The Great God of Irish Myth

There are many figures in Celtic myth. Celtic myth includes Irish mythology and Welsh mythology as well as others whose mythology did not survive the Roman empire. Within Irish mythology, again there are many gods and goddesses. We will look at one of those gods of Irish myth in this article: the Dagda, the Great God.  

The Dagda is the “Great God” of Irish myth. Great god is also the etymological translation of his name. He was a father-figure, warrior, king, and druid figure. This god was king of the Tuatha De Danann. The Tuatha were a supernatural race that existed prior to the current Irish people, according to the myths. The Dagda would lead the Tuatha into battle as his warrior aspect. This god governed over various aspects of life. He was associated with fertility, agriculture, magic, and Druidry along with the seasons and the weather.

Depictions

The god was often depicted wielding a magic club or staff. This legendary club or staff could kill 9 men at once as well as raise the slain back to life. Another important item for this figure was a bottomless magic cauldron. This cauldron would never run empty of food. It came with a ladle that could supposedly fit two men inside. In addition, the Dagda had a magic harp. This harp helped to change the seasons and could control people’s emotions.

There were a couple of animals associated with the Dagda. He had two pigs. The Celts would often depict pigs in their artwork. These pigs were magical in that one was always growing, and the other was always roasting. He also had a heifer that was given to him as a gift. The heifer calling her calf would cause the cattle of Ireland to graze.