In
Irish mythology
Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later written down in the early medieval era by C ...
, Elatha, Elotha, Elier or Elada (modern spelling: Ealadha) was a king of the
Fomorians
The Fomorians or Fomori ( sga, Fomóire, Modern ga, Fomhóraigh / Fomóraigh) are a supernatural race in Irish mythology, who are often portrayed as hostile and monstrous beings. Originally they were said to come from under the sea or the eart ...
and the father of
Bres
In Irish mythology, Bres (or Bress) was a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is often referred to by the name Eochaid / Eochu Bres. He was an unpopular king, and favoured his Fomorian kin.
Name
''Eochu Bres'' has been translated as "beautiful ho ...
by
Ériu
In Irish mythology, Ériu (; modern ga, Éire ), daughter of Delbáeth and Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was the eponymous matron goddess of Ireland.
The English name for Ireland comes from the name Ériu and the Germanic languages, Germani ...
of the
Tuatha Dé Danann
The Tuath(a) Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu (Irish goddess), Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deity, ...
, as well as Delbaeth,
Ogma
OGMA – Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal S.A. is a Portuguese aerospace company focused on aircraft maintenance and manufacturing.
History
OGMA was founded as part of the reorganisation of the Portuguese Army's Aeronautic Service on June 2 ...
, Elloth (grandfather of
Manannán mac Lir
Manannán or Manann, also known as Manannán mac Lir ("son of the sea"), is a warrior and king of the Otherworld in Irish mythology who is associated with the sea and often interpreted as a sea god, usually as a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann ...
), and the
Dagda
The Dagda (Old Irish: ''In Dagda,'' ga, An Daghdha, ) is an important god in Irish mythology. One of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the Dagda is portrayed as a father-figure, king, and druid.Koch, John T. ''Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia' ...
by an unnamed mother. The imagery surrounding him suggests he may be associated with sources of light and illumination, such as
the sun.
Overview
Elatha is described as being the "beautiful Miltonic prince of darkness with golden hair". He was the son of
Delbaeth and a king of the
Fomor, and he was the father of
Bres
In Irish mythology, Bres (or Bress) was a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is often referred to by the name Eochaid / Eochu Bres. He was an unpopular king, and favoured his Fomorian kin.
Name
''Eochu Bres'' has been translated as "beautiful ho ...
by
Eriu, a woman of the
Tuatha Dé Danann
The Tuath(a) Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu (Irish goddess), Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deity, ...
. He came to her over the sea in a vessel of silver, himself having the appearance of a young man with yellow hair, wearing clothes of gold and five gold
torc
A torc, also spelled torq or torque, is a large rigid or stiff neck ring in metal, made either as a single piece or from strands twisted together. The great majority are open at the front, although some had hook and ring closures and a few had ...
s. He was one of the
Fomor who took part in the
Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh.
During the
Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh, Elatha watched over his son
the Dagda
The Dagda (Old Irish: ''In Dagda,'' ga, An Daghdha, ) is an important god in Irish mythology. One of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the Dagda is portrayed as a father-figure, king, and druid.Koch, John T. ''Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia ...
's magic harp,
Uaithne
In Irish mythology, Uaithne () is The Dagda's harper. Uaithne (Uaitniu) could mean "wood", "work", "pillar" or "harmony". Those different meanings could be the consequence of successive metaphors.
The Dagda's harp is called Daur da Bláo, The Oak ...
, sometimes called Dur-da-Bla, "the Oak of Two Blossoms," and sometimes Coir-cethar-chuin, "the Four-Angled Music." He is said to have a sense of humor and a sense of nobility.
Though considered to be the
Fomorian
The Fomorians or Fomori ( sga, Fomóire, Modern ga, Fomhóraigh / Fomóraigh) are a supernatural race in Irish mythology, who are often portrayed as hostile and monstrous beings. Originally they were said to come from under the sea or the eart ...
father of
Eochu Bres, Elatha (Elada) was also the father of
the Dagda
The Dagda (Old Irish: ''In Dagda,'' ga, An Daghdha, ) is an important god in Irish mythology. One of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the Dagda is portrayed as a father-figure, king, and druid.Koch, John T. ''Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia ...
,
Ogma
OGMA – Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal S.A. is a Portuguese aerospace company focused on aircraft maintenance and manufacturing.
History
OGMA was founded as part of the reorganisation of the Portuguese Army's Aeronautic Service on June 2 ...
, a son named
Delbaeth, and Elloth, elsewhere known as
Lir
Lir or Ler (meaning "Sea" in Old Irish; ''Ler'' and ''Lir'' are the nominative and genitive forms, respectively) is a sea god in Irish mythology. His name suggests that he is a personification of the sea, rather than a distinct deity. He is na ...
(the father of
Manannan mac Lir) according to the ''
Lebor Gabála Érenn
''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of the Taking of Ireland"), known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'', is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language intended to be a history of Ireland and the Irish fro ...
