75-553: Deus Nemausus is often said to have been the Celtic patron god of Nemausus ( Nîmes ). The god does not seem to have been worshipped outside this locality. The city certainly derives its name from Nemausus, which was perhaps the sacred wood in which the Celtic tribe of the Volcae Arecomici (who of their own accord surrendered to the Romans in 121 BC) held their assemblies. Or perhaps it
150-702: A legendary history of Ireland, and the Aided Chlainne Lir (" Children of Lir "). The Ulster Cycle consists of heroic legends about the Ulaid . It focuses on the mythical Ulster king Conchobar mac Nessa and his court at Emain Macha , the hero Cú Chulainn , and their conflict with the Connachta and queen Medb . The longest and most important tale is the epic Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley). The Fianna Cycle
225-558: A spear or his ability as a ruler) and Samildánach (Modern Irish: Samhaildánach [ˈsˠawəlʲ d̪ˠaːnˠəx] ; "equally skilled in many arts"). This has sometimes been anglicised as "Lew of the Long Hand". In mythology, Lugh is the son of Cian and Ethniu (or Ethliu). He is the maternal grandson of the Fomorian tyrant Balor , whom Lugh kills in the Battle of Mag Tuired . Lugh's son
300-446: A stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Celtic mythology Celtic mythology is the body of myths belonging to the Celtic peoples . Like other Iron Age Europeans, Celtic peoples followed a polytheistic religion , having many gods and goddesses. The mythologies of continental Celtic peoples, such as the Gauls and Celtiberians , did not survive their conquest by
375-539: A certain poem in Egerton MS. 1782 ( olim W. Monck Mason MS.), the first quatrain of which is as follows: Táthlum tromm thenntide tenn robūi ag Tūath Dé Danann, hī robriss súil Balair búain tall ar toghail in tromshlúaigh A tathlum, heavy, fiery, firm, Which the Tuatha Dé Danann had with them, It
450-412: A champion, a swordsman, a harpist, a hero, a poet, a historian, a sorcerer, and a craftsman, but each time is rejected as the Tuatha Dé Danann already have someone with that skill. When Lugh asks if they have anyone with all those skills simultaneously, the doorkeeper has to admit defeat, and Lugh joins the court and is appointed Chief Ollam of Ireland . He wins a flagstone-throwing contest against Ogma ,
525-528: A common image stock. The classic entry about the Celtic gods of Gaul is by Julius Caesar 's history of his war in Gaul. In this he names the five principal gods worshiped in Gaul (according to the practice of his time , he gives the names of the closest equivalent Roman gods) and describes their roles: Mercury was the most venerated of all the deities, and numerous representations of him were to be discovered. Mercury
600-530: A feast and invites the brothers, and during it he asks them what they would demand as compensation for the murder of their father. They reply that death would be the only just demand, and Lugh agrees. He then accuses them of the murder of his father, Cian, and sets them on a series of seemingly impossible quests. The brothers go on an adventure and achieve them all except the last one, which will surely kill them. Despite Tuireann's pleas, Lugh demands that they proceed and, when they are all fatally wounded, he denies them
675-510: A five-pointed spear and next to it a forked javelin. Wonderful is the play and sport and diversion that he makes (with these weapons). But none accosts him and he accosts none as if no one could see him. Elsewhere Lugh is described as a tall young man with bright red cheeks, white sides, a bronze-coloured face and blood-coloured hair. Finally, in The Fate of the Children of Turenn Lugh's appearance
750-406: A hound), and Lugh's son Cúchulainn ("Culann's Hound"). A fourth Lugaid was Lugaid Loígde , a legendary King of Tara and ancestor of (or inspiration for) Lugaid Mac Con. As a young man Lugh travels to Tara to join the court of King Nuada of the Tuatha Dé Danann. The doorkeeper will not let him in unless he has a skill he can use to serve the king. He offers his services as a wright, a smith,
825-425: A little red-haired boy and tricks him into giving him the cow. Looking for revenge, Mac Cinnfhaelaidh calls on a leanan sídhe (fairy woman) called Biróg , who transports him by magic to the top of Balor's tower, where he seduces Ethniu. In time, she gives birth to triplets, which Balor gathers up in a sheet and sends to drown in a whirlpool. The messenger drowns two of the babies but unwittingly drops one child into
