Tailtiu- Celtic GodDeity"Queen of the Fir Bolg"
Also known as: Tailte and Taillte
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Description
Tailtiu cleared the forest of Breg alone, felling trees and breaking soil until Ireland's plains lay open for cultivation — and the effort killed her. Her foster-son Lugh established Lughnasadh, Ireland's great harvest festival, at her grave so that her sacrifice would be remembered for as long as the grain was gathered.
Mythology & Lore
Queen of the Fir Bolg
Tailtiu was a queen of the Fir Bolg, wife of Eochaid mac Eirc, the last king of that race. When the Fir Bolg were defeated by the Tuatha Dé Danann at the First Battle of Mag Tuired and Eochaid fell in the fighting, Tailtiu survived the transition between the two peoples. She was taken into the household of the Tuatha Dé Danann and became the foster-mother of Lugh Lámhfhada, raising the future champion of the gods as her own child.
The Clearing of the Plains
Tailtiu's great labour was the clearing of the forest of Breg, transforming dense woodland into open agricultural plains so that the land could be cultivated. She undertook this immense task alone, and the effort of felling the trees and preparing the soil was so vast that it killed her. She died of exhaustion on the first day of August, her body spent from the work of making Ireland's earth yield to the plough.
The Óenach Tailten
Lugh established the festival of Lughnasadh in Tailtiu's honour, held each year at the beginning of August at Tailtin (modern Teltown in County Meath), where she was buried. The Óenach Tailten, the Assembly of Tailtiu, was one of the great gatherings of ancient Ireland, featuring athletic contests and horse racing alongside the settlement of legal affairs.
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