Bres- Celtic GodDeity"The Beautiful"

Son of Two Races

Bres was the child of a union between the Fomorian prince Elatha and Ériu, a woman of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He was extraordinarily beautiful. When Nuada, king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, lost his arm at the First Battle of Mag Tuired and was disqualified from kingship by his blemish, the Tuatha Dé Danann chose Bres as his replacement, hoping that his mixed parentage might secure peace with the Fomorians.

The Tyrant King

Bres proved a disastrous ruler. He reduced the Tuatha Dé Danann to servitude, forcing the Dagda to build fortifications and Ogma to carry firewood. He imposed heavy tribute on the gods and showed none of the generosity expected of a rightful king. His household offered no hospitality, and visitors left his hall with dry lips and ungreased knives. The poet Cairbre composed a satire against him, the first satire ever made in Ireland, which caused boils to rise on Bres's face. Since a king must be without blemish, the satire was itself an act of dethroning. The Tuatha Dé Danann deposed Bres and restored Nuada, whose arm had been healed by Miach.

The Second Battle and Its Aftermath

Bres fled to the Fomorians and persuaded Balor of the Evil Eye and the Fomorian host to make war on the Tuatha Dé Danann, leading to the Second Battle of Mag Tuired. The Fomorians were defeated and Bres was captured. Facing execution, he bargained for his life by offering to teach the Tuatha Dé Danann the secrets of agriculture: when to plough, when to sow, and when to reap. His knowledge was accepted, and he was spared.