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#1732851656746900-588: A popular medieval Irish name thought to derive from Lugh, have three fathers: Lugaid Riab nDerg (Lugaid of the Red Stripes) was the son of the three Findemna or fair triplets, and Lugaid mac Con Roí was also known as mac Trí Con , "son of three hounds". In Ireland's other great "sequestered maiden" story, the tragedy of Deirdre , the king's intended is carried off by three brothers, who are hunters with hounds. The canine imagery continues with Cian's brother Cú ("hound"), another Lugaid, Lugaid Mac Con (son of
975-465: A property similar to the Lúin of Celtchar . This spear is also called "Slaughterer" in translation. There is yet another name that Lugh's spear goes by: "A [yew] tree, the finest of the wood" (Early Modern Irish: eó bo háille d'ḟíoḋḃaiḃ ), occurring in an inserted verse within The Fate of the Children of Tuireann . "The famous yew of the wood" ( ibar alai fhidbaidha ) is also the name that Lugh's spear
1050-697: A symbol of the strength of his eloquence. The first-century Roman poet Lucan mentions the gods Taranis , Teutates and Esus , but there is little Celtic evidence that these were important deities. A number of objets d'art , coins, and altars may depict scenes from lost myths, such as the representations of Tarvos Trigaranus or of an equestrian ‘ Jupiter ’ surmounting the Anguiped (a snake-legged human-like figure). The Gundestrup cauldron has also been interpreted mythically. Along with dedications giving us god names, there are also deity representations to which no name has yet been attached. Among these are images of
1125-524: A three-headed or three-faced god, a squatting god, a god with a snake, a god with a wheel, and a horseman with a kneeling giant. Some of these images can be found in Late Bronze Age peat bogs in Britain, indicating the symbols were both pre-Roman and widely spread across Celtic culture. The distribution of some of the images has been mapped and shows a pattern of central concentration of an image along with
1200-658: A triple goddess associated with war, fate and sovereignty; Lugh ; Nuada ; Aengus ; Brigid ; Manannán ; Dian Cecht the healer; and Goibniu the smith, one of the Trí Dé Dána ("three gods of craft"). Their traditional rivals are the monstrous Fomorians (Fomoire), whom the Tuath Dé defeated in the Cath Maige Tuired ("Battle of Moytura"). Other important works in the cycle are the Lebor Gabála Érenn ("Book of Invasions"),
1275-589: A wide scatter, indicating these images were most likely attached to specific tribes and were distributed from some central point of tribal concentration outward along the lines of trade. The image of the three-headed god is centrally concentrated among the Belgae, between the Oise, Marne, and Moselle rivers. The horseman with the kneeling giant is centered on either side of the Rhine. These examples seem to indicate regional preferences for
1350-704: Is a figure in Irish mythology . A member of the Tuatha Dé Danann , a group of supernatural beings, Lugh is portrayed as a warrior, a king, a master craftsman and a saviour . He is associated with skill and mastery in multiple disciplines, including the arts. Lugh also has associations with oaths, truth, and the law, and therefore with rightful kingship. Lugh is linked with the harvest festival of Lughnasadh , which bears his name. His most common epithets are Lámfada ( Modern Irish : Lámhfhada [ˈl̪ˠaːw ad̪ˠə] ; "long hand" or "long arm", possibly for his skill with
1425-523: Is about the exploits of the mythical hero Finn and his warrior band the Fianna , including the lengthy Acallam na Senórach ("Tales of the Elders"). The Kings' Cycle comprises legends about historical and semi-historical kings of Ireland (such as Buile Shuibhne , "The Madness of King Sweeny"), and tales about the origins of dynasties and peoples. There are also mythical texts that do not fit into any of
1500-501: Is compared to the sun on several occasions. He is described by Bres as follows: Then arose Breas, the son of Balar, and he said: "It is a wonder to me", said he, "that the sun to rise in the west today, and in the east every other day". "It would be better that it wer so", said the Druids. "What else is it?" said he. "The radiance of the face of Lugh of the Long Arms", said they. Elsewhere in
1575-650: Is given in a tract which alleges that it, the Lúin of Celtchar and the spear Crimall that blinded Cormac Mac Airt were one and the same weapon (tract in TCD MS 1336 (H 3. 17), col. 723, discussed in the Lúin page). Lugh's projectile weapon, whether a dart or missile, was envisioned to be symbolic of lightning-weapon. Lugh's sling rod, named "Lugh's Chain", was the rainbow and the Milky Way, according to popular writer Charles Squire. Squire adds that Lugh's spear which needed no wielding
