Editing Ériu

{{Short description|Goddess in Irish mythology}} 
{{for|the journal|Ériu (journal)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
[[File:'The Harp of Erin', oil on canvas painting by Thomas Buchanan Read.JPG|thumb|''″The Harp of Erin″'' painting by [[Thomas Buchanan Read]]]]
In [[Irish mythology]], '''Ériu''' ({{IPA|sga|ˈeːrʲu|lang}}; {{langx|ga|label=[[Modern Irish]]|'''Éire'''}} {{IPA|ga|ˈeːɾʲə||Eire pronunciation.ogg}}), 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 [[Old English]]) word ''land''.

Since Ériu is represented as goddess of Ireland, she is often interpreted as a modern-day personification of Ireland, although since the name ''Ériu'' is the [[Old Irish]] form of the word Ireland, her modern name is often modified to ''[[Éire]]'' or ''[[Erin]]'' to suit a modern form.

==Name and etymology==
The name  ''Ériu'' has been derived from reconstructed [[Archaic Irish]] ''*Īweriū'',<ref>Mallory, J.P. and D.Q. Adams, ed. ''Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture.'' London: Fitzroy Dearborn Pub., 1997, p. 194</ref> which is related to the ethnic name [[Iverni]].<ref name="Koch">[[John T. Koch|Koch, John T.]] (2005), ''Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia'', ABC-CLIO, p.709</ref> The [[University of Wales]] derives this from [[Proto-Celtic]] *''Φīwerjon-'' (nominative singular ''Φīwerjō'').<ref>{{cite web|title=Proto-Celtic—English lexicon|url=http://www.wales.ac.uk/documents/external/cawcs/pcl-moe.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060114133008/http://www.wales.ac.uk/documents/external/cawcs/pcl-moe.pdf|archive-date=2006-01-14}}</ref> This is further derived from [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] ''*piHwerjon-'' ("fertile land" or "land of abundance"), from the adjective ''*piHwer-'' "fat" (cognate with [[Ancient Greek]] ''[[Pieria_(regional_unit)#History|píeira]]'' and [[Sanskrit]] ''pīvara'', "fat, full, abounding").<ref name="Koch"/>

The Archaic Irish form was borrowed into Ancient Greek as {{lang|grc|Ἰέρνη}} ''Iernē'' and {{lang|grc|Ἰουερνία}} ''Iouernia'', and into [[Latin]] ''[[Hibernia]]''.<ref name="Koch"/>

== Epithets ==
In the ''[[Banshenchas]]'' (a mediaeval text describing legendary and historical Irish women),<ref name=":0" /> Ériu and her sisters are called:

* ''fair women of the Tuatha Dé Danand''
* ''a famous throng''
* ''clear voice of achievement''
* ''three fair daughters of Fiachra''
* ''bright women of spirited speech''

== Family ==
Different texts attribute differing personal relationships to Ériu. Ériu's sisters are consistently named as Banba and Fódla, who are members of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and the three sisters share a trio of brothers as husbands. In the ''[[Banshenchas]]'', Ériu is described as the wife of Cetar, while Banba and Fódla are named as the wives of Etar and Detar, respectively.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Banshenchus|url=http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/banshenchus.html|access-date=2022-01-03|website=www.maryjones.us}}</ref> More commonly, she is named as the wife or lover of [[Mac Gréine]] ("Son of the Sun"), a grandson of the [[The Dagda|Dagda]], although in the ''Banshenchas'', her husband is simply named ''Grian'' ("Sun").<ref>''[[Lebor Gabála Érenn]]''. Online translation at [http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/ctexts/lebor4.html#62 www.ancienttexts.org]</ref><ref name="Rolleston">{{cite book|author=T. W. Rolleston|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Idy7AQAAQBAJ&q=eriu&pg=PA134|title=Celtic Myths and Legends|date=24 July 2012|publisher=Dover Publications|isbn=9780486265070|place=New York|page=132|author-link=T. W. Rolleston}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Ériu is also portrayed as the lover of [[Elatha]], a prince of the [[Fomorians]], with whom she produces a son named [[Bres]], and as the mistress of Bres's enemy - the hero [[Lugh]]. Both [[Elatha]] and Ériu are described in some sources as the children of [[Delbaeth]], indicating they may be half-siblings.<ref>{{cite web|author1=A. D. Rees |author1-link=Alwyn D. Rees |author2=B. R. Rees |author2-link=B. R. Rees|date=1961|title=Celtic heritage : ancient tradition in Ireland and Wales|url=https://archive.org/stream/celticheritagean00rees#page/32/mode/2up|publisher=Thames and Hudson}}</ref> Elsewhere Ériu is named as the daughter of Fiachra,<ref name=":0" /> and her mother is named as Ernmas. Her foster-father in the Rennes ''[[Dindsenchas]]'' is named as Codal the Roundbreasted, and it is said that when he fed Ériu on a peak called ''Benn Codail'', it caused the land in Ireland to heave toward the sky, and it would have kept rising until the entire land would have been the peak or otherwise until the sun would have scorched Ériu and the wind pierced her ears.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/revueceltique16pari|title=Revue celtique|date=1870|place=Paris |publisher=University of Toronto}}</ref>

==Role and mythical portrayal==
With her sisters, [[Banba]] and [[Fódla]], Ériu forms a triumvirate of goddesses. When the [[Milesians (Irish)|Milesians]] arrived from [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]], each of the three sisters asked that her name be given to the country. This was granted to them, although Ériu (Éire) became the chief name in use.<ref name="Rolleston" /> (Banba and Fódla are still sometimes used as poetic names for Ireland, much as ''[[Albion]]'' is used as a poetic name for [[Great Britain]].)

According to the 17th-century Irish historian [[Geoffrey Keating]] (''{{langx|ga|Seathrún Céitinn}}''), the three sovereignty goddesses associated with Éire, Banbha and Fódla were [[Badb]], [[Macha]] and [[The Morrígan]]. Ériu, Banba and Fódla are also interpreted as [[sovereignty goddess|goddesses of sovereignty]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100054/index.html|title= The History of Ireland|work=[[Foras Feasa ar Éirinn]] |author = Geoffrey Keating |author-link = Geoffrey Keating |via = UCC.ie }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Boydell, Barra. "The female harp: The Irish harp in 18th- and early–19th-century Romantic nationalism", ''RIdIM/RCMI newsletter'' XX/1 (spring 1995), 10–17.

{{Celtic mythology (Mythological)}}
{{National personifications}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eriu}}
[[Category:Irish goddesses]]
[[Category:Tuatha Dé Danann]]
[[Category:Tutelary goddesses]]
[[Category:Personifications of Ireland]]
[[Category:National personifications]]
[[Category:Names for Ireland]]