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Boann

March 11, 2023

Boann or Boand (modern Irish spelling: Bónn) is the Irish goddess of the River Boyne (the river-name now always in the nominalised dative/prepositional case, Bóinn), a river in Ireland's historical fifth province, Meath (from Middle Irish An Mide "the Middle"), which was later subsumed into the modern province of Leinster. According to the Lebor Gabála Érenn and Táin Bó Fraích she was the sister of Befind[1] and daughter of Delbáeth, son of Elada, of the Tuatha Dé Danann.[2] Her husband is variously Nechtan or Elcmar. With her lover the Dagda, she is the mother of Aengus.

The River Boyne with Newgrange in the background.
The River Boyne as seen from Brú na Bóinne.

Etymology

Her name is interpreted as "white cow" (Irish: bó fhionn; Old Irish: bó find) in the dinsenchas, where she is also called "White Boand".[3][4] Ptolemy's 2nd century Geography shows that in antiquity the river's name was Bouvinda [Βουουίνδα],[5][6] which may derive from Proto-Celtic *Bou-vindā, "white cow".[7] An alternate version of her name is given as Segais, hence Well of Segais.[8] We are also told that Eithne was the wife of Elcmar and that another name for Eithne was Boand.[9]

Mythology

In the tale of Aengus's birth, Boann lives at Brú na Bóinne with her husband Elcmar. She has an affair with the Dagda, who impregnates her after sending Elcmar away on a one-day errand. To hide the pregnancy from Elcmar, the Dagda casts a spell on him, making "the sun stand still" so he will not notice the passing of time. Meanwhile, nine months pass and Boann gives birth to Aengus.[10][11] The Dindsenchas explains the name Aengus as meaning "one desire", because the Dagda had been Boann's one true desire.[12] It has been suggested that this tale represents the winter solstice illumination of Newgrange at Brú na Bóinne, during which the sunbeam (the Dagda) enters the inner chamber (the womb of Boann) when the sun's path stands still. The word solstice (Irish grianstad) means sun-standstill. The conception of Aengus may represent the 'rebirth' of the sun at the winter solstice.[11][13]

As told in the Dindsenchas,[14] Boann created the Boyne. Though forbidden to by her husband, Nechtan, Boann approached the magical Well of Segais (also known as the Connla's Well), which was surrounded, according to the legend, by nine magic hazel-trees.[15] Hazelnuts were known to fall into the Well, where they were eaten by the speckled salmon (who, along with hazelnuts, also embody and represent wisdom in Irish mythology). Boann challenged the power of the well by walking around it tuathal; this caused the waters to surge up violently and rush down to the sea, creating the Boyne. In this catastrophe, she was swept along in the rushing waters, and lost an arm, leg and eye, and ultimately her life, in the flood. The poem equates her with famous rivers in other countries, including the River Severn, Tiber, Jordan River, Tigris and Euphrates. Additionally, it mentions alternate names for various parts of the Boyne, including River of Segais, the Arm and Leg of Nuada's wife, the Great Silver Yoke, White Marrow of Fedlimid, the River of the White Hazel, Banna, Roof of the Ocean, Lunnand, and Torrand.[16]

In a variant of the same story as told in the Dindsenchas, Boand tried to hide her infidelity with the Dagda by washing herself in Nechtan's well, but when she approaches it, it overcomes her, and she drowns.[17]

She had a lapdog, Dabilla, which was swept out to sea. Torn into pieces by the water, the two halves became the rocks known as Cnoc Dabilla, or Hill of Dabilla.[18][19]

She also appears in Táin Bó Fraích as the maternal aunt and protector of the mortal Fráech.[20] In that story, Fráech's people tell him to go visit his mother's sister Boand to receive the raiment of the Sídhe. Boand then gives Fráech fifty intricately worked mantles and tunics with animal details, fifty jeweled spears that lit the night like the sun, fifty dark horses with gold bells, fifty swords with golden hilts, fifty swords with gold hilts, seven hounds in silver chains, seven trumpeters, three jesters, and three harpists, which Fráech uses to dazzle Medb and Ailill.[21]

Buan

According to the story "Cormac's Adventure in the Land of Promise", there is a well in Tír na nÓg surrounded by nine purple hazel trees. Called the Well of Knowledge, it yields five streams that Manannán mac Lir later explains are the five senses from which knowledge is apprehended. The hazels, which drop nuts into a pool of five salmon, are called the hazels of Buan.[22] The combination of the well, hazels, salmon and the name Buan (meaning "enduring" or "persevering") likely points to a common origin with the story of Boand and the Well of Segais.[23][24]

