The Tuatha Dé Danann (Irish: [ˈt̪ˠuə(hə) dʲeː ˈd̪ˠan̪ˠən̪ˠ], usually translated as "folk of the goddess Danu") are also called the Tuath Dé, meaning "tribe of the gods" or "divine tribe." They are magical beings from Irish mythology. Many of them are believed to represent gods and goddesses from ancient Gaelic Ireland before Christianity arrived.
The Tuatha Dé Danann are often shown as kings, queens, druids, bards, warriors, heroes, healers, and craftsmen who have magical powers. They live in a magical realm called the Otherworld but sometimes interact with humans and the human world. They are connected to the sídhe, which are large ancient burial mounds like Brú na Bóinne. These mounds are thought to be entrances to the Otherworld. Their main enemies are the Fomorians (Fomoire), who may symbolize the destructive forces of nature. The Tuatha Dé Danann defeat the Fomorians in the Battle of Mag Tuired. Important figures include 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").
Some Tuatha Dé are related to ancient Celtic gods. For example, Lugh is linked to Lugus, Brigid to Brigantia, Nuada to Nodons, Ogma to Ogmios, and Goibniu to Gobannus.
Medieval writings about the Tuatha Dé Danann were written by Christians. Some described them as fallen angels who were neither good nor evil or as ancient people who became very skilled in magic. However, many writers recognized that some of them were gods. Some Tuatha Dé have multiple names, but in stories, they often appear as different characters. Originally, these names likely represented different aspects of the same god or different names used in different regions.
Over time, the Tuatha Dé Danann became known as the aes sídhe, or "sídhe-folk," which later became the fairies of Irish folklore.
Name
The Old Irish word túath (plural túatha) means "tribe, folk, people." The word dé is the genitive case of día and can mean "god, gods, goddess" or more broadly "deity, divinity, supernatural being, or object of worship." In early writings, the mythical race is referred to simply as the Túath Dé or Túatha Dé.
The word Danann is interpreted as a form of the reconstructed name Dana or Danu, which may refer to a speculative goddess. This goddess is not directly mentioned in ancient texts, but some scholars suggest she may be linked to the goddess Ana or Anu, with the letter D added before her name.
The origins of Danann remain debated, as noted by John Carey (1981). Some scholars believe Dana is a later invention, while others argue that evidence supports her existence. The term Tuath Dé Danann is translated as "people of the goddess Danu" by Dáithí Ó hÓgáin (1991). R.A.S. Macalister, who edited and translated the Lebor Gabala ("Book of Invasions"), accepts Danu, Dana, and Danand as variations of Anu, Ana, and Anand. In his translation, Danu is described as the "mother of gods."
The name Danu may be related to the continental Celtic goddess Dôn of the Welsh and the Irish goddess Ana or Anu. It may also be connected to Donann and Domnann, which might originate from the proto-Celtic word don, meaning "earth." This is similar to the Old Irish word doman for "earth," as seen in references to the mythical Fir Domnann and the British Dumnonii.
Another theory suggests that Danann was added to Túath Dé to avoid confusion with the term Túath Dé used in the Bible to describe the Israelites (Plebes Dei). This is similar to how the Irish text Nennius (also called Lebor Bretnach) refers to the Tuatha Dé Danann as plebes deorum, meaning "god-folk."
A different theory proposes that Danann means "Tuatha Dé Dána" or "Tribe of the Gods of Craft," referring to divine counterparts of the áes dána ("men of craft"). There is also mention of a mysterious group called trí dé dáno, "three gods of craft," and Donnan as a possible name for a deity linked to them.
Early medieval Irish writers sometimes called the Tuatha Dé Danann fir dé ("god-men") or cénéla dé ("god-kindreds"), possibly to avoid calling them simply "gods." They were also called the "Ever-living ones," though they were not immortal in the sense of being immune to death.
According to John Carey (1989–1990, 2006), the Tuath Dé are collectively called clann Eladan, meaning "children of art" in a poem from the Lebor Gabala. However, Macalister translates this phrase as "The numerous progeny of Elada," followed by a list of names, including Bres, son of Elada.
In modern times, the Tuatha Dé Danann are often called the áes sídhe ("people of the sidhe" or "Otherworld"). Earlier, in the 7th century, Tírechán described the sídh people as "earthly gods" (dei terreni), and Fiacc's Hymn mentions that the Irish worshipped the sídh before the arrival of Saint Patrick.
Description
Ana/Anu, also known as Danann/Dana/Danu, is called the "mother of gods" in the Book of Invasions. In Sanas Cormaic ("Cormac's glossary"), Ana is referred to as the "mother of the Irish gods." She is sometimes linked to three sons: Brian, Iucharba, and Iuchar. However, the accuracy of these relationships is considered uncertain. Ana is also believed to be the grandmother of Ecne. Medieval writings mention Ana's connection to the mountains called the Paps of Ana.