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#17328516567461650-454: Is named after the village of Louth, which is named after the god Lugh. Historically, the place name has had various spellings; "Lugmad", "Lughmhaigh", and "Lughmhadh" (see Historic Names List , for full listing). Lú is the modern simplified spelling . Other places named for Lugh include the cairn at Seelewey (Suidhe Lughaidh, or Lug's Seat), Dunlewey , and Rath-Lugaidh in Carney, Sligo. Seelewey
1725-474: Is possible to discern commonalities that hint at a more unified pantheon than is often given credit. The nature and functions of these ancient gods can be deduced from their names, the location of their inscriptions, their iconography , the Roman gods they are equated with, and similar figures from later bodies of Celtic mythology. Celtic mythology is found in distinct if related, subgroups, largely corresponding to
1800-407: Is still a matter of debate. Some scholars propose that it derives from a suggested Proto-Indo-European root *(h2)lewgh- meaning "to bind by oath" (compare Old Irish luige and Welsh llw , both meaning "oath, vow, act of swearing" and derived from a suffixed Proto-Celtic form, *lugiyo- , "oath"), suggesting that he was originally a god of oaths and sworn contracts. When Balor meets Lugh in
1875-400: Is the sovereignty goddess , who represents the land and bestows sovereignty on a king by marrying him. The Otherworld is also a common motif, a parallel realm of the supernatural races, which is visited by some mythical heroes. Celtic myth influenced later Arthurian legend . Though the Celtic world at its height covered much of western and central Europe, it was not politically unified, nor
1950-448: Is the hero Cú Chulainn , who is believed to be an incarnation of Lugh. Lugh has several magical possessions. He wields an unstoppable fiery spear and a sling stone and owns a hound named Failinis . He is said to have invented fidchell , ball games, and horse racing. He corresponds to the pan- Celtic god Lugus , and his Welsh counterpart is Lleu Llaw Gyffes . He has also been equated with Mercury . The meaning of Lugh's name
2025-573: The Oidhead Chloinne Tuireann . This concurs with the name of the hound mentioned in an " Ossianic Ballad", sometimes referred to by its opening line " Dám Thrír Táncatair Ille (They came here as a band of three)". In the ballad, the hound is called Ṡalinnis (Shalinnis) or Failinis (in the Lismore text), and belonged to a threesome from Iruaide whom the Fianna encounter. It is described as "the ancient greyhound... that had been with Lugh of
2100-794: The Middle Ages . Irish mythology has the largest written body of myths, followed by Welsh mythology . The supernatural race called the Tuatha Dé Danann is believed to be based on the main Celtic gods of Ireland, while many Welsh characters belong either to the Plant Dôn ("Children of Dôn ") and the Plant Llŷr ("Children of Llŷr "). Some figures in Insular Celtic myth have ancient continental parallels: Irish Lugh and Welsh Lleu are cognate with Lugus , Goibniu and Gofannon with Gobannos , Macán and Mabon with Maponos , and so on. One common figure
2175-721: The Roman Empire , the loss of their Celtic languages and their subsequent conversion to Christianity . Only remnants are found in Greco-Roman sources and archaeology. Most surviving Celtic mythology belongs to the Insular Celtic peoples (the Gaels of Ireland and Scotland ; the Celtic Britons of western Britain and Brittany ). They preserved some of their myths in oral lore , which were eventually written down by Christian scribes in
2250-426: The patriname mac Cein ("son of Cian ", his father). He is the maternal grandson of the Fomorian tyrant Balor , whom Lugh kills in the Battle of Mag Tuired . Lugh's son is the hero Cú Chulainn , who is believed to be an incarnation of Lugh. He had several wives, including Buí (AKA Buach or Bua "Victory") and Nás, daughters of Ruadri Ruad, king of Britain. Buí lived and was buried at Knowth (Cnogba). Nás
2325-579: The "sling-stone" ( cloich tabaill ) to slay his grandfather, Balor the Strong-Smiter in the Battle of Magh Tuired . The narrative Cath Maige Tured , preserved in a unique 16th-century copy, words it slightly different saying that Lugh used the sling-stone to destroy the evil eye of Balor of the Piercing Eye (Bolur Birugderc). The ammunition that Lugh used was not just a stone, but a tathlum according to
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2400-564: The Blessed ( Bendigeidfran , "Bran [Crow] the Blessed"). Other characters, in all likelihood, derive from mythological sources, and various episodes, such as the appearance of Arawn , a king of the Otherworld seeking the aid of a mortal in his own feuds, and the tale of the hero who cannot be killed except under seemingly contradictory circumstances, can be traced throughout Proto-Indo-European mythology . The children of Llŷr ("Sea" = Irish Ler ) in