Another tale relates the fate of the only son of "White Buan," here identified as a male. Buan's son is named as Baile, loved by both men and women, who falls in love with Ailinn, daughter of Lugaid, son of Fergus of the Sea. The two lovers arrange a tryst, but before they can meet, Baile rests his chariot and releases his horses to graze. There he is intercepted by an unnamed character (likely Manannán in his trickster guise), described as a horrible apparition, approaching fitfully with the speed of a hawk or the wind from the green sea. When Baile asks the trickster from whence he comes and the reason for his haste, the trickster lies and tells Baile that he brings news of the death of Ailinn, who was killed by the warriors of Leinster and that she and her lover will only be reunited in death. With that news Baile drops dead on the spot, and a yew grows on his grave with the form of Baile's head at its top. The trickster moves on to intercept Ailinn, whom he tells of the death of Baile. With that news, Ailinn drops dead on the spot, and an apple tree grows on her grave with the form of her head at its top. The two trees are eventually cut down, turned into tablets, and inscribed with poems. On Halloween there was a poet's competition in Cormac's court, and the two tablets were brought together. When they met, they sprang together and intertwined as woodbine around a branch.[25]

Another Buan, named the wife of the one-armed King Mesgegra of Leinster, dies of grief after Conall Cernach beheads her husband. A hazel tree then grows through her grave.[26]

In Neopaganism

Modern-day commentators and Modern Paganism sometimes identify Boann with the goddess Brigid or believe Boann to be Brigid's mother;[27] however there are no Celtic sources that describe her as such. It is also speculated by some modern writers that, as the more well-known goddess, and later saint, the legends of numerous "minor" goddesses with similar associations may have over time been incorporated into the symbology, worship and tales of Brigid.[28]

See also

References

  1. ^ . www.maryjones.us. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  2. ^ Lebor Gabála Érenn §64 2010-07-15 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Metrical Dindshenchas, Vol 3, poem 3: "Boand II" (ed. Edward Gwynn) at CELT
  4. ^ Boand I
  5. ^ Karl Wilhelm Ludwig Müller (editor & translator), Klaudiou Ptolemaiou Geographike Hyphegesis (Claudii Ptolemæi Geographia), Volume 1, p. 79, Alfredo Firmin Didot, Paris (1883)
  6. ^ Ptolemy, Geographia 2.1
  7. ^ T. F. O'Rahilly, Early Irish History and Mythology, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1946, p. 3
  8. ^ Boind II
  9. ^ The Wooing of Etain "Version 1" p. 143
  10. ^ Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí. Myth, Legend & Romance: An encyclopaedia of the Irish folk tradition. Prentice Hall Press, 1991. p.39
  11. ^ a b Hensey, Robert. Re-discovering the winter solstice alignment at Newgrange, in The Oxford Handbook of Light in Archaeology. Oxford University Press, 2017. pp.11-13
  12. ^ Stokes, Whitley. "The Metrical Dindsenchas: Boand II". Corpus of Electronic Texts. University College, Cork. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  13. ^ Anthony Murphy and Richard Moore. "Chapter 8, Newgrange: Womb of the Moon", Island of the Setting Sun: In Search of Ireland's Ancient Astronomers. Liffey Press, 2008. pp.160-172
  14. ^ Metrical Dindshenchas, Vol 3, poem 2: "Boand I" (ed. Edward Gwynn) at CELT.
  15. ^ C. Squire, Celtic myth and legend, Dover Publications, p. 55, 2003.
  16. ^ Boand I
  17. ^ Boand II
  18. ^ Clark, Rosalind (1991). The Great Queens: Irish Goddesses from the Morrígan to Cathleen Ní Houlihan. Colin Smythe. p. 137. ISBN 9780861402908.
  19. ^ Coitir, Niall Mac (28 September 2015). Ireland's Animals. The Collins Press. ISBN 9781848895256.
  20. ^ "The Cattle-Raid of Fraech" 2013-12-30 at the Wayback Machine, trans. A. H. Leahy, Heroic Romances of Ireland Vol 2, 1906.
  21. ^ unknown. "The Geste of Fraoch". Sacred Texts. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  22. ^ Cormac's Adventure in the Land of Promise
  23. ^ Wiktionary "buan"
  24. ^ Borlase, William Copeland (1897). The Dolmens of Ireland. Indiana University: Chapman and Hall. p. 1165. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  25. ^ Scél Baili Binnbérlaig
  26. ^ The Siege of Howth
  27. ^ Essay: St Brigid; Brigit's Forge: Sarasvati and Brigit part 4 2005-02-20 at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ Condren, Mary (1989) The Serpent and the Goddess: Women, Religion, and Power in Celtic Ireland. New York, Harper and Row. ISBN 0-06-250156-9 p.57

