Aengus’ Family and Birth

Aengus’ father was Dagda, who was Chief of the Tuatha Dé Danann and his mother was Boann, the goddess of the River Boyne.

At the time of Aengus’ conception, his mother was married to Elcmar who was the chief steward of Dagda. However, Dagda decided that he wanted Boann and so he came up with the idea to send Elcmar away on a task, leaving Boann available to Dagda’s advances.

Dagda sent his steward, Elcmar away on a task that would last for nine months, however to Elcmar, it would feel as though only a day had passed. Boann became pregnant with Dagda’s child and so to protect the child, and so that his steward would not know about the whole thing, Dagda twisted time by holding the sun still for the full nine months. This meant that Boann had a one-day pregnancy! He also stopped Elcmar from feeling hunger or thirst for the whole time so that he would not know exactly how long he had been away.

When the child was born, Boann gave him to Dagda so that she would not have to explain a child to her husband when he returned. The child, Aengus, was passed on to one of the sons of Dagda, Midir who raised him as his foster child, safe from any possible retribution for Elcmar, the cuckolded husband of Boann.

The story of Aengus’ conception and birth can be found in the beginning of the story Tochmarc Étaíne (The Wooing of Étaíne) as found in the Yellow Book of Lecan.

There was a famous king of Ireland of the race of the Tuatha Dé,

Eochaid Ollathair his name.

He is also named the Dagda,

For it was he that used to work wonders for them and control the weather and the crops.

Wherefore men said he was called the Dagda.

Elcmar of the Brug had a wife whose name was Eithne,

and another name for her was Boand. (Bhóinn, Boann).

The Dagda desired her in carnal union.

The woman would have yielded to the Dagda

had it not been for fear of Elcmar,

so great was his power.

Thereupon the Dagda sent Elcmar away on a journey

to Bres son of Elatha

in Mag nInis,

and the Dagda worked great spells upon Elcmar as he set out,

that he might not return betimes

and he dispelled the darkness of night for him,

and kept the hunger and thirst from him.

He sent him on long errands,

So that nine months went by as one day,

For he had said that he would return home again between the day and the night.

Meanwhile the Dagda went in unto Elcmar’s wife,

And she bore him a son, even Aengus,

and the woman was whole of her sickness when Elcmar returned,

and he perceived not her offence,

that is, that she had lain with the Dagda.

The Dagda meanwhile brought his son to Midir’s house in Brí Léith in Tethba, to be fostered.

There Aengus was reared for the space of nine years.

Theft of the Brú na Bóinne

As Aengus grew, he became more intelligent and shrewder, and this led to him being able to take Brú na Bóinne from Elcmar using the same trick that Dagda used at the time of Aengus’ conception.

At the beginning of this part of the tale in the Yellow Book of Lecan, Aengus is still living with Midir, along with some other youngsters. Following a fight with Triath, another of the foster children, Aengus approaches Midir and asks who his father is. Midir takes him to meet the Dagda, who acknowledges Aengus as his son and tells him that the land that we would like to give him is currently inhabited by Elcmar, and Dagda does not want to risk infuriating him by handing the land over to Aengus.

They then come up with a plan to trick Elcmar into handing over the land to Aengus. Dagda tells Aengus to request Brú na Bóinne for láa ocus aidche, which in Old Irish could mean either ‘a day and a night,’ or ‘day and night’ which Aengus uses to mean forever.

Continuing on in Tochmarc Étaíne (The Wooing of Étaíne) as found in the Yellow Book of Lecan, we learn how Aengus came to know about his father, following an argument with Triath, another foster child of Midir.

Now Aengus quarrelled with Triath son of Febal (or Gobor) of the Fir Bolg,

who was one of the two leaders in the game,

and a fosterling of Midir.

It was no matter of pride with Aengus that Triath should speak to him and he said:

“It irks me that the son of a serf should hold speech with me,”

For Aengus had believed until that that Midir was his father,

and the kingship of Brí Léith his heritage,

and he knew not then of his kinship with the Dagda.

Triath made answer and said:

“I take it no less ill that a hireling whose mother and father are unknown should hold speech with me.”

Thereupon Aengus went to Midir weeping and sorrowful

at having been put to shame by Triath.

