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Pagan Portals - The Dagda: Meeting the Good God of Ireland
Get to know the Good God of Ireland through mythology, history, and modern worship. The Dagda is one of the most well-known of the Irish Gods, a king of the Tuatha De Danann and mediator between the Gods and mortals after the Gaels came to Ireland. A popular God among Irish and Celtic pagans, the Dagda is a powerful figure who reaches out to us from myth and memory. For those seeking to honor him today finding information can be difficult or confusing. Pagan Portals - the Dagda offers a place to begin untangling the complex history of this deity.
112 pages, Paperback
Published October 26, 2018
55 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
About the author
Morgan Daimler
84 books505 followersMy name is Morgan Daimler. I have had my poetry and prose published in different places including various anthologies, Circle magazine, Witches and Pagans magazine and Pagan Dawn magazine. I am the author of the urban fantasy series Between the Worlds and (through Cosmic Egg Books) the high fantasy novel Into Shadow. I've written more than a dozen non-fiction works through Moon Books including Fairy Witchcraft, Pagan Portals: the Morrigan, Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk, A New Dictionary of Fairies, and Pagan Portals Aos Sidhe
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 11, 2023
Pagan Portals, are great resources and this one on the Dagda, is definitely a helpful one. There is very little written on him, that actually has some factual information and substance to it. Morgan Daimler, has done another fantastic job at educating and helping people understand certain deities. Alongside, giving genuine knowledge on the culture and people of Ireland. Done in a textbook format, it’s definitely worth a read.
November 26, 2020
It’s strange to feel so excited to read a book that has actually been waiting in my bedside cabinet for nearly two years. But that’s how it is. And now that I have now finally read The Dagda, I can’t stop raving about it. It is a jewel on my bookshelf.
Pagan Portals – The Dagda is far from the first book I’ve read by Morgan Daimler, nor will it be the last. They have become one of my favourite authors for a few simple reasons: their research is meticulous, they draw together the important myths, gleaned from early and modern texts – they even taught themself how to read old Irish because they wanted more than the translations they had on hand were offering. Daimler has a wonderful way of looking at things from a new angle, and this book continues in that tradition.
I was looking forward to this book in particular because I was drawn to The Dagda, personally. He drew me initially by his own personality and his actions in the tales, particularly of his building single-handed a fort for Bres, and carving out twelve plains in a one day. But more important was his being father to the sisters Brigit. Because Brigit is so important to me, I wanted to cultivate an acquaintance, at least, with someone who helped shape these sisters as they grew.1
The Pagan Portals series is devoted to short books – up to around a hundred pages long – that are meant to introduce the key elements of a deity or topic. In this case the book is nearly eighty pages, and they have divided the material up well. In chapter one, “Who is The Dagda?” they begin by giving his names and the epithets that describe him, and address how a sense of his nature can be drawn from them. This necessarily takes us into the myths themselves, so although they don’t tell them exhaustively, they reveal enough that we can understand why he might be called Eochaid Ollathair, and that “The Dagda” means “The Good God.” But what does that mean? Does it mean he’s a nice guy? Well, no. It means he is good at all things. So just the definition of this one name, and he has many, tells us something important about him. This initial chapter grounds us not only in his names, but in how he’s been described physically in the tales, and gives a glimpse of his relationships with others. (This is a complicated kettle of fish as he has many lovers, many children, and his children, like himself, have run into real difficulties because of some of those lovers).
One thing that Morgan always does which I greatly appreciate, is they provide useful end notes to each chapter, and provide a good bibliography. I can see where they’re getting their information from; I don’t have to just trust them. I can then decide whether I agree with their take on things, and that is important to me, especially in something so essential as the nature of the deities.
The second chapter is “The Dagda in Mythology.” Here they explore where The Dagda figures most prominently in the different texts. As they work through these, his personality and what he may represent to the devotee become more and more clearly defined, leading to an overall sense of what we know of him. This chapter also has an interesting reassessment of the Samhain sex tryst between The Dagda and The Morrigan.
