Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later written down in the early medieval era by C ...

, Credne (

Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writt ...

) or Creidhne (

Modern Irish Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was the ...

– pronounced ) was the

goldsmith A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Nowadays they mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, goldsmiths have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), pl ...

of the

Tuatha Dé Danann The Tuath(a) Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu (Irish goddess), Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deity, ...

, but he also worked with

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

and

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other with ...

. He and his brothers

Goibniu In Irish mythology, Goibniu (pronounced , modern spelling: Gaibhne) was the metalsmith of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is believed to have been a smithing god and is also associated with hospitality. His name is related to the Welsh Gofannon and the ...

and

Luchtaine In Irish mythology, Luchtaine (or Luchta) was the carpenter or wright of the Tuatha Dé Danann; elsewhere he is described as the son of Luachaid. He and his brothers Creidhne and Goibniu were known as the ''Trí Dée Dána'', the three gods of ar ...

were known as the ''Trí Dée Dána'', the three gods of art, who forged the weapons which the Tuatha Dé used to battle the

Fomorians The Fomorians or Fomori ( sga, Fomóire, Modern ga, Fomhóraigh / Fomóraigh) are a supernatural race in Irish mythology, who are often portrayed as hostile and monstrous beings. Originally they were said to come from under the sea or the eart ...

.A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology
/ref> It is said that Creidhne fashioned King Nuada's silver hand, together with

Dian Cecht In Irish mythology, Dian Cécht (Old Irish pronunciation ; also known as ''Cainte'' or ''Canta'') was the god of healing, the healer for the Tuatha Dé Danann, and son of the Dagda according to the ''Dindsenchas''. He was the father of Cu, Ceth ...

. Creidhne is often confused with the Irish warrior

Creidne Creidne was a woman warrior of the Fianna in Irish mythology. She became the champion of a warrior band after fleeing from an incestuous relationship with her father, which produced three sons. A legend related to the Conaille Muirtheimne stat ...

. Of Creidne's death, according to a poem affixed to the

Lebor Gabála Érenn ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of the Taking of Ireland"), known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'', is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language intended to be a history of Ireland and the Irish fro ...

, it was said:

Creidne the pleasant artificer was drowned on the lake-sea, the sinister pool, fetching treasures of noble gold, to Ireland from Spain.

References

Irish gods Tuatha Dé Danann Smithing gods Irish goldsmiths Irish silversmiths Irish metalsmiths {{Celt-myth-stub