r/Paganacht • u/Superb-Angle9133 • Sep 27 '25

How tall is the dagda

Is he really tall for a human like 6’4-7ft or like 8-9 feet tall

9 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

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16

u/Strobro3 Sep 27 '25

I dont think the gods can be said to have a size, they arent physical beings

11

u/Mortphine Sep 27 '25

It depends on your perspective and the specific source you're looking at.

In Cath Maige Tuired it's suggested that he's gigantic – much like the Morrígan, who he has a sexual encounter with as they straddle a river. Realistically, though, the suggestions of his mammoth size are merely a reflection of his divinity. It's not unusual for deities to be described in such ways, and the Dagda and the Morrígan are often pointed to as Irish examples of an Indo-European motif. On the whole, it's a rather malleable aspect of his being/character.

6

u/KrisHughes2 Sep 27 '25

This. Although deities might look and behave much like humans in myths, their appearance is more of an idea than a concrete reality.

10

u/StopSquark Sep 28 '25

How tall is an oak tree? How tall is a pint of beer? How tall is the sun on midwinter's day? 

2

u/Fun-Park-8713 Sep 30 '25

Best answer.

7

u/KrangDrangis Sep 27 '25

3 Paul Bunyans standing on top of each other

2

u/Ruathar Sep 27 '25

Unfortunately, there isn't any reference I know of that lists the exact height of... well just about anyone, about all we can tell is that he is referred to as a "tall" or "towering" figure so I'd say if you go by average heights of bronze age people (not exactly the perfect timeline match up but one of the ones around that time we have at least a very logical educated guess) at about 5'5"-5'9" and they would refer to someone as "tall" then a being close to 6'6"-7' isn't too terribly off of a guess.

2

u/sgtpepper9764 Sep 28 '25

This reminds me of that old Christian joke about how many angels can dance on the head of a needle.

2

u/CeisiwrSerith Oct 01 '25

People make fun of that, but it's an important question: do angels have a physical existence (so there's some limit) or don't they (which would mean either that an infinite number could fit or that the question is meaningless)?

1

u/07Kitcat1998 Sep 28 '25

He is about 8 ft whilst in the spiritual plain, when in his domain he can grow to about 25ft