“What is this?” said Midir.

“Triath had defamed me and cast in my face

that I have neither mother nor father.”

“Tis false,” said Midir.

“Who is my mother, from whence is my father?” said Aengus.

“No hard matter.

Thy father is Eochaid Ollathair,” said Midir,

“and Eithne, wife of Elcmar of the Brug, is thy mother.

It is I that have reared thee unknown to Elcmar,

Lest it would cause him pain that thou wast begotten in his despite.”

“Come thou with me,” said Aengus,

“that my father may acknowledge me,

and that I may no longer be kept hidden away under the insults of the Fir Bolg.

Then Midir set out with his fosterling to have speech with Eochaid,

and they came to Uisnech of Meath in the centre of Ireland,

for ‘tis there that was Eochaid’s house,

Ireland stretching equally far from it on every side,

to south and north, to east and west.

Before them in the assembly they found Eochaid.

Midir called the king aside to have speech with the lad.

“What does he desire this youth who has not come until now?”

“His desire is to be acknowledged by his father,

and for land to be given to him,” said Midir,

“for it is not meet that they soon should be landless whilst thou art king of Ireland.”

“He is welcome,” said Eochaid, “his is my son.

But the land I wish him to have is not yet vacant.”

“What land is that?” said Midir.

“The Brug, to the north of the Boyne,” said Eochaid.

“Who is there?” said Midir.

“Elcmar,” said Eochaid, “is the man who is there.

I have no wish to annoy him further.”

“Pray, what counsel dost thou give this lad?” said Midir.

“I have this for him,” said Eochaid.

“On the day of Samain let me go into the Brug, and let him go armed.

That is a day of peace and amity among the men of Ireland,

on which none is at enmity with his fellow.

And Elcmar will be in Cnoc Síde in Broga unarmed

Save for a fork of white hazel in his hand,

his cloak folded around him,

and a gold brooch in his cloak,

and three fifties playing before him in the playing-field;

and let Aengus go to him and threaten to kill him.

But it is not meet that he slay him  not,

provided he promise him his will.

And let this be the will of Aengus,

that he be king a day and a night in the Brug;

and see that thou yield not the land to Elcmar

til he submit himself to my decision;

and when he comes let Aengus’ plea be

that the land has fallen to him in fee simple

for sparing Elcmar and not slaying him,

and that what he has asked for it kingship of day and night,

and” said he, “it is not in days and nights that the world is spent.”

Then Midir sets out for his land,

and his foster-son along with him,

and on Samain following, Aengus having armed himself

came into the Brug

and made a feint at Elcmar

so that he promised him in return for his life kingship of day and night in his land.

The Mac Óc straightaway abode there that day and the following night as king of the land,

Elcmar’s household being subject to him.

On the morrow Elcmar came to claim his land from Mac Óc,

And therewith threatened him mightily.

The Mac Óc said that he would not yield up his land

until he should put it to the decision of the Dagda in the presence of the men of Ireland.

Then they appeal to the Dagda,

Who adjusted each man’s contract in accordance with his undertaking.

“So then this land accordingly belongs henceforth to this youth,” said Elcmar.

“It is fitting,” said the Dagda.

“Thou wast taken unawares on a day of peace and amity.

Thou gavest thy land for mercy shown thee,

for thy life was dearer to thee than thy land,

yet thy life was dearer to thee than they land,

yet thou shalt have land from me

that will be no less profitable to thee than the Brug.”

“Where is that?” said Elcmar.

“Cleitech,” said the Dagda, “with the three lands that are round about it,

thy youths playing before thee every day in the Brug,

and thou shalt enjoy the fruits of the Boyne from this land,”

“It is well,” said Elcmar; “so shall it be accomplished.”

And he made a flitting to Cleitech,

and after that built a stronghold there,

and the Mac Óc abode in the Brug in his land.

Wooing of Étain

The story of Étain can be found in Irish Mythology and is related to Aengus, and his brother Midir.

So, who was Étain?  She was the daughter of King Ailill of the Ulaid. She is described in the texts as a stunningly beautiful woman, and in the text Togail Bruidna Da Derga (The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel) as ‘having shimmering waves of fire-gold hair, skin as white as snow, and blushing cheeks read as foxgloves. Her eyes a vibrant, unnatural blue, and her shape is considered as wavy as sea foam.’

