The Dagda

Culture: Irish (Celtic)   Also called: the Good God (a title about his broad competence, not moral goodness alone)

The Dagda is a father-figure among the Tuatha Dé Danann, possessing an inexhaustible cauldron that never leaves anyone hungry, a club that can kill with one end and revive with the other, and a harp that can command the seasons and emotions. He is enormously strong, good-humored, and closely tied to abundance, protection and the land itself.

Associations

Abundance and plenty, protection, strength, good humor, the harvest, fatherhood.

Ways people honor him (modern)

• Cook and share a generous, simple meal (porridge is fitting) with others
• Practice strength paired with good humor rather than grimness
• Keep a small cauldron or bowl as an abundance token
• Read his appearances in the Cath Maige Tuired (the Second Battle of Mag Tuired)

Approach any deity with respect and do your own research. Practices vary widely between traditions, and modern devotional practice often goes beyond what survives in ancient sources.