TheEnbarr (Énbarr) orAonbharr ofManannán (Irish:Aonbharr Mhanannáin) is a horse in the IrishMythological Cycle which could traverse both land and sea, and was swifter than wind-speed.
The horse was the property of the sea-godManannan mac Lir, but provided toLugh Lamh-fada (Irish:Luġ Lámhfhada) to use at his disposal. In the storyOidheadh Chloinne Tuireann ("The Fate of the Children of Tuireann"), Lugh refused to lend it to the sons of Tuireann, but was then forced to lend the self-navigating boatSguaba Tuinne (Wave-sweeper) instead.
Aenbharr[1] or Aonbharr (Irish:Aonbarr) occur inOidheadh Chloinne Tuireann.[2][3]
InP.W. Joyce's retelling the horse is also calledEnbarr of the Flowing Mane.[4] The formsÉnbarr,Enbhárr are given by James Mackillop's dictionary.[5]
The meaning of this name has been variously defined. As a common nounenbarr is glossed[clarification needed] as "froth" in the medievalCormac's glossary.[a][6]
The modern Irish form Aonbharr is glossed as "One Mane" byO'Curry,[b][7] "the one or unrivalled mane" by O'Curry and O'Duffy,[8][9] and "unique supremacy" by James Mackillop's dictionary.[5]
Welsh scholarJohn Rhys thought the name meant "she had a bird's head", and evidently considered it amare.[10]
In the romanceOidheadh Chlainne Tuireann (OCT, The Fate of the Children of Tuireann), theTuatha Dé Danann oppressed by tribute enforced by theFormorians gather an assembly on a hill, and Lugh arrives among an army of the "Fairy Cavalcade from theLand of Promise" (Irish:an Marcra Sidh ó Thir Tairrngire). Aonbharr of Manannán was the horse Lugh was riding. The horse was quicker than the "naked cold wind of spring", and could travel over land or sea with equal ease. It also had the property that whoever was mounted on its back could not be killed. And Lugh was dressed in various armor from the sea-god adding to his invulnerability.[11][12] Note that inP. W. Joyce's retelling the fairy cavalcade appeared as "warriors, all mounted on white steeds",[13] which suggests as embellishment that Lugh's horse was white also.[c]
Lugh refused to loan the horse to the sons of Tuireann, claiming that would be the loan of a loan, but in making this refusal, was later trapped into lending the self-navigatingcurrach (coracle boat) called the "Besom of the Sea" (Irish:scuab tuinné),[16] also called Sguaba Tuinne[17] or Wave-sweeper.[18]
Enbarr appears in the 2013 video game,Final Fantasy XIV. Enbarr can be obtained through the extreme level on The Whorleater, as a random drop.[19]
Enbarr appears as a minor character in the Nate Temple series byShayne Silvers. He is the horse ofManannán mac Lir and is responsible for removing the main character, Quinn MacKenna, from the Otherworld and taking her to Fae.
Enbarr is the namesake of Enbarr Ltd,[20] an Irish startup company that developed equine health management software, StablePro.[21]
In the 2019 video gameFire Emblem: Three Houses, "Enbarr" is the name of the Imperial Capital of the Adrestian Empire.
and