In the

Mythological Cycle The Mythological Cycle is a conventional grouping within Irish mythology. It consists of tales and poems about the god-like Tuatha Dé Danann, who are based on Ireland's pagan deities, and other mythical races such as the Fomorians and the Fir ...

early Irish literature Early Irish literature, is commonly dated from the 8th or 9th to the 15th century, a period during which modern literature in Irish began to emerge. It stands as one of the oldest vernacular literature in Western Europe, with its roots extendin ...

, the four treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann are four magical items which the

mythological Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

Tuatha Dé Danann The Tuatha Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the 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 deities of pre-Christian Gaelic ...

are supposed to have brought with them from the four island cities Murias, Falias, Gorias, and Findias when they arrived in Ireland.

Sources

Together the four treasures form the subject of at least three

Middle Irish Middle Irish, also called Middle Gaelic (, , ), is the Goidelic language which was spoken in Ireland, most of Scotland and the Isle of Man from AD; it is therefore a contemporary of Late Old English and Early Middle English. The modern Goideli ...

texts: *an anecdote in an interpolated recension of the legendary ''

Lebor Gabála Érenn ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of Ireland's Taking"; Modern Irish spelling: ''Leabhar Gabhála Éireann'', known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'') is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language inten ...

'' ("The Book of the Taking of Ireland"), here LG, *the introduction, interpolated from ''Lebor Gabála'', of ''

Cath Maige Tuired ''Cath Maige Tuired'' (modern spelling: ''Cath Maighe Tuireadh''; ) is the name of two saga texts of the Mythological Cycle of Irish mythology. It refers to two separate battles in Connacht: the first in the territory of Conmhaícne Cúile Tu ...

'' ("The Second Battle of Mag Tuired"), here CMT, and *"The Four Jewels", a later, short text in the

Yellow Book of Lecan The Yellow Book of Lecan (YBL; Irish language, Irish: ''Leabhar Buidhe Leacáin''), or TCD MS 1318 (''olim'' H 2.16), is a History of Ireland (1169–1536), late medieval Irish manuscript. It contains much of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology ...

, consisting of a prose introduction and a poem. In the 17th century,

Geoffrey Keating Geoffrey Keating (; – ) was an Irish historian. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and is buried in Tubrid Graveyard in the parish of Ballylooby-Duhill. He became a Catholic priest and a poet. Biography It was generally believed unt ...

drew on a version of the former for his ''

Foras Feasa ar Éirinn ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'' – literally 'Foundation of Knowledge on Ireland', but most often known in English as 'The History of Ireland' – is a narrative history of Ireland by Geoffrey Keating, written in Irish and completed .Bernadette Cun ...

''.

Summary

The first recension of ''Lebor Gabála'' describes the Tuatha Dé Danann as having resided in "the northern islands of the world", where they were instructed in the magic arts, before finally moving in dark clouds to

Connaught Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine ...

in Ireland. It mentions only the ''

Lia Fáil The () or (; "Stone of Fál") is a stone at the Inauguration Mound () on the Hill of Tara in County Meath, Ireland, which served as the coronation stone for the King of Tara and hence High King of Ireland. It is also known as the Stone of D ...

'' as having been imported from across the sea.''Lebor Gabála Érenn'', ed. and tr. R. A. S. Macalister. ''Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland''. Part IV. Irish Texts Society 41. First Redaction. §§ 55–57. One of the recensions of ''Lebor Gabála'', ''Cath Maige Tuired'' and a separate text elaborate on these events. CMT and LG tell that there were four cities located on the northern islands of the world (''i n-insib tūascertachaib in domain''), called Falias, Gorias, Findias and Murias.''Lebar Gabála Érenn'' Part IV § 203; ''Cath Maige Tuired'' §§ 1–2. "The Four Jewels" also refers to the cities, but appears to locate them at ''

Lochlann In the modern Gaelic languages, () signifies Scandinavia or, more specifically, Norway. As such it is cognate with the Welsh name for Scandinavia, (). In both old Gaelic and old Welsh, such names literally mean 'land of lakes' or 'land of sw ...

'' and contends that the Tuatha Dé crossed the seas in their fleet rather than in a mist. The Tuatha Dé Danann—described as the offspring of Béothach son of Iarbonel—landed here to be instructed in the magic arts, embracing druidry (''druidecht''), knowledge (''fis''), prophecy (''fáitsine'') and skill in magic (''amainsecht''). Each island is said to have had its poet ('' fili'') who was skilled in occult arts. When the Tuatha Dé migrated to Ireland, they are said to have brought four magical instruments from these cities: A. C. L. Brown and

R. S. Loomis Roger Sherman Loomis (1887–1966) was an American scholar and one of the foremost authorities on medieval and Arthurian literature. Loomis is perhaps best known for showing the roots of Arthurian legend, in particular the Holy Grail, in native Ce ...

equate Lug's spear with the ''Lúin'' of Celtchar, which in ''

Togail Bruidne Dá Derga ''Togail Bruidne Dá Derga'' (''The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel'') is an Irish tale belonging to the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. It survives in three Old Irish, Old and Middle Irish recensions, it is part of the Lebor na hUidre, Book ...

'' is said to have been discovered in the Battle of Mag Tuired. There is however no sign of a literary tradition which connects the two weapons. A different spear belonging to Lug is the so-called spear of Assal in ''Oidheadh Chloinne Tuireann''. It was brought back to Lug by the

sons of Tuireann A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current c ...

in atonement for their killing of

Cian In Irish mythology, Cian or Cían (), nicknamed Scal Balb, was the son of Dian Cecht, the physician of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and best known as the father of Lugh Lamhfada. Cían's brothers were Cu, Cethen, and Miach. Cían was slain by th ...

Notes

Sources

*''

'', ed. and tr. R.A.S. Macalister. ''Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland''. Part IV. Irish Texts Society 41. London, 1941. Section VII, § 304–5
Portion of the text reproduced here
. *''

'', ed. and tr. Elizabeth A. Gray, ''Cath Maige Tuired: The Second Battle of Mag Tuired''. Irish Texts Society 52. Kildare, 1982. *"The Four jewels", Middle Irish poem with prose introduction in the

, ed. and tr. Vernam Hull. "The four jewels of the Tuatha Dé Danann." ''

Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie The ''Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie'' is an academic journal of Celtic studies, which was established in 1897 by the German scholars Kuno Meyer and Ludwig Christian Stern.Busse, Peter E. "''Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie''." In ''Ce ...

'' 18 (1930): 73–89
Edition available from CELT
Translation availabl

(Mary Jones) an

(proof-corrected). Hull's article includes commentary. *

, '' Foras feasa ar Éirinn. The History of Ireland by Geoffrey Keating'', ed. and tr. D. Comyn and P.S. Dinneen, ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn le Seathrún Céitinn''. 4 vols: vols 1–3. Irish Texts Society 4, 8 and 9. London: David Nutt, 1902–1914.

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Summary

See also

Notes

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Further reading