Tuatha de Danann RAR!

[NecronLord]

Sources:

Obviously most recorded versions of this story are somewhat christianized and a lot of biblical history is included, what bible-less lore existed is sadly unrecorded, so what pre-Christian mythology said of them is a matter of historical research and speculation.

Lebor Gabála Érenn The Book of Invasions, This particular text does use the earlier Tuath De (Tribe of the Gods), rather than Tuatha Dé Danann (Tribe of the Goddess Danu) Tuath De is used less in later texts, as Christians had then appropriated the name Tuath De for the Israelites. I’ll be calling this Invasions.

Tochomlod mac Miledh a hEspain i nErind The Progress of the Sons of Mil from Spain to Ireland, another account of the Milesean Celt invasion that defeated the Tuatha De.

Mesca Ulad A brief snippet of the wonderfully titled “Drunkenness of the Ulstermen” which I will call “Drunks”.

Altram Tige Dá Medar The Fosterage of the House of the Two Pails, which pretty much picks up where the Book of Invasions leaves off, Which I’ll label Fosterage.

Arrival in Ireland

Thereafter the Tuath De came, in their masses of fog, so that
there was sustenance for me though it was a long lifetime.

Thereafter the progeny of Bethach s. Iarbonel the Soothsayer s. Nemed were in the northern islands of the world, learning druidry and knowledge and prphecy [sic] and magic, till they were expert in the arts of pagan cunning.

So that they were the Tuatha De Danann who came to Ireland. In this wise they came, in dark clouds. They landed on the mountains of Conmaicne Rein in Connachta; and they brought a darkness over the sun for three days and three nights.

Recounting of the Tuatha landing on the mountains of Connacht, which are somewhat northerly, but not coastal, per se, flying under clouds and blocking out the sun for three days.

An alternate version has that they arrived in boats and then burnt them, while that's more plausible, it also appears more in texts that want to play down the fantastic and make them more historical (the Book of Invasions is one such, mind you).

Notable is three abilities there, though probably all interlinked, prophecy, druidry and magic, as well as knowledge, in general. Certainly almost any degree of reliable prophecy would be useful for a number of things. There are sadly, no specifics, though.

First Battle of Mag Turied

The Fir Bolg gave them [the Tuatha De Danann] battle upon Mag Tuired; they were a long time fighting that battle. At last it broke against the Fir Bolg, and the slaughter pressed northward, and a hundred thousand of them were slain westward to the strand of Eochaill. There was the king Eochu overtaken, and he fell at the hands of the three sons of Nemed. Yet the Tuatha De Danann suffered great loss in the battle, and they left the king on the field, with his arm cut from him; the leeches were seven years healing him.

An indication of the total number of Fir Bolg slain in the battle, and the length of time taken to heal Nuada.

They demanded battle of kingship of the Fir Bolg. A battle was fought between them, to wit the first battle of Mag Tuired, in which a hundred thousand of the Fir Bolg fell. Thereafter they [the TDD] took the kingship of Ireland. Those are the Tuatha Dea - gods were their men of arts, non-gods their husbandmen. They knew the incantations of druids, and charioteers, and trappers, and cupbearers.

Indications of the degree of relative mortality/godhood among the Tuatha De.

Now Nuadu Airgetlam was king over the Tuatha De Danann for seven years before their coming into Ireland, until his arm was hewn from him in the first battle of Mag Tuired. Eidleo s. Alldai, he was the first man of the Tuatha De Danann who fell in Ireland, by the hand of Nercon ua Semeoin, in the first battle of Mag Tuired. Ernmas, and Echtach, and Etargal, and Fiachra, and Tuirill Piccreo fell in the same battle. 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.

Nuada’s metal arm again. Some versions I’ve heard of specify that it had sensation as well as activity, which is rather more useful, though even so it’s fully functional and requires no batteries or maintenance as far as is known. Your mileage may vary on how useful such a skill is relative to recent developments in cybernetics, but doubtless it would be useful. On the other hand, it takes seven years.

Thirty years after Genand goblin hosts took the fertile land; a blow to the vanquished People of Bags was the visit of the Tuatha De Danann.

It is God [Jehovah] who suffered them, though He restrained them - they landed with horror, with lofty deed, in their cloud of mighty combat of spectres, upon a mountain of Conmaicne of Connacht.
Without distinction to descerning Ireland, Without ships, a ruthless course the truth was not known beneath the sky of stars, whether they were of heaven or of earth.

