pronounciation:
Étáin is 'ee-tayne', Aengus Óg is 'ain-gus owg'
Midir is 'mih-deer', Tuatha Dé Dannan is 'two-hah day dan-in'

Étáin was a maiden of the Tuatha Dé Dannan, renowned for her incredible beauty, who fell in love with Midir of the seven-pointed spear. Unfortunately for Étáin, Midir's wife took exception to this, and Étáin had to endure terrible hardship as a consequence.

Étáin had met Midir while he was staying with his foster-son, Aengus Óg, the God of love. Midir had been wounded, losing an eye while under Aengus' protection, and this was such a blow to his status that even after his eye was restored, he demanded that Aengus make restoration to him. Now, being the God of love, Aengus was able to placate Midir by introducing him to the beautiful Étáin.

The two began a passionate love affair, and all was well until the time came for Midir to return to his home. Midir was already married, to Fuamnach, a powerful woman and his equal in every way. She had raised children and foster-children with him and, unsurprisingly, was deeply insulted when he brought this strange woman home with him.

She vented her rage on Étáin, turning her into a shower of rain, which fell in a pool before condensing into a jewelled fly. However, to Fuamnach's surprise Étáin, now as a fly, did not leave Midir, and his love for her did not diminish. The sound of her wings was sweet music to him, and the magical fly perched on his shoulder wherever he went.

Fuamnach was furious and sent a storm to blow Étáin away forever. Aengus managed to rescue her for a short time, but the storm found her again, and Étáin was blown and battered about for a long time. At last, she was blown in through the window of a mortal King's hall and fell into the goblet of the king's wife, who swallowed the fly Étáin whole, becoming pregnant at that instant.

Born again as a mortal woman, Étáin grew up with no memory of her past life, though her beautiful appearance was the same. When the High King of Ireland, Eochaid Airem, asked for her hand in marriage, she agreed, and was a loyal and good wife to him.

But Midir had never finished searching for her and to his joy finally found her again. He had been searching for her for thousands of years and begged her to run away with him.

Étáin refused. She honored the bond she had with her mortal husband, demanding that Midir get Eochaid's permission before she so much as kissed him. Midir managed to trick King Eochaid into giving him permission to kiss and embrace his wife but, realizing his error, Eochaid then spent a whole month training and equipping his army to prevent Midir from claiming his prize.

This was no obstacle to a man of the Tuatha Dé Dannan! Midir simply appeared in the King's hall next to Étáin on the appointed day and kissed her. When he had done so Étáin's memories of him returned, and the two lovers vanished from the King's hall to live their immortal life together.

Although Étáin was faced with terrible hardship she held onto her essential self, and for her love for Midir through her transformation into a fly and then into mortal form. Her integrity and strong sense of values come through in this story when she refuses the beguilement of her faery lover, and insists on keeping faith with her mortal husband.

Love won out in the end though, when the beguiling and beautiful Étáin followed her heart and returned again to the immortal realm.