March 11, 2023
boann, boand, modern, irish, spelling, bónn, irish, goddess, river, boyne, river, name, always, nominalised, dative, prepositional, case, bóinn, river, ireland, historical, fifth, province, meath, from, middle, irish, mide, middle, which, later, subsumed, into. Boann or Boand modern Irish spelling Bonn is the Irish goddess of the River Boyne the river name now always in the nominalised dative prepositional case Boinn a river in Ireland s historical fifth province Meath from Middle Irish An Mide the Middle which was later subsumed into the modern province of Leinster According to the Lebor Gabala Erenn and Tain Bo Fraich she was the sister of Befind 1 and daughter of Delbaeth son of Elada of the Tuatha De Danann 2 Her husband is variously Nechtan or Elcmar With her lover the Dagda she is the mother of Aengus The River Boyne with Newgrange in the background The River Boyne as seen from Bru na Boinne Contents 1 Etymology 2 Mythology 2 1 Buan 3 In Neopaganism 4 See also 5 ReferencesEtymology EditHer name is interpreted as white cow Irish bo fhionn Old Irish bo find in the dinsenchas where she is also called White Boand 3 4 Ptolemy s 2nd century Geography shows that in antiquity the river s name was Bouvinda Boyoyinda 5 6 which may derive from Proto Celtic Bou vinda white cow 7 An alternate version of her name is given as Segais hence Well of Segais 8 We are also told that Eithne was the wife of Elcmar and that another name for Eithne was Boand 9 Mythology EditIn the tale of Aengus s birth Boann lives at Bru na Boinne with her husband Elcmar She has an affair with the Dagda who impregnates her after sending Elcmar away on a one day errand To hide the pregnancy from Elcmar the Dagda casts a spell on him making the sun stand still so he will not notice the passing of time Meanwhile nine months pass and Boann gives birth to Aengus 10 11 The Dindsenchas explains the name Aengus as meaning one desire because the Dagda had been Boann s one true desire 12 It has been suggested that this tale represents the winter solstice illumination of Newgrange at Bru na Boinne during which the sunbeam the Dagda enters the inner chamber the womb of Boann when the sun s path stands still The word solstice Irish grianstad means sun standstill The conception of Aengus may represent the rebirth of the sun at the winter solstice 11 13 As told in the Dindsenchas 14 Boann created the Boyne Though forbidden to by her husband Nechtan Boann approached the magical Well of Segais also known as the Connla s Well which was surrounded according to the legend by nine magic hazel trees 15 Hazelnuts were known to fall into the Well where they were eaten by the speckled salmon who along with hazelnuts also embody and represent wisdom in Irish mythology Boann challenged the power of the well by walking around it tuathal this caused the waters to surge up violently and rush down to the sea creating the Boyne In this catastrophe she was swept along in the rushing waters and lost an arm leg and eye and ultimately her life in the flood The poem equates her with famous rivers in other countries including the River Severn Tiber Jordan River Tigris and Euphrates Additionally it mentions alternate names for various parts of the Boyne including River of Segais the Arm and Leg of Nuada s wife the Great Silver Yoke White Marrow of Fedlimid the River of the White Hazel Banna Roof of the Ocean Lunnand and Torrand 16 In a variant of the same story as told in the Dindsenchas Boand tried to hide her infidelity with the Dagda by washing herself in Nechtan s well but when she approaches it it overcomes her and she drowns 17 She had a lapdog Dabilla which was swept out to sea Torn into pieces by the water the two halves became the rocks known as Cnoc Dabilla or Hill of Dabilla 18 19 She also appears in Tain Bo Fraich as the maternal aunt and protector of the mortal Fraech 20 In that story Fraech s people tell him to go visit his mother s sister Boand to receive the raiment of the Sidhe Boand then gives Fraech fifty intricately worked mantles and tunics with animal details fifty jeweled spears that lit the night like the sun fifty dark horses with gold bells fifty swords with golden hilts fifty swords with gold hilts seven hounds in silver chains seven trumpeters three jesters and three harpists which Fraech uses to dazzle Medb and Ailill 21 Buan Edit According to the story Cormac s Adventure in the Land of Promise there is a well in Tir na nog surrounded by nine purple hazel trees Called the Well of Knowledge it yields five streams that Manannan mac Lir later explains are the five senses from which knowledge is apprehended The hazels which drop nuts into a pool of five salmon are called