General
Reference Glossaries
Of
Interest to Theosophists
Cardiff Theosophical Society in Wales
206 Newport Road, Cardiff, Wales, UK. CF24 -1DL
Glossary
of
Celtic
Mythology
Celtic Mythology
can be divided into three traditions
Goidelic -
Irish, Manx and Scottish
Insular
Brythonic - Welsh, Cornish
Continental
Brythonic - mainland European
Abandinus is
mysterious, currently known only from a single inscription from
Cambridgeshire,
England in Godmanchester; specifically, an inscribed bronze
votive feather
is dedicated to him with the text to the god Abandinus,
Vatiaucus gave
this from his own resources. Some believe that he was
associated with
the river Ouse (formerly known as Abona or Afon), though
Celtic river
deities were almost always female, so this may be unlikely; he
may also have
been associated with a local spring. Others have suggested that
is related to
Mabon, a more popular Celtic deity; though it seems unlikely,
Abandinus and
Mabon have linguistic characteristics that make this theory
possible.
Abarta
(performer of feats) was one of the Tuatha De Danaan. He was also known
as Giolla
Deacair (the hard servant) and was associated with Fion Mac Cumhail.
One tale has
Abarta tricking a group of Fianna into mounting a magical gray
horse which took
them to the underworld until beng rescued by Fionn. Abarta
may have been
associated with a servant of Apollo, who was said to have given
him a golden
arrow (i.e. a sunbeam) which could teleport him, cause him
invisibility and
give prophecies. In later, more purely Celtic myths, the
golden arrow ws
changed to a magical horse. Some similarities can be noted
between Abaris
and Paris, who slew Achilles with an arrow and the help of
Apollo (a solar
deity). Abaris' murder of Diarmait ua Duibne by stabbing his
heel with a
boar's poisonous bristles has parallels with Achilles' story.
Abellio In
Continental Brythonic (Gallic) Celtic mythology, Abellio (also
Abelio and
Abelionni) was a god of apple trees, worshipped in the Garonne
Valley in
southwest France. To a lesser degree, he was known as a solar deity
in Crete and the
Pyrenees.
Abhean the
harper of the Tuatha de Danaan.
Abnoba was the
forest and river goddess, worshipped in the Black Forest and
surrounding
areas. Her name is the source of the River Avon and others.
Achall was a
young girl who committed suicide (or died of grief) after her
brother died in
battle.
Achtan was the
mother of Cormac by Art.
Achtland Queen
Achtland married one of the "Tuatha de Danann" (too'-ah deh
dah'noo) which
were the children of the Goddess Danu. Their name is often
mistranslated
simply into "giants", which gives reference to their stature, as
well as their
lineage, resembling the Nephilim, "fallen angels", of Christian
lore. Another
name for the "children" is the "Sidhe" (shee) which is
translated often
into "fairy" and conferred increasingly diminutive statures,
and powers,
throughout the passage of time. Achtland herself was a mortal
woman, and as an
adult she was infamous for her displeasure in what she found
available to her
among the human men. It is said that no man could ever
satisfy her, but
when she was approached by one of the Tuatha, her heart was
smitten with
him. The Tuatha were known to bring all crafts and skills to the
human race
(originally this knowledge was property of the gods), and it is
doubtless that
Achtland found much to admire in her new lover. She married
this man of the
Tuatha, and became immortal by crossing over into the land of
the Fey, to be
his wife. It is said that she found great delight in brushing
his long silken
hair.
Adsullata was a
river goddess, associated with the River Savus.
Aengus In
Goedelic mythology, Aengus ("son of the young") was the god of love.
He was said to
have four birds symbolizing kisses flying about his head. His
parents were
Dagda and Boann. He was said to have lived by the river Boyne.
Dagda had an
affair with Boann, wife of Nechtan. In order to hide their
affair, Dagda
made the sun stand still for nine months; therefore, Aengus was
conceived,
gestated and born in one day.
