Celtic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, the religion of the Iron Age Celts. Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure. Among Celts in close contact with Ancient Rome, s...
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Diancecht was the god of healing and medicine in Celtic culture during the Bronze age in Ireland. Diancecht was the son of Dagda, "the good god of the Irish Celts", and was the physician to the Tuatha De Danaan, the ruling clan of gods. His son, Miach, was also a healer but preferred to use incantations and herbs when healing which was at odds with his father's surgical methods.
Stories of Diancecht
Diancecht made a prosthetic arm of silver for his brother Nuada, the leader of the gods, which moved as well as a real arm. Nuada had been de-throned because the leader of the Tuatha was required to be physically intact to rule. Nuada regained the throne because of the prothetic arm. Miach later transformed the Nuada's prosthetic arm into a real arm which resulted in him being killed by his jealous father.
A well called Slane, the "Well of Health", was created when Diancecht blessed it. He used the waters to heal the Tuatha who were killed in battle. However the well could not cure those who had been beheaded. Dincecht also replaced the eye of Midhir, which was lost during a quarrel, with the eye of a cat.
Diancecht was the champion of those who had had some form of wound inflicted on them because he believed the aggressor should pay or take responsibility for any harm caused to the injured party. Diancecht's jealousy was also responsible for the destruction of 365 herbs which had grown from the tears of Miach's sister, Airmed, when mourning at her brother's grave. Airmed had attempted to catalogue the herbs but she, and so mankind, were prevented from knowing the healing qualities of these herbs because Diancecht destroyed them. Some accounts suggest these herbs were responsible for the healing powers of the "Well of Health".
One of the most famous myths about Diancecht is that he saved Ireland. Diancecht delivered the baby of Morrigu, the goddess of war, but killed the child because he thought it to be evil. He opened the child's chest and found three serpents which could destroy any living thing, including mankind. The three serpents were destroyed by Diancecht who threw the ashes into a river. Every living thing died in the river which boiled as a result. The river Barrow, meaning "Boiling River", is said to be named after this myth.
The death of Diancecht was mostly likely caused by a poisoned weapon during the battle of Moytura. The belief in the healing powers of Diancecht survived until the 8BC in the form of a porridge called "Diancecht's porridge" which was used for colds and flus. Diancecht's belief that injured parties should receive some form of payment is now taken for granted in modern culture.
