Ernmas is a mother goddess of Irish Celtic mythology, belonging to the Tuatha Dé Danann. She is best known as the mother of the three goddesses of war and sovereignty of Ireland.
Ernmas
Ernmas
6 min read
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Goddess of Irish mythology belonging to the Tuatha Dé Danann, the pre-Christian divine people of Ireland
- Mother of the three war goddesses: Badb, Macha, and Morrígan (the triad of the Morrígan)
- Mother of the three eponymous goddesses of Ireland: Ériu, Banba, and Fódla, embodiments of the island's sovereignty
- Mentioned in the Lebor Gabála Érenn (Book of the Invasions of Ireland), a medieval text compiled around the 11th century
- Her name is sometimes interpreted as “death by weapons” or associated with a nurturing role
Works & Achievements
Ernmas gives birth to Badb, Macha and the Mórrígan, who together form the great triple deity of war and Irish sovereignty.
Mother of Ériu, Banba and Fódla, she is the origin of Ireland's three poetic names, of which “Éire” is still in use today.
As a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, Ernmas takes part in the mythic cycle of conflicts that shape the divine conquest of Ireland.
Through her descendants, Ernmas links the fertility of the land, war and royal power: her daughters embody the legitimacy of kingship in Ireland.
Her central place in the female genealogies makes her a pivot of the Irish pantheon, connecting many goddesses to one another.
Anecdotes
In the Lebor Gabála Érenn ("The Book of the Invasions of Ireland"), Ernmas is presented as the mother of the three great war goddesses: Badb, Macha, and Mórrígan. This female trio formed a kind of triple deity of war and sovereignty, able to terrify armies with their cries and omens.
According to the mythical genealogies, Ernmas was also the mother of three goddesses who gave their names to Ireland itself: Ériu, Banba, and Fódla. The island's modern name, "Éire", is said to derive precisely from Ériu, making Ernmas a kind of symbolic ancestor of the Irish nation.
Ernmas belongs to the Tuatha Dé Danann, the "people of the goddess Danu", a group of deities who, according to legend, landed in Ireland wrapped in a mysterious mist. Medieval texts describe them as masters of magic, the arts, and druidic knowledge.
According to some versions, Ernmas is said to have perished at the second Battle of Mag Tuired, the great mythical clash pitting the Tuatha Dé Danann against the Fomorians, chaotic and hostile beings. Her death illustrates that even deities were not spared the cycle of conflict in Irish mythology.
Her name, "Ernmas", is sometimes interpreted by scholars as evoking "death by iron" or a "slaying by weapons", which would echo the warlike nature of her most famous daughters.
Primary Sources
Badb and Macha, abundance of riches, and Mórrígan, sources of deceit, skilled inciters, daughters of Ernmas the sorceress.
The Tuatha Dé Danann waged battle against the Fomorians, and among those who fell were counted the children of Ernmas.
Ériu, Banba and Fódla, the three queens who gave their name to the island, were daughters of Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
Key Places
Mythical plain in north-western Ireland, the setting of the two great battles of the Tuatha Dé Danann. It is said to be where Ernmas and several of her children met their deaths.
Sacred hill in County Meath, the mythical seat of the kings of Ireland and the spiritual centre of the Tuatha Dé Danann. A place of sovereignty linked to the goddesses descended from Ernmas.
Great Neolithic burial mound in the Boyne valley, associated in mythology with the dwellings (sídhe) of the Tuatha Dé Danann after their withdrawal from the world of men.
The island as a whole, whose name is said to derive from Ériu, daughter of Ernmas. The land embodies the sovereignty personified by her descendants.
The mythical place of origin of the Tuatha Dé Danann, where they are said to have learned magic and the arts before reaching Ireland. The legendary cradle of Ernmas's people.
Typical Objects
Emblematic weapon of the divine people to which Ernmas belongs, whose Spear of Lugh was one of the four wondrous treasures. It symbolises the warrior power of her lineage.
One of the four treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a cauldron of plenty that never let a company depart hungry. It embodies the prosperity and fertility associated with mother goddesses such as Ernmas.
A rigid collar of precious metal worn by Celtic nobles and deities, a sign of rank and sacred protection. A real object found in archaeology, it evokes the high status of figures like Ernmas.
An attribute associated with Ernmas, described as a "witch" (banshenchas) in the texts. It represents her mastery of the magic particular to the Tuatha Dé Danann.
The crow or raven, the animal into which the Mórrígan, daughter of Ernmas, would transform to soar over the battlefields. A symbol of death, prophecy and sovereignty.
Sacred instrument of the Tuatha Dé Danann, whose Harp of the Dagda could command the seasons and the emotions. It embodies the power of the arts and of music among Ernmas's divine people.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Daily Life
Morning
As a mythological figure, Ernmas has no documented daily routine. We may imagine her, like the Tuatha Dé Danann, opening the day in an underground dwelling (sídhe) bathed in magical light, surrounded by her daughters.
Afternoon
The tales credit the Celtic deities with activities of feasting, counsel, and magical practice. Ernmas, mother and “witch,” would have watched over her lineage and passed on druidic knowledge.
Evening
In the evening, Celtic mythology evokes gatherings where poems and omens were recited. Her warrior daughters, for their part, were associated with nights of battle and with the cries that herald death.
Food
The Tuatha Dé Danann were fed by treasures of abundance such as the Dagda's cauldron and the ever-renewing pigs of Manannán. Their mythical “diet” symbolizes immortality and prosperity.
Clothing
We picture the Celtic goddesses dressed in long robes and cloaks fastened with brooches, adorned with torcs and gold bracelets, marks of their divine and noble status.
Housing
After their defeat, the Tuatha Dé Danann are said to have withdrawn into the sídhe — hills and burial mounds like Newgrange, enchanted underground worlds beyond the time of mortals.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Enfantement de la triade guerrière
Temps mythique
Enfantement des déesses éponymes
Temps mythique
Participation des Tuatha Dé Danann aux batailles de Mag Tuired
Temps mythique
Transmission de la souveraineté
Temps mythique
Figure des généalogies divines (Bansenchas)
XIIe siècle (fixation écrite)
