A Fairy Tale

For those who do not know much about faeries, I will tell a long known story. It's not just some tale about faeries, in Ulster this is known as history. The story I'm about to tell is about they who are called Tuatha Dé Danann, the Tribe of Danu.

As the name shows, the Tuatha Dé Danann is called after the goddess Danu.
This magical tribe lived in Ireland before the Gaels invaded the country. Its population brought four talismans: de Stone of Fál, that made a sound when the true King touched it, de Spike of Lugh, that secured the victory, the Sword of Nuadu which no-one could ever escape and the Cup of the Daghda that left no-one dissatisfied.
The Tuatha Dé Danann wielded magic and possessed the knowledge of the Druides. Now most of this Tribe are known for the one thing they were best at: Oghma was better than anyone in the Art of War, Lugh was best in Arts, Goibhniu was a good blacksmith and Dian Cécht was best in healing.
The most important faeries (or gods, as there as sometimes called by men who know no better) had myths and stories of their own. Daghda, the "Good God" was the Father-faery who provided abundance and rebirth. His two most important attributes were a huge stick, of which one end killed and other end brought back to life, and an enormous pot that could never be emptied.
Daghda's image is two-sided: he is supposed to be fat, a ridiculous, grosse figure with a indecent short tunic and a extreme large appetite, but he is also a great Tribeleader. A lot of stories are known about his joining with different female faeries, like Boann, the faery of the river Boyne. His relationship with the Morrigán, the feared "battlequeen" secures his people's safety.
Goibhniu was the blacksmith, Luchta was the maker and Creidhne worked with metal. The three of them made magical weapons, of which each of them created another part, for Lugh and the Tuatha Dé Danann in their big stride against the Fomoiri, demons who fought against all Irelands invaders.
Goibhniu's character is the most developed one of these three. His weapons never missed target and always killed. He also was the organizer of the festivities of the Underworld, where his special beer provided immortality.
Dian Cécht was the faery of the Art of Healing who got his power from knowledge of herbs as well as the use of magic. He was both a doctor and a blacksmith. Once he made a silver arm for king Nuada to replace the one he had lost in battle. Dian Cécht was able to heal with the use of magic: he could bring the dead members of the Tuatha Dé Danann back to life by singing a binding spell above a well in which the killed striders were "dipped". Manannán was a sea faery whose cloak was like the sea and whose horses were the waves. He also was a magician and he helped the Tuatha Dé Danann in their battles. Once he got them a loat that obeyed the thoughts of the boatman, a horse that could walk on water as easily as on land, and a sword, Fragarach, (the Answerer), that went through every armor. Manannán's magic pigs were symbols of rebirth: they coul be killed and eaten and run around again the other day, ready to be slaughtered again for another feast.
Two of the best known faeries of the Tuatha Dé Danann are Nuadu and Lugh.
Nuadu was King of the Tuatha Dé danann but he had to step back when he lost his arm in battle. Irish Rulers had to be physically perfect.
While Nuadu was off the throne, a temporary King was assigned. That was Bres ("the Beautiful One"), a strange choice, for he was half Fomoiri. The land was doing worse and worde during his reign. When the Fomoiri lost against the Tuatha Dé Danann, Bres was saved in exchange for the promise to give the Tuatha Dé Danann advise on farming.
Nuadu was crowned again after Dian Cécht had made a new arm for him. Since then he is known as Nuadu Argatláhm ("Nuadu with the silver arm"). But Nuadu had lost his courage because of the never-ending conflicts with the Fomoiri and the young Lugh took over his leadership. Lugh ("the Shining") was related to both the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomoiri. He was a faery of light and the Summerfeast dedicated to him was called Lughnasad.
Lugh was a war hero and a wizard. That is how he introduces himself at Nuadu's royal court in Tara.
It was Lugh who told Nuadu to fight the Fomoiri and who organised the military campagnes that secured their succes. He himself killed the great Balor, leader of the Fomoiri (and his own grandfather).
In battle Lugh used both his own magical powers and Manannán's sword and boat. Lugh's nickname was Lohada ("with a long arm"), possibly because of his skills in throwing spears or shooting catapults (with which he killed Balor).
After the Tuatha Dé Danann were driven from this world by the Gaels, they settled themselves in a Kingdom under the earth. They are still capable of keeping the Gaels from milk and grane, and they use this power to get to compromises with them. That's how Ireland was split in two parts. In the world down under the Tuatha Dé Danann keep reigning the supernatural with their magic. Every faery has a sidh (a magical mount) that's a part of the happy realm of the faeries.