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Tuatha D DanannThis article is about a mythical people of Ireland. See Achaeans for the homeric Greek Danaans. The Tuatha D Danann ("peoples of the goddess Danu") were the fifth group of inhabitants of Ireland according to the Lebor Gabla renn (Book of Invasions) tradition. They are thought to represent the gods of the Goidelic Irish; their Christian redactors have reduced them to historical kings and heroes, but this mask slips often enough. A poem in the Book of Leinster lists many of the Tuatha D, but ends "Although author enumerates them, he does not worship them". Goibniu, Creidhne and Luchta are referred to as Tr De Dna ("three gods of craftsmanship"), and the Dagda's name is interpreted in medieval texts as "the good god". Even after they are displaced as the rulers of Ireland, characters such as Lug, the Mrrgan, Aengus and Manannan appear in stories set centuries later, showing all the signs of immortality. They have many parallels across the Celtic world. Nuada is cognate with the British god Nodens; Lug is a reflex of the pan-Celtic deity Lugus; Tuireann is related to the Gaulish Taranis; Ogma to Ogmios; the Badb to Catubodua. The Tuatha D were descended from Nemed, leader of a previous wave of inhabitants of Ireland. They came from four northern cities, Falias, Gorias, Murias and Finias, where they acquired their occult skills and attributes. They arrived in Ireland, on or about May 1 (the date of the feastival of Beltaine), on dark clouds, although later versions rationalise this by saying they burned their ships to prevent retreat, and the "clouds" were the smoke produced. Led by their king, Nuada, they fought the first First Battle of Magh Tuiredh (Moytura), on the west coast, in which they defeated and displaced the clumsy and ill-armed Fir Bolg, who then inhabited Ireland. Nuada lost an arm in the battle. Since he was no longer perfect, he could not continue as king and was replaced by the half-Fomorian Bres, who turned out to be a tyrant. The physician Dian Cecht replaced Nuada's arm with a working silver one and he was reinstated as king. The Tuatha D then fought the Second Battle of Magh Tuiredh against the Fomorians. Nuada was killed by the Fomorian king Balor's poisonous eye, but Balor was killed by Lug, who took over as king. A third battle was fought against a subsequent wave of invaders, the Milesians, from Spain, descendants of Ml Espine (who are thought to represent the Goidelic Celts). The Milesians encountered three goddesses of the Tuatha D, riu, Banba and Fodla, who asked that the island be named after them; riu is the origin of the modern name ire, and Banba and Fodla are still sometimes used as poetic names for Ireland. Their three husbands, Mac Cuill, Mac Cecht and Mac Grine, who were kings of the Tuatha D at that time, asked for a truce of three days, during which the Milesians would lie at anchor nine waves' distance from the shore. The Milesians complied, but the Tuatha D created a magical storm in an attempt to drive them away. The Milesian poet Amergin calmed the sea with his verse, before his people landed and defeated the Tuatha D at Tailtiu. The Tuatha D were led underground into the Sidhe mounds by The Dagda. The Tuatha D Danann fought against the witch Carman and her three sons. They are said to have brought chariots and druidry to Ireland. The Four Treasures of the Tuatha D Danann The Tuatha D Danann brought four magical treasures with them to Ireland: Tuatha D Danann High Kings of Ireland AFM: chronology from the Annals of the Four Masters; FFE: chronology based on reign-lengths given in Seathrn Citinn's Forus Feasa ar Erinn. Tuatha D Danann family tree The following table is based on the genealogies given by Seathrn Citinn and in the Lebor Gabla renn, and references in Cath Maige Tuireadh. It is not clear whether the various Elathas and Delbeths are meant to be different figures of the same name or different traditions regarding the genalogy of the same figure. It is also notable that Fomorians such as Elatha and Balor are closely related to the Tuatha D. Nemed | Iarbonel Faidh | Beothach | Iobth | Enna | Tabarn | Tat ____________________________________|__________________________________ | | Allai Indai | __________________________|__________________________ | | | Orda Nt Elatha | ____________________|______________________________________________ | | | | | | Etarlm Esar Brec Delbeth Dot Bres | | | | | | | | Eochaid Dian Cecht Elatha Balor | | | | | ___________|___________ _________________|______________________ | Nuada | | | | | | | | | | | (Elcmar) Cu Cethen Cian Miach Airmed Dagda Fiacha Delbeth Ogma Alld Ethniu (Nechtan) | | | | | (Ler) _____|____ | | _____________|____________ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Etarlm Nemain Bec-Felmas Lug Cermait Aengus Bodb Midir Brigid Boann Delbeth Manannan | | | (Tuireann) | | _________|_________ ______________________|__________________________________ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ernmas Abean MacCuill MacCecht MacGrine Fiachna Brian Iuchar Iucharba Danu Goibniu Credne Luchta Ollam |__________________ | | | | | riu = Badb | Aoi Banba = Macha | Fdla = Mrrgan = Anu Other members of the Tuatha D Danann include: * Fand
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