In Irish mythology, Ériu, daughter of Delbáeth and Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was the eponymous matron goddess of Ireland. The English name for Ireland comes from the Germanic word land. Since Ériu is represented as goddess of Ireland, she is interpreted as a modern-day personification of Ireland, although since the name "Ériu" is the older Irish form of the word Ireland, her modern name is modified to "Éire" or "Erin" to suit a modern form. With her sisters, Banba and Fódla, she was part of a triumvirate of goddesses; when the Milesians arrived from Galicia, each of the three sisters asked that their name be given to the country. This was granted to them. Ériu was said to have been the wife of Mac Gréine, a grandson of Dagda.Ériu, Banba and Fódla are interpreted as goddesses of sovereignty. According to the 17th-century Irish historian Geoffrey Keating, the three sovereignty goddesses associated with Éire, Banbha and Fódla were Badb and The Morrígan. Different texts have attributed different personal relationships to Ériu.

Her husband has been named as Mac Gréine. She has been portrayed as the lover of Elatha, a prince of the Fomorians, with whom she had a son Bres, as the mistress of the hero Lugh. Both Elatha and Ériu are described in some sources as the children of Delbaeth, indicating they may be half-siblings, her foster-father in the Rennes Dindsenchas was Codal the Roundbreasted, whose feeding Eriu caused the land in Ireland to heave toward the sky. The University of Wales' reconstructed Proto-Celtic lexicon gives *Φīwerjon- as the Proto-Celtic etymology of this name; this Celtic form implies Proto-Indo-European *piHwerjon- related to the adjectival stem *piHwer- "fat" hence meaning "fat land" or "land of abundance", applied at an early date to the island of Ireland. The Proto-Celtic form became *īweriū in Q-Celtic. From a similar or somewhat form were borrowed Greek Ἰέρνη Iernē and Ἰουερνία Iouernia. Boydell, Barra. "The female harp: The Irish harp in 18th- and early–19th-century Romantic nationalism", RIdIM/RCMI newsletter XX/1, 10–17

Amblyomma is a genus of hard ticks. Some are disease vectors, for example for Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Brazil or ehrlichiosis in the United States; this genus is the third largest in the family Ixodidae, with its species occupying the torrid zones of all the continents. The centre of species diversity is on the American continent. On this continent, Amblyomma species reach far beyond the torrid zone, up to the 40th parallel in the Northern Hemisphere, to the 50th parallel in the Southern Hemisphere, reaches the alpine zone of the Andes. Http://www.fao.org/ag/aga/agah/pd/pages/ticksp2.htm Amblyomma variegatum on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site

The Empty Throne is the eighth historical novel in The Saxon Stories series by Bernard Cornwell, first published in October 2014. It is set in 10th-century Dyfed. 911AD: The novel's prologue is narrated by Uhtred's son named Uhtred, fighting a small band of Norsemen in the north of Mercia. The Norsemen are defeated, Uhtred brings the captured leader and plunder to Aethelflaed, who instructs him to take it to Gloucester, where the Mercian Witan is about to convene. Aethelred, the Lord of the Mercians and estranged husband of Aethelflaed, has been wounded at the battle of Teotanheale, is now dying; the Witan, although not explicitly, is convening to decide the fate of the Kingdom after the Lord has died. Eardwulf, whose sister is Aethelred's lover, commands his household warriors. Eardwulf is the leading contender for the Lordship, Aetheflaed is to be sent to a nunnery after Aethelred's death; the elder Uhtred, seriously wounded in the battle, returns as the narrator. He has been summoned to the Witan.

