Tuatha De Danann

This “name” is usually translated as “folk of the goddess Danu.” They are also known by the earlier name: Tuath De (“tribe of the gods” or “divine tribe”). They’re a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deities of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland.

The Tuatha De Danann are often pictured as kings, queens, druids, bards, warriors, heroes, healers, & craftsmen who have supernatural powers. They live in the Otherworld but interact with humans & the human world. They’re associated with sidhe.

Their traditional rivals are the Fomorians (Fomoire), who might represent the destructive powers of nature, & whom the Tuatha De Danann defeated in the Battle of Mag Tuired.

Prominent members include the Dagda (“the great god”), The Morrigan (“the great queen” or “phantom queen”), Lugh, Nuada, Aengus, Brigid, Manannan, Dian Cecht the healer, & Goibniu the smith, 1 of the Tri De Dana (“three gods of craft”).

They’re immune to ageing & sickness, & who have magic powers. The powers most often attributed to them are control over the weather & the elements, & the ability to shape shift themselves & other things.

They’re also said to control the fertility of the land. The tale De Gabail in t-Sida says the 1st Gaels had to establish friendship with the Tuatha De Danann before they could raise crops & herds.

They live in the Otherworld, which is described as either a parallel world or a heavenly land beyond the sea or under the earth’s surface. Many of them are associated with specific places in the landscape, especially the sidh mounds.

These are the ancient burial mounds & passage tombs which are entrances to Otherworld realms. The Tuatha De Danann can hide themselves with a feth fiada (“magic mist”) & appear to humans only when they wish to.

In euhemerized accounts, the Tuatha De Danann were descended from Nemed, leader of a previous wave of inhabitants of Ireland. In non-euhemerized accounts, they’re descended from Danu/Anu, a mother goddess. They came from 4 cities to the north of Ireland (Falias, Gorias, Murias, & Finias), where architecture, the arts, & magic.

According to Lebor Gabala Erenn, they came to Ireland “in dark clouds” & “landed on the mountains of the Conmaicne Rein in Connachta.” Otherwise Sliabh an Iarainn, “and they brought a darkness over the sun for 3 days & 3 nights.”

Sliabh an Iarainn (anglicized Slieve Anierin) is a mountain in County Leitrim, Ireland. It’s part of the Cuilcagh Mountains.

They immediately burnt the ships “so that they should not of retreating to them, & the smoke & the mist that came from the vessels filled the neighbouring land & air. Therefore it was conceived that they had arrived in clouds of mist.”

Led by King Nuada, they fought the First Battle of Magh Tuireadh on the west coast, in which they defeated & displaced the native Fir Bolg, who then inhabited Ireland. In the battle, Nuada lost an arm to their champion, Sreng.

Since Nuada was no longer “unblemished,” he couldn’t continue as king & was replaced by the half-Fomorian Bres, who turned out to be a tyrant.

The doctor Dian Cecht replaced Nuada’s arm with a working silver 1. (Think Bucky from Captain America.) He was reinstated as king. Back in those days, if a king wasn’t physically whole, then he wasn’t fit to be king.

However, Dian Cecht’s son, Miach, was dissatisfied with the replacement. So he recited the spell, “adult fri halt do and feith fri feth” (joint to joint of it & sinew to sinew), which caused flesh to grow over the silver over the course of 9 days & nights.

In a fit of jealous rage, Dian Cecht killed his own son. Because of Nuada’s restoration as king, Bres whined to his family & dad, Elatha, who sent him to look for help from King Balor of the Fomorians.

The Tuatha De Danann fought the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh against the Fomorians. King Nuada was killed by King Balor’s poisonous eye. But KIng Balor was killed by Lugh (who was the champion of the Tuatha De Danann), who then took over as king.

A 3rd battle was fought against a wave of invaders, the Milesians, from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (present-day Galicia & Northern Portugal). These were descendants of Mil Espaine (who are thought to represent the Goidelic Celts).

The Milesians encountered 3 Tuatha De Danann goddesses, Eriu, Banba, & Fodla, who asked that the island be named after them. Eriu is the origin of the modern name Eire (which is the Irish language name for Ireland), & Banba & Fodla are still sometimes used as poetic names for Ireland.

