Myth Story

Erea was a very strange child, instead of playing and laughing about she would tend to be quiet and shy. Whilst most children would fight their parents on chores to be completed she would cooperate quietly. She was a very sympathetic and considerate child with a very spiritual nature.  While sitting on white sandy beach a young Prince named Reaghan came riding on a magnificent horse. He gingerly introduced himself, Erea had heard about him, he was a compassionate, intuitive and deep young man and according to many of her friends he was said to be very romantic. Erea was flattered that he was so taken with her, but she was not the type of person to just jump into commitment. Many a time later after the young man had had time to fall in love with her he asked for her hand; naturally Erea was stunned and after some time agreed. Eventually they were blessed with twins-- a girl named Brenna and a boy named Brennan, Usually this is tides for celebration throughout a kingdom but it would soon change to sorrow and despair.  On their first birthday the children were lost, and rather than take the blame for it the children’s nurse told everyone it was their mother’s fault they were missing.  Reaghan allowed his people to pass judgment upon his wife and she was set to punishment and was sent outside of the castles walls to serve in nearby villages as farmer’s hand, this lasted for 7 long years.  One day an elder man came with 2 beautiful children in tow, he stopped at the farm where Erea was serving her punishment and she offered him what little she could. The man smiled and refused and said “You need not work anymore, your children have returned!”  They returned to the castle where it was explained that the man found the children abandoned in a small field outside of the castle walls. The man had taken them in and raised them as his own; once word reached him about the punishment she was enduring he hastily brought the children home.  The king ashamed he had allowed this to happen to his children and the horrible punishment to be bestowed upon his wife begged for her forgiveness.  Erea did not punish him, nor deny him her pardon, she merely told him she loved him and that she did not bare any ill feelings. For her kind act she is not only known as the goddess for inspiration and sympathy, but also for forgiveness he story is meant to be a reminder to people that we will all suffer great losses throughout our lifetime. It is what we do when such pain and anguish is experienced that shapes the course of who and what we are as human beings. Our choice at such times is to either wallow in self-pity or to remain steadfast and strong, rising above the adversity. But perhaps even more important, Erea's story exemplifies of the healing power of forgiveness.

http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/celtic-baby-names