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Boann, {Queen-Mother-of-Cows}.
B%N
[to Whom the fourteenth day of April, day 104, is dedicated]
Geography/Culture: Celtic: Irish.
Linguistic Note: {the meaning given is FW's guess based on Graves' analysis of an-, in Anna's Linguitic Note, (She is linked with Anne), plus an interpretation of bo- as 'cow' based on descriptions of the Three Cows which arose from the Western Ocean, below. It has been stated that Boann's name implies fruitfulness. See also below, Buana.
Description: Goddess of earth, cattle and inspiration; Eponym and Goddess of the River Boyne; Bestower of sovereignty; White Cow of fertility; Queen of the Tuatha dé Danann.
To Whom Sacred: hazel; trout; salmon; the river Boyne; sacred well (shaded by nine hazel trees -- eating the nuts bestowed wisdom: this is perhaps a reference to 'the spring of Segais in the Land of Promise' which is traditionally the source of the Rivers Boyne and Shannon, the spring also being the source of all knowledge); Bruigh na Boinne 'Castle of Boann' (also translated as 'the City of Boann', ie the New Grange tumuli); the number 9.
Festival: She has been associated with Samain (November 1) being sometimes said to marry Dagda at that time.
Male Associates: son/consort, Oengus by lover/Consort, Dagda. Consort: Nechtan.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Sister of Béfind, White-Lady, below.
- Perhaps the same as Bo-Find, {White-Cow}below.
- Variant: Boannan.
- Variant: Bóinn.
- Variant: Boinne. Celtic: Irish.
- Variant: Bouvinda.
- Perhaps a variant: Buana, Beneficent-Queen, below.
- As Queen of the Tuatha dé Danann She might be a form of Danu, She-of-Knowledge.
- She is associated with the Morrighan, Great-Queen, Who is also said to marry Dagda on Samain.
- The name Shannon (as in the river Shannon) is a corruption of the Goddess name Sinainn, ----. Since both the Boyne and the Shannon share the same mythical source perhaps the two Goddesses are two aspects of one, or sisters?.
Source: Bord SW 13, 15; CM.PM/33; CML.CS/55; "Celtic Mythology" Encyclopedia Americana. For myths on the origin of the river after which She is named, see: Bord SW 131; Funk & Wagnall 151.
Béfind, White-Lady.
BAFEND
Geography/Culture: Celtic: Irish.
Description: One of the three sidhe Who are present at the birth of every child, predict eris' future, and endow erim with gifts.
Male Associates: consort, Idath, (a mortal). Son [?], Fraech.
- Sister of Boann, {Queen-Mother-of-Cows}, above.
- Perhaps a variant: of Bo-Find, {White-Cow}, below.
- These sidhe, or fairies, are thought to be equivalent to the Roman Parcae, Those-Who-Bring-Forth, Who are linked with the Moirae, Fates.
Source: Funk & Wagnall SDFML 131.
Bo-Dhu, {Black-Cow}.
BW-DHW
Geography/Culture: Celtic: Irish.
Description: One of the three Cows Who arose from the Western sea.
To Whom Sacred: the colour black; the direction south.
<<<>>>
She is Triple with:
Bo-Find, {White-Cow} and Bo-Ruadh, {Red-Cow}.
<<<>>>
Bo-Find, {White-Cow}.
BW-FYND
Geography/Culture: Celtic: Irish.
Description: Goddess of fertility; Mother of Irish cattle; One of the three Cows Who arose from the Western Sea.
To Whom Sacred: the colour white; cave in the West (where She now rests); the centre of the land; perhaps bothar-loa-finne {am certain middle word is wrong, try and check FW} 'Track-of-the-White-Cow', ie. the Milky Way.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- Perhaps a variant of: Béfind, above.
- See Bo-Dhu, {Black-Cow}, one of the three cows.
- See Bo-Ruadh, {Red-Cow}, another of the three cows..
Bo-Ruadh, {Red-Cow}.
BW-RUA3
Geography/Culture: Celtic: Irish
Description: One of the three Cows Who arose from the Western sea.
To Whom Sacred: the colour red; the direction north.
Titles/Variants, etc:
- See Bo-Dhu, {Black-Cow}.
- See Bo-Find, {White-Cow}.
Buana, Beneficent-Queen.
BW1N1
Alternate meanings: Guardian-Queen, Good-Mother, Lasting-One, Mother-of-heroes.
Geography/Culture: Celtic: Irish.
Linguistic Note: {I can't recall where I found the meaning 'Beneficent-Queen' -- Graves gives 'Guardian-Queen'. Is it possible that the bo- element of the Irish Cow Goddesses names, presumably meaning 'cow', might be etymologically related to this bu-, since the generous milk-flow of cows can certainly be understood as beneficent?}
Description: Great mother Goddess of abundance, wealth and prophesy.
To Whom Sacred: hazel (called coll buana in Irish); the number 9.
- Perhaps related to, even a spelling variant of, Boann, {Queen-Mother-of-Cows}, Whose sacred well is mythically shaded by nine hazel trees.
- Perhaps related to Saint-Buonia. "St. Buonia's Well, Killabuonia {in the county of Kerry?}. The well is near the monastic remains, and close to it is a large cairn of pebbles, continually added to by pilgrims, who also push offerings into the 'priest's grave' after following the ritual pattern, which includes nine circumambulations of the well." Bord SW 242.
Other Celtic river Goddesses:
- Deva, below, was worshiped as the Goddess Aerfon, ----. Johnson LB 249.
- Brigantia, ----, (She is linked with Brigit), Goddess of the River Braint, and of the River Brent.
- Clota, ----, Goddess of the River Clyde. {I wonder if She could be related to Clothru.}
- Danu, She-of-Knowledge, Goddess of the River Danube.
- Deva, Divinity. Goddess of the River Dee. The River Dee was also called Dyfridwy 'Waters-of-the-Divinity', see also Aerfon, above.
- Sabrina, Goddess of the River Severn.
- Sequana, Goddess of the River Seine. She is especially associated with the source of the Seine..
- Sinainn, Goddess of the River Shannon, see also above.
- Verbeia, Goddess of the Wharfe.
Source: Bord SW 15
worked on: august 1995; August 1991; July 1990.
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