54-525: The Tuatha Dé Danann ( Irish: [ˈt̪ˠuə(hə) dʲeː ˈd̪ˠan̪ˠən̪ˠ] , meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu "), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology . Many of them are thought to represent deities of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland . The Tuath Dé Danann are often depicted as kings, queens, druids, bards, warriors, heroes, healers and craftsmen who have supernatural powers. They dwell in
108-448: A consistent, monolithic structure. The same myth typically appears in various versions, and can be represented differently across different regional and socio-religious traditions. Many of these legends evolve across these texts, where the character names change or the story is embellished with greater details. According to Suthren Hirst, these myths have been given a complex range of interpretations. While according to Doniger O'Flaherty,
162-528: A contraction of *di[a] Anu ("goddess Anu"). It may also be a confusion arising from Anu and the phrase na trí dée dána . The etymology of the name has been a matter of much debate since the 19th century, with some earlier scholars favoring a link with the Vedic water goddess Danu , whose name is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰenh₂- "to run, to flow", which may also lie behind
216-573: A fit of jealous rage Dian Cecht slew his own son. Because of Nuada 's restoration as the leader, Bres complained to his family and his father, Elatha , who sent him to seek assistance from Balor , king of the Fomorians . The Tuatha Dé Danann then fought the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh against the Fomorians . Nuada was killed by the Fomorian king Balor 's poisonous eye, but Balor
270-487: A goddess called Danu , who may be an Indo-European parallel. However, this reconstruction is not universally accepted. It has also been suggested that Danann is a conflation of dán ("skill, craft") and the goddess name Anann . The name is also found as Donann and Domnann , which may point to the origin being proto-Celtic *don , meaning "earth" (compare the Old Irish word for earth, doman ). Tírechán described
324-462: A mother goddess. They came from four cities to the north of Ireland—Falias, Gorias, Murias and Finias—where they taught their skills in the sciences, including architecture, the arts and magic. According to Lebor Gabála Érenn , they came to Ireland "in dark clouds" and "landed on the mountains of [the] Conmaicne Rein in Connachta ", otherwise Sliabh an Iarainn , "and they brought a darkness over
378-470: A mountain of Conmaicne of Connacht. Without distinction to discerning Ireland, Without ships, a ruthless course the truth was not known beneath the sky of stars, whether they were of heaven or of earth. According to Tuan: From them are the Tuatha Dé and Andé, whose origin the learned do not know, but that it seems likely to them that they came from heaven, on account of their intelligence and for
432-800: A precise start date. In the Irish version of the Historia Britonum of Nennius, the chief men of science of the Tuatha Dé Danann are listed with their partly Latin names and associations as follows: In the Annals of Inisfallen, the following are listed as members of the Tuatha Dé who overcame the Fir Bolg : Danu (Irish goddess) *Danu ( [ˈdanu] ) is a hypothesised entity in Irish mythology whose sole attestation
486-416: A society's existence and world order: those narratives of a society's creation, the society's origins and foundations, their god(s), their original heroes, mankind's connection to the "divine", and their narratives of eschatology (what happens in the "after-life"). This is a very general outline of some of the basic sacred stories with those themes. In its broadest academic sense, the word myth simply means
540-492: A traditional story. However, many scholars restrict the term "myth" to sacred stories. Folklorists often go further, defining myths as "tales believed as true, usually sacred, set in the distant past or other worlds or parts of the world, and with extra-human, inhuman, or heroic characters". In classical Greek , muthos , from which the English word myth derives, meant "story, narrative." Hindu mythology does not often have
594-403: A tyrant. The physician Dian Cecht replaced Nuada's arm with a working silver one and he was reinstated as king. However, Dian Cecht 's son Miach was dissatisfied with the replacement so he recited the spell, " ault fri halt dí & féith fri féth " (joint to joint of it and sinew to sinew), which caused flesh to grow over the silver prosthesis over the course of nine days and nights. However, in
