Dananns

The Dananns, more properly known as the Tuatha Dé Danann, are a central mythological people in Irish folklore. The name translates to the People of the Goddess Danu, and the Danann group is described in various sources as powerful supernatural beings or deities who inhabited Ireland in the distant mythic past. They are usually presented as skilled practitioners of the arts and as rulers and guardians of the land before the arrival of later mortal dynasties.

Origins and attributes of the Tuatha Dé Danann vary by tale, but they are consistently connected to the goddess Danu and to a cultivated, magical culture. They are said to excel in crafts, poetry, healing, magic, and warfare, and they are associated with early symbols of civilization such as metalwork and agriculture. Prominent figures in their stories include Dagda, Nuada, Lugh, Brigid, and Manannán mac Lir, among others. The group is often depicted as benevolent protectors of Ireland who guided the island’s early peoples.

The Tuatha Dé Danann are best known for their battles with the Fomorians, a mythic people of chaos and elemental powers, notably at Magh Tuireadh (the Field of Right Judgments). After a series of conflicts, they are said to have been defeated or compelled to withdraw from the mortal realm, taking up residence in the Otherworld and becoming the sídhe, or the fairies, in later folklore. In this sense, the Dananns are regarded as the ancestors of the land’s magical beings within Irish tradition.

Today, the Dananns appear in literature, modern neopagan practices, and popular culture, where they continue to symbolize an ancient, sophisticated, and magical heritage of Ireland.