The God-Kings of Éirinn

A Session on the Semi-Divine Rulers of Ireland

Apr 09, 2025

gray concrete castle under blue sky during daytime — Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

This is sort of s sequel post to an article I wrote last March about three “old gods” of Ireland (linked below). This week’s post covers three figures from Irish saga literature who might have once been gods that ruled the ancient, prehistoric tribes of Ireland, the Túatha dé Danann (“Tribes of the Goddess Danu”). These figures are sometimes speculated to have been deities of pre-Christian Ireland and are slowly coming to the forefront of many adaptations of Irish literature in pop culture. Today we will be going over some of the tales these potential deities originally appear in to see how they were portrayed.

The Old Gods of Éirinn

Ethan Sabatella

March 13, 2024

The pre-Christian deities of Ireland are the great subject of speculation and misinterpretation in modern scholarship and popular culture. Given what little evidence Pagan Celts left behind about their gods and their overall religion, it is best to make carefully-informed theories and ideas on the subject but the com…

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As usual, I must preface this post with a statement about how little we actually know about the pre-Christian Irish religion; these figures are not usually explicitly called “gods” in the original manuscripts, which were penned by Christian authors several centuries after the conversion of the Island. While they did at least acknowledge the cultural significance these figures had amongst their traditions, many times their origins were reworked in order to canonize them with Biblical lore. Although certain figures and traditions in Irish myth and folklore could have had pagan origins, Christianity has been Ireland’s primary faith for almost two millennia.

The original manuscripts use the primary explanation that the Túatha dé Danann are descendants of Nemed’s people, the third group of invaders to come to Ireland. Although initially successful in warding off Fomorian invaders, Nemed’s people fell victim to famine and plague and were forced to abandon the island with Nemed’s three descendants taking each of their followers to other corners of the world. The specific group that ends up becoming the Túatha dé Danann being followers of Bethach son of Iarbonel the Soothsayer son of Nemed. We also get a supplemental theory in Lebor Gábala Éirinn that “….the Tuatha De Danann were demons of a different order, and that it is they who came from heaven along with the expulsion by which Lucifer and his demons came from heaven…”1 The section following in the same text offers another theory: “But in the book De Subternis, others say that the Tuatha De Danann were poets of the Greeks, and that is was their power that they should sail together on the seas without vessels.”2 The theory about the Túatha dé being descended from fallen angels coincides with traditional Gaelic folk belief about fairies, with some speculation of them being echoes of pre-Christian deities.

Most of the information I will be using for this post comes from the texts Cath Muige Tuiread Cunga (“The First Battle of Moytura”; abbv. to CMTI), Cath Maige Tuiread (“The Second Battle of Moytura”; abbv. to CMTII), and Lebor Gábala Éirinn (“The Book of Invasions”; abbv. to LGE), as well as supplemental resources when necessary.

Núadu Airgetlám

Núadu son of Echtach is the king of the Túatha dé Danann at the time they decide to leave “the northern isles of the world,”3 having ruled them for seven years before invading Ireland.4 By this time, the Fir Bolg have already taken up residence on the Island, being the fourth wave of invaders to settle there. In LBE and CMTI it is made clear the Fir Bolg are also descendants of Nemed, although their ancestors followed Semeon to Greece where they were enslaved.5

One of the treasures the Túatha dé bring from their four cities in the northern isles is Núadu’s sword—“No one ever escaped from it once it was drawn from its deadly sheath, and no one could resist it.”6 An item called “the Caindel of Nuada” also appears in the Ulster Cycle tale Scéla Conchobair maic Nessa (“Tidings of Conchobar Son of Ness”), from the Book of Lecan.7 It is likely a sword as it is mentioned alongside other armaments held within Conchobar’s treasury, and could be the same one mentioned in CMTII.

Núadu receives his most defining feature, however, after fighting the champion of the Fir Bolg, Sreng son of Sengann, and losing his right arm:8 “So with Crédne the brazier helping him, Dian Cécht the physician put on him a silver hand that moved as well as any other hand.”9 Although this prosthetic is a wonderful replacement, earning him the name Airgetlám (“Silver Hand”), his kingship is terminated as a result of this blemish: “There was contention regarding the sovereignty of the men of Ireland between the Túatha Dé and their wives, since Núadu was not eligible for kingship after his hand had been cut off.”10 According to medieval Irish kingship traditions, high kings were required to be unblemished in body and mind in order to rule. He is replaced by Bres as king (see more below) in both versions of CMT and LBE, but also resumes kingship after Bres is somehow removed from the picture and gaining a replacement hand. In CMTI Bres rules for seven years after him but dies “after taking a drink while hunting in Sliab Gam.”11 A similar case is found in LBE where Bres takes the role of king for seven years until Núadu receives his silver arm from Dian Cécht and Crédne. Núadu rules for twenty years thereafter.12

In CMTII and LBE, Dian Cécht’s son Míach uses magic to regrow the skin, joints, and sinew.13 At which point in that text, Bres has demonstrated his poor kingship and is forced to abdicate and allow his predecessor to replace him. However, Núadu soon steps down again after Lug mac Eithne (see below) joins the Túatha dé and assumes the role of a champion among his people. Núadu is killed in CMTII by the Fomorians’ leader, Balor,14 and is seldom referenced in other saga texts.

