Who are Miach and Airmid?
Miach and Airmid are gods of healing from Irish Celtic mythology, known for their roles in tales involving curing, herbalism, and medicine.
Miach performs his feats of healing through the use of magic, while Airmid performs her art through the use of herbs, and as such, she can be considered the goddess of herbalism.
Their stories are tightly connected to those of their father, Dian Cecht, the primary god of healing; Nuada Airgetlam, king of the Irish gods; and the Firbolgs, the primary adversaries of the gods.
Miach, Airmid, Dian Cecht, and Nuada are all part of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the tribe of gods and demigods that were the center of the Irish pagan religion before the arrival of Christianity.
Origin of the names “Miach” and “Airmid”
The names “Airmid” and “Miach” from Irish Celtic mythology have etymologies that are rooted in the Old Irish language, how the exact origins for either god’s name is subject to speculation.
Airmid
The etymology of “Airmid” is not entirely clear, but there are a few interpretations based on the elements found in Old Irish.
One interpretation is that Airmid’s name is derived from the Old Irish word “ard” meaning “elevation” or “excellence.”
There are variations in the spelling and pronunciation of her name in different texts and over time (e.g., Airmed, Airmeith), which may reflect different facets of her character or different linguistic influences.
Miach
The name “Miach” also has a somewhat uncertain etymology, but there are a few theories:
In the case of Miach, his name might be related to the Old Irish word “enech” which means “honor” or “pride.”
Another theory links Miach’s name to the Proto-Celtic *mīkos, meaning ‘mead’ or ‘fermented honey drink,’ which in turn might be connected to medicinal herbs and practices.
Miach and Airmid provoke jealousy from their father, Dian Cecht
Nuada, king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, lost his hand in battle and, as a result, was no longer considered unfit to be king.
Dian Cecht, father of Miach and chief physician of the Tuatha Dé Danann, created a functioning silver hand for Nuada as a replacement.
By itself, this was a remarkable achievement, but not enough to keep Nuada as king.
Miach, however, went a step further.
He healed Nuada’s original hand, making it as functional and living as it was before the injury. This act was seen as a miracle, surpassing even the great skill of Dian Cecht.
However, Miach’s father, Dian Cecht was now deeply jealous of Miach, since the son’s healing abilities proved to be much more capable than his father.
Dian Cecht kills his son, Miach
Dian Cecht later confronts his son, and in an episode of uncontrolled rage, he begins hitting Miach on the head with a sword.
However, so great were Miach’s magical healing abilities that he was able to recover several times.
However, after several blows, Dian Cecht struck a fatal blow, and Miach could not heal himself from this final injury.
The story of Dian Cecht and Miach is an archetype of father-son rivalry, where the older generation feels threatened by the younger. It reflects the fear of being surpassed or rendered obsolete.
The tale serves as a cautionary narrative about the destructive nature of envy, especially when it leads to irreversible actions against loved ones.
The death of Miach also symbolizes a great loss of knowledge and healing abilities. With Miach’s death, certain healing secrets were believed to be lost, a point further emphasized after Dian Cecht scattered the magical herbs that grew on Miach’s grave.
Airmid learns how to heal every possible illness
After Miach was buried, 365 herbs with healing properties started growing on his grave.
Airmid, understanding the significance of these herbs, collected and studied them.
Airmid laid out the herbs on her cloak, categorizing them according to their healing properties.
Each herb was meant to correspond to a part of the body it could heal.
Combined, the healing properties of all 365 herbs were so great that they could heal any illness affecting a person and could even make a human immortal.
However, Dian Cecht, in a continued display of envy, jealousy, or perhaps in an attempt to hide his guilt, scattered the herbs, making it impossible for Airmid to know which herb healed which illness. Thus, they became useless.
This act symbolizes the loss of important knowledge and the destructive nature of envy and anger.
In a broader cultural context, she represents the wisdom and often overlooked contributions of women in ancient societies, particularly in the roles of healers and keepers of herbal lore.
Airmid and Dian Cecht save the Tuatha Dé Danann
One of the greatest challenges of the Tuatha Dé Danann was defeating the Fomorians, a giant-like race said to come from the underworld.
During the decisive battle between the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomorians, Airmid and Dian Cecht were responsible for healing the Tuatha Dé so they could continue fighting.
The Creation of a Healing Well: During the battle, Airmid and Dian Cecht set up a healing station beside a well or a spring. Warriors who were wounded in battle were brought to this well.
There, through the use of magical spells and the healing properties of the water, Airmid and Dian Cecht would heal the wounded warriors, who would then return to the battle.
This cycle continued, allowing the Tuatha Dé Danann to maintain their strength despite the ongoing battle.
This act of healing was crucial in keeping the Tuatha Dé Danann in the fight against the Fomorians.
Thus, both Airmid and Dian Cecht’s healing powers were a key reason why the Tuatha Dé Danann were eventually able to defeat the Fomorians and eventually drive them into the sea.
The roles of Dian Cecht and Airmid in the final battle against the Fomorians symbolized the vital importance of healers in warfare, particularly in a mythological context where magic and supernatural abilities are as crucial as martial prowess.
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There are two (at least) points that could be made from the study of mythologies.
One is that Nuada and his porter form a pair in a mytheme called by Dumézil “le borgne et le manchot”, the one-eyed and the one-armed. Other examples include Mucius Scaevola and Horatius Cocles, and Odin (who lost an eye) and Tiw (the god of war who lost a hand to Fenris wolf). See G. J. Larson, C. S. Littleton, and J. Puhvel, eds., Myth in Indo-European antiquity, University of California Press: Berkeley, CA 1974. Dumézil came to doubt whether many of his suggested examples truly represented organically-linked pairs. And in the Irish case the situation is complicated by the example of Balor, whose injured eye was caused by a druid’s broth/potion, and the deformities of the race of Fomorians.
There is an old joke about the old fellow at the pub who is being teased about his failing eyesight. The old fellow says that his eyesight is perfectly good, unlike the cat coming into the pub who has only one eye. One of his teasers says “That cat ain’t coming in, it’s going out.”.
The other point I was thinking of is the quaternity of wounds that kill (finally) Miach. This is similar to the death of Paris of Troy, who is killed by the arrows of Philoctetes (the arrows being inherited from Heracles, who had dipped them in the poisonous blood of the hydra). From Wikipedia –
* In one telling it was Philoctetes who killed Paris. He shot four times: the first arrow went wide; the second struck his bow hand; the third hit him in the right eye; the fourth hit him in the heel, so there was no need of a fifth shot. *
See Quintus Smyrnaeus (1913). The Fall of Troy. Loeb Classics. Vol. 19. Translated by Way, A.S. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press. Book 10.
The notion of a trinity of items, supplemented by a (possibly) slightly different fourth, was a notion explored by Jung (see some of the sources given by googling “Jungian quaternity”). I jokingly refer to the notion as a “Douglas Adams trilogy” after the four books (later five) in Adams’ trilogy A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.