I find myself always focused on Egyptian deities so, for a refreshing change, I'm going to talk about an ancient European god who recently caught my attention. Lug (pronounced as "loo") is a heroic polymath god in Celtic mythology and the leader of the Tuatha De Danann, the gods of light and goodness. Lug was also artist, wise man, sorcerer, musician, warrior and blacksmith all rolled into one. He and his forces fought against the Formarians. a race of evil giants led by Balor of The Evil Eye.
Balor of The Evil Eye was the grandfather of Lug. He was given that name because of his malevolent gaze that can destroy armies. It as prophesied that Balor's own grandson will kill him so he imprisoned his only daughter in a cave. However, she was seduced and she bore triplets. Balor had the triplets drowned but one of them survived and his name was Lug. Lug was rescued and raised by the smith god Goibhnu. The god, taught in all arts, crafts and skills, grew into a handsome and brilliant man. In the epic battle of good versus evil, Lug finally killed his grandfather Balor by piercing his eye with a sling stone. Afterwards, the Tuatha De Danann ruled Ireland for many centuries. However, after many centuries, the old Celtic gods were forced to live underground after a crushing defeat by the ancestors of the Gaels. As ages gone by, the all-skill god Lug became a fairy craftsman known as Lugh-chromain ("low-stooping Lug"), better known as the folkloric leprechaun.
sources:
Gods and Goddesses: A Treasury of Deities and Tales from World Mythology (Macmillan Books)
Wikipedia
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