Tuatha De Danann
According to legend the Tuatha De Danann were the rulers of Ireland’s fifth age. They consisted of two groups. The gods and the humans. The humans worked the land, while the gods were the artisans. When they arrived they burnt their ships to represent their determination in staying in their new land. They defeated the Fir Bolgs, who were the rulers during Ireland’s fourth age. Nuada king of the Tuatha lost his arm in the battle and had to give up his power. This is because they believed that a person could not be king unless he was whole. Bres took his place. This was not a good idea, as Bres, who was descended from the Fomorians turned the Tuatha into Fomorian slaves. Nuada had a new arm created and was able to take back his rule. The Tuatha ruled Ireland until they were defeated by the Milesians.
The Tuatha were a knowledgeable and talented race. They also had four talismans of divine power. These talismans were (1) the cauldron of Dagda which satisfied the hunger of anyone who ate from it (2) the stone of destiny which gave off a human scream whenever the rightful king stepped on it. (3) the Spear of Nuada which never missed its target and brought guaranteed death (4) the Sword of Lug which was a fiery sword with a taste for blood. Lug kept the sword in poppy juice as this helped sedate its murderous tendencies. During the time of their rule the Tuatha taught the inhabitants of Ireland how to make tools. They also established rules of conduct and laws, including the system of Brehon Law that would continue in Ireland until approximately 1588. After being defeated by the Milesians. They were given a choice leave Ireland or remain underground. The The Tuatha De Danann remained in Ireland and became the Celtic Gods. They are according to Celtic Mythology extremely long lived, but not immortal. They are physically stronger and more durable than humans because their bodies are denser than those of humans. Some examples of Celtic Gods were:
Danu was the mother goddess of the Tuatha. She was represented by all four elements of nature
Dagda the Good was the son on Danu. He was the god of fertility, who was gifted in magic
Lugh of the Long Arms was the god of the sun. He shone brightly during the day and at night he reflected the sun during the night. Lug is also the god of storms. He is represented by a crow, raven or lynx. He has a number of magical weapons including a bloodthirsty invincible spear that would try to kill even if no one was holding it. He became king after killing Balor of the Evil Eye, who had killed Nuada
Nuada of the Silver Arm was the great king of the Tuatha. After losing his arm in a battle against the Fir Bolgs. The doctor and metalworker created a silver arm for him that was quite wondrous in its vitality and ability to function like a real arm. Despite this Nuada was ousted from the throne because Tuatha kings were expected to be the epitome of health. Seven years later his should became infected so the doctor told him to dig up his detached limb and he proceeded to reattach it.
The Morrigan was a three-fold goddess. Triple goddesses have three aspects to their personality outside their original incarnation. The Morrigan was a war goddess, as well as a goddesses of prophecy. Her triple form consisted of Badb (war), Macha (horses and fertility) and Nemain (panic). The Morrigan is the partner of Dagda
Some of the human characteristics that the gods had were (1) Greed as shown by Bres. He did not abide by the rules of hospitality and offer drinks to the other chieftains or employ entertainment for them. He demanded heavy taxes from the citizens and tried to keep all of the wealth for himself. Bres also made the chieftains do physical labor which was the job of the non-gods. (2) Jealousy when the doctor who had created Nuada’s silver arm learned that his son had reattached the original. He killed his son. Then when 365 stalks grew on the doctor’s grave, each one being able to cure a specific area of the body. The older doctor mixed all of the stalks together so that it was impossible to know which stalk cured which illness.
There are no real life equivalents to the Tuatha De Danann, but there are superhero, literature and movie equivalents. According to TV Tropes a number of characters from “Harry Potter” such as Harry, Hermione and Dumbledore are Aces (people who are great at everything). In The Tuatha Lug/Lugh is exceptional at everything he does. Nuada’s silver arm could be similar to the cybernetic arm worn by Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Comics.
References
Ages Of The World. 1st ed. 2016. Web. 2 Apr. 2016.
Joe, Jimmy. "Tuatha Dé Danann". Timelessmyths.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 2 Apr. 2016.
Rosenberg, Donna. World Mythology. Lincolnwood, Ill.: NTC Pub. Group, 1994. Print.
"The Religion Of The Ancient Celts: Chapter V. The Tuatha Dé Danann". Sacred-texts.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 2 Apr. 2016.
"Celtic Mythology / Myth - TV Tropes". TV Tropes. N.p., 2016. Web. 2 Apr. 2016.
