Gobniu

[gobniu]

Goibniu, 'Great Smith', a leader of the Tuatha De Danann and one of the triad of craftsmen, with Luchta the wright and Creidne the brazier, which may reflect the pre-eminence of these crafts in a society that exploited metal-working to a high degree.

Equated with Roman Vulcan: he provided the feast for the gods, and in the Welsh laws the smith is entitled to the first drink at the feast. Appears as Gofannon in Welsh literature and in modern folklore as the Gobban or Gobban Saer. Alchemy; the metal tin. Tuatha De Danann: 'The people of the goddess Danu (Anu)' these are the gods of ancient Ireland, said to have come from overseas. Their enemies were the Fomoiri (perhaps 'undersea phamtoms'), half human and half-monster beings that came from abroad. One theory is the Tuatha De represent the powers of light and the Fomoiri powers of darkness. In Irish literature the Tuatha De are clearly gods but their Welsh counterparts in Welsh tradition, the children Don, have been euhemerized, or made human, though their magickal skills betray their divine origins. Irish Danu and Welsh Don are probably reflexes of the same Celtic name, which may be preserved in the names of the rivers Don and Danube. Alchemy; the metal lead.