Lir of Shee Finnaha, the father of the four "Children of Lir," and Bove Derg of Shee Bove, of whom we know little more than what is told of them in the "Fate of the Children of Lir." Shee Finnaha is supposed to have been situated near Newtown Hamilton, in Armagh; and Shee Bove was on the shore of Lough Derg, on the Shannon.
Luga of the Long Arms, who imposed the eric-fine on the three sons of Turenn for slaying his father Kian. ([See note 7] for a further account of this Luga.)
Dianket, the great physician, of whose powers of cure extraordinary stories are told. He had a son Midac, and a daughter Armedda, more skilful than himself. The old legend relates that Midac took off the silver arm which his father Dianket had put on Nuada ([see note 4]), and, having procured the bones of the real arm, he clothed them with flesh and skin, and fixed the arm in its place as well as ever "in three moments." Dianket was so enraged at being outdone by his son that he slew him. After Midac had been buried for some time, three hundred and sixty-five healing herbs grew up from his grave, one from every joint and sinew of his body—each herb to cure disease in that part of the human body from which it grew—all which were gathered by his sister Armedda, and placed carefully in her cloak in their proper order. But before she had time to study their several virtues fully, her father Dianket mixed them all up in utter confusion. (O'Curry, Atlantis, vii. and viii. 158.) Were it not for this churlish proceeding, Armedda would have found out, and we should now know, the exact herb to cure each particular disease of the human frame.
[Note 2.] —The Feast of Age.
This was also called the Feast of Gobnenn the Dedannan smith. It was instituted by Mannanan Mac Lir, and whoever was present at it, and partook of the food and drink, was free ever after from sickness, decay, and old age.
[Note 3.] —The Druids.
The ancient Irish druids do not appear to have been priests in any sense of the word. They were, in popular estimation, men of knowledge and power—"Men of science," as they were often designated; they knew the arts of healing and divination; and they were skilled above all in magic. In fact, the Irish druids were magicians, neither more nor less; and hence the Gaelic word for "druidical" is almost always applied where we should use the term "magical"—to spells, incantations, metamorphoses, etc. (See O'Curry, "Lectures on the Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish," Lecture ix.)
[Note 4.] —Nuada of the Silver Hand.
Nuada of the Silver Hand was king of Ireland, according to the chronology of the Four Masters, from a.m. 3311 to 3330. He commanded the Dedannans in the first battle of Moytura ([see note 11]), where his arm was cut off with a sword-blow by Sreng, the great Firbolg champion. Afterwards Credne the artificer made him a silver arm with a hand, which was fixed on by Dianket, the physician ([see note 1]). Nuada was slain in the second battle of Moytura, by Balor of the Mighty Blows ([see note 11]).
[Note 5.] —The Fomorians.