The Master of All Arts
Lugh is the dazzling young god of the Tuatha Dé Danann, celebrated as Samildánach — "skilled in all the arts." When he arrived at Tara, he won entry to the royal court by proving he could do every craft no single god there could master alone.
His epithet Lámhfhada means "long arm" or "long hand," referring to his far-reaching spear and sling. He carries one of the tribe's four treasures, the unstoppable Spear of Assal, and with his sling he slew the one-eyed Fomorian giant Balor — his own grandfather — by driving a stone through Balor's deadly eye.
For that victory Nuada handed him command of the Tuatha Dé. Lugh's name comes from a Proto-Celtic root, and the harvest festival of Lughnasadh is named in his honor, marking him as a guardian of both warriors and the gathered crops.
Common Questions
Why is Lugh called "skilled in all arts"?
He gained entry to Tara by proving he could perform every craft and skill that the other gods could only do individually.
How did Lugh defeat Balor?
He used his sling to drive a stone through the deadly eye of the Fomorian giant Balor, who was his own grandfather.
