Tuatha Dé Danann
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- This article is about a mythical people of Ireland. See Achaeans for the homeric Greek Danaans, Tuatha de Danann (band) for the folk metal band. For a fictional submarine, see TDD-1.
A poem in the Book of Leinster lists many of the Tuatha Dé, but ends "Although [the author] enumerates them, he does not worship them." Goibniu, Creidhne and Luchta are referred to as Trí Dée Dána ("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 Mórrígan, 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 Dé 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 festival 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 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 Dé 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 the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (present day Galicia and Northern Portugal), descendants of Míl Espáine (who are thought to represent the Goidelic Celts). The Milesians encountered three goddesses of the Tuatha Dé, Ériu, Banba and Fodla, who asked that the island be named after them; Ériu is the origin of the modern name Éire, and Banba and Fodla are still sometimes used as poetic names for Ireland.
Their three husbands, Mac Cuill, Mac Cecht and Mac Gréine, who were kings of the Tuatha Dé 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 Dé 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 Dé at Tailtiu. The Tuatha Dé were led underground into the Sidhe mounds by The Dagda.
The Tuatha Dé Danann fought against the witch Carman and her three sons. They are said to have brought chariots and druidry to Ireland.
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The Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann
The Tuatha Dé Danann brought four magical treasures with them to Ireland:
Tuatha Dé Danann High Kings of Ireland
AFM: chronology from the Annals of the Four Masters; FFE: chronology based on reign-lengths given in Seathrún Céitinn's Forus Feasa ar Erinn.
- Bres AFM 1897-1890 BC; FFE 1477-1470 BC
- Nuada AFM 1890-1870 BC; FFE 1470-1447 BC
- Lug AFM 1870-1830 BC; FFE 1447-1407 BC
- Eochaid Ollathair AFM 1830-1750 BC; FFE 1407-1337 BC
- Delbáeth AFM 1750-1740 BC; FFE 1337-1327 BC
- Fiachna AFM 1740-1730 BC; FFE 1327-1317 BC
- Mac Cuill, Mac Cecht and Mac Gréine AFM 1730-1700 BC; FFE 1317-1287 BC
Tuatha Dé Danann family tree
The following table is based on the genealogies given by Seathrún Céitinn and in the Lebor Gabála Érenn, and references in Cath Maige Tuireadh. It is not clear whether the various Elathas and Delbáeths 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 Dé.
Nemed | Iarbonel Faidh | Beothach | Iobáth | Enna | Tabarn | Tat ____________________________________|__________________________________ | | Allai Indai | __________________________|__________________________ | | | Orda Nét Elatha | ____________________|______________________________________________ | | | | | | Etarlám Esar Brec Delbáeth Dot Bres | | | | | | | | Eochaid Dian Cecht Elatha Balor | | | | | ___________|___________ _________________|______________________ | Nuada | | | | | | | | | | | (Elcmar) Cu Cethen Cian Miach Airmed Dagda Fiacha Delbáeth Ogma Allód Ethniu (Nechtan) | | | | | (Ler) _____|____ | | _____________|____________ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Etarlám Nemain Bec-Felmas Lug Cermait Aengus Bodb Midir Brigid Boann Delbáeth Manannan | | | (Tuireann) | | _________|_________ ______________________|__________________________________ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ernmas Abean MacCuill MacCecht MacGréine Fiachna Brian Iuchar Iucharba Danu Goibniu Credne Luchta Ollam |__________________ | | | | | Ériu = Badb | Aoi Banba = Macha | Fódla = Mórrígan = AnuOther members of the Tuatha Dé Danann include:
Tuatha Dé Danann as the Tribe of Dan
It has become popular amongst Anglo-Israelists to purport that the Tuatha De Danann are indeed the lost Tribe of Dan. [This essay] debunks that misconception.Popular culture
The exotic characters in Julian May's Saga of Pliocene Exile are based on Tuatha Dé Danann and Fir Bolg.The Tuatha Dé Danann appear in a chapter of Poul Anderson's book The Broken Sword, a fantasy novel placed in northern Europe during the Middle Ages. The hero Scafloc travels from Britain to Ireland and meets the People of Danu in a deep sidhe.
"Tuatha Dé Danann" is used in the Highlander books by Karen Marie Moning.
In Eoin Colfer's book Artemis Fowl, it is said that Dé Danann created the Giant's Causeway with the force of their magic blast while fighting the demon Fomorian.
The Tuatha Dé Danann (spelled Tuatha de Dannan within the game) appear in the online game City of Heroes as enemies with the appearance of hulking, green creatures with antlers. In the game, they reprise their role as enemies of the Fir Bolg, who are now pumpkin-like creatures.
The Tuatha Dé Danann appear in Diane Duane's book A Wizard Abroad, in which the battle of Lugh and the Formori is resumed in modern times. Lugh uses his spear to kill Balor of the Evil Eye, king of the Formori. The spear is said to be the mythical Spear of Destiny.
The Tuatha Dé Danann are featured heavily in Morgan Llywelyn's book Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish
Many of the Tuatha Dé Danann appear in Laurell K. Hamilton's Merry Gentry series of books.
The Tuatha Dé Danann are featured prominently in Alison Baird's novels The Hidden World and The Wolves of Woden.
The Tuatha Dé Danann are referenced in the Outlanders novel series by Mark Ellis (aka James Axler) as having engaged in a long war with the Anunnaki for possession of the Earth. The last of the Danann, the mad god Maccan, has appeared twice in the series (Dragoneye and Mad God's Wrath), wielding the deadly Silver Hand of Nuadha. The Danann princess Fand has also appeared in Outlanders.
The Tuatha Dé Danann is the codename of one of MITHRIL's advanced submarines in the Full Metal Panic series.
The Tuatha Dé Danann are presented as a water-breathing species from Thierna Na Oge, one of the five lost cities of Atlantis in the 1986 Aquaman comic book limited series by Neal Pozner and Craig Hamilton.
They are portrayed as gods in Mark Chadbourn's The Age of Misrule trilogy, in which the ancient gods return to present-day Britain.
The Tuatha Dé Danann appear in the roleplaying game Shadowrun. In the context of the game, they are Irish elves who appeared after the magical awakening of 2011. The claimed Ireland as their homeland, renaming it Tír na nÓg. They consider human and other non-elven Irish to be their inferiors, whom they refer to as Firbolg. Non-Irish elves often view them as a model to emulate.
External links
- [Encyclopedia Mythica article on the Tuatha Dé Danann]
- [Timeless Myths article on the Tuatha Dé Danann]
- [JamesAxler.com fansite]
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