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De Dagda was the High King of the Tuatha de Dannan (folk of the Goddess Dana) His name meant: `The Good God`. De Dagda was the Gaelic God of the earth, heavens, and magic amongst others. He had a harp made of oak which -when he played it- put the seasons in their order, so that spring came after winter, summer after spring and autumn followed summer. This harp would magically float through the air to him when he called it. He was very fond of porridge, and was a good fighter. De Dagda`s Wife was called Boand. He had several children, the most important being Angus, Brigid, Oghma, Midir and Bodb the Red. WHen De Dagda resigned as King, his eldest son Bodb the Red succeeded him.
After the battle of Telltown, the Tuatha de Dannan withdrew into the spirit world. They cast a veil of invisibility on themselves, which they can lift at will. Thus Ireland is diveded into two worlds, the physical and the spiritual world. The spiritual world is divided by De Dagda amongst the Tuatha de Dannnan.
Later on when Christianity starts to influence the Celtic Mythology, the Tuatha de Dannan become faeries, the people of the Sidhe (pronounced Shee), also called elves. The Sidhe were a magical people living in Fairy Mounds and beautiful palaces, hidden by their magic so that the humans could not see them. |
