Lugh, also called Lug, is a character in Irish mythology. He belongs to the Tuatha Dé Danann, a group of magical beings. In stories, Lugh is shown as a brave warrior, a wise king, a skilled craftsman, and a hero who saves others. He is known for his ability to excel in many areas, including the arts. Lugh is also linked to honesty, laws, and fair leadership. He is connected to intelligence and is associated with the harvest festival called Lughnasadh, which is named after him. His most well-known titles are Lámfada, meaning "long hand" or "long arm" (possibly because of his skill with a spear or his leadership), and Samildánach, meaning "skilled in many arts." This name is sometimes written in English as "Lew of the Long Hand."
In myths, Lugh is the son of Cian and Ethniu. He is the grandson of Balor, a cruel Fomorian leader, whom Lugh defeats in the Battle of Mag Tuired. Lugh’s son is Cú Chulainn, a famous hero believed to be a form of Lugh. Lugh has magical items, including a spear that cannot be stopped, a sling stone, and a dog named Failinis. He is credited with inventing games like fidchell, ball games, and horse racing.
Lugh is the Irish version of the pan-Celtic god Lugus. His Welsh equivalent is Lleu Llaw Gyffes. The Romans compared Lugh to their god Mercury.
Name
The meaning of the name Lugh is still not fully understood. Some experts believe it comes from an ancient language root, (h₂)lewgʰ-, which means "to bind by oath." This idea is supported by similar words in Old Irish (luige) and Welsh (llw), both meaning "oath" or "vow." These words are thought to come from an early Celtic form, lugiyo-, suggesting Lugh may have been a god connected to promises and agreements. In the Second Battle of Moytura, the character Balor refers to Lugh as a "babbler," which may relate to his role in oaths.
In the past, some believed Lugh's name came from another ancient root, leuk-, meaning "flashing light." This led to the idea that Lugh was a sun god, like the Greek and Roman god Apollo. However, Lugh's role in Irish stories aligns more closely with the Roman god Mercury, as described by Julius Caesar in his book De Bello Gallico. Modern experts in Celtic languages no longer support the leuk- theory because of sound-related problems. Specifically, the -k- sound in ancient languages did not change into the -g- sound found in Celtic languages, making this connection unlikely.
Description
Lugh is often described as a young warrior. In the short story Baile in Scáil, Lugh is said to be very large, very beautiful, and a skilled rider who uses a spear.
In Táin Bó Cúalnge, when Lugh appears before the injured Cú Chulainn, he is described as:
A tall man with fair hair that is curly and yellow. He wears a green cloak wrapped around him, with a silver brooch on the cloak over his chest. His skin is pale, and he wears a tunic made of royal satin with red-gold patterns that reach to his knees. He carries a black shield with a strong white-bronze center. In his hand, he holds a five-pointed spear and a forked javelin. He moves skillfully with these weapons, but no one speaks to him, and he does not speak to anyone, as if no one can see him.
In other stories, Lugh is described as a tall young man with bright red cheeks, pale skin, a bronze-colored face, and hair the color of blood.
In The Fate of the Children of Turenn, Lugh’s appearance is compared to the sun. Bres describes him in the following way:
In another part of the same story, the following remark is made:
Mythology
Lugh’s father is Cian of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and his mother is Ethniu (Eithne in Modern Irish), daughter of Balor of the Fomorians. In the story Cath Maige Tuired, their marriage is a dynastic union formed after an alliance between the Tuatha Dé and the Fomorians. In the Lebor Gabála Érenn, Cian gives the boy to Tailtiu, queen of the Fir Bolg, for fosterage. In the Dindsenchas, Lugh, Tailtiu’s foster-son, is called the “son of the Dumb Champion.” In the poem Baile Suthain Sith Eamhna, Lugh is called “descendant of the poet.”
A folktale told to John O’Donovan by Shane O’Dugan of Tory Island in 1835 describes the birth of a grandson of Balor who grows up to kill his grandfather. The grandson is unnamed, his father is called Mac Cinnfhaelaidh, and the way he kills Balor differs from the story of Lugh. This tale has been linked to Lugh’s story and adapted by Lady Gregory. In the tale, Balor hears a druid’s prophecy that he will be killed by his own grandson. To stop this, Balor imprisons his only daughter in the Tór Mór (great tower) of Tory Island. She is cared for by twelve women who ensure she never meets or learns of men.
On the mainland, Mac Cinnfhaelaidh owns a magic cow that produces abundant milk, which everyone, including Balor, desires. While the cow is cared for by Mac Cinnfhaelaidh’s brother, Mac Samthainn, Balor appears as a small red-haired boy and tricks Mac Samthainn into giving him the cow. Seeking revenge, Mac Cinnfhaelaidh calls on a leanan sídhe (fairy woman) named Biróg, who transports him to the top of Balor’s tower, where he seduces Ethniu. Eventually, Ethniu gives birth to triplets, which Balor gathers in a sheet and sends to drown in a whirlpool. Two babies drown, but one is dropped into the harbor and rescued by Biróg. She takes the child to his father, who sends him to his brother, Gavida the smith, for fosterage.