Aengus fell in
love with a girl he dreamed of. His mother, Boann, searched
Ireland for an
entire year. Then his father, Dagda, did the same. Finally,
King Bov the Red
of Munster found her after a year.
Aegus went to
the lake of the Dragons's Mouth and found 150 girls chained up
in pairs. He
found his girl, Caer. On November 1, Caer and the other girls
would turn into a
swan for one year. Aengus was told he could marry Caer if he
could identify
her as a swan. Aengus succeeded. He turned himself into a swan
and they flew
away, singing beautiful music that put all its listeners asleep
for three days
and nights.
Aengus and Caer
had one son, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne.
Alternative:
Aengus the Young, Angus, Anghus, Aonghus, Angus Og, Aengus mac
Oc, Oengus mac
Oc
Aericura In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Aericura (or Aeracura) was an
underworld
goddess; she was originally an earth goddess, associated with
Silvanus, the
Rhine Valley and the cornucopia. Under her later aspect as an
underworld
goddess, she may have been adapted into Dis Pater.
Aes Sidhe In
Irish mythology, the sídhe (pronounced shee) are a supernatural
race, quite
distinct from humankind. There are a number of different types of
sídhe: the
sluagh sídhe, the fairy host or Wild Hunt, can fly through the air
and shift shape
at will, the sídhe who walk the earth at dusk and the guardian
sídhe of the
lakes of both Ireland and Scotland. They are the remnants of the
Tuatha de
Danaan. According to The Book of Invasions or Lebor Gabala Érren,
the Túatha Dé
Danann, the “People of the Goddess Dana” were defeated in battle
by the mortal
Sons of Mil. As part of the surrender terms the Túatha Dé Danann
agreed to dwell
underground in the síde (singular síd), the hills or mounds
that dot the
Irish landscape. Eventually both the mounds and the people became
known as the
síd, modern Irish sídhe.
Aeval In
Goidelic mythology, Queen Aeval was the fairy queen of Munster. She
determined if
husbands were sexually satsifying their wives.
Agrona In
Insular Brythonic mythology, Agrona was the goddess of strife and
war. The river
Aeron in Wales comes from her name.
Aibell In
Goidelic mythology, Aibell or Aoibhell was a fairy goddess.
Aillen was a
monster from the underworld. The fertility goddess Aine is also
sometimes known
by this name.
Aimend In
Goidelic mythology, Aimend was a sun goddess.
Aine In Goidelic
mythology, Aine was a goddess of love, growth, cattle and the
moon. She was
the daughter of Egobail, and sister of Aillen and/or Fennen. In
some versions of
the myth, she is the wife of Gerold Iarla; in others, rather
than being
married, he raped her, and may have been subsequently killed by
her; in yet
other versions of her myth, she is the wife of Manannan mac Lir.
The feast of
Midsummer Night was held in her honor. In County Limerick, she
was a fairy
queen. She is sometimes equated with Dana.
Airitech In
Goidelic mythology, Airitech was a mysterious creature whose three
daughters were
werewolves, eventually killed by Cas Corach.
Airmed In
Goidelic mythology, the goddess Airmed was one of the Tuatha de
Danaan, the
goddess of witchcraft and healing. With Miach, she is the daughter
of Dian Cecht;
the two sisters once healed Nuada.
Alaunus In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Alaunus was the god of the sun,
healing and
prophecy.
Albiorix
Albiorix ("king of the world"), ancient god of Celts and Gauls, whose
name means
father of the tribe. He was a god of war, growth and prosperity.
It represented
the unity and the harmony of the tribe (often confused with
Ogmios).
Alternative: ,
Caturix ("king of the battle"), Loucetius, Rigisamos, Toutatis
or Teutates.
Alisanos In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Alisanos or Alisaunus was the
local god of the
Cite d'Or.
Amaethon In
Insular Brythonic mythology, Amaethon was a god of agriculture, a
son of Don and
Beli.
