Dana Méadbh | |
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Małgorzata Lipmann as Dana Méadh in The Hexer | |
Details | |
Other names or titles |
Danamebi Lyfia Bloemenmagde Queen of the Fields |
Archetype |
Fertility goddess, especially Živa and Danu or Diana |
Worshiped by |
Elves, dwarves, humans and halflings |
Patronage |
Nature, life, fertility |
Popular among |
Farmers, beekeepers, pitch-burners, resin workers and other people close to the nature |
Mentioned in
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Dana Méadbh (corrupted as Danamebi) is the elves' name for a goddess also known as the Eternal One, Queen of the Fields, Lyfia and Bloemenmagde by the dwarves. She communicates telepathically with those she encounters. She appeared in the short story The Edge of the World. In that short story, her avatar is Lille.
According to the ancient book known as Physiologus, Dana Méadbh may appear during the summer and autumn, more or less from Belleteyn to Velen, but most often during Lammas. Geralt reads this out loud from the tome:
In the 2nd Edition of Wiedźmin: Gra Wyobraźni[ | ]
Lyfia is a goddess worshipped in the area of Dol Blathanna, the Valley of Flowers, as well as in Kaedwen and Aedirn, venerated by peasants, beekeepers and pitch-burners, all of those who live off gifts of the soil and the forest.
She appears on fields and meadows from May to October, but most often during Lammas, the Feste of the Scythe. She looks like a beautiful young fair-haired maiden of radiant eyes wearing festoons of flowers, cereal ears and bunches of herbs and flower wreath on her head, surrounded by animals and plants bowing to her.
Folks do not build temples or chapels devoted to her. She is worshipped during Lammas when farmers sacrifice cereals, vegetables and fruits to her on the fields, in faith she would visit the very their village this year. There are also stories that one day Lyfia would settle down with the people who would stand out from the others. Why, however, an eternal being that existed, exists and will exist, loving all the earth and everything that is alive, would want to bend itself to merely one place and one folk?
It's the only deity that combines humans, elves, halflings and even dwarves in one faith. Even if some races do not worship her like the others, they all address her with deep respect.
In the Polish Movie and TV series[ | ]
In the episode 7, "Dolina Kwiatów", of The Hexer TV series, Dana Meadbh was played by Małgorzata Lipmann.
In The Witcher computer game[ | ]
Dana Meadbh is mentioned in the game only in the Glossary Entry for elves It's suggested that she is an embodiment of the goddess Melitele.
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