Stories of the Tuatha Dé Danann

Written by Gabriel Woods 

The Tuatha Dé Danann were the Gods of ancient Ireland before the Celts arrived. These Gods form the creation myth of Ireland. They were born through the goddess Danu. There was a god for every aspect of the world. The Tuatha Dé Danann were believed to have shaped the land of the island of Ireland. In ancient Irish folklore they interacted with the very first settlers to live in Ireland, the Neolithic people. The gods created the forests, dug deep into the mountains to form valleys, guided rainwater to form lakes and the water to flow to the sea. There were also a destructive group of gods that challenged the Tuatha Dé Danann, called the Fomoire. The Fomoire caused death and destruction. The destructive gods were needed to make way for the creative gods of growth. In that way destruction was just the other side of creation. 

The Tuatha Dé Danann were often depicted as hedonistic lovers of life. There was one important goddess of poetry and stories among the Tuatha Dé Danann called Bridgit, who in Christianity is called Saint Bridgit. The Irish monks ensured that the goddess Bridgit would be included in scripture and worshiped by calling the goddess a saint. It is also said that she was a goddess in human form and people could interact with her. The Tuatha Dé Danann inspired the ancient Irish monks as they created their world renowned holy books of art and scripture.

With the arrival of the Celts from Europe came the demise of the Tuatha Dé Danann. The story goes that the first group of Celts marched to the Hill of Tara, a sacred place in Meath called the Boyne Valley. They challenged the three Kings of Ireland. The Irish kings demanded that the Celts leave them for three days so that they could decide whether they would submit to the Celts or fight them. The Tuatha Dé Danann believed that the Celts could not beat their druids. As the Celts went out to sea the druids whipped up the waters so as to drown the Celts but the waves were not strong enough and the Celts stepped back onto the land. The first of them named Amergin spoke a mystical poem that was also a spell. In his poem he identified himself with all forms of nature and that he had the ability to transform into whatever life form he chose. He gained the respect of the original settlers of Ireland and they submitted to the Celts.

The Tuatha Dé Danann feared this large population of settlers because the gods knew nothing about them and also the Celts had their own gods to worship. The old Irish gods felt they would eventually be forgotten. They decided to hide. The Tuatha Dé Danann retreated into Newgrange and megalithic tombs called dolmens (which are Neolithic tombs with a large flat stone laid on two upright stones, found throughout Ireland). These monuments are at least two hundred years before the pyramids. They also hid in rock formations and caves. It is said in parts of Ireland you can see human like figures frozen in the rocks. These are said to be the some of the gods of the Tuatha Dé Danann who retreated into the protection of the mountains and blended into the stone. If a person touches the stone god it is said this will bring the person good luck. 

Image: Wikipedia