THE COMING OF LUGH ©
by Nancy Bell
Come closer to the fire on this coldest of nights. As the sun comes to its most distant point and the darkness holds sway let us speak of the coming of the great hero Lugh. Lugh Lamfada, the Shining One. On Winter Solstice morning the long arm of the sun pierces the darkness of the inner chamber at Brugh na Boine and balance of light and darkness tips in favour of the returning sun until Mid Summer's Day. The coming of Lugh brings in an age of heroes and great deeds, so to welcome back the strengthening sun let me tell you the story of the coming of Lugh.
Nuada of the Silver Hnad was holding a feast at seat of the High Kings called Teamhair. Keeping watch at the door were two keepers, Gamal, son of Figal and Camel son of Riagall. During the feast a young man with golden hair came to the door and asked for an audience with Nuada. The keepers asked of the young man who he was and he replied thusly. I am Lugh, son of Cian of the Tuatha de Danaan and of Ethlinn, she who is the daughter of Balor, King of the Fomor. I am the foster son of Tailte daughter of the King of the Great Plain and of Echaid the Rough, son of Duach. The keepers then asked what Lugh was skilled in for no one could enter Teamhair without an art. Lugh answered them, that he was a carpenter, then a smith, then a champion, a harper, a poet and teller or tales, a magician, a physician, he begged permission to be a cup bearer and that he was a good worker of brass. Each time the door keepers assured him that Nuada already someone skilled in those areas mentioned by Lugh.
Finally, Lugh says "Go and ask the King if he has anyone who is skilled in all of these things and if he has I will not ask to come into Teamhair."
The doorkeeper went to the King and told him that there was a young man at t he door wishing to claim entrance. The doorkeeper says that the young man's name should be Ildanach the Master of All Arts for he can do everyone of things that all the people of your house can do. Nuada asks that Lugh be tested on the chess-boards and Lugh won at that game as well and so Nuada allowed Lugh entrance.
Lugh entered and sat down in the seat of knowledge. Ogma took up a huge flag stone that needed four times twenty yoke of oxen to move and hurled it out through the house so that it landed outside of Teamhair, he did this as a challenge to Lugh. Lugh replied by hurling the stone back so that it lay in the middle of the King's house. Next Lugh harped for them and make them laugh and cry with his music and then sleep. Nuada, seeing all the skills that Lugh possessed began to think that maybe Lugh could help free the country from the tyranny of the Fomor. Nuada came down from his throne and set Lugh upon it, for a period of thirteen days they would listen to all the advice that Lugh could give them.
The story within the story is this. Balor of the Evil Eye was King of Fomor and and lived in a tall tower on the Isle of Glass. From there he pillaged all ships that came within his ken and held Ireland in tyranny, exacting taxes and tithes from them. The only thing that Balor feared was his unborn grandchild, for a Druid foretold that it was by Balor's own grandson that he would meet his death. Now Balor at this time had only one daughter and her name was Ethlinn, upon hearing the prophecy of the Druid Balor sequestered him the tower and set twelve women to guard her and never let her see or hear the name of a man. As Ethinn grew up and matured into a beautiful woman she often dreamed of a certain man and sometimes she would see men passing by the island in the currachs. All this time Balor went on with his robbery and wars, safe in the knowledge that he could not be killed.
At the same time there were three brothers of the Tuatha de Dannan living at Druim na Teine, the Ridge of Fire. They were Goibnui, Samthainn and Cian. Cian was lord of the land and Goibnui was a smith of great renown. Cian was in possession of a wonderful cow, the Glas Gaibhnenn, whose milk never failed her. She was much coveted by many and was guarded night and day. Balor knew of the Glas Gaibhnenn and wanted her for his own. He plotted and came up with a plan of trickery and lies and tricked Samthainn into abandoning the cow to rush off in anger after Cian. Balor quickly spirited the cow away to his island. Cian was beside himself and sought the help of a Druid to advise him in the matter of reclaiming Glas Gaibhnenn. The Druid told Cian that as long as Balor lived the cow would not be recovered due to the effect of Balor's Evil Eye.
Cian then went to the woman Druid, Birog of the Mountain. Birog dressed Cian as a woman and brought him to Balor's tower by magic on the breath of the wind. This was the same tower of course where Ethlinn was held. Birog asked the help of the women in the tower, asking for shelter for a high queen (or as we know Cian) who Birog had rescued from some danger. The women did not want to refuse shelter to one of the Tuatha de Danann and so let Birog and the disquised Cian in. Birog put the women under an enchantment that dropped them all into a deep sleep. Cian took off his disquise and spoke with Ethlinn, who recognized his face as the face of the man from her dreams. So Cian and Ethlinn fell in love and spent a short time together. But Birog had to spirit Cian back to Ireland on the blast of the wind.
In due course Ethlinn gave birth to a son. Balor commanded that the child be thrown from the tower into the sea and it was so. But Birog was waiting and took the child from the waves and gave him to Tailte, daughter of the King of the Great Plain. And so it was she who raised and reared Lugh.
