Labraid Luathlam ar Cleb. [I] "Labra Swift Hand on the Sword." Ruler of Magh Mell and husband of U Ban, whom he sent to Cuchulainn with a promise to send the goddess Fand to him in exchange for one day's fighting against three champions whom he could not overcome himself.

Ladra. [I] Pilot of Cesair's ship on its voyage to Ireland. When they landed, he argued about the fairness of the division of the country by Cesair and went off to form his own kingdom where he died "of an excess of women."

Laeg. [I] Sometimes Loeg. A son of Rfangabur, he was charioteer to Cuchulainn. His brother Id was charioteer to Conall Cearnach. He accompanied Cuchulainn on many of his adventures, and during the champion's last combat at the Pillar Stone he threw himself in front of Cuchulainn and caught the spear cast by Laoghaire.

Laighin. [I] Leinster. Anciently called Galian, there are two stories of how it was renamed. The first is that it took its name from Liath, son of Laigne Lethan-glas, a Nemedian; secondly, that it was named the province of "spearmen," after the Gauls who accompanied Moen to Ireland to help him overthrow his evil uncle Cobhthach. The termination ster added to Laighin was made at the time of the Norse settlement.

Lairgnen. [I] Son of a Connacht chieftain who was asked to capture the four singing swans as a bridal present by Deoca of Munster. These swans were, in fact, the children of Lir.

Laoghaire. [I] There were several persons of this name in Irish mythology; perhaps the most famous was Laoghaire Mac Crimthann of Connacht, who assisted Fiachna Mac Retach regain his wife and daughter, who were abducted by Goll of Magh Mell. He slew Goll and married Fiachna's daughter, Der Greine.

Leabhar Gabhdla. [I] See Invasions. Book of.

Leprechaun. [I] See Lugh.

Li. [I] Son of Dedad (sometimes Degad), who founded the Degad or military caste of Munster.

Lia. [I] Lord of Luachtar, treasurer of Clan Morna and father of Conan Maol. He became treasurer of the Fianna when Goll Mac Morna slew Cumal, the father. of Fionn. Lia was slain by Fionn Mac Cumhail, who took the treasure bag and subsequently had to fight Lia's son for several years.

Liadin. [I] A poetess with whom the poet Cuirithir fell in love. It is a tale of sorrowful love that survives from a ninth century A.D. text and remains one of the tragic stories of the period, with marked similarities to the later historical tragedy of Heloise and Abelard of Brittany. While the story is not technically part of Irish mythology, it is generally accepted as such. Liadin capriciously spurns Cuirithir and becomes a nun. In despair, Cuirithir also takes holy orders. Both then regret their actions. Religion prevents a happy outcome, and Cuirithir, for attempting to break his vows, is exiled. Liadin dies of grief at the stone at which Cuirithir used to pray.

Lia Fail. [I] "The Stone of Destiny." There seems to be two separate stones. The first was in use at Temuir (Tara) and roared with joy at the touch of a rightful monarch's foot. The second, which had similar properties, was used at the coronations of the Dal Riada kings of Alba and subsequently by all Scottish monarchs until it was stolen by Edward I of England (A.D. 1272-1307) and taken to London. There is a confusion of stories. One is that the Scottish Lia Fail was the same as the Irish stone and that Fergus Mac Erc of the Scottish Dal Riada requested from his brother, Murtagh Mac Erc (High King of Ireland A.D. 512-533), that he be allowed to borrow the stone for his coronation. Fergus then refused to return it. However, scholars claim that the six-foot-high pillar stone that still stands at Tara is the Irish Lia Fail. The tradition of the Scottish stone is that this was Jacob's Pillow, taken out of Egypt by Goidel, son of Scota, daughter of the pharaoh Cingris. Colmcille crowned Aidan on it and it was kept at the Dal Riada capital, now Dunstaffnage, Argyll, until the unification of the kingdom with that of the Tuatha Cruithne to form Alba. In A.D. 848 the High King of Alba, Kenneth Mac Alpin, took it to Sgain (Scone), which became capital of the country until the overthrow of Macbeth (1040-1057).
After Edward I stole it and took it to England, it was placed under the English throne at Westminster Abbey, where every English monarch since Edward has been crowned on it. A new legend grew up, this time among the English, which says that the end of the English monarchy would be marked if the stone was ever taken from the Abbey. In 1951 four Scottish patriots succeeded in removing it, to the delight of Scottish public opinion, which had long felt that the ancient relic should be returned to the country from which it had been plundered. Some months later, after intensive searching, the Lia Fail was found wrapped in a Scottish flag in Arbroath Abbey, site of the Scottish Declaration of Independence in 1320. A second attempt was made to remove it to Scotland in 1967. It Finaly returned to Scotland in 1998.

