Saint Cian

In Irish mythology, Cian or Cían , nicknamed Scal Balb, was the son of Dian Cecht, the physician of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and best known as the father of Lugh Lamhfada. Cían's brothers were Cu, Cethen, and Miach. Cían was slain by the Sons of Tuireann, for which Lugh demanded various treasures around the world as éraic (compensation), according to the account in the "Book of Invasions" (Lebor Gabála Érenn, LGE) as well as the late romance version "The Fate of the Children of Tuireann". Cían means "enduring one"; cían signifying "long, enduring, far, distant". Scal Balb is a nickname borne by other personages and means "dumb champion", with "dumb" in the sense of unable to make speech. By most accounts, Lug's mother is the Fomorian princess Ethniu, but according to an interpolated text the LGE, Cían is also known by the name Ethlend (Ethlenn). Under that assumption, "Lug mac Ethlend" becomes a patronymic (rather than a matronymic) designation. A clearly patronymic instance, from a different source altogether, is "Lug mac Ethlend maic Tigernmais (son of Ethliu, son of Tigernmas)" in the story Baile an scáil, where Lug's father must be "Ethliu mac Tigernmais". In the saga Cath Maige Tuired, Cían's union with Ethniu is a dynastic marriage following an alliance between the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomorians, and Ethniu bore him a son, Lugh. In the Lebor Gabála Érenn (LGE, "The Book of Invasions"), Cían gives the boy Lugh to Tailtiu, queen of the Fir Bolg, in fosterage. His brothers are Cu, Cethen, and Miach, sons of Dian Cecht, according to a tract in the LGE. Cían, Cu and Cethen are called "three sons of Cáinte (English: Cainté)" in the romance version of "The Fate of the Children of Tuireann", with O'Curry commenting that the identity of Cáinte is uncertain.