Their 2 husbands (Mac Cuill, Mac Cecht, & Mac Greine) were kings of the Tuatha De Danann and created a magical storm in an attempt to drive them away. The Milesian poet calmed the sea with his verse, then his people landed & defeated the Tuatha De Danann at Tailtiu.

When Amergin was called upon to divide the land between the Tuatha De Danann & his own people, he cleverly allotted the portion above ground to the Milesians & the portion underground to the Tuatha De Danann.

The Tuatha De Danann were led underground into the Sidhe mounds by Manannan mac Lir & Tir na nOg onto a flowery plain/plain of honey attested to in the Voyage of Bran.

The Tuatha De Danann brought 4 magical treasure with them to Ireland, 1 a piece from their 4 cities: Dagda’s Cauldron, The Spear of Lugh, Lia Fail (The Stone of Fal), & Claiomh Solais (The Sword of Light).

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(Irish) Milesians

The Milesians represent the Irish people. They’re Gaels who sailed from Iberia (Hispania) after spending hundreds of years travelling the Earth. When they landed in Ireland, they contend with the Tuatha De Danann, who represent the Irish pantheon of gods.

The 2 groups agree to divide Ireland between them: the Milesians took the world above, while the Tuatha De Danann took the world (the Otherworld).

The 9th century Latin work Historia Brittonum (History of the Britons) says that Ireland was settled by 3 groups of people from the Iberian Peninsula. The 1st are the people of Partholon, who all died of plague.

The 2nd are the people of Nemed, who eventually return to Iberia. The last group is led by 3 sons of a warrior or soldier from Hispania (miles Hispaniae), who sail to Ireland with 30 ships, each carrying 30 wives.

They see a glass tower in the middle of the sea with men on top of it. But the men don’t answer their calls. They set out to take the tower, but when they reach it, all but 1 of their ships are sunk by a great wave.

Only 1 ship is saved, & its passengers are the ancestors of all the Irish. In later Irish texts, it’s the people of Nemed who are drowned while trying to capture a tower by the sea.

The Labor Gabala Erenn (The Book of the Taking of Ireland), an Irish work which was 1st compiled in the 11th century AD by an anonymous writer, purports to be a history of Ireland & the Irish (the Gaels).

It tells us that all mankind is descended from Adam through the sons of Noah, & that a Scythian king named Fenius Farsaid (descendant of Noah’s son, Japheth) is the forebearer of the Gaels. Fenius, a prince of Scythia, is described as 1 of 72 chieftains who built the Tower of Babel. His son, Nel, Weds Scota (daughter of an Egyptian pharaoh). They have a son named Goidel Glas.

Goidel crafts the Goidelic (Gaelic) language from the original 72 languages that arose after the confusion of tongues. Goidel’s offspring, the Goidels (Gaels), leave Egypt at the same time as the Exodus of the Israelites & settle in Scythia.

After some time, they leave Scythia & spend 440 years wandering the Earth, undergoing a series of trials & tribulations similar to those of the Israelites, who were said to have spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness.

In some versions of the Lebor Gabala, there was a succession dispute between Refloir & Mil (also called Galam) over the kingship of Scythia. Mil kills Refloir, & is exiled for this kin-slaying. Eventually, Mil & his followers reach Iberia/Hispania by sea & conquer it.

There, Goidel’s descendant Breogan founds a city called Brigantia, & builds a tower from the top of which his son, Ith, glimpses Ireland. Brigantia refers to Corunna (then known as Brigantium) in modern-day Galicia in Spain, & Breogan’s tower is likely to have been based on the Tower of Hercules, which was built at Corunna by the Romans.

Ith sails to the island with a group of men. He’s welcomed by its 3 kings: Mac Cuill, Mac Cecht, & Mac Greine. These 3 are members of the Tuatha De Danann, which ruled Ireland at the time. With is then killed by unnamed attackers Ith’s brother, Mil (also called Mil Espaine, “of Hispania”), lead an invasion force to avenge his death & take Ireland.

After they land, they fight against the Tuatha De Danann & make for Tara, the royal capital. The hill of Tara is a hill & ancient ceremonial & burial site near Skryne in County Meath, Ireland. Tradition identifies the hill as the inauguration place & seat of the High-Kings of Ireland.

