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Writer's pictureKarl Roe

Crater of the Day: Nuada


Location: Northeast Callisto

Diameter: 41 miles

Etymology: Celtic



At 62 degrees of latitude, Nuada is located farther north than Anchorage is on Earth. It wasn't until I began researching its etymology that I discovered that, like Tornarsuk, the previous crater of the day, Nuada is also named for a one-armed deity. Nuada was the king of a mythical tribe of godlike people called the Tuath Dé (which actually just means "tribe of gods"). According to the legend the Tuath Dé arrived in Ireland millennia ago with the intention of settling there, only to encounter another mythical tribe known as the Fir Bolg ("bag men"). The Tuath Dé suggested a fifty-fifty split of the island, an offer which the Fir Bolg quite naturally declined. In the ensuing war Nuada was seriously injured and a group of his warriors immediately gathered to protect the fallen king. Although they eventually succeeded in evacuating him he was obliged to leave one of his arms on the battlefield. The one who inflicted this wound, a fellow named Sreng, was not pleased that his foe had survived their engagement. Wishing to finish the job Sreng pursued Nuada and demanded a duel. I don't imagine more combat was what Nuada wanted at that moment, but he bravely accepted on the reasonable condition that Sreng bind one of his own arms during the fight. Sreng balked, but by then the duel was moot. His Fir Bolg had been vanquished and they were forced to retreat to a territory much smaller than half of Ireland.


Due to the whole-body chauvinism of his people Nuada lost his kingly status along with his arm. His choice of successor betrayed him and the Tuath Dé to the rival Fomorian tribe, and during a period of enslavement Nuada's brothers smithed him a magical silver prosthesis. This apparently qualified Nuada for a restored kingship. Under him the Tuath Dé rose up out of bondage and destroyed the Fomorians. It would seem like the perfect end to Nuada's legendary arc, except for the fact that once again he couldn't keep himself together in battle. This time he lost his head, and there was no recovering from that.

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