RESOURCES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE:
LÚGHNASADH 2009
By Eva Gordon, FoDLA Religious Education Coordinator
What is this holiday
with a strange name, that comes at the beginning of August?
It is called
Lúghnasadh, or Lúnasa, pronounced LOO-na-ssa. Lúgh is one of the most skilled,
powerful and popular gods of the Celts from ancient times. He was worshipped in
Gaul (ancient land that is now France), Britain, and Ireland—even the Romans
living in some of these areas worshipped him as “Lugus Mercury.” According to
the legend, Lúgh was born to the evil Fomorian giant Balor’s fair daughter
Eithne (EN-ya). His father was Cian, one of the Shining Ones, the Tuatha de
Danann of Ireland. Balor tried to drown the baby Lúgh in the ocean, because he
had heard a prophecy that he, Balor, would be killed by his grandson – Lúgh.
But Lúgh was rescued
and fostered by Manannan the sea god, who taught him many skills and much magic.
He also was cared for by the land goddess, Tailtiu (TALL-tya).
Lúgh came to the
Tuatha de Danann fort at Tara at a time when there was war with the Fomorian
giants, led by Balor himself. The gate
keeper of Tara challenged Lúgh to name a skill he could bring that they did not
already have. Each of the skills he claimed—there was already someone among the
Tuatha who could also claim it. A carpenter, a metal smith, a warrior, harper,
poet, magician, healer, bronze worker, cup bearer—all were already living there.
But Lúgh asked if they had anyone who was skilled at all of these crafts. There was none but Lúgh
himself, the Many Gifted One, or Samildánach (Sahl-DA-nakh)!
The King of the Tuatha
de Danann, Nuada, had lost his right arm in the last battle. Even though he had
been given a magical silver arm to replace it, he was weakened and not ready to
lead the fighting men. (His own arm was recovered and replaced by the skilful healing
god Miach, but that is another story!)
The warriors were
being slain by Balor’s evil eye that would instantly kill anyone that it saw.
Lúgh was called to take King Nuada’s place, and brought victory to the Tuatha
de Danann over the giants. Lúgh killed
Balor by casting his great spear into Balor’s eye…and the old prophecy came
true.
But, later, sadness
came to Lúgh. His beloved foster-mother
Tailtiu died after she cleared a great plain for farmland in the middle of
Ireland. Lúgh made a special holiday in Tailtiu’s memory, at the start of
harvest time. It would be celebrated with sports, games, horse races and other
competitions. There are traditions in Ireland and Scotland of racing to finish
reaping the grain in the first field, with bad luck going to the loser who
takes the last sheaf of grain. The reapers also would throw their sickels in
the air to make predictions about the year to come (not recommended as an
activity for us!). Lúghnasadh is also the time for picking berries. All this
makes sense because Tailtiu was a goddess of the harvest and the farm lands.
Summer Reading: Anne
Ross, Druids, Gods & Heroes from Celtic Mythology, Peter Bedrick Books, New
York, NY, 1986. This is a beautifully
illustrated book of selected Irish, Welsh and Cornish myths and legends told in
a clear and simple style. There is one chapter about King Arthur. It would be
especially good for reading aloud.