In Irish mythology, ÃÂriu (; ), daughter of Delbáeth and Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was the eponymous matron goddess of Ireland.
The English name for Ireland comes from the name ÃÂriu and the Germanic (Old Norse or Old English) word land.
Since ÃÂriu is represented as goddess of Ireland, she is often interpreted as a modern-day personification of Ireland, although since the name ÃÂriu is the Old Irish form of the word Ireland, her modern name is often modified to ÃÂire or Erin to suit a modern form.
The name ÃÂriu has been derived from reconstructed Archaic Irish *êwerià «, which is related to the ethnic name Iverni. The University of Wales derives this from Proto-Celtic *æëwerjon- (nominative singular æëwerjà Â). This is further derived from Proto-Indo-European *piHwerjon- ("fertile land" or "land of abundance"), from the adjective *piHwer- "fat" (cognate with Ancient Greek pÃÂeira and Sanskrit pëvara, "fat, full, abounding").
The Archaic Irish form was borrowed into Ancient Greek as IernÃÂ and Iouernia, and into Latin Hibernia.
In the Banshenchas (a mediaeval text describing legendary and historical Irish women), ÃÂriu and her sisters are called:
Different texts attribute differing personal relationships to ÃÂriu. ÃÂriu's sisters are consistently named as Banba and Fódla, who are members of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and the three sisters share a trio of brothers as husbands. In the Banshenchas, ÃÂriu is described as the wife of Cetar, while Banba and Fódla are named as the wives of Etar and Detar, respectively. More commonly, she is named as the wife or lover of Mac Gréine ("Son of the Sun"), a grandson of the Dagda, although in the Banshenchas, her husband is simply named Grian ("Sun"). ÃÂriu is also portrayed as the lover of Elatha, a prince of the Fomorians, with whom she produces a son named Bres, and as the mistress of Bres's enemy - the hero Lugh. Both Elatha and ÃÂriu are described in some sources as the children of Delbaeth, indicating they may be half-siblings. Elsewhere ÃÂriu is named as the daughter of Fiachra, and her mother is named as Ernmas. Her foster-father in the Rennes Dindsenchas is named as Codal the Roundbreasted, and when he fed ÃÂriu on a peak called Benn Codail, it caused the land in Ireland to heave toward the sky, and it would have kept rising until the entire land would have been the peak or otherwise until the sun would have scorched ÃÂriu and the wind pierced her ears.
With her sisters, Banba and Fódla, ÃÂriu forms a triumvirate of goddesses. When the Milesians arrived from Galicia, each of the three sisters asked that her name be given to the country. This was granted to them, although ÃÂriu (ÃÂire) became the chief name in use. (Banba and Fódla are still sometimes used as poetic names for Ireland, much as Albion is used as a poetic name for Great Britain.)
According to the 17th-century Irish historian Geoffrey Keating ('), the three sovereignty goddesses associated with ÃÂire, Banbha and Fódla were Badb, Macha and The MorrÃÂgan. ÃÂriu, Banba and Fódla are also interpreted as goddesses of sovereignty.