Dagda

His name means the Good God. Dagda was sometimes called Eochaid Ollathair (Father of All) and Ruad Rofhessa (Lord of Great Knowledge). Unlike the some of the other major Irish deities, Dagda was a deity confined to Ireland; no reference or evidence was found that he was worshipped on Continental Europe.

There is some confusion over his parentage. Dagda was the son of the goddess Danu and Bile. He was also known as one of the seven sons of Ethliu.

He was the father of many of the other deities. Among them was a son named Angus Óg (Oengus or Mac Oc) by the river-goddess Boann. By his mother Danu, Dagda was the father of Ogma. Some other writers say that Ogma and Dagda were brothers; in this version they were the sons of Elatha and Eithne. Since Dagda was also known as one of the seven sons of Ethliu, that would make him the brother of Nuada, Dian Cécht, Goibhniu, Credne, Luchta and Lug Mac Cein.

Dagda was the chief leader and god of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and was the father of many children. Other sons included Bodb Derg, Aed Minbhrec (or Aed Cáem), Cermait Milbél ("honey-mouthed") and Midir. He was also the father of two daughters: Brigit and Ainge.

Dagda was described as a huge and stocky man with superhuman strength as well as superhuman appetite. The Fomorians once held Dagda prisoner. The Fomorians threatened to kill him if he did not eat the entire porridge in a deep pit. Dagda was said to have used an enormous wooden spoon in which a man and a woman can sleep together in.

Dagda possessed several magical objects. One of them was the great treasure of the Tuatha Dé Danann: the magic cauldron from a magical city of Murias. The cauldron was never empty of food, and it was called Cauldron of Dagda. Dagda also had a large club or hammer so heavy that it needed wheels. This club could kill and give life. The club and cauldron bear striking resemblance to those of the ancient Gallic god, Sucellus.

Another object he owned was a magic harp known as Uaithne. Dagda used the harp to change the seasons and weather. When the Fomorians stole his magic harp, Dagda along with Ogma and Lugh went to retrieve it. They found the harp in a hall of the Fomorian camp. When Dagda chanted a spell, the harp flew into his hands, killing nine Fomorians along its path.

Dagda was said to have died in the Second Battle of Mag Tuired, and yet Dagda appeared during the reign of Ailill and Medb, in the Dream of Angus. Caitlin, the buck-toothed wife of Balor, mortally wounded Dagda. Dagda not only lived to succeed Lugh and ruled Ireland for 80 years before he finally succumbed to the old wound.