Chapter three, “The Dagda’s Possessions and Associations,” continues to draw together pieces of information that are far flung from each other in the myths. Normally, you may read one tale today and another one never, and a third two years from now, meaning the different elements don’t necessarily ever come together in your mind. But when Daimler collects together his possessions – his cauldron, from which no one goes away unsatisfied; the staff which can kill with one end and heal with the other, and which he obtained in a less than honourable way when searching for a means to revive his dead son; the harp, which comes to him when he calls out to it and kills whoever is in its path; as well as the various places, times, plants, and animals with which he has had a special relationship, and then explains their significance and their derivation, they present an infinitely more coherent whole than when cobbled together over time, with its attendant failures of memory.
Daimler prevents all this from being a purely intellectual exercise and ensures it is one of the spirit by writing at the end of each chapter about The Dagda in their life. This can be a very simple and practical few words or it can be quite profound. For instance, their personal search for his symbolic cauldron gives insight into devotional practice, itself. Having the chance to read these more intimate words helps me connect more meaningfully to him, myself. These short personal sections illuminate further both our perceptions of the deity and the evolution of religion in our lives, always with humility and insight.
Chapter four, “Good God of All Skills,” is a beautiful chapter which shows the known range of the god who is capable of so much more – of all things. It goes in more depth into his nature – as a god who is both a giver of life and death, as one of fire and the earth, who is associated with weather and crops. As a warrior poet, musician, and king. His connection to farmers and workers, his role as a grieving parent. These are the kinds of associations we might read in a list and then forget immediately or work to connect them to our own lives, to add meaning to them, to give them flesh. But in this short book Daimler manages to bring out The Dagda in a more robust way than I have read before. Their summary of their relationship to him as a child and then as an adult, and how many of his stories make him relatable through the range of their own life experience, is touching. It reminds me of my experience with Brigid, which, taking goddess and Saint together, has proven to be similarly comprehensive in covering the range of my life. And so my own appreciation of and affection for The Dagda grows as I read.
“The Dagda in the Modern World,” chapter five. I have to say that I very much enjoyed this chapter. Daimler covers a lot in it with clarity and depth, both scholarly and personally. They begin by addressing how he is seen today in modern mythologies, fiction, and video games, which influence our perception of him just as the old texts do. As I was with their similar chapter on Brigit in Pagan Portals – Brigid, I’m grateful to them for tracing where our different ideas come from and comparing them to what we know from the texts. They do this without rancour and accept that there is validity in different approaches to him, but they value clarity on sources, as do I. Daimler points out modern changes to the deities, which are often received as traditional, in a clear and well supported way that insults no one. You may disagree with them, but you know where they’re coming from.
They go on, equally gently, to ask why our representations of him and the other deities nearly always include archaic dress, pointing out that in the original tales, the depictions were of contemporary clothes. They then discuss possible reasons for our choosing to stick with the original dress and why it may also be helpful to envision him dressed as a modern man. I found it useful to reflect on this section, and the ways I do and don’t have visual pictures of the deities, and how that affects my relationship to them. Daimler winds this chapter up with some good suggestions for altar pieces, a few prayers and invocations, and more thoughts on The Dagda in their life.
For the Brigidines among us, Morgan does refer to Brigit in the book on a few occasions, helping to clarify both her and her father. For instance, on page sixty-nine,
“Like his daughter Brighid, he is a deity of compromise and community building rather than burning to the ground. When his son is killed by Lugh he’s seeks a way to revivify his child, not destroy Lugh.”
In their conclusion, they say, “… The Dagda, in many ways, is exactly the deity that the world most needs right now.” I suggest you read this short, powerful book to see clearly just why.
[1] Eel and Otter’s anthology, Harp Club & Cauldron, is also very helpful in this venture, as is Scealai Beag’s Facebook group of devotees and interested others, “The Dagda's Hearth.”
Pagan Portals – The Dagda is far from the first book I’ve read by Morgan Daimler, nor will it be the last. They have become one of my favourite authors for a few simple reasons: their research is meticulous, they draw together the important myths, gleaned from early and modern texts – they even taught themself how to read old Irish because they wanted more than the translations they had on hand were offering. Daimler has a wonderful way of looking at things from a new angle, and this book continues in that tradition.
