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In Irish Mythology the Milesians or Sons of Míl Espáine were the final inhabitants of Ireland , and were believed to represent the Goidelic Celts . MYTH The '' l. 240 Íth made the first expedition to Ireland, but was killed by the three kings of Ireland, , and Banba and Fodla were often used as poetic names for Ireland, much as Albion is for Britain . At Tara the sons of Míl met the three kings, and it was decreed that the invaders return to their ships and sail a distance of nine waves from Ireland, and if they were able to land again, Ireland would be theirs. They set sail, but the Tuatha Dé used magic to brew up a storm, in which five of the sons were drowned, leaving only Eber Finn , Eremon and Amergin the poet, to land and take the island. Amergin divided the kingship between Éremon , who ruled the northern half, and Éber Finn , the southern.''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' §65-95 LEGACY In the Historical Scheme proposed by T. F. O'Rahilly the descent of the kings of Ireland from the sons of Míl is a fiction intended to provide legitimacy for the Goidels, who invaded Ireland in the 1st or 2nd Century BC , giving them the same ancient origin as the indigenous peoples they dominated. However, it has been arguedJohn Carey, "Did the Irish Come from Spain? The Legend of the Milesians", ''History Ireland'' (Autumn 2001) pp. 8-11. that the story is a much later invention of medieval Irish historians, inspired by their knowledge of the ''Seven Books of History Against the Pagans'', written by the early 5th Century Gallaecia n cleric, Paulus Orosius . See also Early History Of Ireland . For centuries, the myth of the Míl Éspaine and the Milesians was used in Ireland to win and secure dynastic and political legitimacy. For example, in his ''Two bokes of the histories of Ireland'' ( 1571 ), Edmund Campion tried to use the myth to establish an ancient right of the British monarch to rule Ireland. In ''A View of the Present State of Ireland'', Edmund Spenser accepted and rejected various parts of the myth both to denigrate the Irish of his day and to justify English colonisation of Ireland in the 1590s (at the height of the Anglo-Spanish War ).Andrew Hadfield, "Briton and Scythian: Tudor representations of Irish origins", ''Irish Historical Studies'' 28 (1993) pp. 390-395. Probably the last major outing for the myth was during the Contention Of The Bards , which appears to have rumbled on from 1616 to 1624 . During this period poets from the north and south of the island extolled the merits of their respective peoples (Eremonians and Eberians), at the expense of the other side, and often descended to a pettiness that some contemporaries thought foolish. Finally, Geoffrey Keating 's Foras Feasa Ar Eirinn (written c.1634) used the myth to promote the legitimacy of the Stuart claim to royal authority in Ireland (related to the origin of the Lia Fáil ), demonstrating that Charles I was descended, through Brian Ború, Éber and Galamh, from Noah and, ultimately, from Adam.Bernadette Cunningham, ''The World of Geoffrey Keating: history, myth and religion in 17th century Ireland'' (Dublin 2000). There is a legend that Queen Scota's grave is in the Slive Mish mountains just outside Tralee in Co Kerry. The legend tells that Scota was the daughter of a pharaoh and was to marry the Irish king, but she fell from her horse and died. A large rock now covers her tomb marking the spot where she fell. TERMINOLOGY Note: the term "Milesian" is an artificial English one, based on the name of the supposed ancestor, Míl. Any similarity to the term " Milesians " as applied to the Ancient Greeks of Miletus is coincidental. FOOTNOTES
GENEALOGY OF THE MILESIAN HIGH KINGS Breogán | |||||||||||||
| ( | "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Míl_Espáine" class="copylinks">Míl ) |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Eber_Finn" class="copylinks">Finn |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Irial_Fáith" class="copylinks">Fáith |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Eochaid_Faebar_Glas" class="copylinks">Faebar Glas |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Eochaid_Étgudach" class="copylinks">Étgudach |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Eochaid_Mumho" class="copylinks">Mumho Ruadh |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Fiacha_Finscothach" class="copylinks">Finscothach Airgthech |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Ollamh_Fodhla" class="copylinks">Fodhla Labhrainne |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Gedhe_Ollghothach" class="copylinks">Ollgothach Arda Olmucada Apthach |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Fiacha_Finnailches" class="copylinks">Fiacha Ailill |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Nuadat_Finnfail" class="copylinks">Finnfail |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Áed_Ruad" class="copylinks">Ruad Glas |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Elim_Oillfinshneachta" class="copylinks">Oillfinshneachta Breac |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Art_Imleach" class="copylinks">Imleach |
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| Ginga | "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Breasal_Boidhiobhadh" class="copylinks">Bresal Ross Congal Cas |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Breasal_Boidhiobhadh" class="copylinks">Bódíbad Ruad Clairinech Breisrigh |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Fachtna_Fáthach" class="copylinks">Fáthach |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Duach_Finn" class="copylinks">Finn |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Muireadach_Bolgrach" class="copylinks">Bolgrach Dearg |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Duach_Ladhgrach" class="copylinks">Ladhgrach Fiadmuine Begeaglach Uaircheas |
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| Glunmar | "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Úgaine_Mor" class="copylinks">Mor |
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| Áine | "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Meilge_Molbthach" class="copylinks">Molbthach |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Labraid_Loingsech" class="copylinks">Loingsech Laigde Dagarmag |
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| Fionn Bracan | "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Connla_Cáem" class="copylinks">Cáem Cáem Rígderg |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Aengus_Ollamh" class="copylinks">Ollamh Caisfhiaclach Cáem Eclonnach |
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| Brec | "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Eochaid_Ailtleathan" class="copylinks">Ailtleathan Laidcinn |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Fergus_Fortamail" class="copylinks">Fortamail Tuirmech Temrach Fer Mara Tetmanach |
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| Forthriun | "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Enna_Aignech" class="copylinks">Aignech Collamrach Érainn Uairidnach |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Crimthann_Coscrach" class="copylinks">Coscrach Lorc Segamain |
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| Eamna | "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Lugaid_Luaigne" class="copylinks">Luaigne Cinnchait |
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| Fullon | "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Duach_Dallta_Dedad" class="copylinks">Dallta Dedad |
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| Glas | "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Eochaid_Feidlech" class="copylinks">Feidlech Airem |
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| Brec | "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Lugaid_Riab_nDerg" class="copylinks">Riab NDerg |
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| Loithfinn | "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Crimthann_Nia_Náir" class="copylinks">Nia Náir |
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| Sithbac | "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Feradach_Finnfechtnach" class="copylinks">Finnfechtnach |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Nuada_Necht" class="copylinks">Necht |
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| Fairge | "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Fiatach_Finn" class="copylinks">Finn |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Conn_of_the_Hundred_Battles" class="copylinks">Cétchathach |
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