the hazels of Buan 22 The combination of the well hazels salmon and the name Buan meaning enduring or persevering likely points to a common origin with the story of Boand and the Well of Segais 23 24 Another tale relates the fate of the only son of White Buan here identified as a male Buan s son is named as Baile loved by both men and women who falls in love with Ailinn daughter of Lugaid son of Fergus of the Sea The two lovers arrange a tryst but before they can meet Baile rests his chariot and releases his horses to graze There he is intercepted by an unnamed character likely Manannan in his trickster guise described as a horrible apparition approaching fitfully with the speed of a hawk or the wind from the green sea When Baile asks the trickster from whence he comes and the reason for his haste the trickster lies and tells Baile that he brings news of the death of Ailinn who was killed by the warriors of Leinster and that she and her lover will only be reunited in death With that news Baile drops dead on the spot and a yew grows on his grave with the form of Baile s head at its top The trickster moves on to intercept Ailinn whom he tells of the death of Baile With that news Ailinn drops dead on the spot and an apple tree grows on her grave with the form of her head at its top The two trees are eventually cut down turned into tablets and inscribed with poems On Halloween there was a poet s competition in Cormac s court and the two tablets were brought together When they met they sprang together and intertwined as woodbine around a branch 25 Another Buan named the wife of the one armed King Mesgegra of Leinster dies of grief after Conall Cernach beheads her husband A hazel tree then grows through her grave 26 In Neopaganism EditModern day commentators and Modern Paganism sometimes identify Boann with the goddess Brigid or believe Boann to be Brigid s mother 27 however there are no Celtic sources that describe her as such It is also speculated by some modern writers that as the more well known goddess and later saint the legends of numerous minor goddesses with similar associations may have over time been incorporated into the symbology worship and tales of Brigid 28 See also EditGlas GaibhnennReferences Edit The Cattle Raid of Fraech www maryjones us Archived from the original on 30 December 2013 Retrieved 13 April 2018 Lebor Gabala Erenn 64 Archived 2010 07 15 at the Wayback Machine Metrical Dindshenchas Vol 3 poem 3 Boand II ed Edward Gwynn at CELT Boand I Karl Wilhelm Ludwig Muller editor amp translator Klaudiou Ptolemaiou Geographike Hyphegesis Claudii Ptolemaei Geographia Volume 1 p 79 Alfredo Firmin Didot Paris 1883 Ptolemy Geographia 2 1 T F O Rahilly Early Irish History and Mythology Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies 1946 p 3 Boind II The Wooing of Etain Version 1 p 143 o hogain Daithi Myth Legend amp Romance An encyclopaedia of the Irish folk tradition Prentice Hall Press 1991 p 39 a b Hensey Robert Re discovering the winter solstice alignment at Newgrange in The Oxford Handbook of Light in Archaeology Oxford University Press 2017 pp 11 13 Stokes Whitley The Metrical Dindsenchas Boand II Corpus of Electronic Texts University College Cork Retrieved 3 August 2019 Anthony Murphy and Richard Moore Chapter 8 Newgrange Womb of the Moon Island of the Setting Sun In Search of Ireland s Ancient Astronomers Liffey Press 2008 pp 160 172 Metrical Dindshenchas Vol 3 poem 2 Boand I ed Edward Gwynn at CELT C Squire Celtic myth and legend Dover Publications p 55 2003 Boand I Boand II Clark Rosalind 1991 The Great Queens Irish Goddesses from the Morrigan to Cathleen Ni Houlihan Colin Smythe p 137 ISBN 9780861402908 Coitir Niall Mac 28 September 2015 Ireland s Animals The Collins Press ISBN 9781848895256 The Cattle Raid of Fraech Archived 2013 12 30 at the Wayback Machine trans A H Leahy Heroic Romances of Ireland Vol 2 1906 unknown The Geste of Fraoch Sacred Texts Retrieved 30 November 2019 Cormac s Adventure in the Land of Promise Wiktionary buan Borlase William Copeland 1897 The Dolmens of Ireland Indiana University Chapman and Hall p 1165 Retrieved 6 August 2019 Scel Baili Binnberlaig The Siege of Howth Essay St Brigid Brigit s Forge Sarasvati and Brigit part 4 Archived 2005 02 20 at the Wayback Machine Condren Mary 1989 The Serpent and the Goddess Women Religion and Power in Celtic Ireland New York Harper and Row ISBN 0 06 250156 9 p 57 This page or section lists people that share the same given name If an internal link led you here you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Boann amp oldid 1110304477, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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