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#1732765534848648-411: Is a genre of folklore or theology consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths . For folklorists, historians, philosophers or theologians this is very different from the use of "myth" simply indicating that something is not true. Instead, the truth value of a myth is not a defining criterion. Hindu myths can be found in
702-548: Is affirmed by an encounter with an otherworldly woman. It has been argued that the inauguration of Irish kings originally represented his ritual marriage to the goddess of the land (see sovereignty goddess ). The Tuath Dé can also bring doom to unrightful kings. The medieval writers who wrote about the Tuath Dé were Christians. Sometimes they explained the Tuath Dé as fallen angels ; neutral angels who sided neither with God nor Lucifer and were punished by being forced to dwell on
756-541: Is in the genitive in the name of the Tuatha dé Danann , which may mean 'the peoples of the goddess Danu' in Old Irish . Despite a complete absence from the primary texts, some later Victorian folklorists attempted to ascribe certain attributes to Danu, such as association with motherhood or agricultural prosperity. The hypothetical nominative form of the name, *Danu , is not found in any medieval Irish text, but
810-626: Is not specified in the Mabinogion , and some medieval Welsh antiquarians presumed Dôn to be male. Dôn's divine offspring include Gofannon , the Welsh equivalent of Goibniu. Hindu mythology Traditional Hindu mythology is the body of myths attributed to, and espoused by, the adherents of the Hindu religion , found in Hindu texts such as the Vedas , the itihasa (the epics of
864-467: Is not wholly accurate to describe all of them as gods in the medieval literature itself. He argues that the literary Tuath Dé are sui generis , and suggests "immortals" might be a more neutral term. In euhemerized accounts, the Tuatha Dé Danann were descended from Nemed , leader of a previous wave of inhabitants of Ireland. In non-euhemerized accounts they are descended from Danu / Anu ,
918-461: Is rather a reconstruction by modern scholars based on the genitive Danann (also spelled Donand or Danand ), which is the only form attested in the primary sources (e.g. in the collective name of the Irish gods, Tuatha dé Danann "Tribe / People of Danu"). In Irish mythology, Anu (sometimes written as Anann or Anand ) is a goddess. She may be a distinct goddess in her own right or an alternative name for Danu, in which case Danu could be
972-412: The Mabinogion , whom most modern scholars consider to be a mythological mother goddess . This may be supported by theories that Dôn's name may also come from a root referring to rivers. This connection also supports the theory that the gods of skill associated with Danu are Goibhniu and his two brothers, as one of Dôn's offspring is Gofannon, the Welsh equivalent of Goibhniu. However, Dôn 's gender
1026-827: The Mahabharata and Ramayana , ) the Puranas , and mythological stories specific to a particular ethnolinguistic group like the Tamil Periya Puranam and Divya Prabandham , and the Mangal Kavya of Bengal. Hindu myths are also found in widely translated popular texts such as the fables of the Panchatantra and the Hitopadesha , as well as in Southeast Asian texts. Myth
1080-528: The Tuatha dé Danann get their name from Danand and Delbáeth's three sons: Brian , Iuchar, and Iucharba. These three are called the "Gods of Dannan". MacLeod notes that Danu's three sons might be better fit by the craftsmen deities, Goibniu , Luchta , and Creidhne and suggests that the gods of danu may refer to them. Danu's association with fertility can be seen in relation to the Paps of Danu (also known as
1134-694: The Bhagavad Gîta and the Harivamsa . According to Williams, the mythology of the Puranas can be broken into three periods (300–500; 500–1000; 1000–1800), or the whole period may simply be referred to as the Hindu Middle Ages. This age saw the composition of the major Puranic texts of the faith, along with the rise of sectarianism, with followers amassing around the cults of Vishnu , Shiva , or Devi . The three denominations within this period help locate in time historical developments within
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#17327655348481188-610: The Dravidian folk religion even after the decline of its parent civilisation around 1800 BCE. A major factor in the development of Hinduism was the Vedic religion. The Indo-Aryan migration brought their distinct beliefs to the Indian subcontinent, where the Vedas were composed around 1500 BCE. The Indo-Aryans Vedic pantheon of deities included the chief god Indra , the sun deity Surya , Ushas , as well as Agni . This period saw
