By Gwydion Pendderwen
Lugh the light of summer bright clothed all in green Tailtiu his mother true rise up and be seen Chorus: At your festival sound the horn, calling the people again Child of Barleycorn, newly summerborn, ripening like the grain. (Oh, ripening like the grain) Lugh grew tall from spring to fall and sought to find a wife But Balor came and made his claim and swore to take his life Chorus The two did fight from morn 'till night when Lugh did strike him one And Balor's eye flew in the sky and there became the sun Chorus Lugh he sped and made his bed with Erin in the north And there they lay for many a day and soon a child came forth Chorus The child grew tall from spring to fall, Setanta was his name And then at length by honor's strength CuChulainn he became Chorus THIS SONG WAS LATER REVISED by SLG Liturgists because it was actually mythologically inaccurate. Some now prefer to sing this other version of it, more mythologically accurate: Lughnassadh Dance (re-written by Shining Lakes Grove) Pronunciation: Eithne (ENNA), Kian (KEEN), Dechtire (JEH-chiray), Lugh (LOO), Manannan (MON-uh-non), Lughnasadh (LOO-nah-sah) Chorus: At your festival sound the horn, calling the people again Child of Barleycorn, newly summer-born Ripening like the grain, oh, ripening like the grain Verses: Lugh the light of summer bright clothed all in gold Eithne you his mother true let his tale be told It was known that Balor's own grandchild would do him in He vainly sought but all for naught, imprisoning his kin Kian the brave and clever knave, disguised himself so well It wasn't hard to fool the guards, and enter Eithne's cell The two did swoon from morn till noon, she bore him babies three Then Balor's rage flew in her cage and cast them in the sea The first two babes went to their graves, beneath the stormy sea But Manannan he took Lugh on, his foster son to be Lugh grew tall from spring to fall and sought to take a wife But Balor came and made his claim and vowed to take his life The two did fight from morn 'till night and Lugh did strike him one And Balor's eye flew in the sky and there became the sun Dechtire flew away with Lugh upon her wedding morn Together they lay for many a day and soon a child was born The child grew tall from spring to fall, Setanta was his name And then at length by honor's strength CuChulainn he became Appropriate for Lughnassadh or any Harvest festival.