The Tuatha de Danaan were a group of Athenians who emigrated from Greece to one of the Atlantides or late 'Atlantis' colonies, now called Ireland. Although there is an account of flooding dating their arrival in the fifth millennium B.C., their story fits into the middle of the fourth millennium. They were the fourth migration of their kind since an event they called the Deluge, probably confused with the sixth millennium inundation of Mesopotamia. They were closely related to the Prydaan (ancient Britons) who lived on the neighbouring island, and they claimed that the Prydaan were descended from their ancestor Nemed, who had headed the second migration.
During the fifth millennium two colonies had failed under Partholon (see 'Dynasty of Llyr') and Nemed, but in the first half of the fourth millennium there had been a third and successful settlement of Japhethites escaping slavery by Philistine invaders in Greece. This third group had arrived in stages –the Fir Galiaan or 'men of valour' had arrived first as explorers, the Fir Domnaan or 'men of the earth' had followed them to establish farms, and the Fir Laigaan or 'men of learning' had been last.
Their king was concerned when the fourth migration arrived from Athens. He mistrusted their offer to share the island, and argued with his general, Sreng, that soon they would be taking over. Sreng disagreed. The rejected fourth migration resented the rulers of the island, and made fun of their heroic names by calling them collectively the Fir Bolg, or 'men of bags' –a reference to their enslavement by the Philistines back in Greece, during which they had been set to work transporting earth in bags.
Denied entry, the newcomers took residence in Albion, the northern half of the neighbouring island. To the south lived the Prydaan, who were a Faan nation (see 'Arthur'). During their stay the Athenians were influenced by the wizardry, the religious organization of the Faan. It seems that they returned to Greece to defend Athens from a new Philistine attack, and when that failed they returned to Britain as refugees, since the Fir Bolg had rejected them.
The Prydaan king, an enterprising man named Lludd (also known as Nuadh), agreed to help them invade the Fir Bolg if they would convert to the Faan religion. Hence, in Irish folklore the Danaan were always Faery, like the Prydaan, while the Fir Bolg were not.
However, the Athenian refugees claimed descent from a human king and a Gnome, also called a Nommo or Nammu, an amphibious humanoid. They called this Gnome Dana, and referred to themselves as 'Tuatha de Danaan', people of Dana. But 'Dana' was not a personal name; the consonants 'D' and 'N' were used for all Gnomes. The Tuatha de Danaan's claims of descent are similar to those of Homer's Danaoi, and they probably were Danaoi, albeit from another branch of the family. They were not the Adonai of Greek Bible translations, but Dana's Nommo people were. (Those Bible translations were incorrect, by the way. Their 'Adonai' were really Seraphs, emissaries from a much more ancient people called Nagas, but the translators didn't know that.)
The Danaan king Aodh agreed to relinquish his leadership and permit the two nations to unite under Lludd, if the Prydaan king could lead the Danaan to victory. But on his part, Aodh demanded that upon such a victory the Atlantis colony would be inhabited by Danaan rather than by Prydaan, and that its capital would become the capital of the united kingdom.
Lludd led the united army to victory on the plain of Moytura in what is now Connemara, and the Fir Bolg were routed. Lludd lost a hand in the battle. Although the Prydaan did not practice serfdom, the Danaan imposed it upon the survivors, with the exception of Sreng's troops and their families. Sreng was awarded the kingdom now called Connaught, and his people lived there freely. They continued to worship the Mesopotamian God Ea and His Wife, whom the Danaan had abandoned.
No sooner was the united kingdom established than it found itself under attack by Coraaniaid, i.e. Faan from the east (probably from Denmark, the Low Countries or Germany). The victorious Coraaniaid leaders were killed with the aid of Lleuelys, Lludd's brother who had married the High Queen at Caer Parysaan (Paris). Lleuelys supplied Lludd with tainted water. After this victory the British capital of Gwynfryn was renamed 'Caer Lluddaan', the fortress of Lludd, which is now London.
But Lludd could not remain king in his present condition, even though the wizards had made him a prosthetic silver hand. A council elected a man named Bres, the general who had negotiated with Sreng. Bres was part Volsungr, and it was hoped that he would establish peace with the Volsungr colony from Scandinavia that had settled in the north. Lludd was a descendant of Beli Mawr, who had been the old enemy of Llyr, a fifth millennium Volsungr king of Britain. The Volsungrs had arrived in Britain long before the Prydaan, and they had a prior claim to the island. They had a prior claim to both islands, as a matter of fact, and while there had been alliances in the past with the Prydaan, their relationship with the Athenians had always been very bad.
Bres made a strategic marriage to the wife of the slain Coraaniaid leader, which was wise since the dispersed Coraaniaid were still in the area. There must have been great hopes for him as a diplomat. He was the son of Elatha, who in turn was the son of Peblig (called Balor by the Athenians), a powerful leader in the Volsungr colony. Although Elatha had no quarrel with the Athenians, Bres sided with Peblig, who intended to take over the Atlantis colony. Bres demanded of the Danaan a third of their milk, a third of their meal, and (which was the final imposition) a third of their children to be Volsungr slaves. He was deposed, and joined Peblig in the north.
It is possible that the Volsungrs in Scandinavia were being invaded at this time by Germanics (Goths, to be precise) moving in from the southeast. In any case, the Volsungrs were suddenly interested in conquering the Atlantis colony, and reinforcements from the Volhall, their Scandinavian capital, made them a formidable sight as their ships spanned the Irish Sea between the two islands. They did not pass between the islands, of course, but landed in the west of what is now Ireland. Connemara must have been a strategic landing place, and Moytura the natural battlefield for invading armies to take their stand. For the second time it was the scene of conflict.
This time there were many battles. The Danaan, like their predecessors on the island (and also like the Prydaan and all other Faan) were small people, while the Volsungrs could grow to be seven feet tall. But the diminutive warriors of the united kingdom kept reappearing on the battlefield after the Volsungrs had seen them fall –thanks to the skill of their wizards, who were master physicians. Peblig launched a surprise attack.
The 'Battle of the Trees' ensued, so called because the battalions of the little people were named after plants in the forest. Both Prydaan and Danaan records say that men were up to their thighs in blood. Aodh and Lludd both died in the battle. (Since they are archetypes, they may have been descendants of the Aodh and Lludd mentioned earlier. This explains why Lludd was described as the brother of Aodh's son Ogma, for their families would have intermarried.)
The troops were rallied by a young man named Lleu (also known as Llugh), who was part Danaan and part Volsungr, being a son of Elatha's sister. He killed his own grandfather, Peblig, and led the little people to victory. He was crowned king of the united islands, and his Volsungr blood served him well in forging a peace with Elatha's people.
Lleu was not the last king of the united islands, but he was their last great king before the tidal wave that struck the coastlines of Europe and North America in the thirty-second century B.C. Occurring during a meteor shower, it was doubtless caused by an impact in the North Atlantic. Called 'Ragnarok' by the giants, it ushered in a new era, one in which we are still living, and ended the Golden Age on the islands.
ancient perspectives
a very old alphabet
graphic courtesy of Firesilk's Demesne
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