#macnia

[taisestarr]

7 aspects of Lugh

These are 7 aspects of Lugh, which I’ll describe in detail in later posts.

I separate Lugh’s manifestation by 3 levels:

1. Lugh’s transcendent form — Trefuilngid Tre-eochair from the “Suidigud Tellaich Temra” (The Settling of the Manor of Tara) 

2. Lugh as a god of a humankind — Samildánach ("equally skilled in all the arts") from all myths about Lugh.

3. Lugh as a god among humans — Macnia (“youthful hero”), incarnating in heroes and legendary rulers with names derived from Lugh.

I’ll prove why Trefuilngid Tre-eochair is a manifestation of Lugh later. His name is close to “Triple Bearer of Three Powers” (or keys, or fruits, which he gave to humankind). 

Lugh Samildánach as a god of humankind is the Lugh from Irish myths. Trefuilngid Tre-eochair divides Ireland into 5 parts (he gave this knowledge to Fintan):

knowledge in the west, battle in the north, prosperity in the east, music in the south, kingship in the centre.

This is how I associate Lugh’s aspects with these parts:

1. Scál find (“light phantom”) — knowledge

2. Lonnbéimnech/Lonnansclech ("fierce striker") —  battle

3. Lámfada (“long hand”) — prosperity

4. Ildánach ("skilled in many arts") — music

These are 4 faces of Lugh Samildánach, who has all the skills and correspond to the kingship in the centre. 

Altogether there are 7 aspects of Lugh. I use the common epithets (you may find them even in Wikipedia), except for the Scál find. I’ve added this aspect based on Lugh’s manifestation after his death. He is Scál indeed in Baile in Scáil (text), also there’s an ancient praise poem on Labraid (text), where Lugh is called Scál find. “Find” by itself also matches Lugh. 

I choose epithets corresponding to Lugh’s functions and will explain everything in the later posts. Lugh Samildánach always have all faces, I divide them for the clarity of human interaction with Lugh. For example, Ildánach is the best choice for inspiration and creation. Also, Lugh’s story gives us a way of self-development, which is easier to adapt with separating his functions into several aspects. 

This system is my innovation, so it might seem strange without details. Please be patient, I’ll prove everything later based on myths’ analysis, it will take several weeks. 

[taisestarr]

Lugh’s knowledge of gradual incarnation

I’ll start with the Macnia aspect of Lugh, his manifestation in heroes. All Lugh's aspects are here. Cú Chulainn is the most evident example of Macnia. I like the idea that the myth ‘Compert Con Culainn’ shows that Lugh has a knowledge of gradual incarnation. T. Ó Cathasaigh in ‘Mythology in Táin Bó Cúailnge’ first mentioned that idea of triple conception of Setanta shows this gradation (from several versions of the myth combined):

1. Two divine parents, Lugh and his lover — the boy that Dechtire brought from the otherworld.

2. A divine father Lugh and a human mother Dechtire — a small creature that Dechtire swallowed after the death of that boy. She got pregnant with this swallow.

3. Two human parents, Dechtire and Súaltam — finally Setanta.

Lugh not only has a knowledge of incarnation among humankind, he also knows how to do it gradually, from divine to human. The other god with knowledge of incarnation is Lugh’s foster father Manannán with Mongán as his son. Nora Chadwick in ‘Celtic Realms’ interprets it as a new cult, Lugh and Manannán as outlanders substitute previous gods. This explains why Lugh and Manannán are sо dignified, while the Dagda in ‘Cath Maige Tuired’ is not.

Using this idea of gradual incarnation, I suggest that Lugh as a god occurs at three levels:

1. Lugh’s transcendent form — Trefuilngid Tre-eochair from the ‘Suidigud Tellaich Temra’ (The Settling of the Manor of Tara), true divine form. 

2. Lugh as a god of a humankind — Samildánach ("equally skilled in all the arts") from all myths about Lugh, a divine form created by humans.

3. Lugh as a god among humans — Macnia ("youthful hero"), incarnating in heroes and legendary rulers with names derived from Lugh, a human form.

Mark Williams in ‘Ireland’s Immortals’ writes that there is evidence that many heroes were named after Lugh: Lugaid and Luigne. They could be viewed as a Lugh’s incarnation among humans. Also, there were tribes that are considered to have Lugh as a divine ancestor (evidence on ogham stones and toponyms). Williams also mentions that Fionn mac Cumhaill could also be a Lugh’s incarnation and provides references to such research. I’ll analyze their parallels later.

[taisestarr]

Structural parallels between Lugh and Fionn mac Cumhaill

Lugh has the knowledge of incarnating, as shown in the previous post. So I assume that Fionn mac Cumhaill might be Lugh’s incarnation. The idea is not new, here are some references on research from Mark Williams’ ‘Ireland’s Immortals’ on this topic (and he also mentions this idea in the book):

- J. Carey, ’Nodons, Lugus, Windos’,  - T. O Cathasaigh, ‘Cath Maige Tuires as Exemplary Myth’,  - P. Mac Cana, ‘Fianaigecht in the pre-Norman period’.

I haven’t read them yet, but I’ve read stories about Lugh’s and Fionn’s youth. Here are some parallels that I’ve found (for Fionn I rely on James Stephens’ retelling):

1. Childhood far away from other people, where the hero gained all necessary knowledge. For Lugh it’s Emain Ablach with Manannán as his foster father. Fionn grew up in an isolated forest of Sliabh Bladma.

2. The importance of foster mothers: Tailtiu for Lugh and druidess Bodhmall with a female warrior Liath Luachra for Fionn mac Cumhaill. Both Lugh’s and Fionn’s birth mothers are alive, living their separate lives.

3. Once the hero gained all knowledge, he went to Tara, self-assertive and audacious.

4. Fionn gained the magical weapon and instruction from a foster father-like figure Fiacha mac Congh before the battle. Lugh possessed a number of magical items from his foster father Manannán, who also gave him the necessary knowledge.

5. The hero defeated the fire-related otherworld deity persona, who burned everything with his music (Áillen) or evil eye (Balor). Both of them are related to that otherworld persona from maternal lineage. Fionn is Nuada’s descendant, Lugh is Balor’s grandson. 

6. This victory is crucial, being an initiation. Both Lugh and Fionn became rulers after that.

7. Same magical items. Fionn obtained a special spear, which seems similar to one of Lugh’s spears. He also has other artifacts from Manannán, like crane-bag (more details here).

On the top of that, Fionn’s name meaning also matches Lugh:

Finn/find means "white, bright, lustrous; fair, light-hued (of complexion, hair, etc.); fair, handsome, bright, blessed; in moral sense, fair, just, true" (from here)

The main difference here is that the people and their otherworld changed. In the Mythological Cycle Tuatha Dé Danann were the people with Fomori as otherworld. In the Fianna Cycle humans are the people, while Tuatha Dé Danann became the otherworld creatures. Time changed, while the essence is the same.

These parallels are enough for me to state that Fionn is an incarnation of Lugh, representing his Macnia aspect. All Lugh's aspects are in this post.