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Clíodhna

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Clíodhna is a powerful fairy queen associated with love, beauty, and the sea.

Detailed Definition
She rules over the Sídhe of South Munster and is known for her tragic love stories. In poetry, Clíodhna embodies enchantment, longing, and the seductive pull of the Otherworld. Her tales often explore the tension between mortal desire and supernatural fate.
Example
Example in poetry:
Clíodhna appears as the fairy queen of South Munster, associated with the waves at Glandore; Poets invoke Clíodhna as a goddess of beauty whose otherworldly allure proves fatal to mortals; The three magical birds that sang mortals to sleep provide vivid imagery for enchantment in Irish verse; Clíodhna's wave, the third that drowns those who venture too far, creates metaphors for desire that overwhelms; In regional Irish poetry, Clíodhna represents the dangerous glamour of the fairy world; Modern poets use Clíodhna when exploring themes of longing that pulls one away from mortal life
Additional Notes
Clíodhna, queen of the Munster fairies, is linked to the “Wave of Clíodhna” (Tonn Chlíodhna), a tidal wave off Cork said to carry souls to the Otherworld; she is associated with love spells, beauty, and tragic romance—often luring mortals to their doom; her three magical birds feed on apples of everlasting youth and sing healing melodies; poets may invoke Clíodhna for themes of enchantment, sea-fate, or the seductive danger of the sídhe; her regional specificity (southwest Ireland) makes her ideal for place-based mythic poetry.
Also Known As
Cliodna Cleena Clíodna of Carrigcleena
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