Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Who Is the Dagda?

The Dagda said, 'The power which you boast, I will wield it all together.'

'You are the Dagdae!' everyone said; and 'Dagdae' [Good God] was on him from that time after.

(Cath Maige Tuired)

One of the most well-known Gods of the Tuatha Dé Danann is the Dagda, but he is also one of the most complex. Books on Celtic Gods or subjects relating to Celtic paganism often mention the Dagda, but only in passing, or repeating information that is based on information that is itself repeated from modern sources disconnected from the older mythology and folklore. The goal with this book is not only to provide a more in-depth introduction to the Dagda for readers but also to get back to the original source material and listen to what that material is telling us. The first place to start in understanding the Dagda then is to begin by looking at his most well-known name as well as his many other by-names and epithets and investigate what those names can tell us about him.

Name and Cognates

The Dagda can be found under many variations of the name, such as Daghdae, Dagdai, Daghdo, Daghdou, Dagdae, Dagdhua, Dagdhae, (eDIL, 2017). Usually the definitive article 'the' is added before Dagda so that we call him the Dagda instead of just Dagda. The name Dagda itself is an epithet which means 'Good God', implying a God good at all things. This name is gained during the second battle of Maige Tuired when he promises to do as much as all the other Tuatha Dé Danann have said they will do in the fight (Gray, 1983). This word play recurs often in other myths as well where we see him referred to by name and then called the good or excellent God.

O hOgain suggests that the name Dagda comes from the root Dago-Dewios, a cognate with other Indo-European sky gods such as Zeus, and also connects him through this and his imagery to the Gaulish Secullos (O hOgain, 2006). The Dagda is sometimes viewed as a cognate to other Indo-European gods including the aforementioned Zeus and Secullos, as well as Thor. Secullos, Thor and the Dagda are all deities who are connected to storms, specifically lightning and thunder, fertility of crops, and using a club-like weapon. Alexei Kondratiev in his article 'Basic Celtic Deity Types' explains the connection between the Dagda and Secullos, whose name means 'Good Striker', in more depth. Both Gods have a striking implement and are also associated with a cauldron, in the case of Secullos the two being combined with the cauldron on the end of the mallet or club, making Secullos's weapon comparable to the Dagda's staff, so that both Gods wield a tool that can give life at one end or death at the other (Kondratiev, 1997).

By-Names and Epithets

His by-names and epithets can also tell us a great deal about him. These include: Dagda Mór, Eochaid Ollathair, Ruad Rofessa, Aedh Alainn, and Aodh Ruadh Ro-fessa; (Gray, 1983; O hOgain, 2006). In the Metrical Dindshenchas we also see him called Dagda Dein, Dagdai Duir, Dagda Deirg, and Dagda Donn. Each of these names has its own context and meaning which gives us a greater understanding of the Dagda himself.

Dagda Mór would mean Great Dagda, while Dagda Donn might be read as Dark Dagda or possibly as connecting the Dagda with the God Donn. It is also possible in the context it appears in that Dagda Donn was meant to be read as 'noble Dagda' since donn can have that meaning as well as several others (Martin, 2008). Eochaid Ollathair is 'Horse-lord Ample Father'; Ruad Rofessa means 'Red man of Knowledge' (specifically Druidic or Occult knowledge), and Aedh Alainn is 'Fiery Lustrous One' (O hOgain, 2006). Dagda Dein is often translated as swift Dagda although it could also be read as mighty, vehement, or strong. O hOgain posits that the descriptions of him as swift may indicate that he was believed to be a God who responded quickly to his followers, and he also relates him to the sun and solar imagery (O hOgain, 2006). Dagda Duir is usually translated as stern Dagda, although the word dúr can also mean firm or resolute. In the Metrical Dindshenchas he is also called 'Dagda duilig', or hard Dagda, and Dagda druine which many mean skilful Dagda but could also be read as solid or strong Dagda (Martin, 2008).

Ollaithar is often interpreted today to mean 'All father' because people mistakenly associate the Old Irish word oll with its English homonym all. In truth oll means great, ample, or vast with connotations of both size and fame. People inclined to look at the Dagda as a more neopagan type Father God should bear in mind the actual connotations of 'Good God' as well as the more restricted translation of Ollathair, as there is no direct evidence that he was previously seen as the literal father of the Gods, but rather as prolific. Sjeostedt makes this point in her book Celtic Gods and Heroes, where she says: 'This epithet [Ollaithar] does not mean that he is in fact the father of all the other Gods; we know from the genealogies that he is not' (Sjoestedt, 2000, p 38). It is worth noting that while the Dagda is prolific in fathering many children he is not actually the most prolific father among the Tuatha Dé Danann, nor are his children necessarily the most important among the Gods. It is possible that this emphasis on his role as a father, and this epithet of Ollaithar, ample father, is meant to demonstrate his role as a good, stable king and provider for his people.

