Amergin the Poet-Seer
& the first (mortal) poem invoked in Ireland
A Chairde,
As the season of Bealtaine comes to a close and we will soon embrace the harvest of Lughnasa, I feel called to link back to our Creative Ancestor Profile for Ériu, Banba and Fódhla, and invite in more about the file, the ‘poet-seer’ Amergin, our mortal ancestor who negotiated with the triple goddess so that we could flourish on this land.
Poet Leader
Amergin (“Am-ar-ghin” or “Av-ar-ghin” in Old Irish) with variations of his name like Amhairghin, means ‘the wonderfully conceived’, perhaps a reflection of his poetic talents. The 11th-century manuscript, Lebor Gabála Érenn, which means ‘The Book of the Taking of Ireland’ in English, tells us that Ireland was inhabited by six races. The last group, known as the Milesians or later as the Gaels, were mortals from whom we are said to descend. And so, our first ancestors to arrive were not led by an invading warrior or king, but by the poet-seer Amergin—an artist, essentially. When they arrived on these shores, the island was inhabited by gods, the Tuatha Dé Danann.
