In
Irish mythology, Abcán (modern spelling: Abhcán) was the dwarf poet and musician of the
Tuatha Dé Danann, the early
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
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divinities of
Ireland. He was said to have a bronze boat with a tin sail.
In the story of the death of the goddess
Ruad, Abcán is the dwarf that ferries her from the
Otherworld to this one so that she can seduce the human,
Aed Srónmár. The sounds of
mermaids singing, or in some versions, music from a
fairy mound cause her to leap into the water and drown.
In another story, Abcán is captured by the hero,
Cúchulainn. He frees himself by playing lullabies so irresistible that the warrior goes to sleep.
[Monaghan, p.2]
Abcán has much in common with, and may be another name for, the dwarf musician Fer Í.
Footnotes
References
* Monaghan, Patricia (2004). ''The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore'', Checkmark Books, New York, NY
Tuatha Dé Danann
Irish legendary creatures
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