Tuatha de Danna

Sing oh muse, of the story of the children of Danna

Long ago, in the Emerald Island live the Fomori, an ancestral race of giants demons that rule Éire, they were dark of skin, and savage of life. Their lieder, Balor, the one of the evil eye, ruled with iron fist.

But in the big lands live Danna, Mother goddess of Fertility, Abundance & Protection

A river she is, covering the earth with her arms
A river that flows, constantly changing, constantly growing
Trees feed from her tears, of joy and sadness
Stones give way to her strength and tenderness
Life comes from her, life ends at her,
she’s the water that came from the sky.
Because is the spirit of the planet, because is the spirit of the gods.
The river flows, the river sings, and gives to the big Tree water to live.

This big tree was Bilé, the green man that is brother and husband of Danna, the god of summer life on which honor Beltaine is celebrate.

He is the flame of life; he is the life that flames
The sun and the earth, the living spirit that brings mater
In summer he lives, but never he dies
Trees know his name, stones scream his voice
Force, spirit and wisdom, power and light
That can only be calmed by the waters of Danna.

They came together and give birth to gods and mans alike. The truly ancestors, the ancient ones.
And that’s how the Tuatha De Danann (children of Danna) born, living in too many places, at too many times. But four cities of importance there were. Findias, Gorias, Murias and Falias, whose secrets and treasures the children of Danna reclaim from every city.

Nuada’s Sword, no one could escape of it’s deadly force.
Lugh’s spear, whom ever posses it never will lose a battle
Dadga’s cauldron, no army will ever have hungry if they feed on it, no matter how big
and Fal’s stone who will cry the name of every new king.

Dannan guide her children on their first journey, in the form of the great river, named after her Danube, near to the coast, and then sent them to this Islands, not only to claim of it’s treasures, but to learn from the ancient druids. Morfesa was in Falias, Esras was in Gorias, Uiscias was in Findias, and Semias was in Murias. They were the four druids from whom the Tuatha de learned occult lore and secret knowledge.

Once they were strong and wise enough, the assembly their army, an army of gods, heroes, druids, druidest and mans; and went to the emerald Island to conclude Balor’s reign.

Listen to me oh pilgrim, listen to the cry of the winds.

Because on Baltaine, the Emerald Islands were cover by dark clouds, from which the sons and daughters of Dannan arrive. On the summer solstice they fight the Fomori, a great battle on which only three times a hundred of Fomori manage to escape. On this fierce battle, Nuada, the leader of the Thuatha de Danna, lost his hand; and therefore has to leave his leadership since no king of them could be with any physical impediment.

The Thuatha as a gesture of peace, give the Fomori the chance to keep part of the island and even ask Bress, son of Elathan to be their king now that the chair was empty.

Bress Mc Elathan, son of a Fomori and a Thuatha, accept and married Brigith daughter of Dagda to seal the deal.

At the same time, Cian son of Diancecht, enters the tower where Eithne daughter of Balor, was kept, and the both fell in love.

From this love Eithne Ni Balor give birth to three child, but Balor, afraid of the omens that said that his grandson will kill him, contempt them to dead. Only one survive, since he fall to the river and land on the other side, where a Tuatha de Danna adopt him, she was Duach, the goddess of darkness, and his name was Lugh.

Oh light of the sun, Oh wisdom one
You who posses all the skills, you who brings life
The harvest is your will, the water is your tool.
Son of the darkness, father of the heroes
Master of all arts, master of all crafts
Who can be better of you in fighting?
Who can be better of you in magic?
Lugh the Long-handed, your destiny awaits
Lugh the wise man, whose light will guide our path.

Since Bress rule with tyrannical force, and humiliate even the great Thuatha as Dagda, they forced him to give away his throne. Bress went out to the sea, and return with his father. Elathan full of anger, decided to battle the Thuatha again. Meanwhile Nuada was cured by his Druids, and recover his hand.

When a big party were held on Nuada’s castle, someone knock the door and ask for entrance. The porter said that no one who has not a special ability could enter. The stranger was Lugh Samildánach, the one who posses all skills, in answer of the porters words, he say “I am a carpenter, ironsmith, champion, harper, bard, ovate and druid…ask your king if any of his men has as many skills as I am”

The king send his best fidhchell player to Lugh; he defeated the player in every game.

Nuada then admit Lugh to his court, and give him the post of wise man.

When the fomori attack, Nuada ask Lugh to command his army, seven years pass getting ready for the war, Lugh summon of the Thuatha of Danna that live to join him in this final battle.

Meanwhile, just one day before the battle, when Dagda was walking in the forest he find Morrigu, the war goddess, who promise him to win the battle if they slept togheter.

Near to the Samhain the two armies encounter, and during 13 moons they fought. On this great fight many gods die, even Nuada.

Lught challenge Balor of the evil eye, his grandfather, then, when Balor open his eye, Lugh use his spear to get the eye to the other side of Balor’s head who saw the fomori and kill them all.

The fomori who manage to escape went to the sea and never come back. Then, after Nuada’s death, The Dagda, the good god, take the role of their king and father.

I call upon the Dagda, the good god
Great among all
Great among few
You of the cauldron, who feed the hungry
You of the wisdom, who feed the souls
Cauldron of plenty, of love and magic
Cauldron of destiny, of days and nights
Sky and earth, beginning and end
Lord of Death, as the dark man
Lord of History of events past before your eyes
Lord of the Ancestors, who come on Samhain
Lord of life, as the green man
I call upon In Dagda, great among the gods.

The Tuatha De Dannan rule over Éire, the went to the Island of Man, to Scotland, to Britain and a great kingdom was made.

They rule for many years, until the Milesian arrive, but that is another story, and will be told at another time.