Béḃinn a.k.a. Bé Binn, in modern orthographyBéibhinn, is an early Irish personal and mythological name. In some sources Béḃinn is a goddess associated with birth and the sister of the river-goddess, Boann. Béḃinn is also described as being an underworld goddess in both Irish and Welsh mythology, inhabiting either the Irish underworld Mag Mell or the Welsh Annwn, although it is unknown which is the original source.
Etymology and variations
The name Béḃinn seems to be a combination between medieval forms of the Irish Gaelic word for "woman", "bean", and the adjective "melodious", "binn", literally translating to "melodious woman". Other versions of the name, such as Béfionn, instead pair "woman" with "fair". Variant forms include Bé Bind, Bé Find, Bé Binn, Bebhinn, Bébhinn, Bébhínn, Bébhionn, Béibhionn, Béḃind, Béfind and Béfionn. While it has also been Anglicized as Vivionn and Vivian, it is unrelated to the French or English names. In eighteenth-century Scottish writer James Macpherson's epic Ossianpoems, the name appears as Vevina. In the Irish Annals, the name appears as, It is recorded from the decades around the year 1100 and again around 1400.
In mythology
Béḃinn is alternately described as either the wife of Áed Alainn, a god, or Idath, a mortal man. She is mentioned in multiple sources as the mother ofConnacht hero Fráech, the main character in the Táin Bó Fraích. In the Fenian Cycle of Irish tales, Béḃinn is "a beautiful giantess of aristocratic bearing" who seeks protection from the Fianna when an ugly giant pursues her. In other sources a Béḃinn is mentioned as a daughter of Elcmar. The epithet Bé Find is applied to the heroine Étaín by Midir in Tochmarc Étaíne. The text includes a poem attributed to Midir, known as "A Bé Find in ragha lium". However, this poem may be an older composition unrelated to the Étaín story that was appended at a later time.
In history
The name Béḃinn and its variants is quite common in records from early Irish history, and was borne by historical as well as mythical figures, including a number of queens and abbesses. It was also the name High King Brian Boru's mother and one of his daughters.
