142 Proceedings ol Hie Boi/ai Irish Academy. 



was at first his Sid mound. 1 He also dug the great earthworks of Tailti, at 

 Telltown, Co. Meath. The rainbow was his "hurling- stick," and the Milky- 

 way his " chain." 2 In late times the annalists made him a king, from a.m. 3370 

 to 3331 (B.C. 1S71-1830, but others said 1714-1674), and writers put in his 

 month the degrading confession, " I am Lug Mac Ceithlenn, of Adam's race, 

 who have returned from the dead," 3 making him ride a charger as a late 

 feature. Some said his valour was only a seventh of that of Hector, but was 

 (even so) i'4nl times that of the bravest "modern hero," Murchad, son of 

 Brian, in 101 I! He was, however, cited as an example to light against the 

 luiies, for he "sprang over every obstacle and exterminated and expelled 

 the foreigners and pirates out of [reland." 1 Even so late as 1750, Seaghan 

 OTuama compares Prince Charles Edward to Lug of the trenchant sword.' 



Lug was ancestor of theCorca Laegde,' and grandfather of Conaire (whose 

 son, Cairbre Muse, we shall note ; hi< descendants lay in the cemetery of the 

 Kmai or Slievereagh, and perhaps one of the three tumuli mi which"men 

 feared t" sit because of the Tuatha De" " was dedicated l" the sun god. He 



also divine father of the Corca Oiche and Corcamodruad. 1 The festival 

 of the goddess Aim- .it Knockainey depended on Lug's I'est ival, and was eele- 

 brated n>i three days after, and continuously with, it,' for she being a harvest 

 and meadow goddess, and giver of fertility i" crops and cattle, naturally 



led the sun. It will 1m- remembered that An [mlech gave his name to 

 Emlygrennan, below Slievereagh, and dug the forts there; he was slain by 

 Bress. Thelattei had been taken captive when Lug slew Balorand warriors 

 of the Fomoi the son of Lei's horses in a sea storm." To 



his life, Bress offered that the cattle should give milk all the year round, 

 and that there Bhould he a ha iy quarter, hut. only when he told his 



captors the lucky day fur harvesting, was he set free." In anothei story, when 

 Nechtan, son of the god "i Nuada, reigned in Minister (his wife's sanctuary 

 was at Clogher, neai Emlygrennan). I'.ress imposed on him as tribute the 

 milk of 100 dun cows for every house. " Lugh, who was dutiful on all occa- 

 sions.' helped th< ed province. He singed and dyed all the cattle to 



' Folk-Lore, ivii, p 167 | " Manuscript Materials," p. I7i 



- Squire, ; 

 ■• lr. Myth. Cycle," p. 171 ; " Mannscripl Mat.," p. 388, later than L01 I 



' " w. ir< Qaedhil," pp. 1*7. 188. 

 New 1.. R> i .'" .. | 



. Laidhe," p. 9, p. >7. wliich makes him ancestor of the Dergthene also. 

 B. ..f M. Leans, p. 172. 



V r I; I; v.," xxvi; " Ancient lr. Genealogies" (J. MacNeill), pp. 132 r. 

 K.I. Antt., Ir.. ii. p. 

 " Voyage of Bran," ii. p. 178. 



