Sea between Mornington, County Meath and Baltray, County Louth. Salmon...
.
The Dagda had an affair with Boann, wife of Nechtan
Nechtan
Nechtan, Nectan or Neithon may refer to:Kings:* Nechtan Morbet , king of the Picts* Nechtan nepos Uerb , king of the Picts* Nechtan mac Der-Ilei , king of the Picts...
. In order to hide their affair, the Dagda made the sun stand still for nine months; therefore, Aengus was conceived, gestated and born in one day. Midir
Midir
In the Mythological Cycle of early Irish literature, Midir or Midhir was a son of the Dagda of the Tuatha Dé Danann. After the Tuatha Dé were defeated by the Milesians, he lived in the sidh of Brí Léith...
was his foster-father.
When he came of age Aengus dispossessed the Dagda of his home, the Brú na Bóinne
Brú na Bóinne
is a World Heritage Site in County Meath, Ireland and is the largest and one of the most important prehistoric megalithic sites in Europe.-The site:...
(an area of the Boyne River Valley that contains the Passage tombs Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth). He arrived after the Dagda had shared out his land among his children, and there was nothing left for Aengus, so Aengus asked his father if he could live in the Brú for a day and a night, and the Dagda agreed. But Irish has no indefinite article, so "a day and a night" is the same as "day and night", which covers all time, and so Aengus took possession of the Brú permanently.
In a different version of this story, appearing in "The Wooing of Étaín", Aengus uses the same ploy to trick Elcmar
Elcmar
In Irish mythology, Elcmar or Ecmar was the husband of Boann and belonged to the semi-divine race the Tuatha de Danann, the people of Danu. It has been suggested that he is Nuada under another name, or that his name is an epithet for Nechtan the river god...
out of Brú na Bóinne, with the Dagda's connivance. In this version, Midir
Midir
In the Mythological Cycle of early Irish literature, Midir or Midhir was a son of the Dagda of the Tuatha Dé Danann. After the Tuatha Dé were defeated by the Milesians, he lived in the sidh of Brí Léith...
is Aengus's foster-father, while Elcmar is the husband of Boann cuckolded by the Dagda.
According to the Death Tales of the Tuatha de Danaan, Aengus killed his step father Elcmar for killing Midir.
Aengus also slew the poet of Lugh Lamfada for lying about his brother Ogma an Cermait. The poet claimed that Ogma was having an affair with one of Lugh's wives. Aenghus killed the poet in front of Midir.
In the Wooing of Etain, Aengus was able to partially lift Fuamnach's spell against Etain, the horse goddess he had won for his brother Midir. Fuamnach in a jealous rage had turned the girl into a butterfly. Turning her into a woman at night, Aengus made her his lover until Fuamnach found out about it and drove her away. Aengus killed his foster mother for her treachery.
In the Tale of the Two Pails, a sidhe woman and foster daughter of Aengus gets lost and winds up in the company of St. Patrick. The girl converts to Christianity, and Aengus can not win her back. He leaves, and she dies of grief a few weeks later.
In the Battle of Ventry Aengus helped defend the battle weary men of Finn mac Cumaill against Roman invaders.
Aengus fell in love with a girl he had seen in his dreams. His mother, Boann, searched Ireland for an entire year. Then his father, the Dagda, did the same. Finally, King Bodb Dearg of Munster found her after a year.
Aengus went to the lake of the Dragon's Mouth and found 150 girls chained up in pairs. He found his girl, Caer Ibormeith
Caer Ibormeith
In Irish mythology, Caer Ibormeith was a daughter of Prince Ethal Anbuail of Sid Uamuin in Connacht. Every alternate Samhain she would change into a swan, in which form she would remain for a year before becoming human again the following Samhain...
. On November 1, Caer and the other girls would turn into swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s for one year, every second Samhain
Samhain
Samhain is a Gaelic harvest festival held on October 31–November 1. It was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and was popularised as the "Celtic New Year" from the late 19th century, following Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer...
. Aengus was told he could marry Caer if he could identify her as a swan. Aengus succeeded. He turned himself into a swan and they flew away, singing beautiful music that put all its listeners asleep for three days and nights.
Aengus was the foster-father and protector of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne or Diarmid O'Dyna is a son of Donn and a warrior of the Fianna in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. He is most famous as the lover of Gráinne, the intended wife of Fianna leader Fionn mac Cumhaill in The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne...
of the Fianna
Fianna
Fianna were small, semi-independent warrior bands in Irish mythology and Scottish mythology, most notably in the stories of the Fenian Cycle, where they are led by Fionn mac Cumhaill....
. He rescued Diarmuid and Gráinne
Gráinne
Gráinne is the daughter of Cormac mac Airt in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. She is one of the central figures in the Middle Irish text Finn and Gráinne and most famously, in the 17th-century tale The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne, which tells of her betrothal to Fionn mac Cumhaill, leader...
from one or two tight spots during their pursuit by the Fianna
Fianna
Fianna were small, semi-independent warrior bands in Irish mythology and Scottish mythology, most notably in the stories of the Fenian Cycle, where they are led by Fionn mac Cumhaill....
.
He owned a sword named Moralltach, the Great Fury, given to him by Manannan mac Lir. This sword he gave to his foster-son Diarmuid. There was also a sword named the Little Fury and two spears of great power that he gave to Diarmuid. When the young man died, Aengus took his body back to the Brugh where he breathed life into it whenever he wanted to have a chat.
There are other legends that he was able to repair broken bodies and return life to them.