Liagin. [I] The most powerful runner of the Fianna.

Liath. [I] A son of the Nemedian Laigne Lethan-glas who cultivated the lands ofTara, which were first called Druimm Leith after him. The province of Leinster is also said to have been named for him.

Liath Macha. [I] See Grey of Macha.

Li Ban. [I] Beauty of women. Wife to Labraid, ruler of Magh Mell. She was sister to Fand, Pearl of Beauty .She invited Cuchulaiiln to Magh Mell, where, if he helped to slay three evil Fomorii warriors, he would be given Fand as his lover. Cuchulainn sent Laeg, his charioteer, with her, and on his report he followed and became the lover of Fand.

Linne. [I] A friend of Oscar's who was accidentally slain by him while he was in a battle fever.

Lir. [I] The ocean god, cognate with Llyr in Welsh myth. His greatest son was Manannan, who took over the role as god of the seas. Lir married Aobh and had three sons and a daughter, who were changed into swans by his second wife, Aoife, who was Aobh's sister but jealous of the children. See Llyr.

Lir, Children of. [I] See Aobh and Aoife.

Llacheu. [W] A son of Arthur. He was murdered by Kei.

Llassar Llaesgyfnewid. [W] A god of death who owns a magic cauldron into which warriors who are slain are cast but who come forth alive. His wife, Cymidei Cymeinfoll, gives birth to a fully armed warrior every six weeks.

Llefelys. [W] Son of Beli, brother ofLIudd (Nudd). He ruled in Gaul while LIudd ruled in Britain. LIudd sought his brother's aid to stop three plagues that were devastating the land. Together they were able to rid the island of the plagues. See Lludd Llaw Ereint.

LIeu Llaw Gyffes. [W] Son of Aranrhod. His mother swears that he will never be named, but her brother, Gwydion, who has concealed the child at birth, tricks Aranrhod into naming him "Bright One of the Skilful Hand." Aranrhod swears that LIeu will never bears arms unless she equips him. Again, she is Itricked. Finally, she swears LIeu will never have a human wife.  Gwydion and Math conjure a wife from the flowers of an oak, broom, and meadowsweet and call her Blodeuwedd, "Flower aspect." She is very beautiful but soon is discontented with LIeu and takes a lover, Gronw Pebyr. They try to murder him. But it has been said that LIeu can never be killed within a house or outside it, neither on horseback nor on foot, and moreover he could then only be slain by a spear crafted for a whole year only during the time when people attended Sunday Mass. His unfaithful wife relays this to her lover and the conditions are fulfilled. But LIeu escapes, only wounded, in the form of an eagle. Gwydion seeks him out and restores him to health and human form. LIeu slays Gronw Pebyr in combat and Blodeuwedd is turned into an owl, outcast among even the birds. LIeu LIaw Gyffes appears to be the counterpart of the Irish Lugh.

Lloegyr. [W] "The lost territory." The name by which the British Celts referred to that territory which the Anglo-Saxons had invaded and conquered. Today, LIoegyr is the Welsh name for England.

Lludd. [W] In the tale "LIudd and LIe felys" three plagues fall on Britain. See Coraniaid and Lludd Llaw Ereint.

Lludd Llaw Ereint. [W] The son of Beli, god of death. He appears in the tale of Culhwch and Olwen, and the name is the equivalent of Nuada Airegetlamh. He is also referred to as Nudd. According to Geoffrey, he built London. There was, according to Geoffrey, a temple to LIudd on the site of St. Paul's, and nearby the entrance to it was gained through Parth LIudd, or "LIudd's Gate" (Ludgate). Also, it is interesting to note, a gate named after LIudd's father Beli, opened onto the river Tamesis (the sluggish river)-Beli's gate (Billingsgate). He ruled Britain while his brother LIefelys ruled Gaul. Three plagues pester Britain. A demoniac race called the Corianiad, could hear every whisper in the land if the winds caught it (a feat also attributed to Math son of Mathonwy).
The second plague was the scream of two dragons fighting. The third was a giant wizard. The two brothers slew the Corianiad with insects to which ordinary people were immune. The dragons were slain while intoxicated with mead, and the giant was overcome in combat by Lludd.