Name:  Bodb Dearg ('The Red')

Race:  Tuatha Dé Danann

Profession: King Warrior Fairy-King

Properties: God of Livestock & Cattle

Province:  Munster & Connaught

Father:  The Dagda

Half-Brothers: Cermat Coem  Midhir  Aengus Mac Óg Aed

Half-Sister:  Brigit

Sons:  Angus  Artrach  Aedh Ferdoman

Daughters: Scathniamh who fell in love with Caoilte Mac Ronan Daireann

Foster-Children: Aobh Aoife Ailbhe the three daughters of Oilell of Aran

Swineherds: Nar the Squinter of the Left-Eye    Fruich

 Associated Sites:  The Galtee Mountains Lough Derg   Sidh-ar-Femhin Plain of Cashel

 Associated Deities:  Morrigan Medb Anu Lir Lugh

Bodb was one of the sons of the Dagda and mainly ruled near Lough Derg (The Red Lake) which is named after him.  The Fomorians laid his kingdom to waste but Lugh Lámhfada went to avenge this as King Nuada was not interested.

Bodb became the king of the Sidhe of Munster, Descendants of the Tuatha Dé Danann and owned a swineherd that would eventually magically transform himself into a White Bull called Findbennach  which would become the property of Ailill husband of Queen Medb of Connaught and thus spark off a rivalry between them causing a war between the men of Connaught and the men of Ulster - known as the Táin Bó Cuailgne or the Cattle Raid of Cooley.  He lived under the mound of Sidh-ar-Femhin with his daughters.

A famous old harper named Cliach, gained access to the mound of Sidh-ar-Femhin by playing his harp near the site, until the ground opened and admitted him to the fairy realm.

Stories, Myths and Legends  associated with Bodb Dearg

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