Birth of Lugh

Under the tyranny and oppression of the Fomorians, the Tuatha Dé Danann had to wait for the champion to liberate them from bondage. That champion was Lugh.

Like Bres, Lugh was half-Danann and half Fomorian. His father was Cian, son of Danu and brother of master-smith Goibhniu and Sawan. Lugh's mother was Ethlinn, daughter of Balor. Balor discovered from a prophecy that one day, his grandson would kill him. Balor sought to avoid this fate by imprisoning his daughter in the tower, very much like Acrisius tried to imprisoned his own daughter Danaë.

Cian was an owner of a magic cow that had endless supply of milk. Though disguise and deception, Balor lured away Sawan, who was guarding the cow, during his brother's absence. Balor then stole Cian's cow. Cian sought vengeance upon Balor.

Through stealth and the magic of druidess Birog, Cian entered Balor's tower in Tory Island and found Balor's daughter Ethlinn, locked away in one of the chambers. The two fell in love and slept with one another.

Balor later learned of Ethlinn giving birth to three sons. Frightened, but enraged, Balor ordered that his grandsons were to be thrown in a whirlpool.

One of Balor's men rolled the Ethlinn's children in a sheet and head toward the top of the tower. One infant fell out and dropped into the bay. Birog saved the child, who fell into the bay. The druidess brought the infant to Cian, who named him Lugh.

Thinking this child had drowned, the Fomorian continued to the top of the tower, before throwing the other two infants into the whirlpool.



In a different version of the Lugh's birth (which was less exciting), the Fomorians formed alliance with the arrival of the Tuatha Dé Danann to Ireland. Balor offered his daughter Ethlinn to Cian in marriage. This wedding happened before the First Battle of Moytura (Mag Tuired).


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A New Champion is Born

For awhile, his uncle Goibhniu brought up Lugh in the forge, and taught him his trade. He learned other skills as well. Lugh was sometimes called Lugh Samildánach ("Skilled in All Arts").

The story goes on, that the young man went to the house of Nuada of the Silver Hand, seeking service with the king. At the door, the doorman refused him entry. Lugh told the doorman that he wished to serve the king as carpenter, the doorman replied that they already had a carpenter named Luchta. Lugh said he was also smith, the doorman again replied they already have a master-smith. Lugh then told him he was a warrior, then a bard, a physician and so forth. Each time the doorman replied that, someone else had already taken this service or that service. Finally, Lugh asked the doorman if the king know of anyone who could do all these skills; otherwise he would leave. None were found who could accomplish all these skills.

Ogma tested Lugh's strength. Ogma threw a large stone outside from the hall. The stone broke into four large pieces. Not only did Lugh threw the stone back to the centre of the hall, but the stone became whole.

Lugh was then asked to play a harp. His music could lulled to sleep, make them cry or merry. Nuada readily accept the gifted young man in his service. Nuada asked them to deliver the Tuatha Dé Danann from servile to the Fomorians.

Lugh was also brought up in the Tír Tairngire – "Land of Promise" by Manannán mac Lir, the god of sea. Lugh was often named Lugh Lamfada, which means "Lugh of the Long Arm".


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Treasures of Tuatha Dé Danann

From Manannán, Lugh brought many gifts to the Tuatha Dé Danann. These magical gifts come from four great magical cities: Falias, Gorias, Finias and Murias. From the Falias, the Danann received the talking stone of truth, called Lia Fail. It was sometimes called ("Stone of Destiny"), because the Lia Fail would reveal who was the rightful king of Ireland.

The second treasure from the city Gorias, was the great magical sword, called Freagarthach (the "Answerer"), that Lugh and Nuada wielded. Lugh also brought with him the invincible spear from Finias. The last treasure from Murias was Cauldron of Dagda. This cauldron could feed everyone in Ireland without emptying.

With these four gifts from the goddess Danu, they would have a chance of defeating the Fomorians


With these treasures, the Tuatha Dé Danann believed it was time to overthrow Fomorian overlordship. Lugh set about gathering hosting to oppose the Fomorian army.

Lugh sent his father to Ulaid (Ulster), to gather fighting men. However, Cian encountered the sons of Turenne, whom Cian had blood feud with. Cian was murdered.

When Lugh discovered the murder, Lugh sought revenge. Given a choice of being execution or being sent on performing half-dozen impossible tasks; the brothers chose the later. Among the items the sons of Turenne had to fetch was the magic pigskin that could heal any wound.

By the time they accomplished all their tasks, they were mortally wounded. Turenne pleaded with Lugh, to use the pigskin to heal his sons. Lugh refused. The brothers died shortly after.


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All this preparation took seven years to rally the Tuatha Dé Danann. During that time, when Dagda travelled north, he met a beautiful woman, near his home at Glenn Etin. Dagda slept with the woman on Samhain (November 1), the eve before the battle. The woman was the Morrígan. The Morrígan represented the Sovereignty of Ireland. To ensure that the land of Ireland remained fertile, Dagda must sleep with the goddess, each year on Samhain's Night.

The Morrígan informed Dagda that the Fomorians were going to land at Mag Scetne. She told her husband (Dagda) that he must bring the fighting men of the Eire (Ireland) to at the Ford of Unius (Ford of Destruction).



