Editing Bodb Derg

{{short description|Irish mythological figure}}
{{Other uses|Bodb (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

In [[Irish mythology]], '''Bodb Derg''' ([[Old Irish language|Old Irish]], {{IPA|sga|ˌboðβ ˈdʲeɾɡ|pron}}) or '''Bodhbh Dearg''' ([[Middle Irish]] and [[Irish language|Modern Irish]], {{IPA|ga|ˌbˠoːw ˈdʲaɾˠəɡ|pron}}) was a son of [[Eochaid Garb]]<ref>''[[Lebor Gabála Érenn]]'', edited by R. A. Stewart Macalister. 1941. Irish Texts Society, Dublin. Part IV, § VII, ¶316 (p.131).</ref> or the [[Dagda]],<ref name="Lir">"The Children of Lir". P.W. Joyce (translator). 1879. ''Old Irish Romances.'' C. Kegan Paul & Co.</ref><ref>[https://celt.ucc.ie//published/T300014/text003.html ''The Children of Lir'' Section 3]</ref> and the Dagda's successor as King of the [[Tuatha Dé Danann]].

== Name ==

The name Bodb could be a cognate of "bádhbh" as it has a similar pronunciation; Bodb Derg would then mean "Red Crow". Given the fluidity of [[Old Irish language|Old Irish]] scribal practice, the name of the female mythological character [[Badb]] was occasionally spelled Bodb as well.<ref>An example of this occurs in the Third Redaction of ''Lebor Gabála Érenn, op. cit.'', Part IV, § VII, ¶368 (p.188).</ref>

== Mythology ==

[[Aengus]] asks for his brother Bodb's help in finding the woman of his dreams in ''"Aislinge Óenguso"'' (the Dream of Aengus). At the time, Bodb is king of the ''[[síde]]'' of [[Munster]]. Bodb successfully identifies the woman as [[Caer Ibormeith]].<ref>"The Dream of Óengus". Jeffrey Gantz (translator). 1982. ''Early Irish Myths and Sagas.'' Penguin. The [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G300001/index.html Irish text] is available at [[the Corpus of Electronic Texts]].</ref>

Following the Tuatha Dé Danann's defeat in the battle of [[Tailtiu]], Bodb is elected king of the Tuatha Dé Danann in the "Children of Lir", just as the Tuatha Dé are going underground to dwell in the ''[[sídhe]]''. The principle justification given for Bodb's election is that he is the Dagda's eldest son. He subsequently fathered many deities. Bodb's election is recognised by all of his rivals, save only [[Lir]], who refuses him homage. Bodb, however, counsels his followers to forbear from punishing Lir; later, Bodb will successively offer two of his own daughters in marriage to Lir to placate him. Both marriages, however, end unhappily.<ref name="Lir"/>

In variants of the story, Manannan is named the high king over the Tuatha Dé along with Bodb Derg when the Tuatha Dé Danann descend into the sidhe; Manannan is called “chief of the kings” and owner of every sidhe and divides the sidhe mounds amongst the Tuatha Dé.<ref>[http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/ctexts/fosterage.html  ''The Fosterage of the House of the Two Pails'']</ref>

As king of the Munster ''síde'' with [[Lén]] as his [[goldsmith|smith]], Bodb Sída ar Femen ('of the Mound on Femen') plays a role in an important prefatory tale to ''[[Táin Bó Cuailnge]],'' for it is his swineherd who quarrels with that of the king of the Connacht ''síde''; the swineherds are later swallowed and reborn as the magical bulls [[Donn Cuailnge]] and [[Finnbhennach|Finnbennach]], of which the former was the object of the great cattle-raid.<ref>''De Chopur in dá Muccida'', the "Quarrel of the Two Swineherds". The [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G800011E/text003.html Irish text] is available at the Corpus of Electronic Texts. An English translation was included in Thomas Kinsella's ''The Tain'' (Oxford Paperbacks, 1970), {{ISBN|0-19-281090-1}}.</ref>

In one [[Fenian Cycle|Fenian]] tale, Bodb leads the Tuatha Dé Danann to the aid of the [[Fianna]] at the [[Battle of Ventry]].<ref>''Cath Finntrágha'', the "Battle of Ventry". The [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G303002/index.html Irish text] is available at the Corpus of Electronic Texts.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.timelessmyths.com/celtic/danann.html#BodbDerg Bodb Derg/Tuatha Dé Danann]

{{Celtic mythology (Mythological)}}

[[Category:Irish gods]]
[[Category:Tuatha Dé Danann]]