1242-523: The Otherworld but interact with humans and the human world. They are associated with the sídhe : prominent ancient burial mounds such as Brú na Bóinne , which are entrances to Otherworld realms. Their traditional rivals are the Fomorians (Fomoire), who might represent the destructive powers of nature, and whom the Tuath Dé defeat in the Battle of Mag Tuired . Prominent members of the Tuath Dé include
1296-524: The Tuath(a) Dé Danann or Tuath(a) Dé Donann ( Old Irish pronunciation: [ˈt̪uaθa d̪ʲeː ˈd̪anan̪] ). This is generally translated "folk of the goddess Danu". It may also have been a way of humanizing them: instead of 'god-folk' they were now the folk of a particular goddess. Early Christian writers also referred to them as the fir dé (god-men) and cenéla dé (god-kindreds), again possibly to avoid calling them simply 'gods'. Some of
1350-651: The Vedas , the itihasa ( Ramayana and Mahabharata ), and the major Puranas . Other sources include the Bengali literature, such as Mangal-Kāvya , and the Tamil literature , such as Divya Prabandham , Tirumurai and the Five Great Epics . These narratives play a crucial role in the Hindu tradition and are considered real and significant within their cultural and spiritual context, offering profound insights into
1404-416: The sídh before the coming of Saint Patrick . Goibniu, Dian Cécht the physician, and Flidais the mistress of animals are invoked in incantations , further evidence that they were seen as supernatural powers. Several of the Tuath Dé are cognate with ancient Celtic deities: Lugh with Lugus , Brigit with Brigantia , Nuada with Nodons , and Ogma with Ogmios . Nevertheless, John Carey notes that it
1458-465: The sídh folk as dei terreni , "earthly gods". The name could be cognate with the mythical Fir Domnann and the British Dumnonii . The Tuatha Dé Danann are described as a supernatural race, much like idealized humans, who are immune from ageing and sickness, and who have powers of magic. The powers most often attributed to the Tuath Dé are control over the weather and the elements, and
1512-457: The trí dé dáno , "three gods of craft". In Sanas Cormaic ( Cormac 's Glossary), Anu is called "mother of the Irish gods", Nét a "god of war", and Brigit a "goddess of poets" whose father is the Dagda ; his own name meaning "the great god". Writing in the seventh century, Tírechán explained the sídh folk as "earthly gods" (Latin dei terreni ), while Fiacc's Hymn says the Irish adored
1566-498: The Dagda ("the great god"); The Morrígan ("the great queen" or "phantom queen"); Lugh ; Nuada ; Aengus ; Brigid ; Manannán ; Dian Cecht the healer; and Goibniu the smith, one of the Trí Dé Dána ("three gods of craft"). Several of the Tuath Dé are cognate with ancient Celtic deities: Lugh with Lugus , Brigit with Brigantia , Nuada with Nodons , Ogma with Ogmios , and Goibniu with Gobannus . Medieval texts about
1620-562: The Earth; or humans who had become highly skilled in magic. However, several writers acknowledged that at least some of them had been gods. There is strong evidence that many of the Tuath Dé represent the gods of Irish paganism. The name itself means "tribe of gods", and the ninth-century Scél Tuain meic Cairill (Tale of Tuan mac Cairill ) speaks of the Tuath Dé ocus Andé , "tribe of gods and un-gods". Goibniu , Credne and Luchta are called
1674-502: The Indus Valley Civilisation. In the contemporary era, the mythologies of the dominant traditions of Vaishnavism , Shaivism , and Shaktism prevail. Several myths were found or invented to make tribals or former "outcastes" Hindus and bring them within the cultural whole of a reconstructed Hindu mythological community. Academic studies of mythology often define mythology as deeply valued stories that explain
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1728-587: The Paps of Anu), Paps meaning "breasts." Another possible match is in the Dindsenchas poem on Codal , which refers to a Danainn, wife of Ganaan. Danainn is the mother of a daughter named Gorn. Some texts list Danu as a bantúathach (witch or sorceress) or bandrúi (female druid) of the Tuatha Dé Danaan . She has possible parallels with the Welsh legendary figure Dôn in the medieval tales of
1782-480: The Tantric period from 900 to 1600 CE, the mythology of Tantra and Shaktism revived and enriched blood sacrifice and the pursuit of pleasure as central themes. Tantra’s stories differed radically in meaning from those of epic mythology, which favored devotion, asceticism, and duty. There was either a revival or emphasis that was placed on the shakti or the cosmic energy of goddesses, a concept that had emerged during
