Airmid of Tuatha


Airmid is a healing Goddess of the Tuatha de Danann. She helped create and is a keeper of the healing well of Slane, that brings the dead back to life. Airmid , her father and her brothers are said to stand guard over Slane.

Airmid is credited with identifying each of the herbs that sprang from her brother Miach’s grave and ascertaining its use, each herb healing an illness of the body part from which it grew.

She is the daughter of Diancecht and sister of Miach, two gods of healing and like Diancécht, her skills reflect a combination of practical knowledge and magic. Like her family she heals the elven and the humans of the lands. She rarely will aid another race unless persuaded, due to tradition. Unless there is a good cause. She resides in a nook in the mountains that can be found at #r-secret@bwr.

My character prefers

My People: The Tuatha DÈ Danann ("People of the goddess Danu") are the Irish race of gods, founded by the goddess Danu. These gods, had perfected the use of magic. From the legends of the Tuatha De Danaans they were deities of learning, magical skills, arts and crafts. The three things that they revered above all others were: the plough, the hazel and the sun. Hence they were Gods of a people who considered the realms of the Earth, the realms of the Mysteries and the realms of the Spirit as being of equal importance.

It is said that the Tuatha Dé Danann arrived to Ireland on the 1st of May (Beltaine) bringing with them treasures from their four home cities. They came from the north in ships and burnt them once they arrived so they were never tempted to go back.

They brought four talismans:

Nuada's Sword:: Out of Findias was brought the Sword of Nuadhu. When it was drawn from its deadly sheath, no one ever escaped from it, and it was irresistible. It represent the infallible justice of karmic retribution and became among knights and pilgrims alike the emblem par excellence of justice, courage, and purity of soul. Like man's "will of iron" its blade is wondrously wrought and tempered in the fire of experience, and is able to cut out corruption and sever the knots of personal fears and confusion to liberate the spiritual self.

Lugh's Spear: Out of Gorias (the Ever-Living city) was brought the Spear that Lugh had. No battle was ever won against it or him who held it in his hand. Also known as the "terrible lance" which both kills and cures. Evidently it was this lance, suggestive as it is of concentrated, one-pointed thought, that won Lugh the titles "Far Shooter" and "Long-handed," for when drawn in battle it seemingly had a life of its own and sped forth like an arrow of flame to execute his desire. Lugh is the sun god of Celtic deities.

Dagda's Cauldron: Out of Murias was brought Dagda's Cauldron. None ever went from it hungry or unthankful.

Stone of Fal: of Falias was brought the Stone of Destiny, or Lia Fáil which was in Tara. It used to cry out whenever a 'true' Irish king was crowned at Tara.



My Father:

Diancecht was the Irish god of healing and medicene. He was also known for regeneration, magic and silver-working. His father was the Dagda (the good god or father god). He was a physician-magician of the Tuatha.

Diancecht had several children: sons Miach, Cian , Cethe and Cu, and a daughter Airmid. Cian married Ethniu, daughter of Balor the Fomor, and gives birth to Lugh. Thus, Airmid is Lugh's aunt and Diancécht is Lugh's grandfather.

Once he destroyed a terrible baby of the Morrigu or Morrigan (goddess of war and death, also married to Dagda). When he cut open the child's heart, he found three serpents that could kill anything. He killed these, burned them and threw the ashes into the nearest river. The ashes were so deadly that they made the river boil and killed everything in it. The river today is called Barrow(boiling).

Diancecht made a silver hand for the leader of the Tuatha De Danann, Nuada after it was cut off in their first war. His son Miach though made the leader one of flesh and blood which unfortunately made Diancecht, jealous of his son's medical skills and he killed him.

With the aid of two of his sons and Airmid, Diancécht created the Well of Healing, his second great act after the second battle of Magh Tuiredh, when the Tuatha Dé Danann defeated the Fomorians



My brother Miach:

The ancient stories tell of a time when Miach, a great healer of the Tuatha de Danann, knew all the names and properties of all the herbs. For every illness there was a cure. For every plant and herb there was a purpose ... and that purpose was known. Then, through jealousy and betrayal, the great healer was killed by our father.

here is the story:

Nuadu, king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, lost his arm at the First Battle of Magh Tuiredh and had to relinquish the kingship because he according to law, no king was permitted to rule who suffered personal blemish. (The Tuatha de Danaan must have a ruler that is perfectly physically fit to be the leader). Diancécht made an artificial silver hand that "moved in all its joints and was as strong and supple" as his own, to replace the one that Nuadu has lost. His hand replaced, Nuadu became king again.

Not content with the silver hand, Diancécht's son Miach set about creating a flesh and blood hand for Nuadu (Miach felt that the one of silver was evil) Miach went to the hand which had been replaced by Diancecht, and he said "joint to joint of it and sinew to sinew," and he healed Nuada in thrice three days and nights. The first seventy-two hours he put it against his side, and it became covered with skin. The second seventy-two hours he put it on his breast. That cure seemed evil to Diancecht. He flung a sword on the crown of his son's head and cut the skin down to the flesh. The lad healed the wound by means of his skill. Diancecht smote him again and cut the flesh till he reached the bone. The lad healed this by the same means. He struck him a third blow and came to the membrane of his brain. The lad healed this also by the same means. Then he struck the fourth blow and cut out the brain so that Miach died, and Diancecht said that the leech himself could not heal him of that blow.

Thereafter Miach was buried by Diancecht and three hundred and sixty-five herbs, according to the number of his joints and sinews, grew from the grave. Each one a cure for any illness of the three hundred and sixty-five nerves of the human body. Then Airmid opened her mantle and separated those herbs according to their properties. But Diancecht came to her, still jealous of Miach and he confused the herbs, so that no one knows their proper cures unless the Holy Spirit should teach them afterwards. And Diancecht said "If Miach be not, Airmid shall remain."
His knowledge was lost ... or was it?



well of healing Slane: (It is also called Slain or Slaine depending on the source)

In preparation for the Second Battle of Mag Tuired, she along with Diancecht "took one of each of all the herbs in Ireland" and created the "Well of Healing" called Tiopra or Tiobraid Slane meaning fountain or spring of healing/wellness. Legend indicates that Tiobraid Slane can be found west of Mag Tuired and to the east of Loch Arboch.

Diancécht, Airmid and two of her brothers sang incantations over a well after the herbs were put in. Their mortally wounded men were cast into it as soon as they were slain. The men came out fully healed and ready to fight again. Their mortal wounds became whole through the might of the incantation of the four healers who were about the well.

(Wells also were perceived to have linked the upper and lower worlds, thus permitting humans to communicate with the underworld. Thus Airmid's and Diancécht's act in constructing the Well of Healing created a magical means by which the Tuatha Dé Danann could draw on the forces of the underworld and be healed.)



(After the last war of the Tuathan de Danaan’s upon the land, they were forced underground into Sidhes. Airmid is not in this later time period yet).

Tir Nan Og is the land to which the Irish faeries known as Tuatha de Danann themselves were later driven to the underworld by the Milesians. The people of the fabulous spanish king Milesius. There they still live as invisible beings and are known as the Aes sidhe. In a just battle, they will fight beside mortals. When they fight, they go armed with lances of blue flame and shields of pure white.
In Tir Nan Og they spend their days feasting, gaming, love-making and partaking of beautiful music and live on in subterranean palaces. The fairies can even enjoy the thrill of battle, for anyone slain is resurrected the following day. It is the paradise that mortals can only dream of.

More on the Tuatha de Danann

More on the Formorians