2475-652: The Dagda . Lugh killed him in revenge, but Cermait's sons, Mac Cuill , Mac Cecht , and Mac Gréine , killed Lugh in return, spearing him through the foot then drowning him in Loch Lugborta in County Westmeath He had ruled for forty years. Cermait was later revived by his father, the Dagda, who used the smooth or healing end of his staff to bring Cermait back to life. Lugh is given the matriname mac Ethlenn or mac Ethnenn ("son of Ethliu or Ethniu ", his mother) and
2550-521: The Divine Mother"), and in the collected Welsh Triads , not enough is known of the British mythological background to reconstruct either a narrative of creation or a coherent pantheon of British deities. Indeed, though there is much in common with Irish myth, there may have been no unified British mythological tradition per se . Whatever its ultimate origins, the surviving material has been put to good use in
2625-506: The Gods, consists of tales and poems about the god-like Túatha Dé Danann and other mythical races. Many of the Tuath Dé are thought to represent Irish deities. They are often depicted as kings, queens, druids, bards, warriors, heroes, healers and craftsmen who have supernatural powers. Prominent members of the Tuath Dé include The Dagda ("the great god"), who seems to have been the chief god; The Morrígan ("the great queen" or "phantom queen"),
2700-613: The Land of Promise...and when the Cathbarr (Manannan's helmet) was let off of him the appearance of his face and forehead was as brilliant as the sun on a dry summer's day. Lugh's father is Cian of the Tuatha Dé Danann , and his mother is Ethniu (Eithne in Modern Irish ), daughter of Balor of the Fomorians . In Cath Maige Tuired their union is a dynastic marriage following an alliance between
2775-569: The Mantles, / Given him by the sons of Tuireann Bicreann" Lugh corresponds to the pan- Celtic god Lugus , and his Welsh counterpart is Lleu Llaw Gyffes . He has also been equated with Mercury . Sometimes he is interpreted as a storm god and, less often today, as a sun god . Thus, equating Lugh with the Roman gods Jupiter or Sol, respectively. Others have noted a similarity in Lugh's slaying of Balor to
2850-756: The Second Battle of Moytura he calls Lugh a "babbler". In the past his name was generally believed to come from another suggested Proto-Indo-European root * leuk- , "flashing light", and since the Victorian era he has often been considered a sun god , similar to the Greco-Roman Apollo . However, the figure of Lugh in Irish mythology and literature seems to be a better match with a romanized god identified with Mercury , described by Julius Caesar in his De Bello Gallico . There are serious phonological issues with deriving
2925-567: The Second and Third Branches, and the children of Dôn ( Danu in Irish and earlier Indo-European tradition) in the Fourth Branch are major figures, but the tales themselves are not primary mythology. While further mythological names and references appear elsewhere in Welsh narrative and tradition, especially in the tale of Culhwch and Olwen , where we find, for example, Mabon ap Modron ("Divine Son of
3000-503: The Tuatha Dé Danann how and when to plough, sow, and reap. Lugh instituted an event similar to the Olympic games called the Assembly of Talti which finished on Lughnasadh (1 August) in memory of his foster mother, Tailtiu , at the town that bears her name (now Teltown , County Meath ). He likewise instituted Lughnasadh fairs in the areas of Carman and Naas in honour of Carman and Nás,
3075-734: The Tuatha Dé and the Fomorians. In the Lebor Gabála Érenn , Cian gives the boy to Tailtiu , queen of the Fir Bolg , in fosterage . In the Dindsenchas, Lugh, the foster-son of Tailtiu, is described as the "son of the Dumb Champion". In the poem Baile Suthain Sith Eamhna Lugh is called "descendant of the poet." A folktale told to John O'Donovan by Shane O'Dugan of Tory Island in 1835 recounts
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3150-449: The Tór Mór (great tower) of Tory Island . She is cared for by twelve women, who are to prevent her from ever meeting or even learning of the existence of men. On the mainland, Mac Cinnfhaelaidh owns a magic cow who gives such abundant milk that everyone, including Balor, wants to possess her. While the cow is in the care of Mac Cinnfhaelaidh's brother Mac Samthainn, Balor appears in the form of
