Imbros gorge
Author: FotoIT. Source: Pixabay
Eighty years after the arrival of the Fir Bolg, the new conquerors call themselves the Tuatha De. In their language, Tuatha means ‘people’ and De ‘goddesses’. From the ancestor Aitech, they are 22ND generation descendants and are also descendants of the group of Nemedians who left the island of Ireland for the islands of northern Greece.
The Book tells us that these islands were four in number. We may recall that in the northern Aegean Sea there are four islands: Samothrace, Thasos, Imbros and Lemnos. About Samothrace, ancient Greek historians are aware of the religious importance of this island for the Greeks. The Book states that druidism and ‘sciences’ were taught on these islands.
(Ó Cléirigh only) When their ‘studies’ were complete, the Nemedians left the islands with a memento from each island. And these souvenirs became objects of veneration among the ancient Irish. We start with the spear of Lug (Lugad), a god of Irish mythology (a Tuatha De born much later). Then we continue the sword of Nuadu, another god (another Tuatha De born much later). We continue with the cauldron of Dagda. Dagda was a nickname (or title) borne by Eochaid, a Tuatha De. The latter’s nickname was the Great Patriarch (born much later). Contrary to what some historians claim, Dagda was never the name of a character in the Book and even less that of a god. And we end with the famous Stone of Destiny. It has been present at every coronation of the British monarchy for centuries. The Book states that this stone made, in ancient times, a ‘noise’. Finally, Destiny refers to the Island of Destiny, an Ireland ancient nickname.
(Ó Cléirigh only) After these Nemedians left these northern Greek islands with their memories, they settled for about 200 years in a territory between the Athéansta (Athenians) and the Félistinéada (Philistines). These two neighbours regularly quarrelled, and the descendants of the Nemedians remained cautious on the sidelines. Until one day, after a terrible battle, the descendants of the Nemedians (the future Tuatha De) healed many of the Athéansta to the point of restoring many of them to health.
The expression ‘to health’ is a mild euphemism, as this anecdote in the story is surreal. It is best to quote the French translation.
(Ó Cléirigh only, free translation from Lizeray’s text) ‘They fought with all their strength and the victory was won over the Athéansta, so that all their troops were slaughtered, except for a few. Then the Tuatha De began to heal the Athéansta and by their sorcery (by their druidism) they put demons into the bodies of the slain heroes among the Athéansta, who were still ready for battle and made new provocations. Great was the surprise of the Félistinéada when they saw the men they had killed fighting them again the next day. They informed their Druids of this; the Dean of the Druids gave them his advice and said to them: bring (he said), wooden spears and tree bark to the battle tomorrow, and if you win, place the wooden spears on the necks of the men you will kill tomorrow: if they are demons, a crowd of worms will come upon them. They did so. The Félistinéada triumphed again; they placed wooden spears on the necks of the heroes they killed, and worms came on the heads.’
No comment. Except one: the medieval copyists added ‘by their sorcery’ whereas in Greek and Scythian antiquity, sorcerers did not exist. One can speak of a lack of fair play towards druidism.
Obviously, this triggered the anger of the Philistines against the Scythians. And to avoid the massacre, the future Tuatha De fled and wandered and finally reached the north of Albania where they stayed for seven years. Then they decided to head for Ireland and seemed aware that they would have to contend with the Fir Bolg. The Book says nothing about their sea voyage but states that the wife of Nuadu, ruler of the Tuatha De, was called Tailltiu and that she was the daughter of the ‘king’ of Spain, Mag Mor. This suggests that the Tuatha De had stopped in Spain before heading to Ireland.
Of course, the confrontation with the Fir Bolg raged on and the Tuatha De came out on top with heavy losses. Nuadu even had his hand cut off, so that he could not exercise sovereignty for seven years. The care of Nuadu is so strange that it is best to quote the Book:
‘Bress s. Elada took the kingship of Ireland post, to the end of seven years, till the arm of Nuadu was healed: a silver arm with activity in every finger and every joint which Dian Cecht put upon him, Credne helping him. But Miach son of Dian Cecht fixed joint to joint and vein to vein of his own hand, and it was healed in thrice nine days; and on that account his silver hand was given as his guerdon.’
‘Vein to vein’? In modern medicine, this is called a prosthesis.
The Fir Bolg were decimated and the survivors took refuge on ‘remote’ headlands and islands. It is likely that these Fir Bolg refugees or their descendants, faced with the limited resources of the headlands and islands, eventually landed on the island of Britain.
Then the Tuatha De, who were not very combative during their former stay in Greece, fought over the sovereignty of Ireland. The Book describes these disputes in detail, but we will limit ourselves to mentioning characters who have passed into posterity. We begin with Brigit, a goddess of Irish mythology who was a niece of Nuadu. She was a poet, which in her time was a sign of social success. We then move on to a little nephew of Nuadu, Mac Cuill. We continue with Lug, known as the Long Hand. He is a god of Irish mythology. He was the lucky holder of the spear from the islands north of Greece. He was a nephew of Nuadu and ruled Ireland for 40 years. Then he was killed by Mac Cuill who must have been impatient with Lug’s longevity.
There remains a point to be clarified: why did Tuatha De reappoint in Tuatha De Danan? Hypotheses do not miss, including the most picturesque. For example, according to one of them, the Tuatha De Danan (or Danann) would be one of the twelve tribes of Israel, that of Dan. However, it was enough to read the Book. Nuadu had a small niece, Danan, and this last had three girls. The religious prestige of his three daughters was such as they were high (in their lifetime) at the rank of goddesses and as they were called Danan. And Tuatha De, people of the goddesses, became the Tuatha De Danan, the people of the goddesses of Danan.
There is still one point to be clarified: why did the Tuatha De rename themselves as Tuatha De Danan? There is no shortage of hypotheses, including the most picturesque. For example, according to one of them, the Tuatha De Danan (or Danann) would be one of the twelve tribes of Israel, that of Dan. However, it was enough to read the Book. Nuadu had a great-niece, Danan, and she had three daughters. The religious prestige of her three daughters was such that they were elevated (during their lifetime) to the rank of goddesses and were called the Danan. And the Tuatha De, people of the goddesses, became the people of the goddesses of Danan.
We shall conclude with a strange passage from the Book. In the nineteenth century, the Irish Academy deleted this passage but Trinity College retained it.
(Ó Cléirigh only, free translation from Lizeray’s text) ’Tethor the distinguished who discovered mead, brave was the man. The hazel tree was the god of the grandson of the Dagda who was not black, Banba was his wife.’
Let us first identify the characters. Tethor was a brother of Mac Cuill and had the nickname ‘Son of the Hazel Tree’, because he worshipped this tree (…) Eochu, nicknamed the Dagda, was Tethor’s grandfather. And now we come to the most surprising term: the Dagda was not ‘black’. Black of skin? It wouldn’t be so surprising, because according to the Book, the Scythians had settlements south of the Red Sea and these settlements had good relations (even marriage ties) with the Egyptian elite and its pharaohs. And historians know that some pharaohs and dignitaries were black.