Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Melody based on a synthesis of musical patterns and motifs found in Irish trad music, fiddle by @MICHAELBURNYEAT, flutes by @fraserfifieldmusic bodhrán by Rodhri McDonnagh, and phonetic direction by Saoirse Hayden. The Epic Celtic series is a project where the sounds of the current, living traditions of the Celtic peoples are used as a framing device to explore themes relating to the mythology, folklore and history of the Celts. These are not historical recreations nor "epic music" in the cinematic soundtrack sense, but a project of ethnomusicological research and performance that showcases the epic narrative repertoire of the Celts through their living musical traditions.
Étaín is an important figure in Irish mythology. She is the protagonist of the Tochmarc Étaíne, or Wooing of Etain, an Old Irish text dated to around the 8th or 9th centuries, forming part of the corpus of the Irish Mythological Cycle. Étaín is described so in a later Middle Irish text: "a gently, womanly dignity in her voice; a steady, stately step, the walk of a queen. She was the fairest and most perfect and most beautiful of all the women in the world; men thought she was of the Síde, and they said of her: 'Lovely anyone until Étain. Beautiful anyone until Étain."
The text sung here is a portion of the aforementioned Tochmarc Étaíne which can be found in this link, on the CELT text corpus: https://celt.ucc.ie/index.html
Saoirse Hayden assisted me with the pronunciation, with the Old Irish text being pronounced in modern, current-day Irish pronunciation. The music emulates the sensibilities of modern Irish traditional music, with a hexatonic-scale melody played over a triple metre supported by the bodhrán. The approach of the melody is primarily monophonic, with the main melody expressed in heterophonic ornamentation by the different instruments, and the harmonic progression, when present, being kept minimal, with only two chords, a power chord and a major one, as music of the Gaelic-speaking regions maintains a primarily modal character to it, with harmonic progressions kept relatively simple so the emphasis remains on the melody.
Lyrics in Old Irish:
Etain andiu sund amné.
óc Sídh Ban Find iar nAilbe.
eter macu beca dí.
for bru Indbir Chichmaini.
Is í ro ícc suil an rígh.
a topor Locha Dá Licc.
is si asibedh sin digh.
la mnaí Edair a hairdigh .
Is tria hagh dosib in ri.
inna eonu di Theathbaei .
& baidfidh a dha each.
i lind Locha Da Airbreach.
Biat imda coicthe ili.
triat agh for Echaidh Midhi
beidit togla for sidhib.
& cath for ilmilib.
Is i ro laigedh is tír.
is si arcosnai in rígh.
is i Be Fhind friss doghair.
is i ar nEdain hí iar tain.
Translation in English:
This is Étaín here to-day
at Síd Ban Find west of Ailbe
among little boys is she
on the brink of Inber Cíchmaine.
She it is who healed the King's eye
from the well of Loch Dá Líg:
she it is that was swallowed in a drink
from a beaker by Étar's wife.
Because of her the King shall chase
the birds from Tethba
and drown his two steeds
in the pool of Loch Dá Airbrech.
Full many a war shall be
on Eochaid of Meath because of thee:
there shall be destruction of elfmounds
and battle against many thousands.
'Tis she that was sung of in the land;
'tis she that strives to win the King;
'tis she who is called Bé Find,
She is our Étaín afterwards.
Melody based on a synthesis of musical patterns and motifs found in Irish trad music, fiddle by @MICHAELBURNYEAT, flutes by @fraserfifieldmusic bodhrán by Rodhri McDonnagh, and phonetic direction by Saoirse Hayden. The Epic Celtic series is a project where the sounds of the current, living traditions of the Celtic peoples are used as a framing device to explore themes relating to the mythology, folklore and history of the Celts. These are not historical recreations nor "epic music" in the cinematic soundtrack sense, but a project of ethnomusicological research and performance that showcases the epic narrative repertoire of the Celts through their living musical traditions.
Étaín is an important figure in Irish mythology. She is the protagonist of the Tochmarc Étaíne, or Wooing of Etain, an Old Irish text dated to around the 8th or 9th centuries, forming part of the corpus of the Irish Mythological Cycle. Étaín is described so in a later Middle Irish text: "a gently, womanly dignity in her voice; a steady, stately step, the walk of a queen. She was the fairest and most perfect and most beautiful of all the women in the world; men thought she was of the Síde, and they said of her: 'Lovely anyone until Étain. Beautiful anyone until Étain."
The text sung here is a portion of the aforementioned Tochmarc Étaíne which can be found in this link, on the CELT text corpus: https://celt.ucc.ie/index.html
Saoirse Hayden assisted me with the pronunciation, with the Old Irish text being pronounced in modern, current-day Irish pronunciation. The music emulates the sensibilities of modern Irish traditional music, with a hexatonic-scale melody played over a triple metre supported by the bodhrán. The approach of the melody is primarily monophonic, with the main melody expressed in heterophonic ornamentation by the different instruments, and the harmonic progression, when present, being kept minimal, with only two chords, a power chord and a major one, as music of the Gaelic-speaking regions maintains a primarily modal character to it, with harmonic progressions kept relatively simple so the emphasis remains on the melody.
Lyrics in Old Irish:
Etain andiu sund amné.
óc Sídh Ban Find iar nAilbe.
eter macu beca dí.
for bru Indbir Chichmaini.
Is í ro ícc suil an rígh.
a topor Locha Dá Licc.
is si asibedh sin digh.
la mnaí Edair a hairdigh .
Is tria hagh dosib in ri.
inna eonu di Theathbaei .
& baidfidh a dha each.
i lind Locha Da Airbreach.
Biat imda coicthe ili.
triat agh for Echaidh Midhi
beidit togla for sidhib.
& cath for ilmilib.
Is i ro laigedh is tír.
is si arcosnai in rígh.
is i Be Fhind friss doghair.
is i ar nEdain hí iar tain.
Translation in English:
This is Étaín here to-day
at Síd Ban Find west of Ailbe
among little boys is she
on the brink of Inber Cíchmaine.
She it is who healed the King's eye
from the well of Loch Dá Líg:
she it is that was swallowed in a drink
from a beaker by Étar's wife.
Because of her the King shall chase
the birds from Tethba
and drown his two steeds
in the pool of Loch Dá Airbrech.
Full many a war shall be
on Eochaid of Meath because of thee:
there shall be destruction of elfmounds
and battle against many thousands.
'Tis she that was sung of in the land;
'tis she that strives to win the King;
'tis she who is called Bé Find,
She is our Étaín afterwards.
