Celtic symbols, arts and culture
Lughnasadh
Today, August 1, is Lughnasadh, the day of the ancient Celtic god, Lugh. This day is traditionally recognized as a Harvest festival, marking the beginning of Autumn.
Lugh is descended from two different types of gods -the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomorians.
Lugh was a master of many skills. His name means “long arm,” which probably refers to his skill with a spear. His counterpart in Welsh tales such as the Mabinogion is Lleu.
Lughnasadh is one of the 8 festival days of the Celtic Wheel of the Year, followed by neo-pagans. According to most scholars, the early Celts did not actually follow this calendar, but they did indeed celebrate the 4 seasonal festivals, Samhain (which became Halloween), Beltane (May 1), Lughnasadh and Imbolc (February 1). Later interpretations added the Spring and Autumn equinox and the Summer and Winter solstices to make a total of 8 festivals.
| Print article | This entry was posted by Maire on August 1, 2009 at 3:23 pm, and is filed under Celtic myth, Celtic Wheel. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |