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[I] See Invasions, Book of.
[I] See Lugh.
[I] Son of Dedad (sometimes Degad), who founded the Degad or military caste of Munster.
[I] Lord of Luachtar, treasurer of Clan Morna and father of Conan Maol. He became treasurer of the Fianna when Goll Mac Morna slew Cumal, the father of Fionn. Lia was slain by Fionn Mac Cumhail, who took the treasure bag and subsequently had to fight Lia’s son for several years.
[I] A poetess with whom the poet Cuirithir fell in love. It is a tale of sorrowful love that survives from a ninth century a.d. text and remains one of the tragic stories of the period, with marked similarities to the later historical tragedy of Héloise and Abélard of Brittany. While the story is not technically part of Irish mythology, it is generally accepted as such. Liadin capriciously spurns Cuirithir and becomes a nun. In despair, Cuirithir also takes holy orders. Both then regret their actions. Religion prevents a happy outcome, and Cuirithir, for attempting to break his vows, is exiled. Liadin dies of grief at the stone at which Cuirithir used to pray.
[I] “The Stone of Destiny.” There seems to be two separate stones. The first was in use at Temuir (Tara) and roared with joy at the touch of a rightful monarch’s foot. The second, which had similar properties, was used at the coronations of the Dál Riada kings of Alba and subsequently by all Scottish monarchs until it was stolen by Edward I of England (a.d. 1272–1307) and taken to London. There is a confusion of stories. One is that the Scottish Lia Fáil was the same as the Irish stone and that Fergus Mac Erc of the Scottish Dál Riada requested from his brother, Murtagh Mac Erc (High King of Ireland a.d. 512–533), that he be allowed to borrow the stone for his coronation. Fergus then refused to return it. However, scholars claim that the six-foot-high pillar stone that still stands at Tara is the Irish Lia Fáil.
The tradition of the Scottish stone is that this was Jacob’s Pillow, taken out of Egypt by Goidel, son of Scota, daughter of the pharaoh Cingris. Colmcille crowned Aidan on it and it was kept at the Dál Riada capital, now Dunstaffnage, Argyll, until the unification of the kingdom with that of the Tuatha Cruithne to form Alba. In a.d. 848 the High King of Alba, Kenneth Mac Alpin, took it to Sgàin
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