On the way, they are met on 3 mountains by Banba, Fodla, & Eriu, the wives of Ireland’s 3 kings. They’re believed to have been a trio of land goddesses. Each woman says that the Gaels will have good fortune if they name the land after her. One of the Gaels, Amergin, promises that it shall be so.

At Tara, they meet the 3 kings, who defend their claim to the joint kingship of the land. They ask that there be a 3-day truce. During which the Gaels must stay a distance of 9 waves from land. The Gaels agree. But once their ships are 9 waves from Ireland, the Tuatha De Danann conjure up a great wind that prevents them sailing back to land.

However, Amergin calms the wind by reciting a verse. The surviving ships return to land & the 2 groups agree to divide Ireland between them. The Gaels take the world above, while the Tuatha De Danann take the world below (the Otherworld) & enter the sidhe, the ancient burial mounds the dot the Irish landscape.

Amergin divides the kingship between Eremon, who rules the northern 1/2 of Ireland, & Eber Finn, who rules the southern 1/2. The Lebor Gabala then traces Ireland’s dynasties back to Milesian Gaels such as Eremon & Eber.

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Lugh

He’s also known as Lug, or in modern Irish, Lu. He’s the Irish manifestation of the Pan-Celtic god, Lugus. His Welsh equal is Lleu Llaw Gyffes. The Roman & Greek equals are Mercury & Hermes.

He’s a member of the Tuatha De Danann. The Tuatha De Danann is a group of supernatural beings. He’s shown as a warrior, a king, a master craftsman, & a savior. He’s also associated with skill & mastery in multiple disciplines, including the arts.

Lug also has connections with oaths, truth & the law, & rightful kingship. He’s got an association with intelligence. Lugh is linked with the harvest. The harvest festival was named after him: Lughnasadh.

His most common titles are: Lamfada (Modern Irish: Lamhfhada; “long hand” or “long arm,” probably because of his skill with a spear or his ability as a ruler.) & Samildanach (Modern Irish: Samhaildanach, “equally skilled in many arts”). Sometimes this has been anglicized as “Lew of the Long Hand.”

Lugh was/is the son of Cian & Ethniu (or Ethliu). He’s the material grandson (meaning through his mother’s line) of the Fomorian tyrant, Balor. Lugh kills Balor in the Battle of Mag Tuired. Lugh’s son, the hero Cu Chulainn, was believed to be an incarnation of Lugh.

Lugh has a few magical items. He has an unstoppable fiery spear, & a sling stone. He owns a hound named Failinis. Failinis was given to Lugh by the sons of Tuireann.

Lugh is said to have invented ball games, horse racing, & fidchell. Fidchell is a board game popular with the ancient Celts. It’s played with 2 people who move an equal number of pieces across a board.

Lugh is usually pictured as a youthful warrior, being very large, very beautiful, & being a spear-wielding horseman. He’s also described as a tall young man with bright red cheeks, white sides, a bronze-colored face & blood-colored hair. His appearance is compared to the sun in 1 version of the story.

Lugh’s dad, Cian, was also a member of the Tuatha De Danann. His mom, Ethniu, was the daughter of Balor, of the Fomorians. The Fomorians are a supernatural race, often pictured as hostile, monstrous beings. In 1 story, Cian & Ethniu’s union is a dynastic marriage. This followed an alliance between the Tuatha De Danann & the Fomorians.

In another tale, Cian gives a boy Lugh to Tailtiu, queen of the Fir Bolg, to foster Lugh. The Fir Bolg are the 4th group of people to settle in Ireland. Lugh, the foster-son of Tailtiu, is described as the “son of the Dumb Champion.”

In a folktale recounted in 1835 tells of the birth of a grandson of Balor would grow up to kill his grandfather. The grandson is unnamed, his dad is named Mac Cinnfhaelaidh. The manner of Balor’s death is different. But it has been taken as a version of the death of Lugh. This was adapted by such as Lady Gregory.

In this tale, Baldor hears a druid’s prophecy that he’d be killed by his own grandson. To attempt to stop this from happening, he imprisons his only daughter in the Tor Mor (Great Tower) of Tory Island. She was cared for by 12 women. These 12 women were to prevent her from EVER meeting or even learning of men’s existence.

On the mainland, Mac Cinnfhaelaidh owns a magic cow, who gave such abundant milk that everyone, including Balor, wanted it for themselves. While the cow was in the care of Mac Cinnfhaelaidh’s brother, Mac Samthainn, Balor shows up in the form of a little boy with red hair.