Núadu also has a Brythonic parallel called Nodens (or Nodons), who has appeared in stories by Arthur Machen and H.P. Lovecraft. Nodens likely served the functions of a sea god, hunting (or fishing), and war. The most archaeological evidence comes from Lydney Camp, a Roman ruin in Gloucestershire, England, to which J.R.R. Tolkien contributed some linguistic research on the name of Nodens.

Eochu Bres

The successor of Nuadu is a more interesting and complex figure than many generalized mythology books and pop culture retellings make him out to be. Born out of a union between Elatha son of Delbáeth, a king of the Fomorians, and Ériu daughter of Delbáeth15 of the Túatha dé dannan, Bres is called as such due to his unparalleled beauty with his name meaning “the Beautiful.”16 Bres grows at twice the rate of normal children, appearing 14 years old by the time he is seven. It is at this point when he is offered the kingship of Ireland, but immediately his paternal kinsfolk (Elatha and two other Fomorian kings, Indech mac Dé Domnann and Tethra),

imposed their tribute upon Ireland—and there was not a smoke from a house in Ireland which was not under their tribute. In addition, the warriors of Ireland were reduced to serving him: Ogma beneath a bundle of firewood and the Dagda as a rampart-builder, and he constructed the earthwork around Bres's fort.17

Bres’ kingship goes so poorly that he becomes the target of Ireland’s first satire that eventually ruins his prosperity.18 With Núadu fully healed, Bres surrenders his kingship of the Túatha dé and requests to remain in Ireland for seven more years, with his ulterior motive being to rally his paternal kinsfolk to retake the throne by force.19 Bres travels with his mother to Elatha’s kingdom and meets his father, requesting Fomorian warriors to help him in his campaign.20 Elatha refuses, but directs Bres to Balor and Indech who readily provide enough men and ships to make “a single bridge of ships from the Hebrides to Ireland.”21

Bres disappears directly from the narrative of CMTII until after the battle when he is at the mercy of the Túatha dé. He bids for them to spare him in exchange for bountiful yields from their cows and grain; the Túatha’s lawyer, Máeltne Mórbrethach, claims Bres has control over neither of those things. Finally, Bres offers knowledge on proper harvesting techniques which earns him his freedom, whereupon he seemingly leaves to remain with his father.22

Bres’ role changes from LGE and CMTI for the plot of CMTII; in the former texts, he is a loyal warrior of the Túatha dé and even dies fighting the Fir Bolg in CMTI.23 His death in that tale, however, is seemingly contradicted immediately as he is somehow able to replace Núadu as king and rule for seven years afterwards.24 LBE shares this positive portrayal of Bres by having him rule in Núadu’s stead without any fuss or controversy from his subjects; he steps down from the role without any qualms after Núadu is restored.25 LBE also lists Bres among the dead following the Túatha dé’s climactic battle with Balor.26

There is a theory that, given CMTII’s composition in the 12th century, the Fomorians are an allegory for the Vikings invading Ireland at the time, disrupting social order and cultural norms among the native tribes and kingdoms. The fact the Fomorians are portrayed as originating from the Hebrides and Lochlainn (the Gaelic term for Scandinavia) is likely no coincidence.27 The reworking of Bres’ character for CMTII is potentially an allegory for the anxieties Irish nobles might have experienced when imagining the possible consequences of Norse invasions and intermarriages. Not only are exorbitant taxes rampant, but champions like the Dagda and Ogma are demoted to performing menial tasks rather than serving their rightful, noble positions.28

Another interesting detail about the character of Bres is that details about his conception and upbringing closely resemble other tales about heroes in Irish saga literature—Elatha meets Ériu outside of her tribe and leaves her with a ring that she later gives Bres in order for his father to recognize him;29 Bres also grows twice as fast as a normal person, which is sometimes an indicator of heroic potential. All of this is subverted as soon as Bres takes the throne and reveals his poor abilities as a king. This could potentially be a literary device to deceive either the characters or audience of the tale when it comes to Bres’ ascension; he is built up as a promising leader following Núadu’s disqualification, but his paternal relatives instead use him to impose extreme subjugation and social disorder upon Ireland. There is also the fact Bres is in reality only seven years old by the time he takes the throne, which in Irish legal terms, makes him totally incapable of making his own decisions in any legal capacity. He even goes on a failed “hero’s journey” to rally the Fomorians, yet ends up failing once his maternal kinsfolk follow the expert advice of their new king (see below), and furthermore does not even receive a glorious death, which is desired in all Irish heroes. Why exactly Bres was chosen as a scapegoat for the “remake” of CMT is not certain, but it at least got the author’s point across that some uneasy things were happening in Ireland at the time this was being told and that seemingly good kings could be the gateway to demons.

