Webtbopp — The Earthworks, Sfc, of S. E, Co, Limerick. 143 



dun colour, and made sham cows full of unwholesome fluid, and, as Brcss was 

 under a geis to drink the milk, the oppressor got poisoned and was buried 

 under Cam Ui Neit (called from him as descendant of the war god Net) on 

 Mizen Head, Co. Cork. 1 



Nuada AND the Waii Gods. — The connexion between the god Nuada and 

 the ruling races and districts of mid-Munster is well established and of much 

 mythological importance. Like most primitive people, the Celt gloried in 

 the divine descent of his tribe and chiefs. Professor MacNeill is most pro- 

 bably right in regarding the ancient accepted genealogies as "ending" with 

 (i.e., leading up to) a god. 2 Early people claimed not only the personified 

 nature power, but the super-man and super-beast as ancestors. The Gaulish 

 inscriptions give us names like Bodvogenus, Camulogenus, Esugenus, 

 Totatigenus, Morigenus (" Morgan "), and Bhenogenus, 3 and the general term 

 Devogenus (God's son), as the man derived himself from Bodb, Camulos, Esus, 

 Totates, the Sea or the Bhine; while others bore animal names, like Cunogenus 

 (MacCon), Urogenus, and Artiogenus (MacMathgamhain), the non-Milesian 

 Irish tribes Conraige (hound), Sograige (bitch), Gamanraige (calf), and Osraige 

 (fawn, or even otso; werewolf) 4 attest the other phase. 5 



I long hesitated to receive the names in genealogies as actual gods (regard- 

 ing them as mortal adaptations, like Diogenes, Phoebe, and Silvanus) ; but the 

 presence of Lug Lamhfada, Manannan mac Lir, or Oirbsen, and Nuada 

 Argetlamh is unmistakable. Nuada was closely bound up with Minister — 

 Cathaoir Mor (ancestor of the Dairfhine, whose tribal ancestor Lugaid Laegde, 

 was buried at Temair Erann on Slievereagh), descended from Nuada Necht 

 and Nuada Finnfhail. The rival Dergthene not only called their first great 

 prince " Mog Nuadat," servant of Nuada, but were derived from Nuada 

 Argetlamh in direct descent; indeed, Mog Nuadat (if Cormac's Glossary be 

 correct) was a son, being called " Mog, son of Nuada.'''' 



Now, in view of the prejudice against treating the late eleventh-century 

 imaginary king lists as anything but history, I must first methodize my 

 material to show the identity of Nuada under his various surnames. Nothing 



1 Metr. Dind S., x, p. 217 ; see supra, vol. xxxii, p. 271. Hackett and Borlase regard 

 Leaba Mo Laga us a shrine of Lug (Dolmens of Ireland, iii, p. 7H0). 



2 New Ir. Rev., xxvi, p. 134. The Milesian groups of descents converge respectively 

 on Conn of Tara, Cathair Mor of Naas, and Oilioll Aulom (p. 7\ and meet in the god 

 Nuada. 



3 Cf. " Neilogeues. " 



New Ir. Rev., xxv, p. 7. For "Irish werewolves " see Kiu-yc. Kclig.. viii, p. L'07 ; 

 Rev. Celt., ii, p. 202. Wolf names like Faelchu, Kaelad, &c. . abound among 1 lie 1 >ssorian 

 chiefs. Nuada was "Lord of the wolf," and Bress was a " wolf-man." 



5 " Anthropomorphism among the Celts," De Jubainville ( Rev. Celt , vol. xi\. p. 229). 

 Of course, like Cu Chulaind and Mongan, he had a human father as well. 



K.I.A. PBOC, VOL. XXXIV, SECT. c. [22) 



