Lugh – Mighty God Of Light, Sun And Crafts In Celtic Beliefs
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Lugh, whose name means "the shining," is one of the greatest heroes of Irish folklore. He is known under different names but is usually mentioned as Lugh of the Long Arms (sometimes, "Long Hands" or even "Artful Hands").
Celtic God Lugh. Credit: Adobe Stock - AiAdvocate.org
Lugh - the most powerful of the Celtic gods - is the god of all arts and crafts. Worshiped as the sun god, he symbolizes enlightenment and brings light to the world.
We can still recognize his name in many historic sites on the European continent. Names like Lugdunum ("the fortress of Lugha") which is today the French city of Lyon and the Dutch city of Leiden, of which name has in the past erroneously been associated with the Roman outpost Lugdunum Batavorum. Carlisle (England) was once Luguvalium, a town near Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain and Wales. Lugh was worshiped as Lleu, while in the regions of Gaul as Lugus.
Who Is The Celtic God Lugh?
Our earlier article on Ancient Pages described how Lugh came into the world. Lugh was born from the relationship between Ethne, the daughter of the Fomorian king Balor and a young man, Cian (Kian), who belonged to Tuatha Dé Danann. Tailtiu was Lugh's foster mother, and his adoptive father was the god of the sea, Manannán mac Lir, who was older than the Tuatha de Danaan tribe people but considered one of them.
Relief of a three-faced god from northeastern Gaul believed to be Lugus, the Gaulish equivalent of Lugh. Credit: QuartierLatin1968 - CC BY-SA 3.0
Lugh was a beautiful fair-haired god with a shining face. He was the owner of a formidable spear, never missing its goal. It was an "extension of his arm," and thus, he became known as Lugh "of the Long Arms."
Lugh Appears In The Palace Of King Nuada
The Tuatha de Danann were governed unfairly by the Fomorian king Balor. Despite being half-Fomorian, Lugh wanted to fight on the side of the Dananns and help them to defeat the Fomorians.
At first, he was not particularly trusted when he, one day, arrived at the gate of king Nuada's palace as a stranger. The gatekeeper wanted to know his profession. He was refused entrance to the hall because no one was admitted without being the master of some craft.
"I am a carpenter," said the stranger.
The gatekeeper replied that the king already had a skilled carpenter and did not need another.
"Then tell the king I am a master smith."
"We already have a smith," answered the gatekeeper.
"Then I am a warrior, too," said the stranger.
Credit: Adobe Stock - La Cassette Bleue
"We do not need one," replied the gatekeeper. "The great Ogma is our champion."
The stranger proposed all possible professions he mastered, even poet, harpist, scientist, physician, sorcerer, and sculptor. Each time, he was told that king Nuada already had such a professional at court.
"Then ask the king," said the stranger (Lugh) to the gatekeeper, "if he has with him a man of all these crafts at once, for if he has, there is no need for me at Tara."
Eventually, Lugh was allowed in because he had mastered many skills. The Tuatha de Danann admired his strength and intelligence and called him Samildanach ("Many-Skills"). He became the Tuatha's temporary king when Nuada lost his hand in battle, and after Nuada's death, Lugh became the Tuatha's rightful king.
The Fomorians were finally defeated, and Lugh's brave accomplishment helped bring freedom to the Irish.
Image source: Gods and Demons Wiki
Lugh led the Dananns against the Fomorians in the second and final battle of Mag Tuired. He killed his grandfather Balor by piercing him through his evil eye with a slingshot and cutting off his head.
At the same time, he fulfilled an old Druid prophecy saying that Balor, the Fomorian tyrannical king, would be killed by his grandson, so it happened.
Lugh was also the spiritual guide of his son, Cuchulainn, and fought in his son's place to give him rest during his lone and very tiring combat.
Lugh's most famous weapon was called the "Invincible Spear" or the "Spear of Victory," with properties similar to the Sword of Nuada - when thrown, it momentarily hit its target.
The spear was blazingly hot and became hotter the longer it was used. It was stored in a vat of water at night to keep it from catching fire and scorching the earth.
Written by – A. Sutherland AncientPages.com Staff Writer
Updated on January 21, 2023
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesReferences:
Leeming, D. The Oxford Companion to World Mythology
Sjoestedt, Marie-Louise. Celtic Gods and Heroes
History, Hourly. Celtic Mythology
More From Ancient Pages
-
Viking Burial Rituals: High Ancient Funeral Pyre Reflected High Social Status
Ancient Traditions And Customs | Mar 13, 2017
-
Oldest Golden Jewel In The Caucasus Unearthed In Azerbaijan
Archaeology | Dec 25, 2017
-
Olmec Civilization Remains An Intriguing Ancient Puzzle
Civilizations | Feb 2, 2017
-
Monstrous Nomoli Figures Left By Unknown Culture That Vanished Long Ago
Artifacts | Mar 13, 2023
-
Crannogs – Artificial Islands In Scotland Are Older Than Stonehenge
Archaeology | Jun 17, 2019
-
Legend Of The Four Dragons That Disobeyed The Jade Emperor And Gave China Water
Chinese Mythology | Feb 22, 2019
-
Unusual Ancient Winged Half-Human And Half-Animal Divine Creature With Supernatural Powers
Artifacts | Jul 30, 2019
-
7,800-Year-Old Clay Female Figurine Unearthed In Ulucak Mound, Turkey’s Izmir
Archaeology | Aug 17, 2022
-
Empusa – Shape-Shifting Evil Female Demon In Greek Myth And Folklore
Featured Stories | Jun 3, 2020
-
3,000-Year-Old Female Statue Unearthed In Turkey
Archaeology | Aug 11, 2017
-
Qumran: The Dead Sea Scrolls And Their Connection To Enigmatic Essenes
Civilizations | Feb 20, 2016
-
Unique 2,000-Year-Old Hexagonal-Shaped Bronze Matrix Of Sarmizegetusa Regia, Romania
Artifacts | Jan 7, 2016
-
Lamplighters In London: An Important Job In The Victorian Era
Ancient History Facts | May 17, 2019
-
Nanna: Mesopotamian Moon God, Lord Of Wisdom And Father Of The Gods
Featured Stories | Apr 1, 2017
-
New Clues Why Neanderthals Visited La Cotte de St Brelade In Jersey 250,000 Years Ago
Archaeology | Jun 18, 2023
-
Was Beautiful Ancient City Of Terracina Home To The First Hellenistic Temple?
Archaeology | Dec 16, 2019
-
Mysterious 4,000-Year-Old Table-Like And Unique Dolmen Discovered In Galilee Hills, Israel
Archaeology | Mar 6, 2017
-
Hatra: Ancient Powerful Caravan City That Could Withstand Invading Roman Armies
Featured Stories | Dec 12, 2020
-
Completely Intact 2,000-Year-Old ‘Chocolatier Style’ Pot Discovered In Mexican Cave
Archaeology | Jul 30, 2022
-
Oldest Aqueduct Dated To 3rd Century BC Discovered In Rome
Archaeology | Apr 4, 2017