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The Third Wave Nemed |
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Name:
Nemed 
Nemedh
Nemhedh
Origin: Scythia, between Europe and Asia
Profession:
King
Warrior
Sailor
Father: Agnomain
Wife: Macha
Sons: Starn, Iarbonel the Soothsayer, Annind, and Fergus Red-Side
Warriors:
Cessarb
Luam
and Luachra
Nemed was among the third wave of Invaders to Ireland. He travelled from Scythia near Greece. He travelled towards the right from the mountains of Ural until he came to the Ocean of the North then he turned left towards Europe until he came to Ireland with thirty four ships and thirty persons in each one of them. As he approached Ireland he was attacked by the Fomorians who had already laid claim to the Northern Islands around Ireland. Nemed won three battles over them and sent them back to their homes.
After they had settled on the northern region of Ireland, Nemed died of a sickness. Then the Fomorians took their revenge and enslaved the people of Nemed and oppressed them greatly. Conaing the Fomorian king had many ships at Tory Island in the north. He forced great tribute upon the children of Nemed, to the extent that two-thirds of their children, and of their corn, and of the milch cows of their region were taken by the Fomorians every year at the feast of Samhain.
Then the Fomorians put even more pressure on the people of Nemed, they demanded of every household three full measures of the cream of the milk, of the flour of the wheat, and of butter, to be brought to Conaing's Tower on Tory Island. Liagh the female steward of the Fomorians, enforced this tax throughout Ireland.
This was the final straw for the men of Nemed. Three warriors, sons of Nemed, raised an army and traversed the waters and took Conaing's Tower and killed Conaing. But Morc the Fomorian brought reinforcements from Africa to Tory Island and struck back at the sons of Nemed so that they conceded defeat and decided to fare away from Ireland and back towards the land of their ancestors in the east.
Most of them fled Ireland and whoever was left was in servitude to the Fomorians until the coming of the Fir Bolg two hundred and seventeen years afterwards.
It is interesting that they came from Scythia as this was a small country which was surrounded by hostile forces in ancient times they were constantly at war with the Greeks and their women were not allowed to marry until they had killed a man in battle.
Children of both sexes were trained in the arts of war from the age of seven. It is supposed that the legends of the Amazonian Women came from contacts with the Scythians who were not a patriarchal culture. Women were held in equal esteem with men, it is interesting as the Celtic peoples were also a non-patriarchal culture in contrast to the Greek and later the Roman Cultures in the ancient world.
Stories, Myths and Legends associated with the Nemedians
Dindshenchas - Teamhair (Tara)
The Story of the Tuatha De Danann
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