He stole a dog,
lapwing and roebuck from Arawn, leading to the Battle of Cath
Godeau between
the underworld gods and monsters and the children of Don. In
this battle,
Amaethon's brother, Gwydion, turned trees into warriors that
helped the
children of Don win.
Ambisagrus In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Ambisagrus was a god of thunder
and lightning.
Anann In
Goidelic mythology, Anann was a mother goddess, particularly
worshipped in
Munster. In Kerry County, Ireland, the twin hills of Paps of Anu
were named after
her.
With Badb and Macha,
she was part of a triumvirate of war goddesses.
Ancamna In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Ancamna was a water goddess.
Andarta In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Andarta was a warrior goddess,
worshipped
especially in Gaul. Her animal was the bear.
Andraste In
Insular Brythonic mythology, Andraste was a goddess of war. In AD
61, Queen
Boudicca sacrificed Roman women to Andraste while fighting against
the Roman
occupation of Britain.
Anextiomarus In
Insular Brythonic mythology, Anextiomarus was a tribal god.
Annwn In Insular
Brythonic mythology, specifically Welsh, Annwn was an
underworld
region, ruled by Arawn, or (much later) Gwynn ap Nudd. In Culhwch
and Olwen, God
gave Gwynn control over the demons lest "this world be
destroyed."
He led the Wild Hunt.
Originally,
Annwn was said to lie so far to the west that not even Manawyddan
ap Llyr had
found it, for you could only reach Annwn by dying yourself. Later,
however, it was
said that Annwn could be entered by those still living, near
Lundy Island and
Glastonbury Tor. St. Collen, a Welsh saint, entered Gwynn's
palace to banish
him with holy water.
In the Book of
Taleisin is a 10th century poem called The Spoils of Annwn. It
is about King
Arthur and his knights traveling through Annwn, searching for a
magical cauldron
possessed by nine women. Only seven knights survive the
journey. It may
be a precursor of later Holy Grail stories involving King
Arthur and his
knights. The nine maidens related to actual groups of nine
priestesses in
ancient Celtic society. Geoffrey of Monmouth told stories of
Morgan le Fay
and eight other priestesses in his poem, Vita Merlini, who lived
on the Isle of
Apples or Avalon. Avalon was often identified with Annwn.
Alternatives:
Annwfn, Annwyn, Annwyfn
Arawn In Welsh
mythology, Arawn was the Lord of the Underworld, which was
called Annwn.
Some of the more
prominent myths about Arawn include the incident in which
Amaethon stole a
dog, lapwing and a white roebuck from Arawn, leading to the
Cath Godeau,
which Arawn lost to Amaethon and his brother, Gwydion.
In the
Mabinogion, Pwyll mistakenly set his hounds upon a stag, only to
discover that
Arawn had been hunting the same animal. To pay for the misdeed,
Arawn asked
Pwyll to trade places with him for a year and a day, and defeat
Hafgan, Arawn's
rival, at the end of this time, something Arawn had attempted
to do, but had
been unable to. Arawn, meanwhile, took Pwyll's place as lord of
Dyfed. Arawn and
Pwyll became good friends because, though Pwyll wears Arawn's
shape, he sleept
chastely with Arawn's wife.
In Welsh
folklore, Arawn rides with his white, red-eared hounds (the Cwn Annwn
or Hounds of
Annwn) through the skies in autumn, winter, and early spring. The
baying of the
hounds is identified with the crying of wild geese as they
migrate, and the
quarry of the hounds are the souls of the damned, being
chased back to
Annwn (sometimes to the abode of the Brenin Llwyd or Grey
King).
Arawn is also a
prominent character in The Chronicles of Prydain, a series of
fantasy novels
written by Lloyd Alexander that revolve around Welsh myths.
Arduinna In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Arduinna was the goddess of the
moon, hunters
and forests. Her cult was centered in the
derived its name
from her.
Arianrhod
("silver wheel") was a daughter of Belus and Don.