However, beauty can be a curse and Étain found this to be the case when she becomes the obsession of two different men, a century apart.

The first of these loves, was Midir, brother of Aengus and son of the Dagda. He fell in love with the beautiful Étain, despite already being married to a woman by the name of Fuamnach. This was a recipe for disaster from the very start.

Midir was visiting Aengus, watching a sporting event when a fight broke out. Midir went to break it up but was caught in the face with a piece of holly, which caused his eye to pop out of its socket. This was a huge problem for Midir as he was a king and at the time a king had to be ‘sound of body and mind’ to be able to rule. Having a missing eye, would mean that he would be rejected by his people.

Aengus told Midir not to worry and they would go and visit the healer Dian Cecht who would fix his eye for him. Aengus also requested that Midir stay with him as his guest for a year, offering him any gift he would like in exchange, as was the custom under the rules of hospitality.

Midir agreed and asked for ‘a chariot worth seven female slaves, clothes more fitted to my station, and the fairest maiden in all of Ireland.’

It was determined that the fairest maiden was Étain and so Aengus set about trying to retrieve her for his brother. Aengus travelled to the home of Ailill and asked what would be the bride price for this daughter.

Ailill was not impressed with Aengus, but he knew how powerful his father was. In order to make it difficult to achieve, Ailill set a really hard price, asking for his land to be cleared of all forests and scrub across the 12 plains in order for them to be suitable for settlements and farming.

Although this was a difficult task, Aengus asked for help from Eochaid, High King of Ireland and the land was cleared in just one day.

Ailill was impressed but said that the price was not yet paid, and now Aengus would be required to make 12 great rivers out of what was at present swamp so that there could be fishing available for his people. This again was achieved, but still Ailill was not satisfied and demanded that Étain’s weight in gold and silver should be given.

This was no problem for Aengus and once the gold and silver were provided, he took Étain back with him to Midir. For a year and one day, Midir and Étain lived as man and wife with Aengus, but soon the time came for Midir to return to his home … and his wife!

Fuamnach was raised by the powerful druid, Bresal Etarlam, and as a result knew a lot about magic and she was now a woman scorned. When Midir and Étain returned, she was furious and tried everything she could to get rid of Étain. Over time, she turned Étain first into a pool of water, then a worm, and finally into a butterfly.

Although Midir does not know what the butterfly is Étain, he feels the need to keep it with him and the butterfly goes everywhere that he does. In time, Midir lost his desire for the company of women which made Fuamnach even angrier. She created a gust of wind to blow the butterfly away for seven years.

After this time, the butterfly comes across Aengus who recognises it as Étain. Instead of returning her to Midir, he makes her a windowed chamber to live in, and he can take it with him whenever he travels.

News of Étain’s new home reached Fuamnach and so in a temper, she created yet another gust of wing to blow Étain away. This time the butterfly lands in a goblet of wine belonging to the wife of Etar, an Ulster Chieftain. This is unnoticed and when she drinks, she also consumes the butterfly, becoming pregnant and causing Étain to be reborn again, over a thousand years later. She was once again named as Étain.

Now, no one knew what had happened to the butterfly until one day when Aengus was riding his horse and came across the reborn Étain bathing in the waters of the northern sea and recognised her for who she was. A translation from Tochmarc Étaíne tells of this meeting –

This is Etain here today
at Sid Ban Find west of Ailbe,
among little boys is she
on the brink of Inber Cichmaine.

She it is who healed the King’s eye
from the well of Loch Da Lig:
she it is that was swallowed in a drink
from a beaker by Etar’s wife.

Because of her the King shall chase
the birds from Tethba,
and drown his two streeds
in the pool of Loch Da Airbrech.

Full many a war shall be
on Eochaid of Meath because of you:
there shall be destruction of elfmounds,
and battle against many thousands.

Tis she that was sung of in the land;
tis she that strives to win the King;
tis she the Fair,
She is our Etain afterwards.

