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Midir


In the Mythological Cycle of early Irish literature, Midir (Old Irish) or Midhir (Modern Irish) was a son of the Dagda of the Tuatha Dé Danann. After the Tuatha Dé were defeated by the Milesians, he lived in the sidh of Brí Léith (believed to be Ardagh Hill, Co. Longford). In the First Recension of the Lebor Gabála, Midir of Brí Léith is made the "son of Induí son of Échtach son of Etarlam". The name Midir may come from the old Irish word for a judge, midithir.

Midir is one of the leading characters in the Old Irish saga ("The Wooing of Étaín"), which makes leaps through time from the age of the Túatha Dé Danann to the time of Eochaid Airem, High King of Ireland. Midir was the husband of Fúamnach, but later fell in love with Étaín, receiving the help of his foster-son and half-brother Aengus (also Oengus) to make her his new bride. This provoked Fuamnach's vengeance against the young new wife, causing her a number of disgraces until after several transformations (including water, a worm, and a butterfly or dragonfly) Étaín fell into the drink of another woman and was reborn. She later married Eochaid Airem, at that time the High King of Ireland. Far from giving up, Midir made an attempt to bring his wife back home, going to see the king and challenging him to many games of fidchell. Eochaid won all but the last, when Midir won and asked a kiss from Étaín as his prize. Eochaid kept his word and allowed Midir the kiss, but Mider turned himself and Étaín into swans and left the royal residence through the chimney. Eochaid did not accept the loss of his wife and pursued them. Then Midir used his magical powers to turn fifty women into similar to Étaín, offering the king the possibility to choose only one. Eochaid, trying to find the true one, chose his own daughter by accident and lost Étaín, also fathering a daughter upon his own daughter in the process.


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