She was in the
court of Math ap Mathonwy, a king who needed to rest his feet
in the lap of a
virgin unless he was at war, or wanted to be. When one of his
virgins, Goewin,
was raped by Gilfaethwy, she was replaced with Gilfaethwy's
sister,
Arianrhod. She immediately gave birth to a young boy (Dylan) and a
blob.
Dylan was a
sea-creature who immediately moved into the ocean. The blob,
however, was
placed in a chest by Gwydion, Arianrhod's brother. Arianrhod
created three
geases*: only she could give him a name; only she could give him
weapons; he
would have no human wife. Arianrhod denied him the three aspects
of masculinity.
Gwydion raised him anyway, even without a name. Later
Arianrhod saw
him killing a wren with a single stone. She said that he was a
bright lion with
a sure hand and he took the name Llew Llaw Gyffes ("bright
lion with a sure
hand"). Gwydion then tricked her into arming him. Llew
created his own
woman out of flowers, Blodeuwedd.
*A geas (also
geis), has two interpretations in Celtic mythology and
folklore. First,
it is considered some kind of bond that people or even
gods can be
placed under; later, it took the aspect of a taboo or
prohibition. A
geas can also be compared with a curse. If someone placed
under a geas
breaks it, the infractor will suffer dishonour or even death.
Arnemetia In
Insular Brythonic mythology, Arnemetia was a water goddess.
Artio In
Continental Brythonic mythology, (specifically known from
associated with
the bear, and was worshipped at
"bear".
She was often called Artio of Muri. She may have been married to
Essus.
Arvernus In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Avernus was the god of the Gallic
Averni.
Aufaniae The
Aufaniae were Continental Brythonic mother goddesses worshipped
throughout
Celtic
Avalloc A
mysterious Insular Brythonic god, Avalloc was the father of Modron.
He may have been
the King of Avalon.
Aveta In
Continental Brythonic mythology and especially Gaul, Aveta was a
goddess of
childbirth and midwives.
Badb In Goidelic
mythology, Badb (raven) or in modern spelling Badhbh was a
goddess of war
who took the form of ravens (or carrion crows), thus known as
Badb Catha
(battle raven). She often caused confusion among soldiers to move
the tide of
battle to her favored side. Battlefields were called the land of
Badb, and were
often said to include Badb taking part as a raven or as a wolf.
Badb is
associated with the beansidhe, and is said to have been crucial in the
battle against
the Fomorians.
With Macha and
Anann, she was part of a triumvirate of war goddesses.
Badb is often
confused with Bodb.
Balor In
Goidelic mythology, Balor was the god of death and King of the
Fomorians. His
father was Buarainech. His wife was Cethlenn.
Balor only had
one eye which was usually closed; its gaze killed anyone that
saw it.
According to a
prophecy, Balor was to be killed by his grandson. He locked his
daughter,
Ethlinn, in a tower made of crystal to keep her from becoming
pregnant.
However, Cian, one of the Tuatha de Danaan, with the help of the
druidess Birog,
managed to enter the tower. She gave birth to a son by him,
but Balor threw
him into the ocean. Birog saved him and gave him to Manannan
mac Lir, who
became his foster father. He was called Lugh Lamhfada and became
a member of the
Tuatha de Danaan.
Lugh Lamhfada
led the Tuatha in the Second
Fomorians. Ogma
disarmed Balor during this battle and Balor killed King Nuada
with his eye,
but Lugh ripped the fatal eye out with a sling, killing Balor.
Banba In
Goidelic mythology, Banba was the patron spirit of Ireland, wife of
King MacCuill,
and a goddess of war and fertility.
With her sisters
(daughters of Fiachna), Fodla and Eriu, she was part of an
important
triumvirate of goddesses, the first settlers of
Banba is used as
a name for
Other spelling:
Banbha.
Beag In Goidelic
mythology, the goddess Beag was one of the Tuatha de Danaan.
She was known
for having a magic well.
