Lugh the Tuatha was several meters high giant. He was called the Resplendent. As other cyclops, he had a third eye on his forehead capable of launching deadly or beneficial rays. He could kill his enemies, cure or enlighten his followers.
According to ancient Irish tales, Lugh’s father is Cian of the Tuatha Dé Danaan, and his mother is Ethniu, daughter of Balor, of the Fomorians. Their union is a dynastic marriage following an alliance between the Tuatha Dé Danaan and the Fomorians – and the beginning of New Atlantis.
Moreover, Lughor Lug is the chief god of the Celts who took over the Tuatha in western land several millennia after him. As such, Lugh is called “son of the Sun” which probably refers to its status as a great initiate, awakened by lightning.
But back to his life that mixes as often allegorical myth a reality exhilarating.
In age to fight, Lugh goes to Tara the court of King Nuada of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Then he goes to the residence of the king, but the porter denied access. Lug says he could be useful as a master carpenter, blacksmith, butler, champion, magician, harpist, poet and historian. But every time he meets in the negative ; all these talents were already present at the court of Nuada. Ultimately he was accepted as a chess player vs the king and he won.
This play is purely symbolic and has rather been and intellectual game after which Lug took power. Nuada entrusted Lug to the command of the army of the Tuatha. He is found fighting with his son Cúchulainn during the invasion of Ulster by Queen Medb.
With the help of his magical weapons, Lug leads the Tuatha Dé Danann in the Second Battle of Mag Tuireadh. Balor, the dreaded chief of the Fomorians has on the front a magic eye, a third eye shooting a death ray everywhere it looks.
This lethal ray is wreaking havoc in the ranks of the Tuatha, and their king, Nuada, not escape death. Lugh faces Balor then, who darts at him his terrible glance. But Lugh shoots a slingstone that turns the eye behind the head of Balor.
The crazy ray starts destroying his army behind him.
Taking advantage of the Fomorians’ disarray, Lug kills Balor with a jet of his magic spear. Drugs, powers, magic spear, eye’s rays – i definitely love this modern mythology fitted with high-tech weaponry: a civilization much more advanced than that of the Celts that follow.
Tuatha as Fomorians were descendants of early Atlanteans, they manage to keep and protect Atlantis’ skills and weapons. After the victory, Lugh finds Bres – the former king of the Tuatha Dé Danaan – who joined the Fomorians.
Alone and unprotected on the battlefield, Bres begs his former subjects to let him live. If saved, he will ensure that Irish cows give milk in abundance.
The Tuatha Dé Danaan declined his offer, they have enough milk anyhow. He then promises four harvests per year, but the Tuatha Dé Danaan refused: one crop suits them perfectly.
At the very end, Lug spare his life on condition that he teaches the Tuatha Dé Danaan when and how to plow, sow and harvest.
This seemingly trivial scene is situating with relative accuracy the time when it occured: it is clear that the Tuatha still do not know all the intricacies of agriculture and livestock, while Fomorians have already mastered these techniques and can teach them.
Thus it happened about 9000 years ago, when agriculture and livestock were introduced, first in Egypt, then in Sumer and finally across Europe.
In Greek mythology, there is a myth that addresses the same issues and might occur at the same time, it is the twelve works of Hercules, who must tame a bull and bring back the golden apples of the Hesperides. It seems to me that these labors of Hercules describe precisely the period when hunter-gatherers have discovered agriculture and livestock. And we understand how, little by little, brawlers wandering from brawl to rape of became peaceful sedentary farmers.
Lugh like Hercules illustrate the domestication of our species.
Or how tired heroes surrender, how they hang the rope around their neck, how they became disciplined workers. And uncultivated moorland of Middle Earth was covered with crops.
Swidden farmers everywhere have reduced the primary forest. Civilization always forces the domestication of nature, which is consistent with that of man.
We know especially Tuatha for their warlike exploits, actually they were the first people of farmers and ranchers in Europe … even before the Sumerians. Unfortunately we can not find a trace of the primary agriculture because the land of the Tuatha are at the bottom of the North Sea.
The largest Island of the Four Masters is now visible on the sea cards under the name Dogger Bank. It is a vast engulfed rocky plateau which was then the highlands of Thule.
Thule was an other name for New Atlantis or Hyperborea.