Lug mac Eithne

Although Núadu regains his kingship following Bres’ deposal, a new contender for the throne arrives in Tara during a feast celebrating the restoral of order. This stranger is introduced by the text as Samildánach,30 but he introduces himself to the doorkeepers of Tara—the Túatha dé’s seat of power—as Lug Lonnansclech.31 The doorkeepers question what dán (“art”) he practices, “‘For no one without an art enters Tara.’”32 Lug then lists off all the skills and professions he has at once:

sáer (builder)
gobae (smith)
trenfér (champion)
cruitt (harper)
níad (warrior)
fili & senchaid (poet & historian)
corrguinech (sorcerer)
líaig (physician)
deogbaire (cupbearer)
cert (brazier)33

The doorkeepers allow him entry and Lug entertains the court further with exploits in skill and art. He is also given “the seat of the sage” due to his many skills. It is on account of Lug’s impeccable mastery of every art that Núadu relinquishes the kingship to him in hopes that his leadership will help them be rid of the Fomorians for good.34 Lug utilizes all the skills and sorceries of his subjects to great effect in order to gain the upper hand over the Fomorians. During the climactic conflict, Lug is held back by nine guardsmen, but he escapes to help encourage the Túatha dé to fight or die for Ireland.35 Lug finally meets his grandfather, Balor grandson of Nét, and coaxes him into opening his single, venomous eye, allowing him to send a sling stone through it and kill him.36 The story is fairly similar in LBE, however, it does not contain the whole sequence of events and preparations leading up to the final battle. Lug also does not gain the kingship in LBE until after Núadu dies.37

Lug is the son of Cían, son of Dian Cécht, and Ethné, daughter of Balor, produced as a direct result of an alliance formed by the Túatha dé and Fomorians before the former tribes arrive in Ireland.38 He is fostered by Tailtiu, the Queen of the Fir Bolg,39 who levels an entire forest, Coill Cuan, by herself and allows for a great, flowering plain to grow in its place. This feat, however, costs Tailtiu her life and Coill Cuan is renamed Taltiu.40 Lug would then hold an óenach (“assembly”) in her honor every year around Lughnassadh (Aug. 1st), lasting “a fortnight before…and a fortnight after…”41 This would be not only one of the most popular festivals in Ireland, but also an opportunity for tribal kings to reaffirm alliances and fealty each year.

Lug’s origin seems to be the more positive mirror of Bres in CMTII, as the qualities that make him a good king to the Túatha dé include possessing all their valued skills, acknowledging the preexisting skills of their champions, and the willingness to die in battle for his people and kingdom. While Bres sides with the chaotic, unskilled forces that threaten Ireland, Lug fully embraces his paternal kinsfolk and leads them to victory.

Lug appears in other Irish saga tales, with one of the most famous being his role in the conception of the Ulster hero Cú Chulainn. He even comes to aid his son during the Cattle Raid of Cooley, using his surgical expertise to keep him in fighting shape. He is also considered Cú Chulainn’s “divine father,” which may hint that although Ireland certainly embraced Christianity, they still believed in the strength of their old gods.

Thanks for reading this week’s post! Which ancient rulers of Ireland do you know of who embody particularly good kingship? Leave their lore in the comments!

"Hound" - The Scholarly Review IV - The Death of Aife's Only Son

Ethan Sabatella

December 4, 2024

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“The Many-Skilled”

CMTII. Grey (trans.): §232-40.

CMTII. Grey (trans.): §243-4.

CMTII Grey (trans.): §245-73.

CMTII. Grey (trans.): §298-302.

CMTII. Grey (trans.): §580-8.

CMTII. Grey (trans.): §626-48.

LBE. Macalister (trans.): §312.

CMTII. Grey (trans.): §16-8.

LBE. Macalister (trans.): §311.

The full story is in the Metrical Dindshenchas under the poem named “Taltiu”: https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T106500D.html

LBE. Macalister (trans.): §311.

Bill Hiatt

Apr 10

It's interesting that other people besides the Irish had the problem that the only surviving written records of their early beliefs were made after they were Christianized. The same is true of the Welsh (with some of the old gods being reinvented as kings or knights in the Arthurian period, which was itself built on a Celtic pagan foundation). It's also true of the Norse, which may explain why Balder seems at times so much like a Christ figure and why Ragnarok at times reminds one of Revelation. In all these cases, it's impossible to do more than speculate about what the original stories may have been like.

It's also interesting how much attempts to reconcile the early traditions with Christianity differed from each other. The straight angels/demons dichotomy, with old Gods being represented as demons, was sometimes replaced by a tripartite system in which demons were the angels who sided with Lucifer, while faeries and their kin were the angels who remained neutral in the conflict between God and Lucifer. The former group fell to Hell, while the latter fell to Earth. Though lacking in biblical foundation, that theory more plausibly explains the differences between the way demons are described and the way faeries are described.

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William F. Edwards

It's interesting seeing how many names and details I already know and how much feels like new information. I was so used to the spelling of Lugh I didn't draw the connection of him being the father of Cu Chulainn while reading this. The development of Bres and possible reason why makes me think of the Egyptian deity Set, who was also vilified due to anxieties around foreigners.

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