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Mac Gréine

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

One of three joint kings of Ireland in myth, linked to solar cycles or grain harvests, representing cyclical sovereignty and fertility.

Detailed Definition
Mac Gréine’s name suggests solar or agricultural ties, completing the triad of elemental rule. He embodies the harvest and celestial cycles. Poets reference Mac Gréine to evoke the golden age’s end, the cyclical nature of power, and the sacred contract between sky, earth, and ruler in ancient Ireland.
Example
Example in poetry:
Mac Gréine is the third of the three joint kings, linked to Connacht; His name means “son of the sun,” connecting him to solar cycles and time; The brothers’ reign ends with the Milesian conquest, closing the mythic age; Poets reference Mac Gréine to explore the cyclical nature of power and light; He embodies the sun’s role in agriculture and kingship; His story frames Ireland’s mythic history as a series of divine successions.
Additional Notes
Mac Gréine (“Son of the Sun”) is the third joint king, linked to Connacht and solar cycles. Students should understand him as representing the sun’s role in agriculture, timekeeping, and kingship. His shared rule with his brothers illustrates the tripartite division of Ireland in mythic governance. Poets reference Mac Gréine to explore light, cyclical time, or the symbolic end of the Tuatha Dé Danann era—especially in works about succession, legacy, or the turning of ages.
Also Known As
Mac Gréine of Connacht Son of the Sun The Solar King The Light-Born Sovereign
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