Carman was a Greek warrior and a witch of evil magic. She invaded Ireland with her three sons: Dub (darkness), Dother (evil) and Dain (violence). Together they put a blight on Ireland’s crops and destroyed everything in their path.
Tuatha De Danann, the “peoples of the goddess Danu,” called upon four of their members to fight Carman and her sons. The four members were Ai Mac Ollamain (the god of poetry), (Bé Chuille) a white sorceress, Cridhinbheal (a satirist), and Lugh Laebach (a magician). The Tuatha De Danann banished the three sons from Ireland for as long as water surrounded the land.
Carman was difficult to defeat, but Bé Chuille subdued her magic. Imprisoned, Carman died of grief in 600 BCE. Before her death, she requested that a fair was in her honor at her burial place. Her request was granted and the Óenach Carman, a harvest festival, was held on August 1. The Óenach Carman was held every three years under the stipulation that if the Óenach Carman was canceled, Ireland would face famine.
Mythological Creatures 