Balor, as the boy, tricks him into giving Balor the cow. Looking for revenge, Mac Cinnfhaelaidh calls on a fairy woman (Leanna Sidhe) called Birog. Birog transports him, by magic, to the top of Balor’s tower, where he seduces Ethniu.

In a matter of time, she gives birth to triplets. Baldor gathers up the triplets in a sheet & puts them in a whirlpool to drown. 2 of the babies drown but 1 baby unwittingly gets dropped into the harbor. The harbor baby is rescued by Birog. She takes him (the baby) to his dad. The baby daddy gives the surviving baby to his uncle (baby daddy’s brother, Gavida the Smith, as a foster kid.

As a young man, Lugh travels to Tara to join the court of King Nuada of the Tuatha De Danann. The doorkeeper won’t let him in unless he has a skill he can use to serve the king. He offers his services as a wright, hero, smith, champion, swordsman, harpist, poet, historian, sorcerer, & craftsman.

Each time, he was rejected because the Tuatha De Danann already had someone with those skills. Lugh asked the doorkeeper if they had anyone with all those skills simultaneously. The doorkeeper had to admit defeat. Lugh joins the court & is appointed Chief Ollam of Ireland. He wins a flagstone-throwing contest against Ogma, the champion. He entertains the court with his harp.

At this time, the Tuatha De Danann are oppressed by the Fomorians. Lugh was amazed at how they meekly accepted their oppression. King Nuada wonders if Lugh could lead them to freedom. Light is given command over the Tuatha De Danann. Lugh begins making preparations for war.

Cian, Lugh’s dad, & Tuireann are old enemies. One day, Tuireann’s sons, Brian, Iuchar, & Iucharba spotted Cian in the distance & they decided to kill him. They find him, but in the form of a pig. But Cian tricked the brothers into letting him transform back into a person before they killed him.

This gave Lugh the legal right to claim recompense for a father rather than just a pig. When they try to bury him, the ground spits his body out 2x before keeping him down, finally. Eventually confessing that it’s a grave to Lugh.

Lugh holds a feast & invites the brothers. During it, he asks them what they would order as compensation from the unaliveing of their dad. They say that leaving this mortal coil would be the only just demand. Lugh agrees. Then he accuses them of the murder of his dad, Cian.

Lugh sends them on a series of seemingly impossible quests/tasks. Like our old friend, Hercules. The brothers go on an adventure. They get through all the quests, except 1. This last quest will surely kill them. Tuireann tries to stop it, but Lugh demands they go ahead with this final quest.

Lugh uses the magical items that Tuireann sons gathered to lead the Tuatha De Danann in the Second Battle of Mag Tuireadh against the Fomorains. Before the battle, Lugh asked every person (men & women) in his army what they brought to the fight exactly. He then did his Braveheart speech. This speech was SO motivating that everyone’s spirit was elevated to that of a king or lord.

King Nuada was unalived by Balor in the ensuing battle. Lugh then faces Balor. Balor opens his poisonous eye that also kills any who look upon it. But Lugh is ready, he shoots a sling. The slung rock/stone drives Balor’s eye out the backside of his head, like all the way out, through his skull. This ends up unaliveing Balor & starts causing chaos on the Fomorian army behind.

After this victory, Lugh finds Bres. Bres was a half-Fomorian former king of the Tuatha De Danann. Bres was alone & unprotected on the battlefield. He begs for his life. If he was spared, he promised that the cows of Ireland always gave milk.

The Tuatha De Danann passed on that offer. He counter-offers with promising 4 harvests in 1 year. But the Tuatha De Danann lets him know that 1 harvest a year was cool with them. However, Lugh spares his life on the condition that he teaches the Tuatha De Danann how & when to plough, sow, & reap.

One of his (Lugh’s) wives, Buach, had an affair with Cermait (the son of the Dagda). Lugh unalived him in revenge. But Cermait’s sons (Mac Cuill, Mac Cecht, & Mac Greine) unalived Lugh in return. They speared him through the foot. Then drowning him in Loch Lugborta in County Westmeath. He ruled for 40 years. Cermait was revived, later, by his dad, the Dagda, who used the smooth, or healing, end of his staff to bring Cermait back to life.

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