Lugh had sent Dagda to spy and delay the Fomorians, while Lugh recruited and gathered the Tuatha Dé Danann for the coming battle. Dagda came to the Fomorian under the truce flag.

The Fomorian knew of Dagda of fondness for porridge. So they had a large hole, as deep as a man, filled with porridge. The Fomorian agreed to a truce, only if Dagda would eat all the porridge in the hole, otherwise they would kill him. The Fomorians laughed that Tuatha Dé Danann could not accuse them of inhospitality.

Dagda had no choice but to eat the porridge. Dagda took a spoon or ladle, which was large enough for a man and a woman to lie in the middle. Dagda ate the porridge reaching the bottom. He even ate some of the gravels at the bottom of the pit. Dagda ate so much, that his belly had reached a gigantic portion. The Fomorians laughed at Dagda's appearance, but they set him free.

As Dagda travelled to Traigh Eabha, the slow and encumbered hero met a beautiful young woman, whom he desired. However he was impotent due to his weight and unsightly appearance.

The girl mocked and attacked him. She was the daughter of Indech, son of De Domnann, one of three Fomorian kings. The young woman had hurled him so that his rump sank to the hollow of the ground. Mocking Dagda, the woman told him to carry her to her father's house, on his back.

She struck and mocked him each time Dagda refused to carry her on his back. Finally, the content of his belly emptied into the hole in the ground. With Dagda gaining his appearance, he seduced the Fomorian woman. Dagda became her lover.

The girl then told Dagda not to confront the Fomorians, but he refused to be discouraged each time. Finally, the young woman told her lover that she would use her own magic to hinder the Fomorians.


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Though the Tuatha Dé Danann were oppressed by Bres' misrule and the Fomorian heavy tributes, they were still uncertain of Nuada Airgetlám's (Nuada of the Silver Hand) fitness to rule, since right arm was made of silver.

Miach, the son of Dian Cécht, proved to be an even greater healer than his father ever was. With his healing magic and his sister's assistance (Airmed), Miach was able to restore Nuada's real hand, after three days and three nights. Dian Cécht was upset and jealous of his son's skill in healing. Dian Cécht struck three times on his son's head; each time Miach was able to heal himself. The fourth time that Dian Cécht had struck his son, he had cut out his son's brain so that Miach died.

Dian Cécht buried his son and magical herbs grew from Miach's grave. Dian Cécht's daughter, Airmed attempted to categorise the herbs according to their properties, but his jealousy of his children's healing skills, caused Dian Cécht disrupted Airmed's analysis of the herbs.

With Nuada's hand restored, the Tuatha Dé Danann were now fully supporting Nuada.



Nuada and other Danann did not want to risk Lugh in battle. They feared for the young man safety, so Nuada sent for Lugh's nine foster fathers to prevent Lugh from fighting.

In the Fomorian camp, the kings sent an assassin to kill Goibhniu. The assassin was named Ruadan, the son of Bres and Brig (Brigit). Though Ruadan managed to wound the smith with the spear, Goibhniu pulled out the bloody spear and killed the young assassin. When Brig found her dead son, for the first time in Ireland, the keening was heard as she lament her son's death.


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With all the fighting men gathered, the battle again took place in Magh Tuiredh (Moytura). As the two armies clashed, weapons and armour were repaired by Goibhniu, Luchta and Credne, with seemingly effortless ease. The pigskin was used to heal the wounded, while the magic cauldron fed the Danann host.

Morrígan and Badb came into the battle. Their battle-frenzy struck fear into the Fomorians' hearts.

Many Tuatha Dé Danann were killed by Balor's deadly eye, including the Danann king, Nuada of the Silver Hand and his consort, Macha. Caitlin, Balor's buck-toothed wife, wounded Dagda, but according to the Lebor Gabala, Dagda had died from his wound. Ogma was also said to have die in the Lebor Gabala Ogma and Indech (or Tethra), another Fomorian king, killed one another, but Cath Mag Tuired say that Ogma was also alive. Ogma won the sword of Indech – Orna.

However, Balor could not keep his eye opened for very long, before the Fomorian grew tired. As Balor's eye gradually closed, Lugh hurled a stone from his sling, at Balor's eye. Lugh fulfilled prophecy, by killing his grandfather.

Some Fomorians managed to escape steal Dagda's harp, Úaithne. Dagda, Ogma and Lugh pursued the Fomorians. The Fomorians hanged the harp on the wall in Bres' banqueting hall.

Dagda sang to Úaithne to come to him. The harp flew from the wall and into his hand, killing nine Fomorians in its flight.

There were more fighting in which Elatha, the last Fomorian king was killed. The Fomorian army was crushed; their powers were forever broken.

The Tuatha Dé Danann had captured Bres, the former king of Ireland. Lugh only agreed to spare Bres, if Bres tell them when to plant and harvest the crops in the year. This is because Bres was considered to be the god of agriculture.

The battle ended with Morrigan proclaiming victory for the Tuatha Dé Danann. Badb (also Morrigan) ended Cath Mag Tuired with a poem or prophecy.

With the death of Nuada of the Silver Hand, Lugh Lamfada became the new king of Ireland.