Nemain facts for kids

Neman, also known as Nemain, is a powerful spirit-woman or goddess from Irish mythology. She represents the wild and chaotic side of war. Neman is often seen as part of a group of three war goddesses called the Morrígna, along with Macha and Badb. She is closely linked to Badb and even shares a husband, Neit, with her. Some stories suggest Neman might be another side or aspect of Badb herself.

Neman in Ancient Irish Stories

Neman shows up in the famous Irish epic story called the Tain Bo Cuailnge. In this tale, she causes huge confusion among armies. She makes friendly groups fight each other by mistake!

For example, when Queen Medb's army was marching towards Cuailnge, Neman appeared among them. She caused such a loud noise that the soldiers were startled. The whole army became confused until Queen Medb herself had to step in to calm things down.

Cuchullain's Fury and Neman's Power

In another part of the epic, a hero named Cuchullain sees the huge enemy armies. He gets incredibly angry! He lets out a mighty warrior's shout. This shout was so powerful that it scared spirits and demons in the air.

Neman then added to the chaos. She confused the enemy army so much that soldiers accidentally attacked each other with their own spears and weapons. Because of the fear and confusion Neman caused, one hundred warriors died that night in their own camp! This shows how powerful Neman is, as she can cause such destruction without even touching anyone.

Neman's Family and Connections

In ancient Irish writings, Neman is often mentioned as the wife of Neit. Neit was known as "the god of battle" for the ancient Irish people.

Who is Neit's Wife?

Some old poems say that Neit had two wives: Badb and Neman. These poems even mention that they were both killed in a place called Ailech by a group called the Fomorians.

However, other texts suggest different wives for Neit. One old manuscript says that Fea and Neman were Neit's two wives. But another story, from the Dinnsenchus, only mentions Neman as Neit's wife.

Neman and Fea: The Same Person?

Interestingly, some old Irish family histories say that both Fea and Neman were daughters of Elcmar. Elcmar lived near Newgrange, a famous ancient site. Since both Fea and Neman are described as having the same parents and marrying Neit, it suggests they might actually be the same person. It's possible that Fea was just another name or aspect of Neman.

The Dindsenchas also describes Neman as the "law-giver wife" of Neit, known for causing "wounds of war."

What Does Neman's Name Mean?

The name Neman appears in different forms in old Irish texts, like Nemon, Nemain, and Neman.

Scholars have thought about what her name might mean. One idea connects it to an ancient word that means 'to seize,' 'to take,' or 'to deal out.' This is similar to the Greek goddess Nemesis, who represents payback or divine justice.

Following this idea, Neman's name could mean something like 'the Great Taker' or 'the Great Allotter.' This fits with her role as a war goddess who causes chaos and deals out destruction on the battlefield.