Lugh Part 2: Lugh enters Tara

Finally, the Tuatha De took back the kingship, and Nuada was once again seated upon the throne of Teamhair de Ri. At this time, a young man approached the hill of Tara. The gatekeeper of Tara asked him who he was, and what skill he possessed, for none could enter without one.
"I am a master of battle," said the man.
"We already have a champion," said the gatekeeper. "The great warrior Ogma."
"I am a master goldsmith," said the man.
"Creidne is our goldsmith," said the man.
This went on for quite a while, with the man naming every trade that there was, and the gatekeeper replying that there already existed a master of that trade in Tara.
Finally, the man said, "Is there a man who possesses all those skills in Tara?"

These are all pics of Lugh

The gatekeeper said no and let in the man.
The man turned out to be none other than Lugh, the prophesied slayer of Balor and the god of light. The Fomorians were mounting for an attack on the Tuatha De, and Lugh's help would be invaluable. He wielded the Spear Luin, one of the Four Treasures of the Tuatha De Danann, and Fragarach, a sword that could cut through anything and could command the winds.

Background God

Just FYI Lugh is on the background now. Actually I like this pic better than the old one.

Lugh

Balor

When we left the Tuatha De, they were in a bad state of affairs. But not all was lost, because Lugh, a prophesied hero, had come to save them!

We have to back up a bit first. The Fomorians enslaved the Tuatha De under the control of Balor Evil Eye, a mighty Fomorian warlord. If he looked at someone with his evil eye, they would die. It had been prophesied that he would be killed by his grandson, who would free the Tuatha De. To prevent this, he locked his daughter, Ethlinn, in a tower. However, Cian, son of Dian Cecht, snuck in and the two had children. Balor was enraged and ordered his three grandchildren to be tossed into the sea. Luckily, Manannan mac Lir, a sea god, rescued one child, and gave him to Tailtiu, queen of the Fir Bolg, to raise. This was Lugh.   

Background

Just FYI I'm probably going to change the background each time I mention a major god, so Nuada might not be up there much longer. (I'll probably keep the photo somewhere though.)

Bres

I forgot to mention in the last post that the Fir Bolgs took the province of Connacht after the First Battle of Magh Tuiredh, leaving the Tuatha De the rest of Ireland.

In case you haven't guessed, this is Bres

The Tuatha De were without a leader when Nuada lost his arm. So, they chose Bres, the son of Eriu, goddess of Ireland. Bres, known as Bres the Beautiful, was an imposing and beautiful man, but was a cruel ruler. He forced the champions of the first battle, Dagda and Ogma, to work at manual labors, and performed many other harsh deeds, Finally, Nuada got his new arm, and took back the kingship. Bres went to Eriu and asked who his father was. It turns out he was the son of the Fomorian king, Elatha. He went to his father and asked for an army to get him on the throne. The Fomorians attacked and completely enslaved the Tuatha De.

Nuada

Nuada

The king of the Tuatha De was a mighty god named Nuada. He was the brother of the Dagda, Dian Cecht, Goibhniu, Credne, and Luchta. He wielded a mighty sword called Claiomh Solias, or the Sword of Light, which was one of the Four Treasures of the Tuatha De Danann.
When the Tuatha De landed, they challenged the Fir Bolg to battle. This would become known as the First Battle of Magh Tuiredh. The Tuatha De won because of their superior weapons, but Nuada lost his arm. He was forced to step down as the king of the Tuatha De had to be physically whole. However, the master physician Dian Cecht gave him a silver arm, and Nuada took the throne back. He was later known as Nuada Airgedlámh. Unfortunately, Nuada died in the second battle of Magh Tuiredh.

Book of Invasions, Part 4

Almost there!

The Fir Bolgs didn't have to much to say for themselves. They took over Ireland, but pretty much survived until the Tuatha de Danann showed up.

The Tuatha De were also descendants of the Nemedians. They came from four cities called Findias, Gorias, Murias, and Falias. Each city had its own treasure, which were known as the Four Jewels of the Tuatha De Danann. They had great knowledge and power at their command. These are the true gods of Ireland. More about them will be coming later!

Book of Invasions Part 3

Here we go again. Soon I'll get to the individual gods, but I want to get this stuff out of the way first.

Next came the Nemedians. Here's where it gets good. Nemed and his followers invaded Ireland 30 years after the Partholonians' extinction. Unfortunately, those pesky Fomorians (otherwise callde Fomorii) showed up again. At first, the Nemedians succeeded against the Fomorians, but a plague decimated the population. The Fomorians forced the Nemedians to pay a heavy tribute, basically forcing them into slavery. However, three Nemedian cheiftains rose up against their overlords. They managed to slay a Fomorian king, but ultimately lost. However, thirty Nemedians survived, and fled to other places. One group became the Fir Bolg, and the other became the Tuatha de Danann. These groups would soon return with a vengeance.

Book of Invasions Part 2

The next invasion was led by a man named Partholon, 312 years after Cesair. They managed to find Ireland after seven years of wandering and drove the Fomorians, who will come up later, into the sea. However, they all fell victim to a terrible plague. But the invasions weren't over.

The Book of Invasions Part 1

Fintan, the Salmon of knowledge ( 'ee looks mighty tasty)

According to Irish myth, Ireland has been around since the dawn of time. However, it has only recently began to become populated. The first inhabitants were led by a woman named Cesair. However, Fintan, Cesair's wife, became the Salmon of Knowledge, and the rest of the men died. with no men, the women died without having children. The first invasion was unsuccessful, but more were coming.

Ghost Fish

Just too let you know, there are five "ghost fish" in the Well of Knowledge. Can you spot them?

A Brief Overview

This blog will be covering gods from Irish and Welsh mythology. Most of the Irish gods are part of the Tuatha de Danaan, who settled in Ireland before the humans. The Welsh gods are in a class of their own, but have many parallels to their Irish counterparts. In case you're wondering, the name Islands of the Blessed is mythological and is the paradise home to the gods and the greatest mortal heroes, such as Cuchulainn. Time to dive into the vast world of Celtic mythology!

This Blog

Islands of the Blessed is a blog about Celtic mythology. This is in no way the entire pantheon, just a quick overview. Any factual errors are my fault, not those of my sources.