Dian Cecht
I first read about the subject of today's post in Edain McCoy's book, "Celtic Myth and Magick". Part IV of the book contains a listing of Celtic deities, heroes, and heroines. I was researching pantheons and cultural information to figure out a new magical name for myself after wanting to reflect entering a more adult stage of life (EagleWolf was great, sure, but it didn't sound like something an adult male would be called). I found this book extremely useful for this purpose although, truth be told, no one resource should be used for anything these days. While I picked Miach instead of Dian Cecht, you will soon see that they have a very important connection.
Most of my interest and research in Irish deities focuses on the Tuatha de Dannan. Not much is historically known about them but the myths and folklore are rich with stories that would make a creative writer prosperous for years. Danu, Lugh, Brigid, and Dagda are just some of the deities associated with the Tuatha de Dannan (translates to "people/tribe of Danu"); you can include the lesser known Miach and Dian Cecht among them.
Dian Cecht was a great healer. He had multiple children and the two of note for this post were Airmed, a daughter, and Miach, a son. Their king, Nuada, was injured in a great battle and lost his arm. Dian Cecht, it is said, was able to fasten Nuada a working arm made out of pure silver. His healing powers were widely known and are prevalent within mythological texts. In fact, the people of Ireland have even called upon his healing powers as late as the eighteenth century.
Miach, as I previously alluded, was Dian Cecht's son. Like his father and sister, he inherited some profound gifts for healing. Looking upon his father's healing of their king as mediocre, Miach set out to do better. After enchanting Nuada's arm with an incantation, the people of Danu watched as sinew, bone, and skin grew back over the silver limb over a period of nine days.
It is said that Dian Cecht was so outraged by this feat that he attacked Miach with a sword. Miach's ability to heal was so powerful that the wound healed almost immediately. Growing more furious, Dian Cecht struck a second blow to his son and once again the wound rapidly healed. Even a third blow, hitting Miach's brain, was healed almost instantaneously. Finally, in a ferocious fourth blow, Miach's cranium was punctured by the sword and his brain was sliced in half. Miach was unable to heal this wound and was killed.
You're probably wondering why I chose to take the name of someone who seemed to be treated so harshly by an important figure in the young man's life. His healing powers were profound and yet they were not enough to continue to save Miach's life. I suppose I liked his association as a healer, but also as someone who saw an opportunity to help another and took it. I admire that strength of character and level of compassion.
Unfortunately, the information you just read is practically everything that is known about Miach. I paired the name or "Miach" with "Rhys" because, though Welsh in origin, the basic meaning of that name is "enthusiastic." In my mind combining the two represented the phrase "enthusiastic healer." I have always had an interest in that which heals us and it just seemed to fit. And, on a shallow note, I liked how Celtic-sounding the names were.
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