Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally Oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era. In the History of Ireland (795–1169), early medieval era, myths were ...

, Éber Donn ("Eber the brown" or "the noble") is the eldest son of

Míl Espáine In Irish origin myths, Míl Espáine or Míl Espáne (later Latinization of names, Latinized as Milesius) is the mythical ancestor of the final inhabitants of Ireland, the "sons of Míl" or Milesians (Irish), Milesians, who represent the vast maj ...

, the mythical ancestor of the Irish people. Unlike his brothers, Eremon,

Éber Finn Éber Finn (modern spelling: Éibhear Fionn), son of Míl Espáine, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland and one of the founders of the Milesian lineage, to which medieval genealogists traced al ...

and Amergin, Éber Donn was unable to land in Ireland, and was killed by a shipwreck off the island's southwest coast. As reported by

Lebor Gabála Érenn ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of Ireland's Taking"; Modern Irish spelling: ''Leabhar Gabhála Éireann'', known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'') is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language inten ...

, Éber Donn slighted the goddess

Ériu In Irish mythology, Ériu (; ), 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, Germanic (Old Norse or ...

, who predicted that neither he nor his offspring would land safely on the soil of Ireland. He was buried by his brothers in Tech Duinn, a rocky island off the Irish coast. According to one interpretation Éber Donn would be a continuation of the Celtic deity of death Donn, since both are connected with Tech Duinn, a place commonly identified with Bull Rock, a rocky islet off the coast of the

Beara Peninsula Beara () or the Beara Peninsula is a peninsula on the south-west coast of Ireland, bounded between the Kenmare River (which is actually a bay) to the north side and Bantry Bay to the south. It contains two mountain ranges running down its ce ...

. Another Éber Donn,

Éber Donn mac Ír Humber the Hun was a legendary king of so-called "Huns" who, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth's pseudohistorical chronicle , invaded the British Isles in about the 12th century BC from Scythia. His people successfully conquered Alba but he hims ...

, the nephew of the previous, is considered the progenitor of the kings of

Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or (Irish language, Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic Provinces of Ireland, over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include , which ...

and Dalriada.

References

Mythological Cycle {{Celt-myth-stub