Bebhionn In
Goidelic mythology, Bebhion was a goddess of the underworld and a
goddess of
pleasure.
Belatu-Cadros In
Insular Brythonic mythology, and especially in Wales,
Belatu-Cadros
("fair shining one" or "the fair slayer") was the god of
destruction, war
and attaining vengeance on enemies. He was also a psychopomp.
He may be the
same as Belenus, and was associated by the Romans with their god
Mars.
Belenus In
Brythonic mythology, especially in
Belenus
("the shining one") was a fertility god who looked after sheep and
cattle. His wife
was Belisama. In
tree"). He
may be the same as Belatu-Cadros.
In
Lir, Lugh,
Gwydion, Govannnon, Arianrhod, Gilfaethwy and Amaethon.
He was
worshipped on May 1 at Beltaine ("Fire of Bel"). Purifying fires were
lit and cattle
were forced to walk between them before being allowed to go to
pasture.
Belenus was
eventually worshipped by Celts in Aquitaine, Austria, Italy,
Alternative: Bel
(
Belisama In
Continental Brythonic mythology, especially Gaul, Belisama was the
wife of Belenos
and a goddess of fire, crafts and light.
Blodeuwedd was a
woman made by flowers by Llew Llaw Gyffes, who could not
marry a human
woman.
Blodeuwedd had
an affair with Goronwy and tricked the secret of his death out
of him, since
Llew could not be killed during the day or night, nor indoors or
outdoors,
neither riding nor walking, not clothed and not naked, nor by any
weapon lawfully
made. He could only be killed at dusk, wrapped in a net with
one foot on a
cauldron and one on a goat and a weapon forged during the hours
when forging
weapons was forbidden. She then led him to his death. Llew became
an eagle, but
then Gwydion switched him back to human. He killed Goronwy and
Gwydion turned
Blodeuwedd into an owl.
Boann In
Goidelic mythology, Boann ("she of the white cattle") was the wife of
Necthan or
Elcmar. Her lover was Dagda, by whom she was the mother of Aengus.
In order to hide
their affair, Dagda made the sun stand still for nine months;
therefore,
Aengus was conceived, gestated and born in one day.
She was
associated with a sacred white cow.Alternative name: Boand
Bodb In Goidelic
mythology, Bodb was the goddess of battle.
Bodb Dearg or
Badhb Dearg mac an Daghda ("Bodb the Red") was a son of Dagda
and succeeded
him as King of the Tuatha De Danaan. He subsequently fathered
many deities.
Borvo ("to
boil") was a widespread god of mineral springs,
healing. His
wife was Damona. He is son of Sirona, who, like his wife, is a
goddess of
cattle.
Alternative:
Bormanus (
Bran the Blessed
was a son of Llyr and Penarddun. He was a giant.
His sister,
Branwen, was courted by an Irishman named Matholwch, who gave Bran
horses to curry
favor. Efnisien, a half-brother of Branwen and Bran, mutilated
the horses;
Matholwch was irate until Bran gave him a cauldron which restored
the dead to
life.
His sister,
Branwen, was treated cruelly by her husband, Matholwch. Bran
sailed from
Matholwch saw
the giant, he asked for peace and built a house big enough for
him. Matholwch
agreed to let Bran live with them and give the kingdom to
Gwern, his son
by Branwen. The Irish lords didn't like the idea, so they hid
themselves in
flour bags to attack the Welsh. Efnisien guessed what was
happening and
threw them into the fire, along with Gwern.
In the ensuing
war, Efnisien and Bran died. Efnisien threw himself in the
cauldron earlier
given to Matholwch, which broke; he stayed dead. Branwen went
to Aber Alaw and
died there. Bran's head, still alive, was buried in England.
Legend said that
as long as the head was there, England would live on.
Branwen was a
daughter of Llyr and Penarddun and a goddess of love and beauty.
