Dian Cecht



DIANCECHT

(de'ân häht - or - JAN kett) The great physician of the Tuatha De Danann. Grandfather of Lugh. Assisted by Credne, he made the silver hand to replace the one lost by Nuadu in battle. The mortally wounded Tuatha de Danaan were bathed in the well, Slane, which he had specially blessed by him, recovering to fight on. Killed his son Miach because of professional jealousy. See: CAULDRON. # 166 - 454 - 562
DICTIONARY OF CELTIC MYTH AND LEGEND:By Miranda J. Green(Thames and Hudson LTD,London 1992)

Dian Cecht
The great god of healing and the physician of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He made the silver hand for his brother king Nuada to replace the one he lost in battle. Dian Cecht had blessed the well Slane in which the wounded Tuatha Dé bathed. It healed all their wounds so they could resume their fighting. He had a son, Miach, whom he slew out of professional jealousy. Miach had replaced the silver hand Dian Cecht had made for Nuada with Nuada's own hand. Some claimed it was jealousy, while Dian Cecht said is was the disrespectful manner in which the replacement was done. He is also the grandfather of Lugh.
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The most famous Celtic healer deity was Diancecht of Ireland,the physician-magician of the Tuatha De Danann. He was associated with Healing,medicine,regeneration,and magic. During the battle between the Tuatha De Danaan and the Formorians, Diancecht brought the Celtic Dead back to life by submersing them in a special cauldron or well, a symbol of the Goddess' cauldron-womb of primal energy.
Diancecht was the grandfather of the hero-deity Lugh,who won admittance to Nuada's hall by his wisdom and skills, Once Diancecht destroyed a terrible baby of the Morrigan. When he cut open the child's heart, he discovered three serpents that could kill anything. He killed these,burned them,and threw the ashes into the nearest river. The ashes were so deadly that they made the river boil and killed everything in it.
The Lord of Light and Shadow:The Many Faces of the God by D.J.Conway Llewellyn Worldwide 1997


From the

The children of Danu also had a very special physician, he was DIANCECHT. He was the guardian of a spring of health, together with his daughter AIRMED. Whoever was killed or wounded would be put into the spring to be made alive and well again. It was Diancecht's son MIACH who made an arm of silver for Nuada, but Diancecht in his jealousy killed him.
Airmed planted 365 herbs on his grave and arranged them all according to their properties, but Diancecht overturned them all. We can see that despite being the God of medicine, Diancecht also has many destructive aspects. There are times when destruction is necessary for the preservation of life.
Diancecht once saved Ireland; it happened like this. The Morrigan bore a child so terrible that Diancecht advised that it should be destroyed. Inside the heart he found three serpents which if left alive would have destroyed Ireland. He therefore burnt the serpents and flung their ashes into the nearest river, which boiled dry. We are reminded here of the Plague of Ireland that wiped out virtually the whole race of people known as the Partholonians.
Diancecht had another son, CIAN, who was the father of Lugh Lamhfada. Cian had a magic cow that the Fomorian God BALOR got possession of. Determined to get his revenge, Cian sought the advice of a Druidess, Birog, who told him of the prophecy that Balor would be slain by his own grandson. For this reason Balor kept his daughter ETHLINN locked away in a tower. With Birog's help Cian gained access to the tower, and the beautiful Ethlinn gave him her love. She bore him a son, Lugh, who was given into fosterage to queen TAILLTU.
[Copyright - L. MacDonald/S. McSkimming GODS OF THE CELTS 1992].

LINKS ABOUT DIAN CHECHT AND HEALING

Irish Medical Lore: From Irish Literature,Mythology and Folklore Page
Gaelic Herblore: Dalraida Heritage Trust