There may be additional references to tripling in Lugh’s story. In the folktale, his father is one of three brothers: Mac Cinnfhaelaidh, Gavida, and Mac Samthainn. In the Lebor Gabála, Lugh’s father, Cian, is mentioned alongside his brothers Cú and Cethen. Other characters named Lugaid, a common medieval Irish name thought to come from Lugh, also have three fathers. For example, Lugaid Riab nDerg was the son of three Findemna (fair triplets), and Lugaid mac Con Roí was called mac Trí Con (“son of three hounds”). In another Irish story, the tragedy of Deirdre involves three brothers who carry off the king’s intended. This pattern of three brothers and hounds continues with Cian’s brother Cú (“hound”), another Lugaid, Lugaid Mac Con (“son of a hound”), and Lugh’s son Cúchulainn (“Culann’s Hound”). A fourth Lugaid, Lugaid Loígde, was a legendary King of Tara and an ancestor or inspiration for Lugaid Mac Con.
As a young man, Lugh travels to Tara to join the court of King Nuada of the Tuatha Dé Danann. The doorkeeper refuses to let him in unless he has a skill to serve the king. Lugh offers to be a wright, a smith, a champion, a swordsman, a harpist, a hero, a poet, a historian, a sorcerer, and a craftsman, but each time is rejected because the Tuatha Dé Danann already have someone with that skill. When Lugh asks if they have someone with all those skills, the doorkeeper admits defeat, and Lugh joins the court and is named Chief Ollam of Ireland. He wins a flagstone-throwing contest against Ogma, the champion, and entertains the court with his harp. At the time, the Tuatha Dé Danann are oppressed by the Fomorians, and Lugh is surprised by how quietly they accept their suffering. Nuada wonders if Lugh could lead them to freedom. Lugh is given command of the Tuatha Dé Danann and begins preparing for war.
Tuireann and Cian, Lugh’s father, are old enemies. One day, Cian’s sons—Brian, Iuchar, and Iucharba—see Cian in the distance and decide to kill him. They find him hiding as a pig, but Cian tricks them into letting him change back into a man before they kill him, giving Lugh the right to claim compensation for a father, not just a pig. When they try to bury Cian, the ground spits his body back twice before finally keeping him. The ground confesses it is a grave for Lugh.
Lugh holds a feast and invites the brothers. He asks them what they would demand as compensation for killing his father. They say death is the only fair demand, and Lugh agrees. He accuses them of killing Cian and sends them on a series of impossible quests. The brothers complete all but the last, which will kill them. Despite Tuireann’s pleas, Lugh insists they continue. When they are fatally wounded, Lugh denies them the use of a magic pigskin that heals wounds. They die, and Tuireann dies of grief over their bodies.
Using the magic items the sons of Tuireann gathered, Lugh leads the Tuatha Dé Danann in the Second Battle of Mag Tuired against the Fomorians. Before the battle, Lugh asks each member of his army what skill they would bring to the fight. He then gives a speech that inspires each warrior to act like a king or lord. Nuada is killed in the battle by Balor. Lugh faces Balor, who opens his poisonous eye that kills all who look at it. Lugh throws a sling-stone that drives the eye out of Balor’s head, killing him and causing chaos in the Fomorian army.
After the victory, Lugh finds Bres, the half-Fomorian former king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, alone on the battlefield. Bres begs for his life, promising to ensure the cows of Ireland always give milk. The Tuatha Dé Danann refuse, but Lugh spares Bres on the condition that he teaches them how to
Family
Lugh is known by the names mac Ethlenn or mac Ethnenn, which mean "son of Ethliu or Ethniu" (his mother), and mac Cein, meaning "son of Cian" (his father). He is the grandson of Balor, a Fomorian ruler, through his mother. Lugh defeats Balor in the Battle of Mag Tuired. Lugh's son is Cú Chulainn, a famous hero who is believed to be a spiritual form of Lugh.
Lugh had several wives, including Buí (also called Buach or Bua, meaning "Victory") and Nás, who were daughters of Ruadri Ruad, the king of Britain. Buí lived and was buried at Knowth (Cnogba). Nás was buried at Naas, County Kildare, which is said to be named after her. Lugh had a son named Ibic, meaning "of the horses," with Nás. It is said that Nás died during a battle, making it unclear where she died. Lugh's daughter or sister was Ebliu, who married Fintan. Through his marriage to Deichtine, Lugh was the father of Cú Chulainn.
Possessions
Lugh had many magical items. These items were found by the sons of Tuirill Piccreo in Middle Irish versions of the Lebor Gabála. Not all items are listed here. The later story called The Fate of the Children of Tuireann not only lists items collected for Lugh but also describes gifts given to him by the sea god Manannán, including the sword Fragarach, the horse Enbarr (Aonbarr), the boat Scuabtuinne / Sguaba Tuinne ("Wave-Sweeper"), and his armor and helmet.
Lugh’s spear (sleg), as described in The Four Jewels of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was said to be unstoppable. It was brought to Ireland from Gorias (or Findias).
