Legendary Celtic ruler of Iberia
The Red Lion of Heremon.
[1]
Erimon
[2]
(Modern
Irish
:
Eireamhon
), commonly Anglicised as
Heremon
, son of
Mil Espaine
(and great-grandson of
Breoghan
, king of Celtic
Galicia
), according to medieval Irish legends and historical traditions, was one of the chieftains who took part in the
Milesian
invasion of Ireland, which conquered the island from the
Tuatha De Danann
, and one of the first Milesian
High Kings
.
Background
[
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]
Before coming to Ireland, he and his older brother
Eber Donn
were joint rulers of
Spain
. His great-uncle
Ith
made a peaceful expedition to Ireland, which he had seen from the top of a tower built by his father
Breogan
, but was killed by the three kings of the Tuatha De Danann,
Mac Cuill
,
Mac Cecht
and
Mac Greine
, and in revenge the Milesians invaded in force, with Erimon and Eber Donn in command. They defeated the Tuatha De Danann in the Battle of
Tailtiu
. Eber Donn had been killed, and the High Kingship was divided between Erimon in the north and his younger brother
Eber Finn
in the south.
High Kingship of Ireland
[
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]
A year after the Battle of Tailtiu, Eber Finn became unhappy with his half, fought a battle with his brother at Airgetros, lost and was killed. Erimon became sole ruler of Ireland and built his capital at Rath Oinn (later site of
Rathdown Castle
, on the east coast near modern
Greystones
). He appointed kings of the four provinces. He gave
Leinster
to
Crimthann Sciathbel
of the
Fir Domnann
;
Munster
to the four sons of Eber Finn,
Er, Orba, Feron and Fergna
;
Connacht
to
Un
and
Etan
, sons of Uicce; and
Ulster
to
Eber mac Ir
. During this time the
Cruithne
settled in Ireland. He ruled for fourteen, fifteen or seventeen further years, after which he died at Airgetros, and was succeeded by his sons Muimne, Luigne and Laigne, ruling jointly.
[3]
Geoffrey Keating
dates his reign from 1287 to 1272 BC,
[4]
the
Annals of the Four Masters
from 1700 to 1684 BC.
[5]
Some philologists believe Erimon and Zarathustra’s mythological Aryaman character who gives their name to Iran are cognates.
[6]
Georges Dumezil retracted his initial view on this matter.
[7]
However, the idea remains seductive to some commentators,
[8]
on the basis of the coincidence of the similar sound between the two names, that they both are mythological founders of two separate great Indo-European cultures, the inclusion of the M-N- sound in their respective names, and the fact that many of the great Indo-European cultural traditions’ founders share the same M-N- laden moniker.
Personal life
[
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]
Erimon had two wives, Odba, mother of
Muimne, Luigne and Laigne
, whom he left behind in Spain, and Tea, mother of
Iriel Faid
, who accompanied him to Ireland, and died there. Tea was a daughter of
Lugaid
[9]
and gave her name to
Tara
, where she was buried ? the
Lebor Gabala Erenn
explains its
Old Irish
name
Temair
as "
Tea mur
", "Tea's Wall". Through his son, Iriel Faid, Erimon was the progenitor of the Heremonians and provided many High Kings of Ireland. Kinship groups of Irish Gaels which are classified as Heremonians were most powerful in
Connacht
,
Leinster
and parts of
Ulster
and include the
Connachta
,
Ui Neill
,
Clan Colla
,
Ui Maine
,
Laighin
,
Dalcassians
and the
Erainn
.
[1]
The Red Lion of Heremon features in
Irish heraldry
and
Scottish heraldry
as a device in the coat of arms of many of Heremon's claimed descendants, including:
-
O'Neill
-
O'Melaghlin
-
MacGeoghegan
-
Magawly
-
O'Kearney
-
McCaughey
-
Kavanagh
-
Donegan
-
O'Dwyer
-
MacMahon
-
Dunkeld
-
MacDuff
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
The Stem of the Irish Nation - Irish Pedigrees
- ^
Also spelled
Eremon
and
Heremon
- ^
R. A. Stewart Macalister (ed. & trans.),
Lebor Gabala Erenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland
Part V, Irish Texts Society, 1956, pp. 11-185
- ^
D. Comyn & P. S. Dinneen (ed .& trans.),
The History of Ireland by Geoffrey Keating
, Irish Texts Society, 1902-1914, Book 1 Chapters
21
,
22
,
23
,
24
- ^
John O'Donovan (ed. & trans.),
Annala Rioghachta Eireann: Annals of the kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters
, Dublin, 1848-1851,
Vol. 1 pp. 25-35
- ^
Rees, Alwyn D., and B. R. Rees. Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales. London: Thames and Hudson, 1975. pp. 108
- ^
Dumezil, Georges. L’ideologie tripartie des Indo-Europeens. Bruxelles (Berchem): Latomus, 1958. pp. 94
- ^
Douglas, Stephen. Finding Manuland.
https://www.powerofmana.net
- ^
"Part 2 of The Metrical Dindshenchas"
.
www.ucc.ie
. Retrieved
9 April
2018
.
See also
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]
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Kindreds
and septs
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Personalities
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Literature
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Places
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Battles
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Related
articles
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Kindreds
and septs
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Personalities
| |
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Literature
| |
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Places
| |
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Related
articles
| |
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|
|
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Kindreds and septs
| |
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Personalities
| |
---|
Literature
| |
---|
Places
| |
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Battles
| |
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Related articles
| |
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|
|
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Kindreds
and septs
| |
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Personalities
| |
---|
Places
| |
---|
Battles
| |
---|
Related
articles
| |
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