1836-508: The Tuath Dé are occasionally called the clann Eladan , "children of art". Danann is generally believed to be the genitive of a female name, for which the nominative case is not attested. It has been reconstructed as * Danu , of which Anu (genitive Anann ) may be an alternative form. Anu is called " mother of the Irish gods " by Cormac mac Cuilennáin . This may be linked to the Welsh mythical figure Dôn . Hindu mythology also has
1890-422: The Tuath Dé were written by Christians. Sometimes they explained the Tuath Dé as fallen angels who were neither wholly good nor evil, or ancient people who became highly skilled in magic, but several writers acknowledged that at least some of them had been gods. Some of them have multiple names, but in the tales they often appear to be different characters. Originally, these probably represented different aspects of
1944-456: The Tuatha Dé Danann created a magical storm in an attempt to drive them away. The Milesian poet Amergin calmed the sea with his verse, then his people landed and defeated the Tuatha Dé Danann at Tailtiu . When Amergin was called upon to divide the land between the Tuatha Dé Danann and his own people, he cleverly allotted the portion above ground to the Milesians and the portion underground to
1998-772: The Tuatha Dé Danann. The Tuatha Dé Danann were led underground into the Sidhe mounds by Manannán mac Lir and Tír na nÓg onto a flowery plain/plain of honey attested to in the Voyage of Bran. The Tuatha Dé Danann brought four magical treasures with them to Ireland, one apiece from their Four Cities: The following is a chronology from the Annals of the Four Masters ; based on reign-lengths given in Geoffrey Keating 's Forus Feasa ar Erinn . Nuada 's original reign lacks
2052-445: The ability to shapeshift themselves and other things. They are also said to control the fertility of the land; the tale De Gabáil in t-Sída says the first Gaels had to establish friendship with the Tuath Dé before they could raise crops and herds. They live in the Otherworld , which is described as either a parallel world or a heavenly land beyond the sea or under the earth's surface. Many of them are associated with specific places in
2106-489: The ancient name for the river Danube , Danuuius – perhaps of Celtic origin, though it is also possible that it is an early Scythian loanword in Celtic. MacLeod connects Danu to the Old Irish word dán, which refers to an artistic skill. In early Ireland, artisans and other skilled workers were known as aes dánaˆ, or "people of skill." Linguist Eric Hamp rejects the traditional etymologies in his 2002 examination of
2160-530: The beliefs and values of Hinduism. According to Joseph Campbell , the Indus Valley (2600–1900 BCE) may have left traces in the beliefs and traditions of Hinduism. Artefacts have revealed motifs that are also employed and revered by Hindus today, such as primary male deities worshipped by a ruling elite, mother goddesses, nature spirits, snake worship, as well as the reverence of other theriomorphic (animal-shaped) beings. These themes would be maintained by
2214-641: The composition of commentaries referred to as the Brahmanas . According to Williams, from 900 to 600 BCE, the protests of the populace against sacrifices made towards the Vedic gods and rebellions against the Brahmin class led to the embrace of reform by the latter and the composition of the fourth Veda and the Vedanta texts. About half of the Upanishads were mystical and unitive, speaking of experiencing
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2268-469: The divine as the one (ekam), while the other half promoted devotion to one or more deities. New gods and goddesses were celebrated, and devotional practices began to be introduced. Elements such as those emerging from Buddhism and Jainism made their "heteroprax" contributions to later Hindu mythology, such as temples, indoor shrines, and rituals modeled after service to a divine king. Renunciate traditions contributed elements that questioned sacrifices and
2322-472: The excellence of their knowledge. Led by king Nuada , they fought the First Battle of Magh Tuireadh on the west coast, in which they defeated and displaced the native Fir Bolg , who then inhabited Ireland. In the battle, Nuada lost an arm to their champion, Sreng . Since Nuada was no longer "unblemished", he could not continue as king and was replaced by the half- Fomorian Bres , who turned out to be
