Milesius. [I] Sometimes given as Mil. His original name is Golamh, but he became popular under the Latin form Milesius, signifying a soldier. Mile Easpain, a soldier of Spain, is one epithet. On hearing of the death of his nephew Ith in Ireland, slain by the De Danaan, Milesius sets out to conquer Ireland. He does not reach it, but his wife Scota does. She is killed in Kerry. It is their sons who carry out the conquest.

Miodchaoin. [I] A fierce warrior who dwelt on a hill with his three sons. He and his sons were slain by the children of Tuireann.

Mod. Assembly. An annual gathering organised by An Comunn Gaidhealach (the Scottish Gaelic association, which, in English, refers to itself as "The Highland Association," formed in 1891). This is like the Welsh Eisteddfod.

Modred. [W] The nephew of Arthur who attempts to usurp his crown and marry his wife Guinevere. His historical progenitor, Modreuant, is recorded as being killed with Arthur at the battle of Camluan.

Modron. [W] Mother of Mabon, one of Arthur's champions. The name seems to be a form of Matrona and therefore a mother-goddess.

Moen. [I] The word signifies dumb. Son of a king of Leinster who was poisoned by his uncle, Cobhthach, and made to eat his father's heart, the boy was struck dumb in disgust. He is taken out of Ireland to save him from a worst fate. In the Gaulish kingdom of the Fir Orca, he falls in love with the beautiful Moriath. She teaches him how to regain his speech. Then her father gives him an army with which he sets out and regains his kingdom and destroys the evil Cobhthach. It is interesting to find that Moen is said to have horse's ears, like Mark of Cornwall. Lest the blemish preclude him from kingship, everyone who cut his hair was put to death. Having spared one man on oath that he would hold his tongue, the man told a tree. The tree was cut down and made into a harp for Craftine his bard. When the harp played, Moen's secret was revealed.

Mongan. [I] Son of Manannin Mac Lir by the queen of the Dal nAraidi. He was born in circumstances that so closely resemble those in which Arthur of Britain was born that the Arthur legend was doubtless crafted from the Irish tale. Mongan is also said to have been a reincarnation of Fionn Mac Cumhail, whose story also gives a lot to the Arthurian legends. Because his father was the sea god he, too, was possessed of supernatural gifts. He married Dubh Lacha, and one of the tales associated with him is how he outwits Brandubh, king of Leinster, who secretly desires Dubh Lacha and tricks Mongan into giving him her. A historical Mongan is recorded as rulIng Ulster m A.D. 625. See Manannan Mac Llr.

Mongfhinn. [I] She was the hostile and bitter stepmother of Niall of the Nine Hostages who tried several times to kill the boy. She died by mistakenly taking poison that she had prepared for him. The deed was said to have been done on Samhain, and in later tradition Samhain (Hallowe'en) was called the Festival of the Mongfhinn. In Munster women used to address prayers to her to ward off her evil presence.

Morann. [I] Chief judge and druid of Ulster during the Red Branch Cycle. He was born with a caul on his head. His father ordered him to be drowned but he was rescued and raised by a smith. His most famous judgment was on who should foster Cuchulainn.

Morca. [I] Son of Dela and a king of the Fomorii. He defeated the Nemedians and forced the 30 survivors to flee from Ireland.

Morda. [W] A blind man ordered by Ceridwen to keep a fire lit under her magic cauldron.

Morfan. [W] Son of Tegid, who was so ugly that no man opposed him at the battle of Camluan because they thought him a devil. A warrior of Arthur.

Morgan. [I] King of the land of Wonder and husband of the monstrous warrior woman Coinchend. He is father of the beautiful Delbchaem. He is slain by Art.

Moriath. [I] Daughter of Scoriath, king of the Fir Morca of Gaul. She became the lover and wife of Moen.