If it were diabolic demons the black-cloaked agitating expedition, it was sound with ranks, with hosts: if of men, it was the proteny of Bethach.
[…]
They cast no assembly or justice about the place of Fal to the sunset: there was fire and fighting at last in Mag Tuired.
[…]
Though Ireland was multitudes of thousands they divided her land into thirds: great chieftains of deeds of pride, Mac Cuill, Mac Cecht, Mac Greine.

A more “evil” description of the Tuatha De. Notably a more Christian passage that the author includes the phrase “though he [the author] enumerates them, he [the author] adores them not.” Also translated as ‘worships them not.’ So yeah, it's worth noting that Invasions is somewhat hostile to them in a way a lot of other sources aren't.

Again, though, thousands there, hundreds of thousands dead in the battle.

Mortality

Among the endless genealogies that ancient writers are so fond of there’s a good list of the deaths. Leaving out deaths in combat, we have:

Of a stroke of the pure sun died Cairpre the great, son of
Etan: Etan died over the pool of sorrow for white-headed
Cairpre. […]Now of painful plague died Dian Cecht and Goibnenn the
smith: […] Creidne the pleasant artificer was drowned on the lake-sea,
the sinister pool, fetching treasures of noble gold to
Ireland from Spain. […]the wife of the brown Dagda perished of
plague of the slope in Liathdruim.

Sunstroke, drowning, and plague. These are not superman, at least not yet, in some accounts they gain immortality later.

It’s worth noting that these are two separate plagues, generations apart, over the relatively short span of time covered. This might account for the apparently far reduced numbers later on, as of course might the numbers lost against the Fir Bolg. Their ‘chief spell-weaver’ is also mentioned as dying in some random fight in the list of dead people here.

Coming of the Milseans

The sons of Mil advanced to a landing in Inber Stainge. The Tuatha De Danann did not allow them to come to the land there, for they had not held parley with them. By their druidry they caused it to appear to the sons of Mil that the region was no country or island, territory or land at all, in front of them. They encircled Ireland three times, till at last they took the harbor at Inber Scene; a Thursday as regards the day of the week, on the day before the first of May, the seventeenth day of the moon; the Year of the World 3500.

Illusory powers.

They held converse with Eriu in Usnech of Mide. She said to them, "Warriors," said she, " welcome to you. It is long since your coming is prophesied. Yours will be the island forever. There is not better island in the world. No race will be more perfect than your race."

"Good is that," said Anergin,

"Not to her do we give thanks for it," said Donn, "but to our gods and to our power."

"It is naught to thee," said Eriu; "thou shalt have no gain of this island nor will thy children. A gift to me, O sons of Mil and the children of Bregan, that my name may be upon this island!"

"It will be its chief name for ever," said Amergin, "namely Eriu(Erin)."

The naming of Ireland, included mostly because it indicates to some degree the abilities of their prophetic powers.

"Let us trust to the powers," said the druids, " that they may never reach Ireland." With that the druids cast druidic winds after them, so great was the story; so that the storm took them westward in the ocean until they were weary. "A druid's wind is that," said Donn son of Mil. "It is indeed said Amergin, "unless it be higher than the mast; find out for us if it be so." Erannan the youngest son of Mil went up the mast, and said that it was not over them. With that he fell on the planks of the ship from the mast, so that they shattered his limbs.

"A shame to our men of learning is it," said Donn, "not to suppress the druidic wind."

"No shame it shall be," said Amergin, rising up; and he said:

[… poem omitted for brevity, Amergin dispels the storm …]

Immediately a tranquil calm came to them on the sea. Said Donn, "I will put under the edge of spears and swords the warriors that are in the land now, only let me land." The wind increased on them thereupon, so that it separated from them the ship in which was Donn; and he was drowned at the Dumacha. Twenty-four warriors of valor, twelve women, and four mercenaries, with their folk are the number that were drowned with Donn in that ship

Druidry raises a storm, though apparently it is incapable of raising waves higher than the mast of the ship, the scale of the ship is somewhat conveyed by the scale of the losses on Donn’s ship – not especially big – before he promptly drowns.

Then the Tuatha De Danann asked their druids and learned men which troop (?) would be overthrown in this battle. Then arose the two vigourous quick-speaking sorceresses; Be Cuill and Danann, fair discourse concerning the gods on this proceeding. "We know not indeed", said they "which of you this battic will overthrow but we know how many kings and lords of this great invasion will perish and how many heroes will be slain around each chief and great noble." She said: "We tell you it is no source of weakness....

Prophecy again. Odd that they can tell who specifically will die in advance, but can’t tell who will actually win the upcoming battle. Perhaps specific things are easier to do than large scale things?

