Scotia's Grave
Scotia's Grave (Irish: Gleann Scoṫín, lit. 'Glen of Scotia') is an area just south of Tralee in County Kerry beside the Finglas rivulet in Trughanacmy. It marks what is reputed to be the grave of Scotia, a daughter of an Egyptian Pharaoh known as Friel.[1] The traditional name of the location is Glenn Scoithin, 'vale of the little flower' or 'wee blossom.' "Scoithín" is the diminutive of "Scoṫ," (the 't' may be aspirated as ṫ). Scotland's name comes from the Irish language, and refers to the Irish colonists that brought Gaelic culture there. The Irish called themselves "Scots" or "the people of the Princess Scotia, per their ethnogenesis mythology. Other names the Irish used for themselves include Milesians and Gael. According to Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn, the woman's name Scotia ultimately means "blossom" ("scoṫ" or "scoth" meaning "blossom" and "Scoṫín" or "Scothín" meaning "wee blossom").[2]
Scotia's Grave | |
|---|---|
Area | |
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  Scotia's Grave Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates: 52°13′34″N 9°42′38″W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | County Kerry |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1 (IST (WEST)) |
| Irish Grid Reference | Q8309 |
According to several references in medieval Irish mythology, Scotia was the wife of the former Milesius and mother of six sons. She was killed in battle with the legendary Tuatha Dé Danann on the nearby Slieve Mish Mountains. Scotia was said to have come to Ireland in 1700 BC,[3] to avenge the death of her husband, the King, who had been wounded in a previous ambush in south Kerry.
See also
References
- Maeve Friel (1997). Here Lies: A Guide to Irish Graves. Poolbeg. p. 156. ISBN 1-85371-713-4.
- Geoffrey Keating (1866). The History of Ireland, From the Earliest Period to the English Invasion. Translated by John O'Mahony. New York: James B. Kirker. p. 202.
- T.J. Barrington (1976). Discovering Kerry. Dublin: Blackwater Press. ISBN 0-905471-00-8.