Bres

Laoise Jenkins

Bres was of the Fomorii, a race of giants of the Otherworld. His name means "Beautiful." He was the son of Elatha, a Fomorii king, and Eriu, a Tuatha dé Danaan goddess.

When Nuada, of the Tuatha dé Danaan, lost his hand in battle, he could no longer serve as king because of the Celtic law that no one could rule, who had a physical blemish. A king's body was thought to be representative of his kingdom. If the king's body was not whole and unblemished, then that might well be reflected in the state of the kingdom. When considering the replacement for their ruler, the Tuatha dé Danaan decided to make an alliance between themselves and the Fomorii. Bres of the Fomorii was married to Brigit of Tuatha dé Danaan, declared King, and given land and a palace. In return, Bres gave assurances that he would abdicate if his rule ever became unpleasant to those who elected him.

Regardless of all his promises, beautiful Bres proved to be a greedy oppressor. He levelled high taxes against the Tuatha dé Danaan of Ireland. By trickery, he also obtained the milk of all their cattle. He asked at first only for the produce of any cows which were brown and hairless, which the Tuatha dé Danaan granted him cheerfully. But then Bres passed all the cattle in Ireland between two fires, so that their hair was singed off, and thus obtained the monopoly of the main source of food. He made virtual slaves of Oghma and the Dagda. He refused to offer proper hospitality and entertainment to his guests, as was expected of the king.

His oppressive tyranny soon caused Bres to lose the throne. One day a guest, a poet of the Tuatha dé Danaan named Cairbre mac Eádaoine, was so insulted by his poor treatment that he delivered the first satire against Bres. This magical satire was so strong it caused Bres to break out with red blotches all over his face. Now that he carried a blemish, the Tuatha dé Danaan called for him to abdicate. Nuada was prepared to take up rule again, because during the time of Bres's rule, Miach the physician had restored Nuada's hand.

Bres fled with Eriu to seek aid from his father, Elatha, to regain rulership over Ireland. Elatha refused to help Bres, however, because he had not ruled with justice. Elatha did, however refer him to other Formorii kings, who assembled their forces and joined Bres in his attempt to regain Ireland. The Fomorii planned to take Ireland by force, and put it under the sea, where the Tuatha dé Danaanwould never find it again.

The Tuatha dé Danaan defeated the Fomorii, though, in the great Battle of Magh Tuireadh. Bres was captured during battle, and in return for his life he promised the Tuatha dé Danaan that he would advise them about agriculture, planting and sowing and thus seems to have become an agricultural divinity.

In Myth Legend and Romance, Dr. Dáithí OhOgáin asserts that the character, Bres, does not appear to be a very ancient one. The text of the 2nd battle of Moytirra states that the name Bres, is actually a sobriquet, and that his real name was Eochu Bres. The name may provide evidence that some early medieval writer borrowed from the stories of Eochaidh to suit his purposes in the Fomorrii context.

Sources:

The Ancient Celts, Barry Cunliffe, © 1997 Oxford University Press Inc, New York ISBN 0-19-815010-5

A Dictionary of Irish Mythology, Peter Berresford Ellis, Oxford University Press © 1991 ISBN 0-19-282871-1

Celtic Myth And Legend Poetry And Romance, Charles Squire, © 1979 Crown Publishers Inc, Bell 1979 editionISBN 0-517-30490-2

Myth, Legend and Romance, Dr. Dáithí OhOgáin Prentiss Hall Press 1991 ISBN 0-13-275959-4

The World of The Druids, Miranda Green ©1997 Thames & Hudson Ltd, London ISBN 0-500-05083-X

Death, War and Sacrifice - Studies In Ideology and Practice, Dr. Bruce Lincoln © 1991, University of Chicago, ISBN 0-226-48200-6

Contributed by: Laoise Jenkins

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