The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum

So in my studies of celtic and iberian pantheons I inevitably come across the examining of the god known among the irish as Lugh, among main celts as Lug, among celto-romans as Lugus and possibly among the welsh as Lleu Llaw Gyffes.

So in my studies of celtic and iberian pantheons I inevitably come across the examining of the god known among the irish as Lugh, among main celts as Lug, among celto-romans as Lugus and possibly among the welsh as Lleu Llaw Gyffes.

From my understanding he appears to have been a very important deity with tons of roles, but I can't quite discern what or how he is in general, given that a lot of what we have on him comes from syncretism with the roman Mercury. Furthermore there's the issue of his name, whose etymology is not fully resolved

How would you describe him in general?

This I know to not be considered factually correct anymore, his bright epithets seem to relate to lightning, and the sun in celtic religion appears to have been female

What ever goddesses have been connected to the sun there is little support that that connection is so direct and not a latter attribute or misunderstood aspect. The goddesses of the Irish Celtic religions were more associated with the land or aspects of the land. Lug was portrayed as a male and a god of the clan or tribe. There are those who believe he was a new introduction than Dagda because he is portrayed more human like but others feel that Lug was just a god of a different clan/tribe with similar skills as Dagda.

Although the word Grain relates to the word sun in Irish its meaning is less clear from what I have tried to find in old Irish which i am not familiar with but the mythology we do have does seem as conclusive for her being a sun goddess. She is related with Aine who is the patron goddess of Munster and associated with the Hill of Anie but Grian appears to be associated with Leinster but held court in Tipperary  on the conc of Grian (hill of Grian). She is also famous for running off with Diarmuid and had to hide so Diarmuid would but up a dolmen every night to hide themselves from the Fianna. The more you read about her the more complicated it gets but she does not seem to directly equate with a sun goddess although one description of her is Grian of the bright cheeks.

Sulis was a pre-Roman goddess associated with the springs / healing springs at bath in England. She gets connected with Minerva later by the  Romans but I cannot find that much to associate her as a sun goddess other than similarity of name etymology.