Lugh obtained the Spear of Assal (Gae Assail), according to Lebor Gabála Érenn, as a fine (éric) imposed on the children of Tuirill Piccreo (or Biccreo). The text adds that the incantation "Ibar (Yew)" ensured the spear always hit its target, while "Athibar (Re-Yew)" made it return after being thrown.
In a full version of the story called Aoidhe Chloinne Tuireann (from copies no earlier than the 17th century), Lugh demanded the spear named Ar-éadbair or Areadbhair (Aꞃéadḃaiꞃ), which belonged to Pisear, king of Persia. The tip of Areadbhair had to stay in a pot of water to prevent it from igniting, a property similar to the Lúin of Celtchar. This spear is also called "Slaughterer" in translation.
Another name for Lugh’s spear is "A [yew] tree, the finest of the wood" (eó bo háille d'ḟíoḋḃaiḃ), mentioned in a verse within The Fate of the Children of Tuireann. The name "The famous yew of the wood" (ibar alai fhidbaidha) is also used for Lugh’s spear in a text that claims it, the Lúin of Celtchar, and the spear Crimall (which blinded Cormac Mac Airt) were the same weapon.
Lugh’s projectile weapon, whether a dart or missile, was described as symbolic of a lightning-weapon.
Lugh’s sling rod, called "Lugh’s Chain," was said to be the rainbow and the Milky Way, according to writer Charles Squire. Squire also wrote that Lugh’s spear was alive and thirsty for blood, requiring its tip to be soaked in a sleeping draught made from pounded poppy leaves to keep it still. When battle was near, the spear would roar, struggle against its thongs, and flash fire as it tore through enemy ranks.
According to Lebor Gabála Érenn, Lugh used the "sling-stone" (cloich tabaill) to kill his grandfather, Balor the Strong-Smiter, during the Battle of Magh Tuired. Another version, Cath Maige Tured, describes Lugh using the sling-stone to destroy the evil eye of Balor of the Piercing Eye (Bolur Birugderc).
Lugh’s ammunition was not just a stone but a tathlum, as described in a poem from Egerton MS. 1782. The poem states:
"Táthlum tromm thenntide tenn robūi ag Tūath Dé Danann, hī robriss súil Balair búain tall ar toghail in tromshlúaigh"
"A tathlum, heavy, fiery, firm, Which the Tuatha Dé Danann had with them, It was that broke the fierce Balor's eye, Of old, in the battle of the great armies."
The poem explains the tathlum was made from blood collected from toads, bears, lions, vipers, and the neck of Osmuinn, mixed with sands from the Armorian Sea and the Red Sea.
In The Fate of the Children of Tuireann, Lugh is shown wearing the Freagarthach (Fragarach), the sword of Manannán, during the assembly of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
Lugh had a horse named Aenbharr, which could travel over land and sea. Manannán mac Lir, the sea god, gave Lugh this horse. When the Children of Tuireann asked to borrow it, Lugh refused, saying it would not be proper to lend a loan. Instead, he allowed them to use his boat, the "Wave-Sweeper" (Sguaba Tuinne).
In Lebor Gabála, the horses Gainne and Rea, belonging to the king of Sicily, were demanded by Lug as éraic from the sons of Tuirill Briccreo.
Failinis was the name of the whelp of the King of Ioruaidhe that Lugh demanded as éiric in Oidhead Chloinne Tuireann. This matches the name of the hound in an "Ossianic Ballad" titled "Dám Thrír Táncatair Ille (They came here as a band of three)." In the ballad, the hound is called Ṣalinnis (Shalinnis) or Failinis (in the Lismore text) and belonged to a group from Iruaide. The hound was given to Lugh by the sons of Tuireann Bicreann.
Comparative mythology
Lugh has been linked to the pan-Celtic god Lugus. John Rhys suggested that Lugh might be related to the Welsh mythological figure Lleu Llaw Gyffes through Lugus. Some scholars believe Lugh was a storm god, and others, though less commonly today, think he was a sun god. This has led to comparisons between Lugh and the Roman gods Jupiter or Sol. Some have also noticed a similarity between Lugh killing Balor and Loki killing Baldr in Norse myths. Lugh's skill in many arts led Marie Henri d'Arbois de Jubainville to connect Lugus with a Gaulish god, unnamed by Julius Caesar, who was described as the "inventor of all the arts" and associated with Mercury.
Scholars have theorized that St. Mologa may represent a Christian version of the god Lugh.
Toponymy
The County of Louth in Ireland is named after the village of Louth, which is named after the god Lugh. Over time, the name has been spelled in many ways, including "Lugmad," "Lughmhaigh," and "Lughmhadh" (see Historic Names List for a full list). The modern spelling is "Lú." Other places named after Lugh include the cairn at Seelewey (Suidhe Lughaidh, or Lug's Seat), Dunlewey, and Rath-Lugaidh in Carney, Sligo. Seelewey was located in Moyturra Chonlainn, and local stories say it was a place where giants once gathered.
The modern city of Lyon was founded in 43 BC as Colonia Copia Felix Munatia. By the end of the first century AD, it was called "Lugdunum," a Latin version of the ancient Gaulish name *Lugudunon, which means "Fortress of Lugh."
One of the four regions in Galicia is called Lugo, named in honor of the god Lugh.