Elliot Edits
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If anybody were to ask me what my favorite world mythology is, it would be Celtic mythology. What I find most fascinating is how much the lore has changed and been corrupted over time.
When talking about Irish folklore, you’d be forgiven if your mind went straight to little bearded men dressed in green coats or tiny winged fairies living in the woods. But these creatures were once powerful gods and goddesses capable of incredibly heroic, magical, and even destructive deeds.
Perhaps the best example of this corruption is the celtic god Lugh Lamhfada, whose name means Lugh of the long hand, referring to his impressive ability with a spear. He was known for being a great warrior, as well as a highly skilled craftsman and master of the arts - but it’s likely you already know Lugh by his more modern diminutive name, Lugh-chromatin, or Leprechaun.
When Christianity swept over Europe in the late middle ages, many native religions were subverted and absorbed. Hence why we celebrate Christmas during the winter solstice, and why the celtic cross itself is a combination of the symbol of christainity, and the sun cross, an emblem popular to many pagan cults.
Under christianity, Lugh Lamhfada ceased being a powerful warrior and king, and became a small-bearded gnome-like creature who made shoes and guarded pots of gold.
Now you might be thinking, what does this have to do with Tolkien?
Well, this theme of a diminishing group of magical deities is arguably one of the biggest influences on Tolkien’s depiction of the elves in middle earth.
Lugh Lamfada was one of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a group of immortal beings who make up the pantheon of celtic mythology. As well as their limitless lifespan, the Tuatha De Danann share many similarities to Tolkien’s elves. They are both taller, and stronger than mortals, more beautiful, and immune to sickness. The two races can communicate with animals, and have an affinity for singing and poetry.
Though immortal in the sense that age cannot touch them, they are both vulnerable to being killed - and most importantly, the influence and magic of both the Tuatha Dé Danann and Tolkien’s elves, diminishes as the dominion of men grows.
One of the most famous Irish legends that confronts this theme is the tale of the Children of Lir.
Lir was one of the Tuatha Dé Danann and had four beautiful children who he doted on. After the Children’s mother Eva died, Lir married her sister Aoife.
Jealous of Lir’s love for his children, Aoife schemes to get them out of the picture and turns all four into swans. The curse lasts for 900 years, which seems like a long time to us, but to an immortal, the children know it’s only a matter of patience before they can be reunited with their father and family.
However, in a cruel twist of fate, once the 900 years are up, the children return to their fathers lands only to find them abandoned. Christianity had come to Ireland, and the people had forsaken their old deities.
The Tuatha Dé Danann were driven underground, into the hills, just as they were buried in the minds of mortals. They became known as the Aes Sidhe, which means people of the mounds, and after that, were remembered as mere fairy folk.
We can draw a parallel between the fate of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and the elves' migration from middle earth in The Lord of the Rings.
In the time period where Lord of the Rings takes place, the elves have already taken a step back from the affairs of middle earth and retreated to their sanctuaries in the deep forests and valleys, such as Lothlorien and Rivendell.
Throughout the story we are repeatedly reminded of the elves' diminishing relevance in the world, and as the third age comes to an end, they leave the mortal realm behind for good.
The story of the Children of Lir ends with an addition that was clearly made after the christianisation of Ireland - when the four swans finally return to human form, instead of the youthful gods they once were, they instead appear old, weak, and close to death. The children of Lir’s last desire is to be baptized and then buried together.
Similarly to Arwyn in The Lord of the Rings who decides to stay behind and be with Aragorn, for the Tuatha Dé Danann and Tolkien's elves, remaining in the mortal realm comes at the cost of their immortality.
Now I promised that we’d return to Lugh Lugh Lamhfada and tell his most legendary deed, defeating Balor Evil Eye.
Balor was King of a monstrous race of beings called the Fomorians, who were at war with the Tuatha Dé Danann. He was a giant with one normal eye and one huge red eye that he kept closed most of the time. So powerful and terrible was this eye, that any who were unfortunate enough to fall under its gaze were instantly incinerated.
During the battle of Mag Tuired, Balor stood at the front of the Fomorian army and a servant standing atop his head used a hook to lift the lid of his giant eye. For many of the Tuatha Dé Danann, Balor's stare was the last thing they ever saw.
When victory seemed assured for the Fomorians, Lugh Lamhfada, Balor's own grandson, waited until he saw the tiniest glint of light as Balor's eyelid was being lifted, and launched a stone from his slingshot. Lugh hit his target with such force, Balor's eye was blasted out the back of his skull and into the Fomorian ranks behind. The evil eye burned almost half of Balor's army and turned the tide of battle in favor of Tuatha Dé Danann.
The parallel here is pretty obvious. Balor and his flaming evil eye is a clear inspiration for Sauron in The Lord of the Rings. Like Balor, it is said few could bear the horrible gaze of the eye of sauron. Additionally, when the ring is unmade and Sauron defeated, his demise results in the destruction of Barad-dûr and the majority of his orc forces - similarly to the Balor's death and the Fomorian defeat.
