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[I] A Partholón who introduced ale into Ireland according to the myths.
[I] One of the gods, a brother of Cian and Goibhniu. He was looking after a magical cow, Glas Gaibhnenn, which belonged to his brother Cian. Balor of the Evil Eye, disguised as a little red-haired boy, tricked him into parting with it. Samhain’s role as a god is not clearly defined, although one of the four major Celtic festivals was named after him. The Feis na Samhna, or the Samhain Festival, was held on the evening of October 31 into the following day, November 1. It marked the end of one pastoral year and the beginning of the next. It was an intensely spiritual time, for it was the one period when the Otherworld became visible to mankind and when spiritual forces were let loose on the human world. Christianity took this pagan festival over as a harvest festival. The feast became St. Martin’s Mass (Martinmas). The festival also became All Saints’ Day or All Hallows, and the evening prior was Hallowe’en, still celebrated as the night when spirits and ghosts set out to wreak vengeance on the living and when evil marched unbridled across the world. In all the Celtic countries, fires were extinguished and could only be rekindled from a ceremonial fire lit by the druids. Significant events happened on Samhain or its equivalent. It was the time when the Fomorii oppressed the people of Nemed and when the Dé Danaan defeated the Fomorii at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh.
[I] Daughter of Fionn Mac Cumhail who marries Cormac Cas, son of Ailill Olom of Munster. Cormac Cas is recorded as ruling in the third century a.d. He built a palace for his bride and their bed was supported by three pillar stones. Hence, the palace was called Dún-tri-lag, the fortress of the three pillar stones, which is now Duntryleague, Co. Limerick. It is recorded that Cormac Cas received a terrible wound on his head but recovered.
[W] “Angel Face.” A warrior at Arthur’s fortress who was so fair no man dared attack him during the Battle of Camluan for fear he was an angel. He is asked to help Culhwch in his quest.
[I] Also known as Scáthach Buanand (Victorious). Daughter of Ard-Greimne of Lethra. She is the most famous of female warriors. Living on Scáthach’s Island (scáthach, “shadow”), which is thought to be Skye, she ran a military academy at which the heroes of Ireland received their training in the martial
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