Ana may be connected to The Morrígu or The Morrígan, a goddess whose name means "the great queen." The Morrígan, Macha, and Badb are the main goddesses of battle, forming a group of three (with other combinations sometimes including Nemain). The goddess Badb Catha has a name meaning "the Raven of Battle" (or "Crow of Battle"). In the Táin Bó Cúailnge, The Morrígan appears as a bird (crow) before Cúchulainn. Later, she changes into an eel, a wolf, and a cow.
The goddess Brigid is linked to poetry, fire, and metalworking. She is sometimes seen as three sisters. The pagan deity Brigid is also combined with the Christian Saint Brigit.
Important male gods include The Dagda ("the great god"), Lugh (known for his long arms), Nuada (with silver arms), Aengus, Manannán (the sea god), and Dian Cécht (the healer). Other figures are Goibniu (the smith), Creidhne (the goldsmith/brazier), and Luchtaine (the carpenter). Ogma is a god of eloquence and a warrior, while Nét (or Neit) is a "god of war" whose wife was Nemain (Nemon).
Though the tribe came from Greece, they are said to have learned magic and druidic knowledge in a distant land far to the north. For example, the Tuatha Dé can hide themselves using a "féth fíada" ('magic mist').
The name "Tuatha Dé Danann" is thought to mean "Tribe of the Gods of Craft." They are shown as skilled in arts like poetry, warfare, healing, and craftsmanship. Their group includes only those who have dán (skills in art, poetry, or crafts). To join their group, one had to master a skill. Lugh was accepted because he mastered all skills (samildanach). Their group prepared for the battle of Cath Maige Tuired. Goibniu, the smith, worked with other gods to make weapons for the war. Later, Goibniu became angry with his wife and began throwing a brand-iron pole called Ness at visitors.
The Tuatha Dé Danann live in the Otherworld but interact with humans. They are linked to places like the sídhe, which are ancient burial mounds such as Brú na Bóinne. These mounds are entrances to Otherworld realms. The Tuatha Dé are often called the "áes sídhe" ('people of the sidhe'). After the Goidels (Milesians) took control, the Tuatha Dé were forced to live underground in the sídhe. Manannán mac Lir protected the remaining members by covering them with the "féth fíada."
Some Tuatha Dé are related to ancient Celtic gods. Lugh is linked to the pan-Celtic god Lugus. Nuada corresponds to the British god Nodens/Nodons, whose name may mean "Light." Ogma is connected to Ogmios, Brigid to Brigantia, Badb to Catubodua, and Tuireann may be related to the Gaulish god Taranis.
For more about how these gods interacted with humans, see "Interaction with men." For medieval Christian writers' views of the Tuatha Dé as pagan gods, see "Contextualization" (especially the subsection on "Euhemerism").
Invasions
In euhemerized stories, the Tuatha Dé Danann were said to be descendants of Nemed, a leader from an earlier group of people who lived in Ireland. In non-euhemerized stories, they were believed to be descendants of Danu/Anu, a mother goddess. They came from four cities located to the north of Ireland—Falias, Gorias, Murias, and Finias—where they taught skills in science, including architecture, the arts, and magic. According to Lebor Gabála Érenn, they arrived in Ireland "in dark clouds" and "landed on the mountains of the Conmaicne Rein in Connachta," also known as Sliabh an Iarainn. They caused a darkness over the sun for three days and three nights. They burned their ships to prevent returning, and the smoke and mist from the ships filled the surrounding land and air. This led people to believe they had arrived in clouds of mist.
A poem in Lebor Gabála Érenn describes their arrival:
"It is God who allowed them, though He held them back. They landed with fear, with great deeds, in a cloud of powerful battle, upon a mountain of Conmaicne in Connacht. Without distinction, Ireland could not tell them apart. Without ships, they moved forward without anyone knowing if they were from heaven or earth."
From them came the Tuatha Dé and Andé, whose origins are unknown. However, it is likely they came from heaven because of their intelligence and knowledge.
Led by King Nuada, they fought the First Battle of Magh Tuireadh on the west coast, where they defeated the native Fir Bolg, who had lived in Ireland. During the battle, Nuada lost an arm to their champion, Sreng. Because he was no longer "unblemished," he could not remain king and was replaced by Bres, a half-Fomorian who became a tyrant. The physician Dian Cecht gave Nuada a working silver arm, restoring him as king. However, Dian Cecht’s son, Miach, was unhappy with the replacement. He recited a 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 arm over nine days and nights. In a jealous rage, Dian Cecht killed his own son. Bres then complained to his family and his father, Elatha, who sent him to seek help from Balor, king of the Fomorians.