Morrigan. [I] Sometimes given as Morrigu. The major triune goddess of war, death, and slaughter. The name signified "great queen," and she is interchangeable with Macha, Badb, and Nemain. Her favourite shape is that of a crow or raven. She helped the De Danaan at the battles of Magh Tuireadh. Having first tried to incite Cuchulainn to make love to her, she fought with him and he managed to wound her. For this his fate is sealed and he is eventually killed. In triumph, she settled on his shoulder in the form of a crow and watched while a beaver drank his blood.

Mug's Half. [I] The southern half of Ireland.

Muinremuir. (I) Son of Ferrgend and one of the three greatest heroes of Ulster who features in the tales of Mac Da Tho's boar and Bricriu's feast. He is the first to accept the challenge when a churl appears and invites the warriors to cut off his head if he, on the next day, can return the stroke. "Bricriu's Feast" is, in fact, an early version of the Green Knight story that became part of the medieval sagas of Arthur.

Muirthemne, Plain of. [I] Cuchulainn dwelt there in his fortress of Dun Dealgan {Dundalk). Lady Gregory's retelling of the Cuchulainn saga was entitled Cuchulain of Muirthemne [John Murray, London, 1902].

Munster. [I] The southwest province of Ireland, originally called Mumham, with the addition of the Iter during the Norse settle- ment. Like Dyfed in Wales, it is associated with the Otherworld. Tech Duinn, the gathering place of the dead, lies just off its coast, as Annwn lies off the coast of Dyfed. Munster is associated with more female gods than any other place, and it appears in the ancient stories as a primeval world, a place of origin.

Murias. [I] One of the four great cities of the De Danaan. It was from Murias that the magic cauldron of the Dagda, a gift from Lugh, came.

Murna of the White Neck.[I] A descendent of Nuada and Ethlinn, the daughter of Balor of the Evil Eye. She elopes with Cumal, son of Trenmor of the Clan Mascna: Her father, a druid, incites Goll , Mac Morna to kill Cumal. Murna flees to the forests and gives : birth to Cumal's son, Demna. But the boy grows up to be called "The Fair One"-Fionn. He goes on to seek vengeance for his father's death.

Mur y Castell. [W] LIeu LIaw Gyffes' fortress at Bala Lake.

Music. Music always plays its part in the myths. Heroes and heroines, even the deities, all seemed to be accomplished. Various instruments-harps, stringed instruments, bagpipes, and timpani-are mentioned by name. In Ireland, the earliest surviving example of Irish musical notation and composition is contained in an eleventh century manuscript. Celtic musicians were celebrated from earliest times.

Mynwy. [W] St. David's. The principal shrine of Dewi Sant, patron saint of Wales. One of four bishoprics-the others being Llandaff, Bangor, and St. Asaph.

Mynyddawn Mwynfawr. Lord of Dineiddyn (Edinburgh) who led the Gododdin (the Votadini of the Roman occupation) to recapture Catraeth (Catterick) from the Anglo-Saxons in the sixth century. The event is recorded in a sixth century poem by Aneurin.

Myrddin. [W] The original form of Merlin. One of the Welsh Triads tells us that Britain was called Clas Myrddin, "Myrddin's enclosure," before it was populated. Professor John Rhys argues that Myrddin was a deity specially worshipped at Stonehenge, which, according to a tradition recorded by Geoffrey of Monmouth, was erected by him. As Christianity replaced the old religion, it is said that he took nine attendant bards and the "thirteen treasures of Britain" and went to Bardsey Island, off the Lleyn peninsula, Gwynedd. In his Hibbert Lectures [English Text Society, p. 693] Rhys says that a Greek traveller in the first century A.D; mentioned an island where Kronos was supposed to be imprisoned with his attendants. Kronos slept, for that was the bond forged for him. This is a Hellenised account, for Kronos (Cronos) was one of the Titans and father of Zeus. He is believed to be an ancient pre-Hellenic god of fertility. The Romans identified him as Saturn. Rhys also believes that the Greek was referring to Myrddin and that Myrddin was therefore a sun god who made the descent into the western sea and was imprisoned there by the powers of darkness. See Merlin.

Myrddin Wyllt. [W] The Welsh equivalent of Suibhne Geilt, who took himself into the wood and there grew feathers and could leap from tree to tree.