He mistakenly assumes this is so Aethelflaed's enemies can say that someone spoke in her defence when the Witan decides to send her to a nunnery. However, upon the discovery that Aethelhelm, the most powerful Ealdorman in Wessex, is at the meeting he realises this is a ploy to draw him away from Aethelstan, the son of King Edward's first wife. Aethelhelm wishes the boy to be killed. At the Witan, it is decided that Eardwulf will marry Aethelred's daughter, inherit the Lordship of Mercia. Uhtred pretends to be dying, he races back to his home. After a fight with some of Aethelhelm's troops and his daughter Stiorra murder a priest who had beaten her after she had refused to tell them where Aethelstan was hidden. Uhtred sends most of his followers, including Aethelstan, to Chester, while he and Stiorra go back to Gloucester to kidnap Aethelred's daughter, in order to prevent her from being married to Eardwulf. After some clever ruses, Uhtred manages to escape with the girl, he returns to his home being joined by the rest of his followers on the way to Chester.

Uhtred realises he has made a mistake. Though he made it appear as if he was heading east and Aethelhelm are sure to realise he is heading to Chester, he takes refuge in an abandoned fort. His priest, mentions to him an old Biblical tale which implies the sword which inflicted his wound, would be able to heal it. Eardwulf demands he surrender Aethelstan and be exiled. Uhtred refuses, just before he is about to fight Eardwulf, the Lady Aethelflaed arrives and commands Eardwulf return to Gloucester. Aethelred has now died, so it is not clear who has the authority to command the troops. Eardwulf leaves for Gloucester and Uhtred, suspecting an attack, prepares a trap for Eardwulf. Eardwulf, whose only chance to inherit the Lordship is to marry Aethelred's daughter, decides his only hope is to attack Uhtred and kill the Lady Aethelflaed. Uhtred outwits his opponent and forces Eardwulf to flee with only a handful of troops. Eardwulf's sister, Edith, is captured. Uhtred returns to Gloucester, he learns than Eardwulf had returned and stolen Aethelred's wealth.

Eardwulf, having attempted to murder Aethelflaed, is now an outlaw. At the Witan, Uhtred manages to convince Mercian nobles to select Aethelflaed as the new leader, much to the anger of Aethelhelm. Edith becomes Uhtred's lover, she reveals to him that she knows the location of Ice-Spite. Asser, a monk with a strong animosity towards Uhtred, took the sword after the battle at Teotanheale and has had it taken to Wales. Asser is now dead of old age. Uhtred finds the monastery ransacked and the sword stolen by Norsemen. After meeting the king of one of the Welsh kingdoms, Uhtred joins a Welsh army who take revenge on a Norse army who are leaving Wales; the sword Ice-Spite is found, Edith uses it to drain the pus from Uhtred's body. His pain stops. Uhtred realises that the exiled Eardwulf has joined the Norse fleet, lead by Sigtryggr, they are headed to Ceaster to capture the fort from the Saxons. Uhtred rushes to Ceaster; some of Eardwulf's men have entered Ceaster and he learns they plan to open the gate for the Norse army.

He plans a trap of his own. When the Norse army attacks, they are slaughtered. Sigtryggr himself loses an eye in a fight with Uhtred, the army retreats; the two armies negotiate that the Norse will be allowed to leave for Ireland unhindered, as neither army has enough men for a good victory. As part of the negotiations, Eardwulf is handed over to Uhtred, he has the boy Aethelstan execute him. Just as Sigtryggr is about to leave, Uhtred discovers Stiorra plans to leave with him. Uhtred, seeing the similarities with Gisela, allows it. Uhtred - narrator, dispossessed Ealdorman of Bebbanburg Uhtred - Son of Uhtred, narrator of prologue Finan the Agile - Former Irish slave, Uhtred's second-in-command Osferth - King Alfred's illegitimate son, one of Uhtred's most trusted followers Stiorra - Uhtred's daughter Eardwulf - Former commander of Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians Eadith - Eardwulf's sister, Æthelred's former lover Æthelflæd - King Alfred's eldest daughter, Lady of the Mercians King Edward - King Alfred's son and King of Wessex Æthelstan - son of King Edward from his first wife, Ecgwynn Sigtryggr - Danish jarl leading an invasion into Mercia Æthelhelm - King Edward’s father-in-law, the most powerful ealdorman in Wessex The Times commented t