Branwen was
courted by an Irishman named Matholwch, who gave her brother, Bran
horses to curry
favor. Efnisien, a half-brother of Branwen and Bran, mutilated
the horses;
Matholwch was irate until Bran gave him a cauldron which restored
the dead to
life.
Branwen was
treated cruelly by her husband Matholwch. Bran sailed from Wales
to Ireland to
rescue her with his brother, Manawydan. When Matholwch saw the
giant, he asked
for peace and built a house big enough for him. Matholwch
agreed to let
Bran live with them and give the kingdom to Gwern, his son by
Branwen. The
Irish lords didn't like the idea, so they hid themselves in flour
bags to attack
the Welsh. Efnisien guessed what was happening and threw them
into the fire,
along with Gwern.
In the ensuing
war, Efnisien and Bran died. Efnisien threw himself in the
cauldron earlier
given to Matholwch, which broke; he stayed dead. Branwen went
to Aber Alaw and
died there. Bran's head, still alive, was buried in England.
Legend said that
as long as the head was there, England would live on.
Brea was one of
the Tuatha de Danaan.
Breg was the
wife of the Dagda.
Bres In Goidelic
mythology, Bres was a god of agriculture. His parents were
Prince Elatha of
the Fomorians and Eriu.
In the First
Battle of Mag Tuireadh, King Nuada of the Tuatha de Danaan lost
his hand;
because he was imperfect, he could not be king. Hoping to reconcile
relations between
the Fomorians and the Tuatha de, Bres was named king and the
Tuatha de,
Brigid, married him.
Bren raised
taxes and made the Tuatha de work as slaves. Nuada had his hand
replaced by a
superior, silver one and Bres was exiled. He led the Fomorians
in the Second
Battle of Mag Tuireadh but lost. He was not killed because he
promised to
teach the Tuatha de agriculture.
Brigid
("goddess who exults herself") was the daughter of Dagda and wife of
Bres.
Brigid was known
by many names, but all the different divinities were
three-aspected
goddesses.
"Fire of
Inspiration" - patroness of poets
"Fire of
the Hearth" - patroness of healers, goddess of fertility
"Fire of
the Forge" - patroness of smiths, craftsmen and warriors
By Tuireann, she
was the mother of Creidhne, Luchtaine and Giobhniu.
Brigid possessed
an apple orchard in the Otherworld; bees traveled there to
obtain magical
nectar. This orchard was associated with Avalon.
The Lady of the
Lake in Arthurian Legend may be based on Brigid.
Brigid was the
goddess of the Sacred Flame of Kildare. After the
Christianization
of the Celts, Brigid was considered the foster mother of
Jesus Christ and
was often called St. Brigid, daughter of the druid, Dougal
the Brown. Some
sources suggest that Saint Brigid was an Irish Catholic
bishop.
On February 1,
Brigid was celebrated at Imbolc, when she brought spring to the
land. It is now
the feast day of the Catholic St. Brigid.
Brigid was the
patron goddess of the druids.
Names:
Brigid (Ireland)
Brighid (Ireland)
Bridget
(Ireland) Anglicised version of the gaelic name.
Brid
Bride (Scotland)
ffraid (Wales)
Breo Saighead
("the fiery arrow")
Berecyntia
(Gaul)
Brigan
Brigandu (Gaul)
Brigantia
Brigantis
(Briton)
Brigindo
(Switzerland)
Britannia In
Insular Brythonic mythology, and especially in Britain, Britannia
was the patron
goddess of the early British Celtic tribes. In more recent
tradition, she
is viewed as the personification of Great Britain.
Bronach In
Goidelic mythology, Bronach was the goddess of cliffs.
Caer was a
daughter of Ethal and Prince Anubal of Connacht. She eventually
married Aengus,
but first he had to pick her, in swan form, out of a group of
other swans.
With Aengus, she was the mother of Diarmuid.
Cailleach In
Goidelic mythology, especially Scotland, Cailleach was the
"Mother of
All". She was a sorceress. In addition to the Celts, the Picts also
worshipped her.