Once Lugh had come to Teamhair he made up his mind to join with his father Cian's people against Balor. With Nuada, the Dagda, Ogma and Goibnui and Diancecht Lugh went to Grellach Dollaid and made their plans in secret. The council that they held there gave the place the name "The Whisper of the Men of Dea." They broke their council and agreed to meet in three years to the day. Everyone of them went his own way and Lugh himself returned to his friends, the sons of Manannan.
Some time after this, Nuada was holding a great assembly on the Hill of Uisnech on the west side of Teamhair. They saw an army coming towards them from the east, from the home of the rising sun.
There was a young man at the head of the troop, in command of them. The brightness of his face was like the sun setting in the west and they were not able to look at him for the brightness. As they came nearer they saw that he was Lugh Lamhfada of the Long Hand and he brought with him the Riders of the Sidhe from the Land of Promise and his foster brothers, the sons of Manannan. Sgoith Gleigeil the white flower, Goitne Gorm-Shuileach the Blue Eyed Spear, Sin Sindearg of the Red Ring and Donall Donn-Ruadh of the Red-brown hair they were.
Lugh also brought with him Aonbharr of the One Mane, Manannan's own horse who could run as fast on the sea as on the land and no one was ever killed while astride her. Lugh also had Manannan's breastplate that protected it's wearer from harm and a wonderful helmet with two precious stones set one in the front and one in the back. When Lugh took the helmet off his forehead shone like the sun on a dry summer day. Lugh carried Manannan's sword the Freagarthach, the Answerer at his side, no one wounded by that sword could live. Nuada the King of Ireland welcomed the army of the Tuatha de Dannan.
Shortly after this a slovenly troop of Formor tax collectors approached Teamhair. Among them were four of the cruelest of the collectors, they were Eine, Eathfaigh, Coron and Compar. As they approached Nuada and all the Tuatha de Dannan rose up before them.
Lugh asked of Nuada why he rose in honour of the Fomor but not for Lugh's troops. Nuada answered saying that the slightest provocation would set the Formor to killing the innocent and the young. Lugh's temper rose and he spoke against the Fomor, Nuada cautioned him saying that it would only bring trouble to the Tuatha de Dannan. Lugh spoke with heat in return saying that they had bowed under the yoke of oppression for too long. Lugh started to lay about him with his sword, he killed or wounded eight nines of them but left the last nine go under the protection of Nuada the king. Lugh advised them that he would rather kill them too but needed them to carry a message to Balor. So the nine went back to Lochlann and related the story. Balor asked them if they knew who the young man was. Ceithlenn, his wife answered him instead saying "he is the son of you daughter and mine. We will have no power in Ireland now that he is there. The Druid has foretold it."
Balor called a council of Eab, son of Neid, Seanchab, grandson of Neid, Sital Salmhor, Liath, son of Lobais, the nine poets of Fomor that were rich with learning and foreknowledge, Lobais the Druid, Balor's twelve white-mouthed sons and Ceithlinn of the Crooked Teeth. Just at this time Bres and his sire Elathan came to ask the Fomor for help and Bres volunteered to go to Ireland with seven great battalions of the Riders of the Fomor and give battle to the Ildanach, the Master of All Arts. Bres promised to strike off the head of Lugh and bring it to Balor on the green of Berbhe. So they made ready and set out for Ireland.
Balor accompanied them to the harbour and charged them saying "Give battle to that Ildanach, and strike off his head; tie that island that is called Ireland to the back of your ships, and let the destroying water take its place, and put it on the north side of Lochlann, and not one of the Men of Dea will follow it there to the end of life and time."
Bres and his company set out and landed at the harbour of Eas Dara. From there they sent out an army through West Connacht and destroyed it all together. Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda was King of Connacht at the time.
All these things took place between the first and second battles of Magh Tuireadh, this is the story of Lugh's birth and his initiation into the Tuatha de Dannan and his coming of age. I offer this tale of the birth and coming of age of Lugh the Shining One as my gift to the returning sun on this Winter Solstice. May the coming year be bountiful and the harvest overflow the sheds, may the lambs and calves be thick upon the fields and the foals suckle heartily from the mares. May we have sun and rain in their turn as we require them, may the emerald grasses stretch to the horizons and blow in the wind undisturbed by strife. May all these things and more be ours for the coming season.
Nancy Bell is proud Albertan, horsewoman, wife, mother and grandmother. She lives on a farm near Balzac, Alberta with her husband, two horses, two ponies, various dogs, cats and whatever else happens to wander into the yard. Nancy has been writing all her life, she especially enjoys writing poetry and has just completed Laurel's Miracle, a novel for young adults (and those young at heart) which is rich with magic and extraordinary characters. Nancy welcomes feedback from her readers and can be contacted at emilypikkasso@gmail.com
The Coming of Lugh copyright © 2009 by Nancy Bell, all rights reserved. Used with permission. Top of Page
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