Lugh, son of Cian and grandson of Balor, is god of the sun and light in Celtic folklore, and known for his handsome appearance and skills in arts and crafts.
His name means "the shining one"...
A patron of heroes, Lug appears in many Irish and Welsh legends.
Lug is the grandson of Balor, the king of the evil Formorians, a race of violent, supernatural beings who lived in darkness.
Warned by a prophecy that he would be killed by his grandson, Balor locked his daughter Ethlinn in a crystal tower. In spite of his efforts, she gave birth to a son.
Balor ordered the infant drowned, but a Celtic priestess rescued the child and raised him.
According to some legends, Lug was raised by the smith god Goibhniu, his father's brother.
When Lug reached manhood, he went to the court of Nuada, the ruler of the Tuatha Dé Danaan, to offer his services as a warrior and master crafts worker.
The Tuatha Dé Danaan, another race of supernatural beings, were the sworn enemies of the Formorians.
Lug soon became involved in the ongoing war between the two groups.
Besides getting magic weapons from the craft gods Goibhniu, Luchta, and Creidhne, Lug also helped organize the military campaigns of the Tuatha Dé Danaan.
During one battle King Nuada fell under the spell of Balor's evil eye, which had the power to destroy those who looked at it.
Lug pierced the eye with a magic stone and killed Balor, thus fulfilling the prophecy and defeating the Formorians as well.
Lug became king of the Tuatha Dé Danaan, married the mortal woman Dechtire, and had a son named Cuchulain, who became a great hero.
In a saga called the Cattle Raid of Cuailgne, Lug fought alongside Cuchulain in battle and soothed and healed him when he was wounded...
He is a reflex of the pan-Celtic god Lugus, and his Welsh counterpart is Lleu Llaw Gyffes, "The Bright One with the Strong Hand".
From Lugh's name derives the names of modern cities such as Lyon, Laon and Leyden.
Today, people remember the figure of Lugh with a festival which commemorates the beginning of the harvest in August.
The feast of Lugh, called by the Celts "Lughnasadh", is better known now as Lammas, or the feast of first fruits...
As told in the Battle of Magh Tuiredh, the god traveled to Tara, and arrived during a tremendous feast for the royal court.
Lugh was greeted at the door by the keeper of the gate, and was immediately asked what talent he had - for it was a tradition there that only those who had a special or unique ability could enter the palace.
The god offered his reply: “I am a wright”.
In response, the gate keeper said: “We already have a wright. Your services are not needed here”. Still, Lugh, not to be so easily dismissed, continued: “I am a smith”.
Again, the guard retorted that the court had a smith that was quite adequate; but the god was not to be dissuaded. In short order, he noted that he was also a champion, a harper, a hero, a poet, an historian, a sorcerer, and a craftsman.
To this list, the gate keeper merely nodded his head, and stated matter of factly that all of these various trades were represented in the court by other members of the Tuatha de Danaan.
“Ah, but you do have an individual who possesses all of these skills simultaneously?”, was Lugh’s clever and inspired reply.
The guard was forced to admit his defeat, and so Lugh was allowed to enter and join the festivities...
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