He is known as the Great God - known for his battles, known for his gift of life. The Dagda’s history shows how well he uses all his gifts. This is proven in his names, children, appearance, his cauldron, magick harp, club, division of his palaces, turning to Sidhe and through my feelings.

The Dagda is the eldest, most courageous, wisest and high king of the Tuatha De Danann. For his power is every power of all powers. His name has several meanings, some of which are: The Good God, the Lord of Perfect Knowledge and All Father. The Dagda was the Gaelic God of the Earth, heavens and magick among others.
The Dagda is the father of many of the Tuatha De Danann but his key function is as Druid of the Gods. Married to Boand, some of his children are Brigid, Angus, Ogham, Midir, and Bodb the Red. When the Dagda resined as King of the Tuatha, his eldest son Bodb the Red took his place on the throne.

He is a god of simple tastes, he is seen wearing a brown tunic and a kilt of burnished leather. His tunic is low-necked and reaches his hips. He also has a hooded cape that barely covers his shoulders, and on his feet he wore horsehide boots. This is the general image of the Dagda, a normal looking human male with a fairly large belly.
The Dagda had a cauldron called The Undry or the Cauldron of Abundance. This cauldron was said never to run out of food, it was brought from Murias.

He also had a golden harp which was called “the Oak of Two Greens” and the “Four Angled Music”. With this harp he is able to play three different types of music: the sorrow strain, the laugh-strain and the sleep-strain. In was with the sleep strain music that he was able to conquer the Fomorians who had kidnaped his harper. This magickal harp would fly to his hand when called by him. It is also said that he has a living oak harp with which he changes the seasons in their order. When he played it the seasons changed so that spring came after winter, summer after spring and autumn after summer.

The Dagda was a terrific fighter. His favourite weapon was a club so large that when he was not using it, he had to mount it on wheels in order to carry it around. But when he needed it he was able to lift it easily. While on the wagon, on his trail he left ruts as boundaries between the provinces of Ireland. This club has a rough end and gentle end. With the rough end he could slay nine men at the same time. Then with the gentle end he could bring the dead back to life. When not on the wagon it took eight men to carry it.

The Dagda had four great palaces in the depths of the Earth and under hollow hills, and with each palace he made a division of them to his sons. To Lug, son of Ethne, he gave one and he also gave one to Ogme. He kept the other two himself. Because Angus had been away when Dagda was distributing palaces, he did not get one and was furious to find himself left out. Manannan advised Angus to ask for Brugh na Boinne for a day and a night, and he would work magick so the Dagda could not refuse it. Dagda gave him Brugh for a day and a night but when he came back for it Angus said that it had been given to him forever as all time consisted of day and night following each other.

It was later when Christianity started to influence the Celtic Mythology that the Tuatha De Danann became faeries, known as the Sidhe. The Sidhe are magickal people living in Faery Mounds and enchanted palaces. They are hidden by their magick so that humans cannot see them.

My feelings towards The Dagda are friendly. I see him as a guardian, warrior, helping protect me from disasters. Some people see him as a bad god because he can kill so many with his club. But what they don’t see is that he has the power to give life back to those deserving another chance. He is an Earth god who changes the seasons, beautifully from spring to the summer. I think it’s because he is close to the Earth that I am drawn to him.