The Games of Lugh

Because when I went outside onto the beach last night and saw an unbelievably bright shooting star -- like a fireworks rocket -- to the south of the Milky Way, I thought I'd post about the Games of Lugh today. Spend some time outside tonight and see what flashes by.

This is an old Celtic name for the Perseids, the most familiar of all meteor showers, that take place at around this time of year. Associated with the Swift-Tuttle Comet, the Perseids have been well documented since at least 830 CE and take their name from the constellation Perseus where shooting stars appear.

We can well imagine ancient Celts looking upon these wonders and associating them with other phenomena of the season between the equinox and solstice, including the heat of the last of the Dog Days. They attributed the celestial display of Perseid lights to games being played by Lugh, 'the shining one' ...

Tagged: calendar+customs, celtic, astronomy, deities