   ÃtaÃ­n or ÃdaÃ­n (modern spelling: Ãadaoin) is a figure of irish mythology, best known as the heroine of tochmarc ÃtaÃ­ne (the wooing of ÃtaÃ­n), one of the oldest and richest stories of the mythological cycle. she also figures in the middle irish togail bruidne dÃ¡ derga (the destruction of da derga's hostel). t. f. o'rahilly identified her as a sun goddess. ==name== the name ÃtaÃ­n is alternately spelt as edain, aideen, etaoin, Ãadaoin, aedÃ­n, or adaon. it is derived from a diminutive form of old irish Ã©t, "passion, jealousy".koch, john t. (ed.), celtic culture, abc-clio, 2006, p. 1675. she is sometimes known by the epithet echraide, ("horse rider"), suggesting links with horse deities and figures such as the welsh rhiannon and the gaulish epona.mackillop, p. 195. in tochmarc ÃtaÃ­ne midir names her bÃ© find (fair woman). however, the poem embedded in the text, "a bÃ© find in ragha lium" may be an older, unrelated composition that was appended to the story later.mac cana, p. 140. ==genealogy== in tochmarc Ãtaine, ÃtaÃ­n is the daughter of ailill, king of the ulaid. a slightly different genealogy is told in togail bruidne dÃ¡ derga (the destruction of da derga's hostel). here she is the daughter of Ãtar, and marries the high king eochaid feidlech. they have a daughter, called ÃtaÃ­n Ãg (ÃtaÃ­n the younger), who marries cormac, king of ulster. she bears him a daughter, mess buachalla, but no sons. cormac abandons mess buachalla, but she is found and brought up by a herdsman. when she grows up she marries the high king eterscÃ©l and becomes the mother of conaire mor. in genealogical tracts she is said to have been the wife of the ulster prince cormac cond longas. ==tochmarc Ãtaine== when midir of the tuatha dÃ© danann falls in love with and marries her, his rejected first wife fÃºamnach becomes jealous and casts a series of spells on her. first fÃºamnach turns ÃtaÃ­n into a pool of water, then into a worm, and then into a beautiful butterfly. midir does not know that the butterfly is ÃtaÃ­n, but it becomes his constant companion, and he has no interest in women. fÃºamnach then creates a wind that blows the butterfly away and does not allow it to alight anywhere but the rocks of the sea for seven years. eventually it lands on the clothes of Ãengus, who recognises it as ÃtaÃ­n, but he is at war with midir and cannot return her to him. he makes her a little chamber with windows so she can come and go, and carries the chamber with him wherever he goes. but fÃºamnach hears of this and creates another wind which blows her away from him for a
Irish_goddesses Irish_royal_consorts Mythological_cycle Solar_goddesses Ulster_Cycle