In fairness to the view that places the Dagda as a central father- like figure, however, O hOgain suggests that the Dagda can be connected to the 'Dis Pater' father deity that Caesar claims the Gauls believed they were descended from (O hOgain, 2006). This may be somewhat reinforced by the fact that the Dagda was called Dagda Donn in one source and if we take Donn not as an adjective but as the name of the deity Donn it could support a view of the Dagda as an ancestral figure. Donn is a God who was the first Milesian to die in Ireland and now possesses the place through which all mortal dead must pass to move on to the next life. The syncretisation of the two deities, at least, may hint at a connection between with the idea of the Dagda as an ancestral God or God of the dead, which may also be supported by his association with several burial mounds.

Beyond these the text of the Cath Maige Tuired provides a long list of names for the Dagda, after he is challenged to carry a Fomorian princess on his back and replies that he has a geis (taboo) preventing him from doing so unless she knows his full name. She asks him three times for his name and on the third request he replies: 'Fer Benn Bruach Brogaill Broumide Cerbad Caic Rolaig Builc Labair Cerrce Di Brig Oldathair Boith Athgen mBethai Brightere Tri Carboid Roth Rimaire Riog Scotbe Obthe Olaithbe' (Gray, 1983). These many names are obscure and often not translated, however, some attempts to understand them have been made and their meanings are important in understanding more about the Dagda. Fer Benn can be read as 'horned man' or 'peaked man' with fer meaning man and benn meaning horned, peaked, pointed. It may also mean man of the mountains or man of the prongs (Williams, 2016). Bruach without a fada is a word that means a border or edge, but with a fada, brúach, means large bellied; I would suggest that the second meaning is more likely. Brogaill is uncertain but may be a compound of brog and oll, perhaps meaning a great lapful (eDIL, 2017). Broumide is also uncertain but may be a compound of bró and mide, millstone and middle; although Isolde Carmody suggests it means 'farter' (Carmody, 2012). Cerbaid is a verbal noun that means to hack or cut off. Caic is a form of cacc, excrement. Rolaig is a form of leach, warrior, with ro added as an intensifier. Buile may be a form of baile, madness, or buille stroke or chime; buile may also be a form of builce meaning stomach. If the two are read together as Rolaig Buile they may perhaps be interpreted as 'great warrior of the belly' (Williams, 2016). Labair relates to being loud, noisy, boastful (Martin, 2008). Cerrce is uncertain but may possibly mean 'striker' and connect the Dagda back to other hammer wielding Gods (Martin, 2008). Di bríg is a phrase possibly meaning 'greatly worthy'; Martin asserts that it means 'God of power'. Oldathair – a form of ollathair, great or ample father. Boith is a form of baeth meaning both silly, foolish, reckless as well as wanton or sexual open. Athgen mBethai may mean 'regeneration of the world'; although this is not agreed on by all sources it is supported by the Dagda's wider mythic actions (Martin, 2008). Brightere may be a compound of bríg, valuable/powerful, and tír, territory or land. Tri Carboid Roth is uncertain but may mean three chariot wheels. Rimaire is also uncertain but could mean either 'retelling' or 'bad weather' if it is related to the word rím (eDIL, 2017). Ríog is a form of the word for king. Scotbe may relate to judgement. Isolde Carmody suggests that these three should be read together to give us 'enumerating a king's speech' or less literally enumerating judgements (Carmody, 2012). Obthe Olaithbe could mean 'refusal of the great ebb' (Carmody, 2012).

Beyond this we are also told in the Dúil Dromma Cetta that another name for the Dagda is Cera. The word is of uncertain meaning but possibly relates to the word 'cir' meaning jet (eDIL, 2017). This is the only reference I know of for this name of the Dagda, but it is something to consider. A few other miscellaneous names that appear only once in a single source are Áed Abaid, Dagan, and Cratan Cain (Gray, 1983). Áed Abaid may mean 'Fiery Very-yellow one'; Dagan is the name of a Semetic God, however, I would note that in that text it immediately states 'that is the Dagda' so it is possible that this could represent an earlier scribal error or misspelling of Dagda rather than an intentional reference to another foreign deity; Cratan is uncertain and Cain may mean fair or beautiful (eDIL, 2017).

Ultimately, the names of the Dagda show us a deeply powerful being, one who has connections to fire and earth, who is immensely large and vastly knowledgeable especially about occult matters. He is noble and kingly but also earthy in the most literal ways. He is a warrior but also a father figure who amply provides for those who look to him. His names repeatedly connect him to the imagery of fire and of wisdom but also in the crudest terms to the earth and soil and even to bodily functions. In many ways then he is a study in opposites, a deity who encompasses antithetical forces and powers.

Physical Description

Another way that we can begin to get to know the Dagda is by looking at what information we have regarding his appearance. This is not as easy as it may first appear, however, because Irish mythology often lacks the detailed physical descriptions we find elsewhere. It is not uncommon for even well-known popular deities to have few stories that include physical descriptions and when we do find these, as often as not, they focus more on what the being is wearing or is equipped with than what they themselves look like. When it comes to the Dagda our best most detailed description of him comes from one particular story where he has been sent to spy on an enemy army and it is likely that his appearance in this case is not actually his normal one, but rather was something of a disguise meant to help him pass into the enemy camp more easily. I would encourage people to keep this in mind, despite the fact that this description has become the most popular and widespread view of the Dagda out there.

The Dagda is generally described as a large man, sometimes comically so, with a tremendous appetite and immense capacity. It was said, based on a single incident, that to make his porridge he needed 80 gallons of milk as well as several whole sheep, pigs, and goats, and that he ate this meal with a ladle large enough to hold two people lying down (Ellis, 1987). Some modern sources describe him as red-haired, possibly relating to the name Ruad Rofessa; he is most often described and shown in modern imagery with red hair. He is considered to be generous, wise, and bigger-than-life in his appetites which may be reflected in how people visualize him (O hOgain, 2006). He is often described as immensely strong and able to complete great feats such building a fort single-handedly or clearing 12 plains in a single night. Cross and Slover describe him as 'a large eyed, large thighed, noble-great, immensely tall man' and say that he had 'a splendid garment about him' (Cross & Slover, 1936). Martin further clarifies that he is described as slinnénach, meaning to have great shoulders (Martin, 2008). The Metrical Dindshenchas at one point say that his face is 'broader than half a plain' (Gwynn, 1924). These physical views of him contribute to a picture of a deity that is physically large – gigantic even – wide, muscular, and usually with a generous belly.

He is usually described wearing a tunic of some sort and sometimes a cloak. In several sources his clothing is said to be grey or dun coloured (Martin, 2008). In the Cath Maige Tuired, which is the only detailed existing description of the Dagda, he is described this way: 'Unseemly was his apparel. A cape to the hollow of his two elbows. A dun tunic around him, as far as the swelling of his rump. It is, moreover, long-breasted, with a hole in the peak. Two shoes on him of horse-hide, with the hair outside' (Stokes, 1891). Stokes' translation is the most widely read because it is in the public domain now and free online and so this is often the visual concept of the Dagda that has been passed on within paganism. But because of the time period he was writing in, he intentionally excluded some material that he found 'obscene' and for that reason I would like to also add details here from another translation by Elizabeth Gray. In that version we see the same general clothing, however, we are also told that the Dagda's penis is exposed, hanging down below the hem of his tunic, just as his buttocks are exposed in the back. This was not an uncommon style of dress for the lowest classes of that time period, although scholars debate whether the description is meant to mock the Dagda in the text or to emphasize his earthiness and connection to the common man (Williams, 2016).

The picture painted, when put together, is of a large, red-haired man dressed in the fashion of an Iron Age peasant in grey or tan colours, carrying a staff, often called club. I might suggest that this typical image of the Dagda, clad in a short tunic that exposes his lower half, while entirely typical of Irish styles of dress at the time for the lower classes and worth considering, is also only one possible view of him. We know that he was also a king and a warrior and while we have no explicit descriptions of him in these roles we have enough general depictions of people from that period to know what he would have looked like, and it is unlikely that he would have ruled dressed as a common labourer or fought in battle dressed as a fort-builder.

The Dagda's Relationships with Others

The Dagda is a complex deity and his relationship to other deities is also complex throughout mythology. He was the father of a variety of children, many of them also well-known deities in their own right. He was also associated with two Tuatha Dé Danann women, one as his wife and one as a lover, as well as one Fomorian woman. He had at least five brothers, several of whom are popular deities. However, like most things in Irish mythology this information is not entirely set in stone but instead we can find different versions and variations in different texts. While it's important to understand the way that the Dagda is related to various other deities it should also be kept in mind that some of this information is fluid and open to interpretation.

In most sources the Dagda is said to be the son of Elada, sometimes spelled Elatha. Keating says that his mother was Ethliu, although Gray suggests that this may be an error, confusing his father's name Elatha for a feminine name (Gray, 1983). In the Lebor Gabala Erenn his brothers are said to be Ogma, Bres, Alloth, and Delbeath (MacAlister, 1941). I need to note, though, that this Bres, Bres son of Elada, does not appear to be Eochaid Bres son of Elatha the Fomorian, and this Delbeath is one of several people bearing that name, including his own grandfather, and should not be confused with any of the others. The Dagda is also sometimes said to be the brother of Nuada, although other genealogies list Nuada's father as Echtach (O hOgain, 2006). In the Cath Maige Tuired particularly, we often see the Dagda acting with Nuada, Ogma, Goibhniu, and Dian Cecht. Although not related by blood they are a main grouping of deities who appear in various combinations, and if we include Lugh, Dian Cecht's grandson, into the group we would have the six gods of the Tuatha Dé Danann who appear most often

---

Excerpted from "Pagan Portals The Dagda"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Morgan Daimler.
Excerpted by permission of John Hunt Publishing Ltd..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

---