Dian Cécht was the main Irish god of medicine, but he became jealous of the abilities of his children, such as Miach, who gave Nuada a flesh and blood hand while he could only give him one of silver. The Book of the O’Lees, written in 1443, is written in forms resembling the pattern of astrological figures. It is said that the book was given to O’Lee by Otherworld folk from Hy-Brasil. This tale is remarkably similar to the story of the Meddygon Meddfai, who are also given an Otherworld book of medical knowledge and become the greatest physicians in Wales.

Medrawd

[W] See Melwas.

Meilge

[I] A High King who slew Aige when in the form of a deer. Her brother Fafne composed a satire about him that caused a blemish to form three blotches on his face. For this Fafne was put to death.

Melwas

[W] King of the Summer Land, Somerset, who kidnaps Arthur’s queen Gwenhwyfar. Gildas intervenes and persuades him to return the queen. He appears as Meleagant in Le Chevalier de la Charrette by Chrétien de Troyes, and as Mellyagraunce in Malory’s Morte d’Arthur.

Menw

[W] A warrior who accompanies Culhwch.

Merlin

[W] A magician, or druid, who plays an important role in the Arthurian sagas. He is of distinctly Celtic origin and figures prominently in early Welsh writings. The first known fully developed treatment of him is in Libellus Merline (Little Book of Merlin), ca. a.d. 1135, a Latin tract written by Geoffrey of Monmouth, which was incorporated into his Historia. See Myrddin.

Mermaids/Mermen

As in other cultures, mermaids and mermen (muirgen = sea child) abound in the sagas and tales of Celtic myth. From Brittany to Ireland and from Scotland to Cornwall, such tales survive in folkloric tradition. Half human, half fish, they dwell in the sea. While the mermaids are always enticing and beautiful, the mermen usually have pig’s eyes, red noses, and green hair. They are both benevolent and malevolent.

Cornwall is especially replete in mermaid traditions. There are tales of mermaids at Padstow, at Seaton, of the mermaid’s rock off Lamorna, and of voices from the sea. Most famous of all is the story of the Zennor mermaid who fell in love with the squire’s son and spirited him away to sea. In the church at Zennor one of the bench ends has a carving of the mermaid. The story inspired the film