In art, she was
depicted as a wizened crone with bear teeth and a boar's
tusks.
Each year, the
first farmer to finish his harvest made a corn dolly
representing
Cailleach from part of his crop. He would give it to the next
farmer to finish
his harvest, and so on. The last farmer had the
responsibility
to take care of the corn dolly, representing Cailleach, until
the next year's
harvest.
She helped
rescue Dia Griene, along with Brian.
Alternative:
Cailleach Beara, Scotia
Camma In
Continental Brythonic mythology, particularly Breton, Camma was a
hunting goddess.
Camulus In
Continental Brythonic mythology, especially Gaul, Camulus
(alternatively
Camulos) was the god of war. The town Camulodunum (now
Colchester) was
named after him.
Canola was the
mythical inventor of the harp. After having an argument with
her lover, she
left his bed in the middle of the night to take a walk. She
heard beautiful
music and sat down, soon falling asleep. When she woke up the
next morning,
Canola realized the wind had made the music blowing through
partially rotted
sinew still attached to a whale skeleton. She designed the
harp based off
this.
Carman was the
goddess of evil magic. Her three sons were Dub ("darkness"),
Dother
("evil") and Dian ("violence"). They rampaged through
Ireland.
The Tuatha de
Danaan warred against Carman and her sons. Bechuille, a powerful
sorceress, was
finally able to defeat her. Her sons were killed and Carman was
chained,
eventually dying of grief.
Cartimandua
(ruled ca.43 - ca.70) was a queen of the Brigantes tribe of
northern England
who fought against the Roman Empire's occupation of Britain
in the 1st
century.
Cartimandua's
rule over Brigantia was already established when emperor
Claudius began
the organized conquer of Britain. With her husband and warlord
Venutius of the
Carvetii tribe, Cartimandua forged an alliance with the
Romans. Some
sources refer the Brigantes as a client kingdom of Rome,
suggesting the
pro-Roman views of their queen. Cartimandua went as far as to
capture
Caratacus, the most ferocious Celtic resistant and offered him to
Claudius, who
exibited him in his triumph. The loyalty was acknowledged in 53
when Venutius
attempt for sole power was dominated by Roman intervention. The
couple
reconciled but problems were brewing. The Roman alliance was further
confirmed during
the Icenii rebellion of 60, when Cartimandua declined
alliance with
Boudicca.
However, in 69,
Cartimandua apparently changes husband and her mind about the
Roman
occupation. The former husband is dispatched and Vellocatus, a former
servant becames
consort. Venutius was not happy with the divorce and levied an
army to fight
for power with the ex-wife. He invaded the Brigantes' lands and
deposed
Cartimandua. Tacitus refers that she was save from imprisonment by
Roman soldiers.
After this event, Cartimandua disappears from the sources.
Caswallawn In
Insular Brythonic mythology, especially British, Caswallawn was
a war god.
Cenn Cruaich In
Insular Brythonic mythology, especially British, Caswallawn
was a war god.
Ceridwen was a
magician, mother of Taliesin, Morfran, and a beautiful
daughter.
Morfran was
hideously ugly, so she sought to make him wise. Ceridwen had a
magical cauldron
that could make a potion granting wisdom. The mixture had to
be cooked for a
year and a day. Morda, a blind man, tended the fire beneath
the cauldron,
while Gwion, a young boy, stirred the concoction.
The first three
drops of liquid from this cauldron gave wisdom; the rest was a
fatal poison.
Three hot drops spilled onto Gwion's hand as he stirred, burning
him. He
instinctively put his hand in his mouth, and instantly gained great
wisdom and
knowlede.
Ceridwen chased
Gwion. He turned himself into a rabbit. She became a dog. He
became a fish
and jumped into a river. She turned into an otter. He turned
into a bird; she
became a hawk. Finally, he turned into a single grain of
corn. She became
a hen and ate him,
When Ceridwen
became pregnant, she knew it was Gwion and resolved to kill the
child when he
was born. However, when he was born, he was so beautiful that
she couldn't do
it. She threw him in the ocean instead.