The Tuatha Dé then fought the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh against the Fomorians. Nuada was killed by Balor’s poisonous eye, but Balor was killed by Lugh, champion of the Tuatha Dé, who became king.
A third battle was fought against the Milesians, who came from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Galicia and Northern Portugal). The Milesians were descendants of Míl Espáine, thought to represent the Goidelic Celts. The Milesians met three Tuatha Dé goddesses—Ériu, Banba, and Fodla—who asked the island to be named after them. Ériu is the origin of the modern name Éire, and Banba and Fodla are sometimes used as poetic names for Ireland.
At that time, the three husbands of the goddesses—Mac Cuill, Mac Cecht, and Mac Gréine—were kings of the Tuatha Dé. They requested a truce of three days, during which the Milesians would anchor nine waves’ distance from the shore. The Milesians agreed, but the Tuatha Dé created a magical storm to drive them away. The Milesian poet Amergin calmed the sea with his verse, then his people landed and defeated the Tuatha Dé at Tailtiu. When Amergin was asked to divide the land between the Tuatha Dé and his people, he gave the land above ground to the Milesians and the land below ground to the Tuatha Dé. The Tuatha Dé were led underground into the Sidhe mounds by Manannán mac Lir and to a flowery plain called Tír na nÓg, as described in The Voyage of Bran.
The Tuatha Dé Danann brought four magical treasures with them to Ireland, one from each of 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 Éirinn. Nuada’s original reign does not have a precise start date.
Interaction with humans
The Tuatha Dé Danann are often believed to have power over the weather and natural elements. They are also said to influence the fertility of the land. A story called "De Gabáil in t-Sída" explains that the first Gaels needed to form a friendship with the Tuatha Dé Danann before they could grow crops or raise animals.
The Tuatha Dé Danann are linked to the land and leadership. They are often viewed as the earliest ancestors of the people in a region or nation. They act as caring figures who protect the earth and their descendants, but they are also strong warriors and teachers.
Some stories say that human kings gain approval for their right to rule through a meeting with a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, as shown in the tale "Baile in Scáil." A king's authority may also be confirmed by an encounter with a woman from the otherworld (see sovereignty goddess). The Tuatha Dé Danann can also cause harm to kings who rule unfairly.
In Irish traditions, the names of Goibniu the blacksmith, Dian Cécht the healer, and Flidais the guardian of animals are used in spells. This shows that these gods were seen as powerful beings who could give or share strength with humans when called upon.
Contextualization
The native Irish gods are called the Tuatha Dé Danann. There is strong evidence that many of the Tuatha Dé represent the gods of Irish paganism. Medieval writers who wrote about the Tuatha Dé were Christians. Sometimes they described the Tuatha Dé as fallen angels—angels who did not choose sides with God or Lucifer and were punished by being forced to live on Earth—or as ancient humans who became very skilled in magic (see § Euhemerism below). However, some writers admitted that at least some of the Tuatha Dé were gods.
John Carey notes that it is not completely accurate to call all of them gods in medieval literature. He argues that the literary Tuatha Dé are unique and suggests "immortals" might be a more neutral term. Although they can be killed in battle, as the Norse gods were, they are not fully human. Some scholars say Irish mythology shares similarities with Greek mythology. Others, like scholar Marie-Louise Sjoestedt, argue that the Irish gods and goddesses are not easily compared to figures like Mercury or Venus from the Roman pantheon. She describes the Tuatha Dé as not defined by one specific quality but as possessing a kind of universal power and magic.
The Tuatha Dé Danann are described as a supernatural race, similar to idealized humans. They do not age or get sick and have magical abilities. John Carey again notes that it is not entirely accurate to call all of them gods in medieval literature. He argues that the literary Tuatha Dé are unique and suggests "immortals" might be a better term.
Calling them the "Folk of the goddess Dana" may have been a way to make them seem more human (a process called euhemerism). Instead of being "god-folk," they were described as the people of a specific goddess. The Tuatha Dé Danann were likely the gods of Irish paganism. Christian medieval writers who wrote about them had to be careful in how they portrayed these heathen gods. Sometimes they described the Tuatha Dé as fallen angels, neutral angels, or humans who became highly skilled in magic. However, some writers acknowledged that at least some of them were gods. The ninth-century text Scél Tuain meic Cairill (Tale of Tuan mac Cairill) mentions the Tuatha Dé ocus Andé, meaning "tribe of gods and un-gods."
Additional references
In the Irish version of the Historia Britonum by Nennius, the important scientists of the Tuatha Dé Danann are listed with their names, which are partly in Latin, and their roles as follows:
In the Annals of Inisfallen, the following people are listed as members of the Tuatha Dé Danann who defeated the Fir Bolg: