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Many of our most well known solar deities - Apollo, Ra - are male. This week we shine a light on the often overlooked goddesses of the sun.

In the western world, the sun is quite often depicted as masculine, accompanied by the feminine moon, often the sun god’s sister or wife. One of the most famous of these gods is Apollo, known for his unlucky love affairs, his archery skill, and his musical ability. But while the sun may often be seen as male, this is not always the case, and there are many goddesses around the world known for their connection to the sun.

Áine

An Irish Goddess or fairy, Áine is said to have many attributes including love, fertility and summer. One of these attributes is the sun. She is said to make her home in Cnoc Áine, or Knockainy a hill located near a village of the same name in the Irish county of Limerick. She is said to show herself on this hill at midsummer and will sometimes take on the form of a red mare who is too swift to ever be caught.

Many of the legends surrounding Áine involve her laying with mortal men and conceiving children – sometimes willingly and sometimes unwillingly. Her son Eogan was said to be the result of her rape by the human king Ailill, in retaliation for which Áine is said to have bitten off the king’s ear. This is said to have lost him his kingdom as an old law of the time stated that a king must be unblemished, which Ailill no longer was.

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