Bé Chuille, also known as Becuille and Bé Chuma, is the daughter of Flidais and one of the

Tuatha Dé Danann The Tuatha Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the 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 deities of pre-Christian Gaelic ...

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 ...

. In a tale from the Metrical Dindshenchas, she is a good sorceress who joins three other of the Tuatha Dé to defeat the evil

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

witch Carman. According to the Book of Leinster (1150) Bé Chuille was killed, along with Dianann, by "gray demons of air." During the second Second Battle of Moytura, Bé Chuille and Dianann are called Lugh's two witches, and when asked what they will do in battle, they respond that they will enchant the trees, stones, and grasses of the earth to route the

Fomorians The Fomorians or Fomori (, Modern ) 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 earth. Later, they were portrayed as sea raider ...

with horror and affliction.''The Second Battle of Moytura'' Sections 116,117
/ref> In the Lebor Gabála Érenn Bé Chuille and Dianann are called "she-farmers" and mentioned along with their sisters Argoen and Be Theite as the daughters of Flidais. Becuille is often confused with Bechuma of the Fair Skin. In ''Echtrae Airt meic Cuinn'' (''The

Echtra An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld or with otherworldly beings. Definition and etymology In Irish literature ''Echtrae'' and ''Immram'' are tales of voy ...

, or Adventure, of Art mac Cuinn''), Bechuma is married to Eogan Inbir, but commits adultery with Gaidiar, son of

Manannán mac Lir or , also known as ('son of the Sea'), is a Water deity, sea god, warrior, and king of the Tír na nÓg, otherworld in Irish mythology, Gaelic (Irish, Manx, and Scottish) mythology who is one of the . He is seen as a ruler and guardian of t ...

, and is banished to the human world.

Conn of the Hundred Battles Conn Cétchathach (), or Conn of the Hundred Battles, son of Fedlimid Rechtmar, was a legendary High King of Ireland who is claimed to be the ancestor of the Connachta, and through his descendant Niall Noígiallach, the Uí Néill dynasties, w ...

marries her, but she becomes infatuated with his son Art. The

druid A druid was a member of the high-ranking priestly class in ancient Celtic cultures. The druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no wr ...

s inform Conn that Bechuma's wickedness has turned his realm into a Wasteland, and she is eventually exiled.

References

*Gwynn, Edward (Ed) (1906). ''The Metrical Dindshenchas'' volume 3

* MacKillop, James (1998). ''Dictionary of Celtic Mythology''. London: Oxford. . Cycles of the Kings Irish goddesses Tuatha Dé Danann {{Celt-myth-stub