Deities 25 Nov 2007 03:16 am
Lugh

Lugh -
The Celtic God Lugh is the God of Light or the harvest, His festival, on August 1st, is called Lughnasadh. He is reputed to be the divine father of Cu Chulainn whom he conceived with Dechtire when he carried her away to his palace beneath Brugh na Boinne.
The Celtic God Lugh is worshipped in Irish Tradition as a deity of the sun. This connection with the sun may explain his name (it means "shining one"), and it also may account for the attributes that he displays: he is handsome, perpetually youthful, and has a tremendous energy and vitality. This energy manifests itself especially in the number of skills he has mastered. In fact, there was a tale that related Lugh’s myriad abilities at arts and crafts.
He was known as Ildanach which means master of all arts and crafts. As told in the Battle of Magh Tuiredh of Celtic mythology, Lugh travelled to Tara, then the palace of the King Nuada, and arrived during a tremendous feast for the royal court. Lugh was greeted at the door by the keeper of the gate, and was immediately asked what talent he had - for it was a tradition there that only those who had a special or unique ability could enter the palace. The Celtic god offered his reply: "I am a wright". In response, the gate keeper said: "We already have a wright. Your services are not needed here". Still, Lugh, not to be so easily dismissed, continued: "I am a smith". Again, the guard retorted that the court had a smith that was quite adequate; but the god was not to be dissuaded. In short order, he noted that he was also a champion, a harper, a hero, a poet, an historian, a sorcerer, and a craftsman. To this list, the gate keeper merely nodded his head, and stated matter of factly that all of these various trades were represented in the court by other members of the Tuatha de Danaan. "Ah, but you do have an individual who possesses all of these skills simultaneously?", was Lugh’s clever and inspired reply. The guard was forced to admit his defeat, and so Lugh was allowed to enter and join the festivities.
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