Aengus was furious when he found out what had happened to Étain and he knew that this was the work of Fuamnach. Enraged Aengus kills Fuamnach by cutting off her head.

The story of Étain does not end here, but Aengus plays no further role and so that is a story for another time.

The Dreams of Aengus

As we had mention, Aengus was known as the Young One, the god of love, poetry, youth and beauty. As she walked flowers would appear around his footsteps and the birds would sing their sweetest songs. Aengus had four birds that were always with him, flying around his head. They were a symbol of his kisses and if they touched a person, they would be inspired by love.

However, even though he had inspired many others to fall in love, he had never felt true love himself. He had experienced attraction to others and affection, but not the soul-deep, undying longing for another being.

In autumn there is a time when the veil between the worlds of the gods and mortal is thinner and dreams were more powerful than at other times. It was at this time that Aengus began to have a recurring dream.

In his dream he saw a beautiful woman who was standing on the edge of a lake. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, with long dark hair, pale skin, and eyes that held both wisdom and sorrow. Across the lake, she called him to her, and he tried to reach her. However, no matter how hard the tried, he could not get to her. In his dreams he saw and fast as he could but always before he reached her, he awoke.

For a year and a day, the dream haunted him and even when he was awake, she was all he could think of. His longing for the beautiful woman took over everything and he began to suffer, losing his appetite and neglecting his duties. The flowers that would bloom in his footsteps began to die and the birds around him only sang sad songs.

His own father, the Dagda, noticed that his son was starting to look ill and became really worried about him, thinking that maybe Aengus had been poisoned or cursed. Aengus told him that he had not been poisoned or cursed, but unless love could also be a curse. He told his father about the dream and how it was driving him to distraction.

The Dagda saw that this was a serious problem and so he reached out to Bridgid, the goddess of wisdom and prophecy to see if they could find a way to help Aengus. After searching the oracles and talking to the druids, they had their answer and realised that the woman was not one of the Tuatha Dé Danann, but from the mortal world.

Brigid told Aengus that the woman was called Caer Ibormeith, daughter of Ethal Anbuail, King of the Sidhe from Connacht. However, there was a problem as the woman was living under an enchantment, where she was forced to live one year as a human and the next as a swan, alongside one hundred and fifty other women. This was a cycle, year after year.

Aengus was excited and vowed to go and find her, although his father advised caution as the woman’s father was a proud man who would not be friendly towards anyone coming to seek out his daughter. However, after all this time, Aengus could not be reasoned with.

Aengus went to the home of Ethal Anbuail, and he was not exactly subtle about his intentions. He declared from the start that he as there because he was in love with Caer Ibormeith and he intended to take her as his wife.

As predicted by the Dagda, Ethal did not react well to this news and told Aengus that he would not give his daughter to someone who had come demanded her hand, instead of approaching with respect. Aengus vowed to prove his worth.

Ethal said that it was no good as the following day was Samhain and it was the day when his daughter would transform into a swan, meaning Aengus would not be able to talk to her, let alone court her! Ethal also questioned how would Aengus know which swan was Caer amongst the 150 other swans.

Aengus was not put off and on the night of Samhain, he made his way to Dragon’s Mouth Lake and waited as the swans began to arrive. All the swans wore a silver chain around their necks, except one which wore a chain made of gold. The swan was more beautiful and graceful than the other swans, but it was the swan’s eyes that confirmed to Aengus that this was Car. The swan’s eyes were the same eyes he saw every night in his dreams.

Convinced that he had found the woman from his dream, Aengus used his own powers to change himself into a swan of immense beauty and with a voice that could sing ‘with the power of the gods themselves.’

As soon as he got close to the swan with the golden chain, she recognised him as the man she had been dreaming about and, although they could not talk in the way that humans do, they communicated in the way of swans. They intertwined their necks and danced on the water.

When the rest of the swans left the following morning, Caer remained behind with Aengus. For three days then sang of their love, a powerful song that healed broken hearts and spoke of true love.

After three days, both Caer and Aengus returned to their true form and retuned to his home at Brú na Bóinne as a married couple. In time, Caer became a goddess, sharing a role with Aengus.

The Dream of Aengus is a story of true love and how it is possible to overcome any obstacles that stand in the way.