In
Irish mythology
,
Elatha
,
Elotha
,
[1]
Elier
[2]
or
Elada
(modern spelling:
Ealadha
) was a king of the
Fomorians
and the father of
Bres
by
Eriu
of the
Tuatha De Danann
, as well as Delbaeth,
Ogma
, Elloth (another name for Lir the father of
Manannan mac Lir
), and the
Dagda
by an unnamed mother.
[3]
[4]
The imagery surrounding him suggests he may be associated with sources of light and illumination, such as
the sun
.
[5]
Overview
[
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]
Elatha is described as being the "beautiful Miltonic prince of darkness with golden hair". He was the son of
Delbaeth
and a king of the
Fomor
, and he was the father of
Bres
by
Eriu
, a woman of the
Tuatha De Danann
.
[6]
He came to her over the sea in a vessel of silver, himself having the appearance of a young man with yellow hair, wearing clothes of gold and five gold
torcs
. He was one of the
Fomor
who took part in the
Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh
.
During the
Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh
, Elatha watched over his son
the Dagda
's magic harp,
Uaithne
, sometimes called Dur-da-Bla, "the Oak of Two Blossoms," and sometimes Coir-cethar-chuin, "the Four-Angled Music." He is said to have a sense of humor and a sense of nobility.
Though considered to be the
Fomorian
father of
Eochu Bres
, Elatha (Elada) was also the father of
the Dagda
,
Ogma
, a son named
Delbaeth
, and Elloth, elsewhere known as
Lir
(the father of
Manannan mac Lir
) according to the
Lebor Gabala Erenn
.
The mother of these
Tuatha De Danann
chiefs may have been
Ethne
, the mother of
Lug
, based on
Ogma'
often cited matronymic "mac Ethliu." Since Ethne was Fomorian, this means they are all Fomorians. This is rather confusing, but may portray the battle between the two groups as actually being about the new generation of gods displacing the older generation.
Elatha and Bres
[
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]
She told him that his father was Elatha, one of the Kings of the Fomorians; that he had come to her one time over a level sea in a great vessel that seemed to be of silver; that he himself had the appearance of a young man with yellow hair, his clothes decked with gold and five rings of gold around his neck. She had refused the love of all the young men of her own people, had given him her love and cried when he had left her.
[
citation needed
]
Before he left he had given her a ring from his own hand and had bade her give it only to the man whose finger it would fit.
Eri
brought out the ring and put it on the finger of
Bres
and it fit him well. She and
Bres
and some of their followers then set out of the land of the
Fomorians
. At long last they came to that faraway land. Elatha the local King saw the ring on
Bres
’ hand and asked him the whole story and said that
Bres
was his own son. Elatha then asked
Bres
what it was that drove him out of his own country and his own kingship.
Bres
answered truthfully: “Nothing drove me out but my own injustice and my own hardness; I took away their treasures from the people and their jewels and their food itself. And there were never taxes put on them before I was their King. And still I am come to look for fighting men that I may take Ireland by force”. Elatha listened and then bade him go to the chief King of the
Fomorians
,
Balar of the Evil Eye
.
[
citation needed
]
Names
[
edit
]
These are the names that Elatha has gone by and where that name stems from.
Elathan
is used incorrectly by Squire and Lady Gregory, as
Elathan
is the genitive case of Elatha and means 'of Elatha'.
According to Lady Gregory the etymology of
Elatha
is "art" or "knowledge" in the bardic sense.
[7]
The name Elathan could also mean "(he) of the art" the
n
is justified in this case. This could explain why Ogma (inventor of the ogham script) is son of Elatha(n) (bardic knowledge). Elatha is called "glory of weapons" and "a wolf of division against men of plunder" in the
Lebor Gabala Erenn
.
[8]
References
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]
External links
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]