a prophecy that he would be killed by his grandson, he was fostered by Manannán Mac Lir. In other versions it is Goibhniu, the smith god, who fosters him. He fulfils the prophecy by killing Balor and becomes ruler of the gods when Nuada is killed. He was the father of Cúchulainn by the mortal woman Dechtíre. Lugh fought alongside Cúchulainn during the Táin war when Cúchulainn began to weaken. He was last seen in his godlike guise when Conn of the Hundred Battles (High King a.d. 177–212) saw him emerge from a magical mist and foretell the length of his reign and the number of his children. However, when the old gods were driven underground, Lugh diminished in people’s minds, becoming a fairy craftsman named Lugh-chromain, “little stooping Lugh.” Now all that is left of the potent patron of arts and crafts is the Anglicised version of Lugh-chromain—leprechaun.

Lughnasadh

The feast of the god Lugh, which was introduced by him to commemorate his foster mother, Tailtu. It was one of the four major pre-Christian festivals and was basically an agrarian feast in honour of the harvesting of the crops. Christianity took this feast over as Lammas. The name survives in modern Irish as Lúnasa (August), in Manx as Luanistyn (August), and in Scottish Gaelic as Lúnasad, for the Lammas festival. In Wales the festival is marked as Calan Awst.

Lugoves

Plural of “Lugus,” which occurs on an inscription at Osma, in Spain, and at Avenches, in Switzerland, and is most likely a reference to the triune godhead of Lugos, cognate with the god Lugh (Irish) and Lleu (Welsh).

Lugus

The name of a god that occurs in place-names in Britain and Gaul, cognate with the Irish Lugh and the Welsh Lleu. His inscriptions and monuments are more numerous than any other Celtic god, and it is generally accepted that when Caesar spoke of the Gaulish “Mercury” he was speaking of Lugus. Lugdunum (Lyon) was chosen by Augustus Caesar as the capital of Roman Gaul. It is significant that he ordered the inauguration of a festival in his commemoration to be held on August 1, which obviously continued the older Celtic festival of Lugus. Today in modern Irish, August is still the month of Lunasa, while the feast of Lughnasadh is still celebrated July 31/August 1. The name appears in many lands: Lyons, Léon, Loudan, and Laon in France; Leiden in Holland; Liegnitz in Silesia; and Carlisle (Luguvalum in Roman times) in