Bres
God of agriculture. Bres was the son of a Danann woman named Eriu or Eri, and of Elatha, the king of the Fomorians. Elatha was the son of Delbáeth and grandson of Neit. Bres' name was actually Eochu; that is Eochu Bres, which mean "Eochu the Beautiful".
After the war against the Firbolgs, Bres became king of Erin (Ireland) when the Danann leader Nuada lost one of his hands; Nuada could not remain king because of the mutilation.
Most Danann kings were gifted with leadership, fighting, poetry, learning, or magic, but Bres lacked the skill of leadership. Bres became a tyrant. So when his rule became so harsh that Dian Cécht replaced Nuada's hand with one made of silver, the Dananns immediately accepted Nuada's rule again, expelling Bres from the throne.
Since Bres was half Fomorians, Balor aided Bres to regain rulership. War broke out between the Dananns and Fomorians. The Fomorians defeated the Dananns. The Dananns suffered from Fomorian oppression until the arrival of Lugh Lamfada.
Bres was the father of Rúadan by Bríg (Brigit), the daughter of Dagda. His son died when the youth tried to murder Goibhniu.
When the Danann defeated the Fomorians, they captured Bres. Bres was spared when the former king promised to tell Lugh when it was the right time to plant and harvest the crops in their seasons.
Related Information
Name
Bres, Bress ("Beautiful").
Eochu Bres – "Eochu the Beautiful".
Bres MacElatha.
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By Jimmy Joe