Identifier: mythslegendscelt00roll (find matches)
Title: Myths and legends ; the Celtic race
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Rolleston, T. W. (Thomas William), 1857-1920
Subjects: Celts Celts Celtic literature Legends, Celtic
Publisher: Boston : Nickerson
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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grandsons of the Dagda. Their nameswere MacCuill, MacCecht, and MacGren^, and theirwives were named respectively Banba, Fohla, and Eriu.The Celtic habit of conceiving divine persons in triadsis here illustrated. These triads represent one personeach, and the mythical character of that personage isevident from the name of one of them, MacGrene, Sonof the Sun. The names of the three goddesses haveeach at different times been applied to Ireland, but thatof the third, Eriu, has alone persisted, and in the dativeform, Erinn, is a poetic name for the country to thisday. That Eriu is the wife of MacGren6 means, as deJubainville observes, that the Sun-god, the god of Day,Life, and Science, has wedded the land and is reigningover it. Ith, on landing, finds that the Danaan king, Neit,has just been slain in a battle with the Fomorians, andthe three sons, MacCuill and the others, are at thefortress of Aileach, in Co. Donegal, arranging for adivision of the land among themselves. At first they132
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The Coming of the Sons of Miled 132 THE COMING OF THE MILESIANSwelcome Ith, and ask him to settle their inheritance.Ith gives his judgment, but, in concluding, his admira-tion for the newly discovered country breaks out:Act,** he says, according to the laws of justice, forthe country you dwell in is a good one, it is rich infruit and honey, in wheat and in fish ; and in heat andcold it is temperate. From this panegyric the Danaansconclude that 1th has designs upon their land, and theyseize him and put him to death. His companions,however, recover his body and bear it back with themin their ships to Spain ; when the children of Miledresolve to take vengeance for the outrage and prepareto invade Ireland. They were commanded by thirty-six chiefs, eachhaving his own ship with his family and his followers.Two of the company are said to have perished on theway. One of the sons of Miled, having climbed to themasthead of his vessel to look out for the coast ofIreland, fell into the sea and wa

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