3225-523: The advent of Christianity . Indeed, many Gaelic myths were first recorded by Christian monks, albeit without most of their original religious meanings. Irish mythology is the largest surviving branch of Celtic mythology. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era . Many myths were later written down in the early medieval era by Christian scribes, who modified and Christianized them to some extent. The myths are conventionally grouped into ' cycles '. The Mythological Cycle , or Cycle of
3300-549: The areas it conquered; in fact, most inscriptions to deities discovered in Gaul (modern France and Northern Italy ), Britain and other formerly (or presently) Celtic-speaking areas post-date the Roman conquest. Though early Gaels in Ireland and parts of Wales used Ogham script to record short inscriptions (largely personal names), more sophisticated literacy was not introduced to Celtic areas that had not been conquered by Rome until
3375-426: The birth of a grandson of Balor who grows up to kill his grandfather. The grandson is unnamed, his father is called Mac Cinnfhaelaidh and the manner of his killing of Balor is different, but it has been taken as a version of the birth of Lugh, and was adapted as such by Lady Gregory . In this tale, Balor hears a druid's prophecy that he will be killed by his own grandson. To prevent this he imprisons his only daughter in
3450-556: The branches of the Celtic languages : As a result of the scarcity of surviving materials bearing written Gaulish , it is surmised that most of the Celtic writings were destroyed by the Romans, though a written form of Gaulish using Greek , Latin and Old Italic alphabets was used (as evidenced by votive items bearing inscriptions in Gaulish and the Coligny calendar ). Julius Caesar attests to
3525-461: The champion, and entertains the court with his harp . The Tuatha Dé Danann are, at that time, oppressed by the Fomorians, and Lugh is amazed at how meekly they accept their oppression. Nuada wonders if this young man could lead them to freedom. Lugh is given command over the Tuatha Dé Danann, and he begins making preparations for war. Tuireann and Cian, Lugh's father, are old enemies, and one day his sons, Brian, Iuchar , and Iucharba spot Cian in
3600-586: The cycles; these include the echtrai tales of journeys to the Otherworld (such as The Voyage of Bran ), and the Dindsenchas ("lore of places"). Some written material has not survived, and many more myths were probably never written down. Important reflexes of British mythology appear in the Four Branches of the Mabinogi , especially in the names of several characters, such as Rhiannon , Teyrnon , and Brân
3675-420: The distance and decide to kill him. They find him hiding in the form of a pig, but Cian tricked the brothers into allowing him to transform back into a man before they killed him, giving Lugh the legal right to claim compensation for a father rather than just a pig. When they try to bury him, the ground spits his body back twice before keeping him down, and eventually confesses that it is a grave to Lugh. Lugh holds
3750-453: The early Iron Age but was expanded after the Romans colonised the region in the late 2nd century BC, when there was active Roman encouragement of the cult. Another set of local spirits worshiped at Nemausus (Nîmes) were the Nemausicae or Matres Nemausicae, who were fertility and healing goddesses belonging to the spring sanctuary. This article relating to a Celtic myth or legend is
3825-467: The eponymous tutelary goddesses of these two regions. Horse races and displays of martial arts were important activities at all three fairs. However, Lughnasadh itself is a celebration of Lugh's triumph over the spirits of the Otherworld who had tried to keep the harvest for themselves. It survived long into Christian times and is still celebrated under a variety of names. Lúnasa is now the Irish name for
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#17328516567463900-467: The fray; he then addressed his army in speech, which elevated each warrior's spirit to that of a king or lord. Nuada is killed in the battle by Balor. Lugh faces Balor, who opens his terrible, poisonous eye that kills all it looks upon, but Lugh shoots a sling -stone that drives his eye out the back of his head, killing Balor and wreaking havoc on the Fomorian army behind. After the victory Lugh finds Bres ,
3975-406: The half-Fomorian former king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, alone and unprotected on the battlefield, and Bres begs for his life. If he is spared, he promises, he will ensure that the cows of Ireland always give milk. The Tuatha Dé Danann refuse the offer. He then promises four harvests a year, but the Tuatha Dé Danann say one harvest a year suits them. But Lugh spares his life on the condition that he teach