Connections
Aengus is widely considered to be connected to the ancient CeltCelt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic god Maponos
Maponos
In ancient Celtic religion, Maponos or Maponus is a god of youth known mainly in northern Britain but also in Gaul. In Roman times he was equated with Apollo....
and his Welsh
Welsh mythology
Welsh mythology, the remnants of the mythology of the pre-Christian Britons, has come down to us in much altered form in medieval Welsh manuscripts such as the Red Book of Hergest, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Book of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin....
equivalent, Mabon ap Modron
Mabon ap Modron
Mabon ap Modron is a prominent figure from Welsh literature and mythology, the son of Modron and a member of Arthur's warband. Both he and his mother were likely deities in origin, descending from a divine mother–son pair. His name is related to the Romano-British god Maponos, whose name means...
.
Etymology
The Old IrishOld Irish language
Old Irish is the name given to the oldest form of the Goidelic languages for which extensive written texts are extant. It was used from the 6th to the 10th centuries, by which time it had developed into Middle Irish....
name Óengus is attested in Adomnan's Life of St. Columba as Oinogus(s)ius, showing that its etymology is from the Proto-Celtic
Proto-Celtic language
The Proto-Celtic language, also called Common Celtic, is the reconstructed ancestor language of all the known Celtic languages. Its lexis can be confidently reconstructed on the basis of the comparative method of historical linguistics...
roots *oino- "one" and *guss- "choice".
The Old Irish spelling of the name was Óengus. Middle Irish spellings included Óengus and Áengus. The Early modern (classical) Irish form was Aonghus.
Modern Irish spellings are Aengus and Aonghus (Óengus is very rare).
Aonghas is the Scots Gaelic spelling.
Texts
- Aislingi Oengusai original text from Egerton 1782Egerton 1782MS Egerton 1782 is the index title of an early sixteenth-century Irish vellum manuscript housed in the Egerton Collection of the British Library, London.-Overview:The compilation dates from c...
at Thesaurus Linguae Hibernicae. - Tochmarc Étaíne: The Wooing of Étaín
- De Gabáil in t-Sída: The Taking of the Fairy Mound
- Aisling Óenguso: The Dream of Óengus
- Tóraigheacht Dhiarmada agus GhráinneThe Pursuit of Diarmuid and GráinneThe Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne is an Irish prose narrative surviving in many variants...
: The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne
Namesakes
Aengus was also a popular IrishIrish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
and Scots Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
name, borne by a variety of historical and legendary figures, including:
- Aengus OlmucadaAengus OlmucadaÓengus Olmucaid , son of Fíachu Labrainne, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. During the reign of his father, he conquered Scotland. He came to power by killing the incumbent High King, Eochu Mumu, who had killed his father twenty-one years...
, legendary High King of IrelandHigh King of IrelandThe High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
of the 15th century BC. - Aengus OllamhAengus OllamhÓengus Ollom , son of Ailill, son of Labraid Loingsech, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He took power after he killed the previous incumbent, Mug Corb, and ruled for eighteen years, until he was killed by Irereo, son of Meilge Molbthach...
, legendary High King of Ireland of the 5th century BC. - Aengus Tuirmech TemrachAengus Tuirmech TemrachÓengus Tuirmech Temrach, son of Eochaid Ailtlethan, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He came to power after killing his predecessor, and his father's killer, Fergus Fortamail. His sons included Énna Aignech and Fiacha Fer Mara...
, legendary High King of Ireland of the 4th century BC. - Óengus BolgÓengus BolgÓengus Bolg, son of Lugaid, son of Mac Nia, son of Mac Con, son of Lugaid Loígde, son of Dáire Doimthech, was a king of the Corcu Loígde, and an ancestor of the Eóganachta "inner circle" through his daughter Aimend, married to Conall Corc...
, king of the Corcu LoígdeCorcu LoígdeThe Corcu Loígde , meaning Gens of the Calf Goddess, also called the Síl Lugdach meic Itha, were a kingdom centered in West County Cork who descended from the proto-historical rulers of Munster, the Dáirine, of whom they were the principal royal sept...
, possibly a deity - Óengus I of the PictsÓengus I of the PictsÓengus son of Fergus , was king of the Picts from 732 until his death in 761. His reign can be reconstructed in some detail from a variety of sources.Óengus became the chief king in Pictland following a period of civil war in the late 720s...
(died 761) - Aengus the Culdee, Irish saint who lived in the 8th century.
- Óengus II of the PictsÓengus II of the PictsÓengus mac Fergusa was king of the Picts , in modern Scotland, from about 820 until 834. Tradition associates him with the cult of Saint Andrew and the Flag of Scotland....
(died 834) - Aonghas ÓgAonghas ÓgAonghas Óg was a Scottish nobleman who was the last independent Lord of the Isles.-Biography:He was the bastard son of John of Islay, Earl of Ross . Aonghas became a rebel against both his father and against the Scottish crown...
, Lord of the IslesLord of the IslesThe designation Lord of the Isles is today a title of Scottish nobility with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It emerged from a series of hybrid Viking/Gaelic rulers of the west coast and islands of Scotland in the Middle Ages, who wielded sea-power with fleets of...
(died 1490) - Óengus mac Nad FroíchÓengus mac Nad FroíchÓengus mac Nad Froích was an Eoganachta and the first Christian king of Munster. He was the son of Nad Froich mac Cuirc by Faochan, a British lady...
, King of Munster (5th century ?) - Óengus of MorayÓengus of MorayÓengus of Moray was the last King of Moray of the native line, ruling Moray in what is now northeastern Scotland from some unknown date until his death in 1130....
, last Mormaer of MorayMormaer of MorayThe Mormaerdom or Kingdom of Moray was a lordship in High Medieval Scotland that was destroyed by King David I of Scotland in 1130. It did not have the same territory as the modern local government council area of Moray, which is a much smaller area, around Elgin...
(died 1130)