According to Celtic mythology, the Tuatha de Danann—the gods and goddesses who descended from the Celtic goddess Danu—long ago inhabited the region north of Ireland. Among them was Nuada. He proved to be a fierce warrior and skilled leader, which led to him being crowned their first king. At his coronation, the Tuatha de Danann presented Nuada with the Sword of Light. The weapon was said to promise certain death to anyone who faced it in battle. And it wasn’t long before the sword was put to the test.
The Tuatha de Danann sailed to Ireland, where a people called the Fir Bolg lived. Nuada tried to bargain with their king, Eochaid MacErc, for enough land for his people to settle. The request was denied, and so the Tuatha de Danann and the Fir Bolg prepared for battle. Each king picked a champion to lead the nation’s army. Eochaid’s army was led by Sreng and Nuada’s army was led by Bres.
The Tuatha de Danann won the First Battle of Mag Tuired, but not without consequence. Though they defeated both Eochaid and Sreng, Nuada lost an arm in the skirmish. The Tuatha de Danann granted the Fir Bolg a quarter of the island, and settled down themselves. However, there was a strict rule among the Tuatha de Danann that any king had to be physically whole in order to rule. With a missing arm, Nuada had no choice but to give up the throne. In his absence, Bres became the next king. The warrior proved to be strong and brave on the battlefield, but he was too proud and oppressive to be a good leader.
Some of the Tuatha de Danann went to see Dian Checht, a known healer who also happened to be Nuada’s brother, in hopes of restoring Nuada so he’d be fit to be king once again. Dian Checht went to the local smith, who forged an arm of silver. This arm was attached to Nuada, and it’s said that the healer’s powers were strong enough that Nuada could use the silver arm as if it were his own. He was thereafter known as Nuada Airgetlam, meaning Nuada of the Silver Hand.
The move to restore Nuada as king led to the Second Battle of Mag Tuired. This time, Lugh acted as Nuada’s champion warrior. Nuada was killed by Balor of the Evil Eye, Bres’ champion, in this battle. Lugh not only avenged him, but also led the Tuatha de Danann to victory against Bres and his followers. The crown was passed on to Lugh, who went on to reign for many years.
This tale comes just days after the release of our Celtic Lore series of silver rounds. If you enjoyed the story of Nuada of the Silver Hand, you might also be interested to read a little more about these classic Irish figures. Remember to check out Merlin, the first design in the Celtic Lore series!
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