2376-515: The goddess Anu as the mother of the gods. Some scholars suggest that Danu was a conflation of Anu and is the same goddess. This may also connect Danu to The Morrígan , which some scholars say is an epithet for Anu. The closest figure in Irish texts to a Danu would then be Danand , daughter of Delbáeth . In the Lebor Gabála Érenn ( The Book of the Taking of Ireland ), it is noted
2430-416: The island be named after them; Ériu is the origin of the modern name Éire , and Banba and Fodla are still sometimes used as poetic names for Ireland. Their three husbands, Mac Cuill , Mac Cecht and Mac Gréine , were kings of the Tuatha Dé Danann at that time, and asked for a truce of three days, during which the Milesians would lie at anchor nine waves' distance from the shore. The Milesians complied, but
2484-524: The killing of animals, and promoted asceticism and vegetarianism. All of these themes would be incorporated by the Brahmin classes into the later Hindu synthesis , which developed in response to the sramanic movements between ca. 500–300 BCE and 500 CE, and also found their way into Hindu mythology. The era from 400 BCE to 400 CE was the period of the compilation of India’s great epics, the Mahabharata and Ramayana . These were central manifestations of
2538-457: The landscape, especially the sídh mounds; the ancient burial mounds and passage tombs which are entrances to Otherworld realms. The Tuath Dé can hide themselves with a féth fíada ('magic mist') and appear to humans only when they wish to. In some tales, such as Baile in Scáil , a king receives affirmation of his legitimacy from one of the Tuath Dé. In other tales, a king's right to rule
2592-596: The mythical race are referred to as the Tuath Dé , "tribe of gods", or Tuatha Dé , "tribes of gods". In the Lebor Bretnach their name is translated into Latin as plebes deorum , "god-folk". However, Irish monks also began using the term Tuath Dé to refer to the Israelites , with the meaning "People of God". Apparently to avoid confusion with the Israelites, writers began to refer to the mythical race as
2646-484: The name Danu , and proposes instead that *Danu is derived from the same root as Latin bonus ( Old Latin duenos ) from Proto-Indo-European *dueno- "good", via a Proto-Celtic nominative singular n-stem *Duonū ("aristocrat"). Danu has no surviving myths or legends associated with her in any of the medieval Irish texts. Cormac's Glossary , a text that predates the Lebor Gabala Erenn , names
2700-468: The newly developing Hindu synthesis, contributing to a specific Hindu mythology, emphasising divine action on earth in Vishnu 's incarnations and other divine manifestations. The lore of the devas and the asuras expanded. Epic mythology foreshadowed the rich polytheism of the next two periods. The Mahabharata contained two appendices that were extremely important sources for later mythological development,
2754-405: The same deity, while others were regional names. The Tuath Dé eventually became the aes sídhe , the sídhe -folk or "fairies" of later folklore. The Old Irish word tuath (plural tuatha ) means "tribe, folk, people"; dé is the genitive case of día and, depending on context, can mean "god, gods, goddess" or more broadly "supernatural being, object of worship". In the earliest writings,
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#17327655348482808-572: The sectarian communities, the rise and decline of Tantrism and its influence on mainstream mythology, the tendencies in Puranic mythologising of subordinating Vedic gods and past heroes to ever-increasing moral weaknesses, going on to be identified as a period of exuberant polytheism. However, this was also accompanied with the belief in monotheism, the idea that all paths lead to the Ultimate Reality, Brahman . According to Williams, during
2862-564: The sun for three days and three nights". They immediately burnt the ships "so that they should not think of retreating to them, and the smoke and the mist that came from the vessels filled the neighbouring land and air. Therefore it was conceived that they had arrived in clouds of mist". A poem in the Lebor Gabála Érenn says of their arrival: It is God who suffered them, though He restrained them they landed with horror, with lofty deed, in their cloud of mighty combat of spectres, upon
2916-627: Was killed by Lugh , champion of the Tuatha Dé, who then took over as king. A third battle was fought against a subsequent wave of invaders, the Milesians , from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (present-day Galicia and Northern Portugal ), descendants of Míl Espáine (who are thought to represent the Goidelic Celts). The Milesians encountered three Tuatha Dé Danann goddesses, Ériu , Banba and Fodla , who asked that
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