I was looking forward to this book in particular because I was drawn to The Dagda, personally. He drew me initially by his own personality and his actions in the tales, particularly of his building single-handed a fort for Bres, and carving out twelve plains in a one day. But more important was his being father to the sisters Brigit. Because Brigit is so important to me, I wanted to cultivate an acquaintance, at least, with someone who helped shape these sisters as they grew.1
The Pagan Portals series is devoted to short books – up to around a hundred pages long – that are meant to introduce the key elements of a deity or topic. In this case the book is nearly eighty pages, and they have divided the material up well. In chapter one, “Who is The Dagda?” they begin by giving his names and the epithets that describe him, and address how a sense of his nature can be drawn from them. This necessarily takes us into the myths themselves, so although they don’t tell them exhaustively, they reveal enough that we can understand why he might be called Eochaid Ollathair, and that “The Dagda” means “The Good God.” But what does that mean? Does it mean he’s a nice guy? Well, no. It means he is good at all things. So just the definition of this one name, and he has many, tells us something important about him. This initial chapter grounds us not only in his names, but in how he’s been described physically in the tales, and gives a glimpse of his relationships with others. (This is a complicated kettle of fish as he has many lovers, many children, and his children, like himself, have run into real difficulties because of some of those lovers).
One thing that Morgan always does which I greatly appreciate, is they provide useful end notes to each chapter, and provide a good bibliography. I can see where they’re getting their information from; I don’t have to just trust them. I can then decide whether I agree with their take on things, and that is important to me, especially in something so essential as the nature of the deities.
The second chapter is “The Dagda in Mythology.” Here they explore where The Dagda figures most prominently in the different texts. As they work through these, his personality and what he may represent to the devotee become more and more clearly defined, leading to an overall sense of what we know of him. This chapter also has an interesting reassessment of the Samhain sex tryst between The Dagda and The Morrigan.
Chapter three, “The Dagda’s Possessions and Associations,” continues to draw together pieces of information that are far flung from each other in the myths. Normally, you may read one tale today and another one never, and a third two years from now, meaning the different elements don’t necessarily ever come together in your mind. But when Daimler collects together his possessions – his cauldron, from which no one goes away unsatisfied; the staff which can kill with one end and heal with the other, and which he obtained in a less than honourable way when searching for a means to revive his dead son; the harp, which comes to him when he calls out to it and kills whoever is in its path; as well as the various places, times, plants, and animals with which he has had a special relationship, and then explains their significance and their derivation, they present an infinitely more coherent whole than when cobbled together over time, with its attendant failures of memory.
Daimler prevents all this from being a purely intellectual exercise and ensures it is one of the spirit by writing at the end of each chapter about The Dagda in their life. This can be a very simple and practical few words or it can be quite profound. For instance, their personal search for his symbolic cauldron gives insight into devotional practice, itself. Having the chance to read these more intimate words helps me connect more meaningfully to him, myself. These short personal sections illuminate further both our perceptions of the deity and the evolution of religion in our lives, always with humility and insight.
Chapter four, “Good God of All Skills,” is a beautiful chapter which shows the known range of the god who is capable of so much more – of all things. It goes in more depth into his nature – as a god who is both a giver of life and death, as one of fire and the earth, who is associated with weather and crops. As a warrior poet, musician, and king. His connection to farmers and workers, his role as a grieving parent. These are the kinds of associations we might read in a list and then forget immediately or work to connect them to our own lives, to add meaning to them, to give them flesh. But in this short book Daimler manages to bring out The Dagda in a more robust way than I have read before. Their summary of their relationship to him as a child and then as an adult, and how many of his stories make him relatable through the range of their own life experience, is touching. It reminds me of my experience with Brigid, which, taking goddess and Saint together, has proven to be similarly comprehensive in covering the range of my life. And so my own appreciation of and affection for The Dagda grows as I read.
“The Dagda in the Modern World,” chapter five. I have to say that I very much enjoyed this chapter. Daimler covers a lot in it with clarity and depth, both scholarly and personally. They begin by addressing how he is seen today in modern mythologies, fiction, and video games, which influence our perception of him just as the old texts do. As I was with their similar chapter on Brigit in Pagan Portals – Brigid, I’m grateful to them for tracing where our different ideas come from and comparing them to what we know from the texts. They do this without rancour and accept that there is validity in different approaches to him, but they value clarity on sources, as do I. Daimler points out modern changes to the deities, which are often received as traditional, in a clear and well supported way that insults no one. You may disagree with them, but you know where they’re coming from.
