Irish Mythology

The Gods and Spirits of Ireland

ÉTAÍN

Irish Transformation Goddess

Also known as Éadaoin, Édaín, Etain

Unfortunate Victim of Malicious Transmogrification

She has certainly done the rounds. She was the second wife of Midir, and their marriage caused no little jealousy in the heart of his ex, Fúamnach. With a little help from friends, she magically changed Étaín into a pool of water.

Midir, very perplexed when his wife went missing, started investigations on a Godly scale. To keep ahead of the game, Fúamnach then changed Étaín into a worm. And then a fly... but whoosh, the fly flew down her throat, and — as happens surprisingly often in these cases — Fúamnach became pregnant.

Eventually Étaín was reborn — as a mortal. Growing from a baby into she knew not who, she married a king called Eochaidh. But she really fancied his brother Ailill, which probably caused a little ill-will.

To cut a long story short, one day she met Midir again, had a memory lapse in reverse and fancied him something rotten. And vice versa. To untangle the whole marriage confusion, he managed to win her at a game of chess, and although we’re sure there’s much more, we should stop whilst we have a relatively happy ending.

Étaín Facts and Figures

Name: Étaín
Pronunciation: Coming soon
Alternative names: Éadaoin, Édaín, Etain

Gender: Female
Type: Goddess
Celebration or Feast Day: Unknown at present

Role:
In charge of: Transformation
Area of expertise: Transformation

Good/Evil Rating: OKAY, not bad
Popularity index: 8577

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Article last revised on May 23, 2019 by Rowan Allen.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders

References: Coming soon.

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