When the sons of Mil reached their landing-place they made no delay until they reached Sliab Mis; and the battle of Sliab Mis was fought between them and the Tuatha De Danann, and the victory was with the sons of Mil. Many of the Tuatha De Dannan were killed in that battle. […] The sons of Mil went afterwards to Tailltiu, and another battle was fought between them and the Tuatha De Danann there. Vehemently and whole-heatedly was it fought, for they were from morning to evening contending, bonehewing , and mutilating one another; till the three kings and the three queens of Ireland fell there- Mac Cecht by Eremon, Mac Cuill by Eber Finn, Mac Greine by Amergin, Eriu by Suyirge, Banba by Caicer, and Fodla by Etan. Those were the deaths of their chiefs and princes. After that the Tuatha De Danann were routed to the sea and the sons of Mil and their host were a long time following the rout. […] When the Tuatha De Danann were crushed and expelled in the battles that were fought between them, the sons of Mil took the lordship of Ireland.

Basically, they get the shit kicked out of them here. The Milesean Celts win and win hard, but there’s no special mention here, at least, of iron or any particular weakness.

Later powers:

This is of course, not the end of the Tuatha De that it looks like.

From a translation of the Book of Lencister, not sure if there’s a more recent or accurate one:

When the sons of Mil Espáne reached Eriu, their wisdon circumvented the Túatha de Danand. Eriu was left to the division of Amorgen Glúnmár son of Mil, for he was a king's poet and a king's judge; Amorgen divided Eriu into two parts, giving the part under the ground to the Tuatha de Danand and the other part to the sons of Mil Espáne, his own people.

The Túatha de Danand went into the hills - the regions of the Síde - then, and they submitted to the Síde under the ground. But they left behind, in each province of Eriu, five of their number to incite the sons of Mil to battle and combat and strife and slaughter. They were particularly careful to leave five men in the province of Ulaid:

Which is to say they were forced to a settlement with the invaders that limited their dwelling places.

The Fosterage of the House of the Two Pails has more about the aftermath:

Here we give the adventures of the Tuatha de Danann aloud: the victories of Tailltiu and Druim Lighean gave Erimon’s heroes and soldiers a military grip of the divisions of Eire’s territory. The noble monarch, almighty Manannan, was brought to settle their [Tuatha D. D.] problems and councils and his advice to the warriors was to scat¬ter and quarter themselves on the hills and plains of Eire. The men made Bodb Derg and Manannan their rulers and Manannan ordained the settlement of the nobles in their magic dwellings: […] and every single . . . house and place of residence left to the Tuatha De D. Manannan assigned a special dwelling to each noble and made for the warriors the Feth Fiadha, the Feast of Goibniu and Manannan’s Swine: that is, the princes could not be seen through the Feth Fiadha, the monarchs escaped age and decay by the Feast of Goibniu and Manannan’s Swine could be killed by the warriors but come alive again. Manannan taught the nobles their array at Sidh Brugh and to carry on their mansions in the manner of the peoples of the fair-sided Land of Promise and fair Emain Ablach. The nobles conceded to Manannan that when they had possession of their dwellings he should be over the wedding of every house and the feast of every lord so that his statute and due and law were over every mansion.

Their abilities under Manannan and later seem to considerably increase, in that they are now able to become invisible – the Feth Fiada being a sort of invisiblity-fog, or illusion-fog, and at least some of them do not age.

Not wanting to stray too far into the 'gods' territory they occupied later, where they could lay dooms and make fates and control the fertility of things, there's enough to be going on with here. This is something of the low point and a little bit past it, in terms of ability.

So basically what's being got is...

• Magic abilitiy to tell the future in some cases, limited to specific persons in some instances.
• Ability to disguise an entire nation from a fleet.
• Ability to craft augmetic limbs over a long period.
• Ability to magically restore limbs.
• Ability to be invisible.
• Immortality. Whether this is indestructibility I don't know.
• Unlimited bacon.

I'm specifically not covering some relics like the Spear of Lugh, as they were not per se, made by the Tuatha De. Notably though, IIRC the Dagda had a club that could make people come back to life.

What they're not really though, is immune to disease or death, at least, not at the time of the Book of Invasions.

I'd say on the strength of this, that there'd be a lot of medical advances, or at least some, and some magical things. Earlier Tuatha De were obviously not immortal or immune to disease, though I think they may have become so in other literature.

The unlimited bacon would be pretty awesome for feeding the world's population, too.