Lugh
Irish god-hero of many skills who killed Balor
- Known from
- Cath Maige Tuired; Lebor Gabála Érenn; Ulster Cycle
- Epithets
- Lámfada ('long arm'); Samildánach ('skilled in all arts')
- Grandfather
- Balor of the Fomorians (through his mother Ethniu)
- Treasure
- The spear of Lugh, which never missed
- Festival
- Lughnasa, 1 August
- Cognate
- Gaulish god Lugus
The Tuatha Dé champion 'skilled in all arts' who killed his grandfather Balor with a sling-stone through the eye at the Second Battle of Mag Tuired.
What is Lugh known for?
Lugh is one of the most important figures of the Tuatha Dé Danann in Irish literature, and a god in origin. He is called Lámfada, 'of the long arm', and Samildánach, 'skilled in all the arts'. He is linked to the Gaulish god Lugus, whose name survives in place names such as Lugdunum (Lyon), and the harvest festival Lughnasa on 1 August is named after him.
In Cath Maige Tuired, Lugh arrives at Tara and gains entry by showing he masters every craft at once. His mother is Ethniu, daughter of the Fomorian Balor, so he is Balor's grandson. In the Second Battle of Mag Tuired he leads the Tuatha Dé and kills Balor by casting a sling-stone through his deadly eye. His spear, which never missed, is one of the four treasures of the Tuatha Dé.
In the Ulster Cycle, Lugh is the divine father of the hero Cú Chulainn. The tales survive in medieval Christian manuscripts that recast older gods as ancient kings and heroes.
His spear is among the four treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and he is the slayer of Balor.
Mentioned on these pages
- Rabbit holeBalor
- Rabbit holeTuatha Dé Danann
- PassageBalor's killing eye (Second Battle of Mag Tuired)
- PersonNuadu (Nuada Airgetlám)
- PersonWhitley Stokes
- PlaceMag Tuired (Moytura)
Sources
- Nancy Effinger Wilson, 'Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of Invasions)', Irish Mythology (Texas State University Pressbooks)Reference
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, 'Mag Tuired'Reference
- Wikipedia, 'Lugh'Reference
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