Enbarr

The Enbarr of Manannán, or Enbarr of the Flowing Mane,[1] also written variously as Aenbharr, Aonbharr, Aonbárr, Énbarr, Enbhárr (Early mod. Irish: Aonḃaɼɼ Mhanannáin) was the name of the horse that Lugh Lamh-fada (Irish: Luġ Láṁḟada) had which could travel over both land and sea. In the story [A]oidhe Chloinne Tuireann (The Fate of the Children of Tuireann), Lugh refuses to loan it claiming that would constitute a loan of a loan, but afterwards had to concede to lending out the self-navigating currach (or coracle or boat) called the Sguaba Tuinne, or "Wave-sweeper".[2]

The meaning of this name has variously explained as "One Mane" (O'Curry)[2] [aon "one" + barr "hair, tip (as well as mane of a horse")], "Froth" (Cormac's glossary) [3] [én "water" + barr [cacumen, spuma] ], and "unique supremacy" (Mackillop's Dictionary).

The name Embarr (meaning "imagination"[?]) seems to have been spuriously ascribed as being Niamh's horse.[4] A certain horse does carry Oisín and his would-be bride Niamh across sea to Tír na nÓg, according to the Laoi Oisín as ṫír na n-óg (The lay of Oisín in the land of youth) by Mícheál Coimín (1676–1760).

References

  1. ↑ Joyce, P. W., tr. "The Fate of the Children of Turenn", in Old Celtic Romances (1894) pp.37-95
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Eugene O'Curry ed., The Fate of the Children of Tuireann, The Atlantis IV (1863), 157-240. Meaning of "Aonbarr" glossed on p.163 n145.
  3. ↑ O'Donovan tr., Sanas Chormaic, (1868), p.66
  4. ↑ Tena Bastian,Tami Zigo, Tips and Tidbits for the Horse Lover (2007), p.55