WOMEN AND POWER SERIES at Bard Mythologies : bardmythologies.com
Last week we talked about the dark feminine in the sorceress, Fuamnach. She was married to Prince Midir of Brí Leith (A hill in Co Longford). Together they had fostered the beautiful Aengus Óg who was son of Bóinn the river goddess and the Daghda, one of the principle gods of the Tuathe Dé Danann (People of the goddess Danú).
When Aengus had grown he left them to claim his inheritance which was Brú na Bóinne (Newgrange County Meath). Alas the couple missed Aengus terribly but when Midir went to visit him he left his wife behind, and while away he met the beautiful Étaín. Then since it was the way of the times that a man could have more than one wife, he brought her home. However Fuamnach’s jealousy didn’t bow to the way of the times and so her jealousy went very very far……
….. so far that she changed her rival into a fly. But a fly will never let you forget its presence.
From SÍDH : Stories from the Women in Irish Mythology. Illustration by Kathy Tynan : kathytynan.net