Altrom Tige Dá Medar, Altram Tige dá Medar [Ir., The Nurture of the Houses of the Two Milk Vessels]. A late Middle Irish narrative of the
Mythological Cycle included in the 15th-century
Book of Fermoy. Scholarly attention in the story has focused on the dispersal of the immortals, the
Tuatha Dé Danann, into the world of men, and on possible distant parallels with the French legend of the Holy Grail.
After their defeat at
Tailtiu and Druim Ligen, the remainder of the Tuatha Dé Danann, on the advice of
Manannán mac Lir, scattered themselves to the fairy mounds, hills, and plains of Ireland. They chose
Bodb as their king, but Manannán appointed them to their dwellings in the fairy mounds. He also instituted (1)
féth fíada [the veil of invisibility] to keep them from being seen; (2) the Feast of
Goibniu, to protect them against old age; and (3) the Pigs of Manannán, to be killed for food yet preserved for sustenance. Manannán also told them how to lay out their houses in the manner of
Emain Ablach. Shortly after this Manannán and others were invited to a banquet at
Brug na Bóinne by
Elcmar, a magician, and his fosterling,
Angus Óg. In the evening, after Manannán ordered the hall cleared, he told Angus Óg that Elcmar was not destined to occupy the splendid palace at Brug na Bóinne and that he, Angus, should expel him. After teaching Angus a powerful spell, Manannán also acknowledged that there was a God above gods, and retold the Old Testament story of the rebellion of the angels and the creation of man.
After Elcmar was expelled, Angus gave a banquet and asked that all present give him a child for
fosterage. All complied, including Manannán. Most interestingly, the wife of the steward at Brug na Bóinne bore a child named Eithne (see
EITHNE (3)), of surpassing beauty and virtue. Eithne was courted by many suitors, including
Finnbarr, who insulted her with a lewd remark, for which he apologized. Because of the insult Eithne fasted for seven days, at which time she accepted milk from Angus's marvellous cow, brought from India, which she milked herself.
When news of Eithne's shame and unwillingness to eat reached Manannán, he summoned her to
Cruithín na Cuan in Emain Ablach. Manannán prepared food with his own hands, but Eithne would not eat it, preferring instead milk from his marvellous brindled cow, also brought from India. Manannán then diagnosed her ailment: when she was insulted the demon of the Tuatha Dé Danann left her and she could no longer partake of their food. She might, however, drink from the cows of India, as it was a land of righteousness. At this point she has partaken of the Nurture of the Houses of Two Milk Vessels, hence the title of the story. She remarked that henceforth the Trinity of Three Persons would be her god. From that time, through the many centuries to the coming of St
Patrick, Eithne lived only on the milk of the marvellous cows.
One day, after bathing in a river with friends, she realized that she had lost the power of
féth fíada [invisibility] and thus could not find her companions. She came instead to a church door, where she saw a cleric praising the Lord. After telling him her story, she decided to profess his faith. Not even Angus could dissuade her. St Patrick himself came to help Eithne to resist her former companions. She was lonely when they left her, and asked Patrick to baptize her and forgive her sins. Two weeks later she died and went directly to heaven. Patrick spoke an elegy,
marbnaid, in her honour.
Ceall Eithne at Brug na Bóinne is named after her. Eithne's companion, Curcóg, a daughter of Manannán, was in charge of the company of women at Brug na Boínne.
Some commentators see Eithne's unwillingness to eat fairy food as a parallel to the Greek Persephone's reluctance to eat the food of Hades. This Eithne (3) appears to be related to
Eithne (4) of oral tradition, the mortal woman who departed with
Finnbheara, king of the Connacht fairies. The text was edited and translated by Lilian Duncan,
Ériu, 11 (1932), 184–225. Portions of the narrative were used by Austin Clarke in his prose romance
Sun Dances at Easter (Dublin, 1952) and drama
The Moment Next to Nothing (Dublin, 1958).
