The Tuatha dé Dannan
The Tuatha dé Dannan, the sons and daughters of Dana, are a whole clan of
thousands of gods and goddesses.
As the name of this pantheon implies, Dana is the chief goddess, the head of the clan.
She and five other gods and goddesses are the sole greater deities
of the Tuatha dé Dannan.
Twelve intermediate deities belong
to the pantheon and dozens of lesser deities.
There are hundreds of so-called demigods with divine rank 1 - 5 and thousands of immortals with
rank 0.
The greater deities control the cycle of natural life and nature, love, magic, the seasons,
and the elements. Their portfolio includes the most important parts of mortal life:
druidism, knowledge, music, poetry, luck, misfortune, and battle
as well as achievements like scripture, trade, and money.
Intermediate and lesser deities control the crafts, the art of healing, animals, horse and rider,
the forest, rage of battle, death or war.
Demigods and immortals control things like a single forest, lake or river, a ridge or mountain, or
a single type of animal or plant for example.
The mortal worshipers of the Tuatha dé Dannan are the Druids,
Priests and
Clerics of the dwarfen, elven, human and faerie folk.
The greater deities of the Tuatha dé Dannan
- Dana:
the mother of the gods and high queen of the land, gives rightful rulership and power,
determines the fate of mortals;
she controls the cycle of life, death and rebirth, all animals and plants, nature,
and the elements earth and water.
- Dagda Mór:
the son of Dana and Nuadu, the king of the Tuatha dé Dannan and of the day;
he controls the cycle of life, death and rebirth, plants, the element earth,
the summer season, and the weather; his gift to mortals is the abundance of nature.
- Oghma:
the elder brother of Dana, councellor of the devine court;
he presented the art of wrestling, rhetorics and persuasion, as well as scripture and wizardry
to the mortal world.
- Brigit:
the daughter of Dagda; she commands the sun, the element fire, and the spring season;
she endowed the mortals with her love, inspiration, music and sorcerous power.
- Morrígan:
the younger sister of Dana, evil queen of the night;
she controls magic, the element air, and the winter season; she offered curses and the desire
for battle and strife to the mortals.
- Manannán mac Lir:
the son of Dana and king of the oceans; he is the generous god of trade and money and controls luck,
freedom, the weather and the element water.
Intermediate Deities of the Tuatha dé Dannan
- Nuadu Airgetlám:
The former king of the Tuatha dé Dannan is still a great warrior and military leader.
He sees the surveillance of honor and oath-keeping, laws and legislation as his duty.
He controls the autumn season and protects the winter provisions.
He was the first and shining example of relinquishment,
giving up the crown for the new rightful ruler, when he lost his hand in battle.
- Epona:
The goddess of horse, rider, and breeder, of all mounts and beasts of burden too;
her realm is the open land, where horses run free; she may send good weather to travellers.
- Dian Cécht:
The god of health, healing and herbalism, medicine and sanitation.
- Badh Catha:
She is the harbringer of doom, controlling horror, terror, fear, and pain.
- Lugh Lamfada:
The young god of light is the master of many crafts and skills. He gives intelligence, dexterity
and courage to mortals.
- Cernunnos:
The king of the underground faerie realm and lord of the forest,
responsible for raising the sap in the plants, especially in springtime.
He controls the growth of animals and plants.
- Artio:
She is the lady of the bears, a goddess of motherliness supporting a life in harmony with nature.
She controls the wilderness, untilled lands and the animals dwelling there.
- Medb:
The goddess of desire, lust, seduction, deceit and deception.
- Goibniu:
The smith of the gods and patron of miners. He controls both earth and fire.
- Nemain:
The goddess of rage, fury, destruction and chaos.
- Arawn:
The guide of the dead souls and god of death, tombs, and catacombs supports
honouring and remembering the dead. He is not well-liked by most other
Tuatha dé Dannan (with good cause).
- Boand:
The goddess of the moon, farming, and domestic animals protects the household and virgins.
She is the lady of rivers and lakes and the paramour of Dagda.
Lesser Deities of the Tuatha dé Dannan
Only a small fraction of the many lesser deities is presented here.
So far I didn't have time to write full descriptions for them.
- Aed: charioteer of the sun; one of Dagda's many childs.
- Áine: goddess of brightness, heat and speed; Brigit's daughter.
- Bé Find: goddess of generosity and benevolence; Boand's sister.
- Bricriu Nemhthenga: his second name means poison-tongue, he's the god of discord,
injustice, strife and haughtiness.
- Cethor Mac Greine: the patron god of druids; nicknamed son of the sun, one of Dagda's many childs.
- Cliodna: goddess of songbirds, raising of children and therefore of patience.
- Credne: assistant of Goibniu; assembler of weapons.
- Elcmar: god of malevolence and envy.
- Flidais Foltchain: the goddess with the beautiful hair; goddess of fertile earth and fertility.
- Luchta: assistant of Goibniu; carpenter of weapons.
- Macha Mongruad: goddess with the red braids; goddess of the head cult.
- Miach: god of exposure and disobedience; son of Dian Cécht.
- Néit: god of battle; lover of Nemain.
- Nemed: god of good efforts and bad luck; lover of Macha.
- Sencha Mac Ailella: god of wisdom, temperance, order, peace, and fairness.
- Sethor Mac Cuill: god of warriors; nicknamed son of the hazel, one of Dagda's many childs.
- Taranis: god of thunder, lightning, and tempests; patron of griffons and diurnal birds of prey.
- Tethor Mac Cécht: god of peasants; nicknamed son of the plough, one of Dagda's many childs.