.'' The mother of these
Tuatha Dé Danann
The Tuath(a) Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu (Irish goddess), Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deity, ...
chiefs may have been
Ethne, the mother of
Lug, based on
Ogma' often cited matronymic "mac Ethliu." Since Ethne was Fomorian, this means they are all Fomorians. This is rather confusing, but may portray the battle between the two groups as actually being about the new generation of gods displacing the older generation.
Elatha and Bres
''She told him that his father was Elatha, one of the Kings of the Fomorians; that he had come to her one time over a level sea in a great vessel that seemed to be of silver; that he himself had the appearance of a young man with yellow hair, his clothes decked with gold and five rings of gold around his neck. She had refused the love of all the young men of her own people, had given him her love and cried when he had left her.''
Before he left he had given her a ring from his own hand and had bade her give it only to the man whose finger it would fit.
Eri
Eri may refer to:
People
* Eri (biblical figure)
* Eri (given name), a Japanese feminine given name, including lists of people and fictional characters
* Eri (king), the progenitor of the Umu-Eri and Umu-Nri-Igbo ancient Nigerian city-states
* ...
brought out the ring and put it on the finger of
Bres
In Irish mythology, Bres (or Bress) was a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is often referred to by the name Eochaid / Eochu Bres. He was an unpopular king, and favoured his Fomorian kin.
Name
''Eochu Bres'' has been translated as "beautiful ho ...
and it fit him well. She and
Bres
In Irish mythology, Bres (or Bress) was a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is often referred to by the name Eochaid / Eochu Bres. He was an unpopular king, and favoured his Fomorian kin.
Name
''Eochu Bres'' has been translated as "beautiful ho ...
and some of their followers then set out of the land of the
Fomorians
The Fomorians or Fomori ( sga, Fomóire, Modern ga, Fomhóraigh / Fomóraigh) are a supernatural race in Irish mythology, who are often portrayed as hostile and monstrous beings. Originally they were said to come from under the sea or the eart ...
. At long last they came to that faraway land. Elatha the local King saw the ring on
Bres
In Irish mythology, Bres (or Bress) was a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is often referred to by the name Eochaid / Eochu Bres. He was an unpopular king, and favoured his Fomorian kin.
Name
''Eochu Bres'' has been translated as "beautiful ho ...
’ hand and asked him the whole story and said that
Bres
In Irish mythology, Bres (or Bress) was a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is often referred to by the name Eochaid / Eochu Bres. He was an unpopular king, and favoured his Fomorian kin.
Name
''Eochu Bres'' has been translated as "beautiful ho ...
was his own son. Elatha then asked
Bres
In Irish mythology, Bres (or Bress) was a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is often referred to by the name Eochaid / Eochu Bres. He was an unpopular king, and favoured his Fomorian kin.
Name
''Eochu Bres'' has been translated as "beautiful ho ...
what it was that drove him out of his own country and his own kingship.
Bres
In Irish mythology, Bres (or Bress) was a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is often referred to by the name Eochaid / Eochu Bres. He was an unpopular king, and favoured his Fomorian kin.
Name
''Eochu Bres'' has been translated as "beautiful ho ...
answered truthfully: “Nothing drove me out but my own injustice and my own hardness; I took away their treasures from the people and their jewels and their food itself. And there were never taxes put on them before I was their King. And still I am come to look for fighting men that I may take Ireland by force”. Elatha listened and then bade him go to the chief King of the
Fomorians
The Fomorians or Fomori ( sga, Fomóire, Modern ga, Fomhóraigh / Fomóraigh) are a supernatural race in Irish mythology, who are often portrayed as hostile and monstrous beings. Originally they were said to come from under the sea or the eart ...
,
Balar of the Evil Eye.'
Names
These are the names that Elatha has gone by and where that name stems from.
* Elatha -
T. W. Rolleston: ''Myths and Legends of Celtic Race''
* Elathan -
Charles Squire
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...
: ''Mythology of the Celtic People''
* Elathan -
Lady Gregory
Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory (''née'' Persse; 15 March 1852 – 22 May 1932) was an Irish dramatist, folklorist and theatre manager. With William Butler Yeats and Edward Martyn, she co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre and the Abbey Theatre, ...
: ''Gods and Fighting Men''
''Elathan'' is used incorrectly by Squire and Lady Gregory, as ''Elathan'' is the genitive case of Elatha and means 'of Elatha'.
According to Lady Gregory the etymology of ''Elatha'' is "art" or "knowledge" in the bardic sense. The name Elathan could also mean "(he) of the art" the ''n'' is justified in this case. This could explain why Ogma (inventor of the ogham script) is son of Elatha(n) (bardic knowledge). Elatha is called "glory of weapons" and "a wolf of division against men of plunder" in the
Lebor Gabála Érenn
''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of the Taking of Ireland"), known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'', is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language intended to be a history of Ireland and the Irish fro ...
.
['']Lebor Gabála Érenn
''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of the Taking of Ireland"), known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'', is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language intended to be a history of Ireland and the Irish fro ...
'
§64
References
External links
'Gods and Fighting Men: The Story of the Tuatha de Danann and of the Fianna of Ireland' by Lady Gregory, 1905
{{Celtic mythology (Mythological)
Fomorians
Irish gods