Lugh

Lugh ("the shining one" or "the warrior", altir . : Lug mac Ethnenn [ Luɣ mak 'eθʴnʴeɴ ]), who is also nicknamed Lamhfhada ("the one with the long arm") and Samildánach ("the artful"), is a deity from the mythological cycle of the Celtic mythology of Ireland .

Birth and family

His mother is Ethne , the daughter of the Fomoren king Balor and his father Cian , a druid and son of the doctor Dian Cecht of the Túatha Dé Danann . According to a prophecy, Balor was destined to die at the hand of his grandson. Because of this, he locked his daughter in a crystal tower to prevent her from becoming pregnant. Nevertheless, with the help of the druid Birog , Cian manages to penetrate the tower. From this connection comes Lugh, whom Balor throws into the sea after his birth. Birog saves the baby and hands him over to Manannan mac Lir , who becomes his foster father. Tailtiu becomes his nurse .

According to the Sage Compert Con Chulainn ("Cú Chulainn's conception"), Lugh fathered the demigod Cú Chulainn with the mortal Deichtire , who is also considered to be Lugh's reincarnation. In the story Aided Chlainne Tuirenn ("The Death of the Children of Tuirenn") his father Cian is slain by the brothers Brian , Iuchar and Iucharba . Lugh avenges this murder by giving the three difficult atonement tasks that ultimately destroy them.

mythology

The story Cath Maige Tuired ("The Battle of Mag Tuired") describes how the god travels to Tara and arrives there during a festival in front of the royal castle. Since only those who can prove a special ability are allowed to enter, Lugh is asked about it by the doorkeeper Camal mac Rágail . Lugh says he is a good worker, but the doorkeeper replies that they already have one at court and there is no other need. So Lugh says he is a blacksmith, but here too he gets the same answer. There would also be no need for a good fighter, a swordsman without equal, a harper, a hero, a poet, a historian, a magician and a craftsman, for all these skills would already be represented by a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Lugh's counter-question is whether they already have one who has all of these skills. Since this is not the case, as the gatekeeper has to admit, Lugh is allowed to enter and join the Tuatha Dé Danann. King Nuada bows to the better and hands over rule to him.

Lugh's magical spear

In the Second Battle of Mag Tuired the Tuatha Dé Danann against the Formori, Lugh bewitches the enemy through Glám dícenn by dancing around the enemy army on one leg and with one closed eye, using mantras. In the battle, Nuada is destroyed by Balor with his deadly eye. Lugh kills Balor with a slingshot or, according to other tradition, with a magical spear . In another version of the battle, it is reported that Lugh also slays the Fomori king Indech mac Dé Domnann after he killed Ogma .

In the saga Baile in Scáil ("The Prophecy of the Phantom") Lugh prophesies the future king Conn Cétchathach of his fate and that of his descendants. In the Ulster cycle , he intervenes on the side of Cú Chulainn in the events surrounding the "cattle robbery of Cooley " ( Táin Bó Cuailnge ).

Others

According to legend, Lugh founded the festival Lughnasadh ( Old Irish Lugnasad , modern Irish: Lúnasa , on August 1st) in memory of his late foster mother Tailtiu .

The figure of Lugh probably goes back to the ancient Celtic deity Lugus , who appears as Lugoves in multiple forms and is regarded as the god of the craftsmen, especially the shoemaker.

City names like Lug (u) dunum or Luguvalium probably do not go back to Lugh or Lugus, but rather to the meaning of the name Lugos : "warrior". Because of the meaning "warrior", the Gauls are said to have also called the oracle, the raven bird, Lugos .

In the Welsh legend, the Lugh corresponds to the figure of Llew Llaw Gyffes .

See also

• List of Celtic gods and legendary figures
• Myths and legends from Ireland
• Aided Chlainne Tuirenn

literature

• Helmut Birkhan : Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. 2nd, corrected and enlarged edition. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-7001-2609-3 .
• Ingeborg Clarus : Celtic Myths. Man and his otherworld. Walter, Düsseldorf et al. 1991, ISBN 3-530-70014-2 , pp. 290 ff. (2nd edition. Patmos, Düsseldorf 2003, ISBN 3-491-69109-5 ).
• Bernhard Maier : Lexicon of Celtic Religion and Culture (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 466). Kröner, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-520-46601-5 .

Individual evidence

1. ^ Ingeborg Clarus: Celtic myths. Man and his otherworld. P. 87 f.
2. ↑ Cross / Slover (Ed.): The Fate of the Children of Tuirenn ( Memento of the original from January 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: Ancient Irish Tales , Henry Holt & Co., 1936, pp. 49-81. 
3. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 502. For the doorkeeper talks, see also Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr .
4. ^ Ingeborg Clarus: Celtic myths. Man and his otherworld. P. 79.
5. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 505.
6. ^ Ingeborg Clarus: Celtic myths. Man and his otherworld. P. 80 f.
7. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 967.
8. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 535.
9. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 602.
10. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 722.
11. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 603.