They go on, equally gently, to ask why our representations of him and the other deities nearly always include archaic dress, pointing out that in the original tales, the depictions were of contemporary clothes. They then discuss possible reasons for our choosing to stick with the original dress and why it may also be helpful to envision him dressed as a modern man. I found it useful to reflect on this section, and the ways I do and don’t have visual pictures of the deities, and how that affects my relationship to them. Daimler winds this chapter up with some good suggestions for altar pieces, a few prayers and invocations, and more thoughts on The Dagda in their life.
For the Brigidines among us, Morgan does refer to Brigit in the book on a few occasions, helping to clarify both her and her father. For instance, on page sixty-nine,
“Like his daughter Brighid, he is a deity of compromise and community building rather than burning to the ground. When his son is killed by Lugh he’s seeks a way to revivify his child, not destroy Lugh.”
In their conclusion, they say, “… The Dagda, in many ways, is exactly the deity that the world most needs right now.” I suggest you read this short, powerful book to see clearly just why.
[1] Eel and Otter’s anthology, Harp Club & Cauldron, is also very helpful in this venture, as is Scealai Beag’s Facebook group of devotees and interested others, “The Dagda's Hearth.”
February 2, 2022
It was a research book theme this week. I read “The Dagda: Meeting the Good God of Ireland” by Morgan Daimler. The Dagda is a fairly well-known deity in the Irish mythology and I’ve read snippets of his story in other books on Druidry. This book is part of a series called “Pagan Portals” that gives a concise, general explanation on aspects of paganism.
Morgan does a great job in dividing the book into easy to consume sections. She covers the many names of the Dagda, aspects he is associated with such as “fire” and “kingship”, and the stories he is a part of. Morgan does emphasize that this is only a small summary of the Dagda. She gives good resources at the end and in her bibliography so that the reader can find out more about the Dagda.
I enjoyed this book to start off 2022. It was a nice, compressed summary and the research was well documented. I plan to add the resources she gives to my to-read list. If you are looking for a good, concise summary of the Dagda, this is a good place to start.
Morgan does a great job in dividing the book into easy to consume sections. She covers the many names of the Dagda, aspects he is associated with such as “fire” and “kingship”, and the stories he is a part of. Morgan does emphasize that this is only a small summary of the Dagda. She gives good resources at the end and in her bibliography so that the reader can find out more about the Dagda.
I enjoyed this book to start off 2022. It was a nice, compressed summary and the research was well documented. I plan to add the resources she gives to my to-read list. If you are looking for a good, concise summary of the Dagda, this is a good place to start.
May 17, 2022
I enjoy Morgan's writing. She's very knowledgeable about the subjects she writes about and has a very readable writing style. I highly recommend her books for those that want to dip their toe into the pool, so to speak.
It's disappointing that Pagan Portal books seem to be deliberately short. I'm unsure if that's a demand of the publisher of this series of books, though, so I don't hold that against the author.
The author mentioned that finding statues of The Dagda is difficult, and at the time of this book's writing maybe that was true, but there's at least one "bronze" statue on Amazon (it's resin made to look like bronze and the company that makes these do all sorts of deities) and a lot of different ones made of wood on Etsy. So NOW you can find a statue of The Dagda easily.
Anyway, there's not much to say about this book that likely hasn't already been said a hundred times by other reviewers. It's short, but informative. Definitely recommend.
It's disappointing that Pagan Portal books seem to be deliberately short. I'm unsure if that's a demand of the publisher of this series of books, though, so I don't hold that against the author.
The author mentioned that finding statues of The Dagda is difficult, and at the time of this book's writing maybe that was true, but there's at least one "bronze" statue on Amazon (it's resin made to look like bronze and the company that makes these do all sorts of deities) and a lot of different ones made of wood on Etsy. So NOW you can find a statue of The Dagda easily.
Anyway, there's not much to say about this book that likely hasn't already been said a hundred times by other reviewers. It's short, but informative. Definitely recommend.
February 27, 2024
Una bella sorpresa. Per la serietà con cui Daimler si pone nell'affrontare le analisi di queste divinità (è ormai il quarto libro che leggo dell'autore), potrei quasi dire che si va sul sicuro.
L'ho apprezzato particolarmente perché riporta le fonti e mi ha mostrato aspetti che non conoscevo di questa importantissima divinità irlandese. Qua e là qualche errore di battitura, ma roba di poco conto. Ovviamente, come tutti i pagan portals, si tratta di un libretto molto breve (71 pagine) e introduttivo.