4050-486: The harbour, where he is rescued by Biróg. She takes him to his father, who gives him to his brother, Gavida the smith, in fosterage. There may be further triplism associated with his birth. His father in the folktale is one of a triad of brothers, Mac Cinnfhaelaidh, Gavida, and Mac Samthainn, whereas in the Lebor Gabála , his father Cian is mentioned alongside his brothers Cú and Cethen. Two characters called Lugaid ,
4125-499: The literacy of the Gauls, but also wrote that their priests, the druids , were forbidden to use writing to record certain verses of religious significance (Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico 6.14) while also noting that the Helvetii had a written census (Caesar, De Bello Gallico 1.29). Rome introduced a more widespread habit of public inscriptions and broke the power of the druids in
4200-489: The month of August. According to a poem of the dindsenchas , Lugh was responsible for the death of Bres. He made 300 wooden cows and filled them with a bitter, poisonous red liquid which was then "milked" into pails and offered to Bres to drink. Bres, who was under an obligation not to refuse hospitality, drank it down without flinching, and it killed him. Lugh is said to have invented the board game fidchell . One of his wives, Buach, had an affair with Cermait , son of
4275-424: The name from *leuk- , notably that Proto-Indo-European *-k- never produced Proto-Celtic * -g- ;, for this reason, most modern specialists in Celtic languages no longer accept this etymology. Lugh is typically described as a youthful warrior. In the brief narrative Baile in Scáil Lugh is described as being very large and very beautiful and also as a spear-wielding horseman. When he appears before
4350-438: The same passage, the following remark is made: ...they were not long there when they saw an army and a goodly host coming towards them from the East, and in the vanguard there was one young man high in authority over all; and like to the setting sun was the radiance of his face and forehead, and they were unable to gaze upon his countenance on account of its splendour. And this is who it was - Lugh Lamhfhada Loinnbheimionach...from
4425-439: The service of literary masterpieces that address the cultural concerns of Wales in the early and later Middle Ages. The Celts also worshiped a number of deities of which little more is known than their names . Classical writers preserve a few fragments of legends or myths that may possibly be Celtic. According to the Syrian rhetorician Lucian , Ogmios was supposed to lead a band of men chained by their ears to his tongue as
4500-426: The skies, and Mars influences warfare. MacBain argues that Apollo corresponds to Irish Lugh , Mercury to Manannan mac Lir , Jupiter to the Dagda , Mars to Neit , and Minerva to Brigit . In addition to these five, Caesar mentions that the Gauls traced their ancestry to Dīs Pater (possibly Irish Donn ). Lugh Lugh or Lug ( Old Irish: [l͈uɣ] ; modern Irish : Lú [l̪ˠuː] )
4575-446: The slaying of Baldr by Loki . Lugh's mastery of all arts has led many to link him with the unnamed Gaulish god Julius Caesar identifies with Mercury , whom he describes as the "inventor of all the arts". Caesar describes the Gaulish Mercury as the most revered deity in Gaul, overseeing journeys and business transactions. St. Mologa has been theorized to be a Christian continuation of the god Lugh. The County of Louth in Ireland
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#17328516567464650-466: The sons of Tuirill Piccreo in Middle Irish redactions of the Lebor Gabála . Not all the items are listed here. The late narrative Fate of the Children of Tuireann not only gives a list of items gathered for Lugh, but also endows him with such gifts from the sea god Manannán as the sword Fragarach , the horse Enbarr (Aonbarr), the boat Scuabtuinne / Sguaba Tuinne ("Wave-Sweeper"), his armour and helmet. Lugh's spear ( sleg ), according to
4725-402: The spear to return. In a full narrative version called [A]oidhe Chloinne Tuireann (The Fate of the Children of Tuireann), from copies no earlier than the 17th century, Lugh demands the spear named Ar-éadbair or Areadbhair ( Early Modern Irish : Aꞃéadḃaiꞃ ) which belonged to Pisear, king of Persia. Areadbhair's tip had to be kept immersed in a pot of water to keep it from igniting,
4800-424: The sword of Manannán , in the assembly of the Tuatha Dé Danann in the Fate of the Children of Tuireann . Lugh had a horse named Aenbharr which could fare over both land and sea. Like much of his equipment, it was furnished to him by the sea god Manannán mac Lir. When the Children of Tuireann asked to borrow this horse, Lugh begrudged them, saying it would not be proper to make a loan of a loan. Consequently, Lugh
4875-448: The text of The Four Jewels of the Tuatha Dé Danann , was said to be impossible to overcome, taken to Ireland from Gorias (or Findias). Lugh obtained the Spear of Assal (Irish: Gae Assail ) as fine ( éric ) imposed on the children of Tuirill Piccreo (or Biccreo), according to the short account in Lebor Gabála Érenn which adds that the incantation "Ibar ( Yew )" made the cast always hit its mark, and "Athibar (Re-Yew)" caused
4950-417: The use of one of the items they have retrieved, a magic pigskin which heals all wounds. They die of their wounds and Tuireann dies of grief over their bodies. Using the magic artefacts the sons of Tuireann have gathered, Lugh leads the Tuatha Dé Danann in the Second Battle of Mag Tuireadh against the Fomorians . Prior to the battle, Lugh asked each man and woman in his army what art he or she would bring to
5025-412: The wounded Cú Chulainn in the Táin Bó Cúalnge he is described as follows: A man fair and tall, with a great head of curly yellow hair. He has a green mantle wrapped about him and a brooch of white silver in the mantle over his breast. Next to his white skin, he wears a tunic of royal satin with red-gold insertion reaching to his knees. He carries a black shield with a hard boss of white-bronze. In his hand
5100-426: Was alive and thirsted so for blood that only by steeping its head in a sleeping-draught of pounded fresh poppy leaves could it be kept at rest. When a battle was near, it was drawn out; then it roared and struggled against its thongs, fire flashed from it, and it tore through the ranks of the enemy once slipped from the leash, never tired of slaying. According to the brief accounts in the Lebor Gabála Érenn, Lugh used
5175-416: Was buried at Naas , County Kildare , which is said to be named after her. Lugh had a son, Ibic "of the horses", by Nás. It is said that Nás dies with the noise of combat. Therefore it is difficult to know where she dies. Lugh's daughter or sister was Ebliu , who married Fintan . By the mortal Deichtine , Lugh was the father to the hero Cú Chulainn . Lugh possessed a number of magical items, retrieved by
5250-411: Was located in Moyturra Chonlainn and, according to local folklore, was a place where giants used to gather in olden days. The modern city of Lyon was founded as Colonia Copia Felix Munatia in 43 BC, but by the end of the first century AD had come to be known as " Lugdunum ", a Latinized variant of the ancient Gaulish name *Lugudunon, meaning "Fortress of Lugh". One of the four regions in Galicia
5325-439: Was seen as the originator of all the arts (and is often taken to refer to Lugus for this reason), the supporter of adventurers and of traders, and the mightiest power concerning trade and profit. Next the Gauls revered Apollo , Mars , Jupiter , and Minerva . Among these divinities, Caesar described the Gauls as holding roughly equal views as other populations: Apollo dispels sickness, Minerva encourages skills, Jupiter governs
5400-577: Was that broke the fierce Balor's eye, Of old, in the battle of the great armies. The poem goes on to describe the composition of this tathlum, as being formed from the blood collected from toads, bears, lions, vipers and the neck-base of Osmuinn, mixed with the sands of the Armorian Sea and the Red Sea. Lugh is also seen girt with the Freagarthach (better known as Fragarach ),
5475-494: Was the local Celtic spirit guardian of the spring that originally provided all water for the settlement, as many modern sources suggest. Or perhaps Stephanus of Byzantium was correct in stating in his geographical dictionary that Nemausos, the city of Gaul, took its name from the Heracleid (or son of Heracles ) Nemausios. An important healing-spring sanctuary existed in the town; it was established in some form at least as early as
5550-551: Was there any substantial central source of cultural influence or homogeneity; as a result, there was a great deal of variation in local practices of Celtic religion (although certain motifs, for example, the god Lugh , appear to have diffused throughout the Celtic world). Inscriptions of more than three hundred deities, often equated with their Roman counterparts, have survived, but of these most appear to have been genii locorum , local or tribal gods, and few were widely worshiped. However, from what has survived of Celtic mythology, it
5625-487: Was unable to refuse their request to use Lugh's currach (coracle) or boat, the "Wave-Sweeper" (Irish: Sguaba Tuinne ). In the Lebor Gabála , Gainne and Rea were the names of the pair of horses belonging to the king of the isle of Sicily [on the (Tyrrhene sea)], which Lug demanded as éraic from the sons of Tuirill Briccreo. Failinis was the name of the whelp of the King of Ioruaidhe that Lugh demanded as éiric (a forfeit) in
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