Aine
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In Irish mythology, Áine (also Aillen) was a goddess of love, growth, cattle and the moon. She was the daughter of Egobail, and sister of Aillen and/or Fennen. In some versions of the myth, she is the wife of Gerold Iarla; in others, rather than being married, he raped her, and may have been subsequently killed by her; in yet other versions of her myth, she is the wife of Manannan mac Lir. The feast of Midsummer Night was held in her honor. In County Limerick, she was a fairy queen. She is sometimes equated with Danu.
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Etymology & Fundamental Nature
The reconstructed lexis of the Proto-Celtic language as collated by the University of Wales [1] (http://www.wales.ac.uk/documents/external/cawcs/pcl-moe.pdf) suggests that the name is likely to be ultimately derived from the Proto-Celtic *Anjā . This Proto-Celtic word connotes the semantics of ‘ring, annular thing.’ This apparent semantic connotation has led Dr. John Koch at the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies to suggest that this personality may well personify “cyclicality ”. This theory, if it is correct, would account for the associations with the cyclicality inherent in the cycles of growth, of the moon, and of the apparent vicissitudes of love.
Parallels ?
If the theory is correct that [[Aine] is in fact a personification of ‘cyclicality’, this allow one to draw parallels with such beings as Arianrhod, Aericura.
Bibliography
- Ellis, Peter Berresford, Dictionary of Celtic Mythology(Oxford Paperback Reference), Oxford University Press, (1994): ISBN: 0195089618
- MacKillop, James. Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 0192801201.
- Wood, Juliette, The Celts: Life, Myth, and Art, Thorsons Publishers (2002): ISBN: 0007640595
External Links
[2] (http://www.mythome.org/celtic.html) [3] (http://www.paralumun.com/celticgod.htm) [4] (http://www.daire.org/names/deities.html) [5] (http://www.wales.ac.uk/documents/external/cawcs/pcl-moe.pdf)