L'ho apprezzato particolarmente perché riporta le fonti e mi ha mostrato aspetti che non conoscevo di questa importantissima divinità irlandese. Qua e là qualche errore di battitura, ma roba di poco conto. Ovviamente, come tutti i pagan portals, si tratta di un libretto molto breve (71 pagine) e introduttivo.
February 20, 2019
"The Dagda" was the second book that I read by Morgan Daimler, the first being her "Gods and Goddesses of Ireland".
As someone who has felt drawn to The Dagda for years, this book gave me a much clearer picture of this too often overlooked deity.
I especially appreciate the author's scholarship.
She cites her sources and provides translations from the Old Irish.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels drawn to The Dagda.
As someone who has felt drawn to The Dagda for years, this book gave me a much clearer picture of this too often overlooked deity.
I especially appreciate the author's scholarship.
She cites her sources and provides translations from the Old Irish.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels drawn to The Dagda.
August 19, 2019
I love Morgan Daimler's books on the Tuatha Dé Danann because they combine familiarity with the lore with an engaging and accessible writing style. Of course this is just an introduction to a complex and multi-faceted deity, but it gives such a great foundation for learning and engaging with Him in ways that are true to His character. And the resources for further research are wonderful too.
June 23, 2021
Another Great Resource
Morgan has once again done a fantastic job of compiling resources and laying out a great introduction, ancient and modern, to the Dagda. He is a god that's a little harder to find accurate information on, especially on the internet. I would personally recommend this to anyone interested in learning about him.
Morgan has once again done a fantastic job of compiling resources and laying out a great introduction, ancient and modern, to the Dagda. He is a god that's a little harder to find accurate information on, especially on the internet. I would personally recommend this to anyone interested in learning about him.
May 18, 2020
This book is a short but amazingly condensed resource on the Irish God The Dagda. Less than 100 pages but chock-full of insights to the names, features, tools, and feats of The Good God. Highly recommend for anyone who wants to have a more scholarly approach to learning about this Irish God.
November 12, 2018
I highly recommend Morgan Daimler's books as primers.
More through book review to come later (hopefully....)
More through book review to come later (hopefully....)
January 13, 2019
I really enjoyed learning more about The Dagda.
January 22, 2020
I was hoping this book had the myths included not snippets as interpreted by the author. It was an ok introduction to the Dagda, but lacked the depth I was gulping for when I purchased it.
May 12, 2020
Very informative read, i just wish it was longer
February 18, 2021
A well-written and deeply researched book on the Dagda. It’s a short primer, but packed with info. It was great for a beginner like me.
Read
November 23, 2021A must
This book is a must if you are considering understanding the complex interactions and depth of the Dagda, a truly enigmatic figure.
This book is a must if you are considering understanding the complex interactions and depth of the Dagda, a truly enigmatic figure.
December 24, 2022
A good primer though I think it was more repetitive on some things than it needed to be.
August 22, 2025
Delivered as advertised. A short round up of what is known of the Dagda from the sources with a tiny bit of personal practice.
November 16, 2020
This was an excellent overview on the Dagda based on a review of original sources, but also mentioning some ideas from secondary sources when they have affected modern people's understanding of the deity. There are some personal ideas included, but they are clearly designated, and to me, rather uncontroversial. It is somewhat short, but a longer book wasn't really needed for this somewhat limited sort of literature review. I enjoyed this, and will likely pick up more books from this series.
October 15, 2019
A Fantastic Introduction to The Good God
The Dagda is one of the most important figures in my spiritual life and Morgan Daimler has written a perfect introduction to him. Covering The Dagda from his names, stories, associations, and modern representations, readers unfamiliar wth the good god will get to know him quickly. Even I learned a few things, and I have had the Dagda in my life for years now. Thank you for this great book, Morgan!
The Dagda is one of the most important figures in my spiritual life and Morgan Daimler has written a perfect introduction to him. Covering The Dagda from his names, stories, associations, and modern representations, readers unfamiliar wth the good god will get to know him quickly. Even I learned a few things, and I have had the Dagda in my life for years now. Thank you for this great book, Morgan!
Read
December 31, 2020A good blend of the author's personal relationship to the Dagda, but also written from a standpoint that includes nuanced sources, without one "complete, right" answer. Some typos and sections that were not as readable, but regardless, a great snapshot into who the Dagda is, where he exists in Irish/pagan mythology, and what he represents.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews