Enbarr

The Enbarr of Manannán, or Enbarr of the Flowing Mane,[1] (also written Aenbharr, Aonbharr, Aonbárr, Énbarr, Enbhárr; Classical Irish: Aonḃaɼɼ Mhanannáin) was the name in the Irish Mythological Cycle of the horse of Lugh Lamh-fada (Irish: Luġ Láṁḟada), which could traverse 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 be the loan of a loan, but later had to lend the self-navigating currach (coracle boat) called Sguaba Tuinne (Wave-sweeper).[2]

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

The name Embarr ("imagination") seems to have been ascribed as being Niamh's horse.[4] A certain horse does carry Oisín and his would-be bride Niamh across the 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. 1 2 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
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.