Cernunnos The
name Cernunnos is known because it was carved on a single such
image made by
sailors from the Gallic Parisii tribe (from whom Paris got its
name) in the 1st
century AD, by which time Gaul (modern France) had become a
Roman province.
The earliest image of him that has been found was carved on
rock in Northern
Italy in the 4th century BC. It is not known how widespread
the use of this
exact name was: it is possible that this was the name for this
antlered god to
no-one but the Parisii themselves, but the structure of the
name suggests
otherwise.
The word Cornu
means "horned" in both modern French and the cognate Celtic
Cern_ means much
the same. Cernunnos is a Gaulish name meaning "Horned One."
Cernunos'
portrayals are unusually consistent. His most distinctive attribute
are his stag's
horns, and he is usually portrayed as a mature man with long
hair and a
beard. He wears a torc, an ornate neck-ring used by the Celts to
denote nobility.
He often carries other torcs in his hands or hanging from his
horns, as well
as a purse filled with coins. He is usually portrayed seated
and
cross-legged, in the meditative or shamanic position.
Cernunnos is
nearly always portrayed with animals, in particular the stag. He
is also frequently
associated with a unique beast that seems to belong only to
him: a serpent
with the horns of a ram. Less often he is associated with other
beasts,
including bulls, dogs and rats. Because of his frequent association
with beasts
scholars often describe Cenunnos as The Lord of the Animals.
Because of his
association with stags in particular (a particularly hunted
beast) he is
also described as The Lord of the Hunt. Interestingly the Parisi
altar links him
with sailors, (the altar was dedicated by sailors) and with
commerce (he is
shown with coins).
In the modern
Neo-Pagan movements, of which Wicca is the most notable, the
worship of the
Horned God has been revived. Whether or not these religious
groups are
actually surviving cults or modern reconstructions, the adherents
generally follow
the life-fertility-death cycle for Cernunnos, though his
death is now
usually set at Samhain, the Celtic New Year Festival usually
associated with
October 31.
Cessair In
Goidelic mythology, Cessair was the first Queen of Ireland after
the Great Flood.
She was daughter of Bith and Birren, and wife of Fintan. In
some myths she
was Noah's graddaughter.
Cethlion was the
prophetess of Fomorians.
Cliodhna In
Goidelic mythology, Cliodhna was a goddess of beauty. In Cork
County, she
became known as a fairy queen.
Clota was the
patron goddess of the river Clyde.
Cocidius In
Insular Brythonic mythology, especially in northern Britain,
Cocidius was a
hunting god.
Conall Cernach
("strong and victorious") was a heroic warrior.
Conchobar In
Goidelic mythology, King Conchobar of Ulster planned on marrying
his
step-daughter, the beautiful Deirdre. She fell in love with his nephew,
Noise; they fled
to Scotland with his two brothers (sons of Usnech).
Conchobar's
messengers asked Noise and his brothers to return to Ireland. They
did and he
killed them; one of his courtiers, Fergus mac Roich, left his court
in protest.
Deirdre died of grief.
Condatis In
Insular Brythonic mythology, especially Britain, Condatis was a
water god.
Conn of the
Hundred Battles In Goidelic Celtic mythology, Conn of the Hundred
Battles was the
father of Art. He may have been a real Irish king during the
2nd century.
Contrebis In
Insular Brythonic mythology, Contrebis was the patron god of
Lancaster.
Corb In Goidelic
mythology, Corb was one of the Fomorians.
Cormac Mac Airt
In Goidelic Celtic mythology, Cormac mac Airt was the son of
Achtan and Airt.
He may have been a historical Irish king. He ruled from Tara,
the capital of
the High Kings of Ireland for forty years, probably AD 227 to
266.
The sea god
Manannan mac Lir gave him a magical gold goblet. It would break
into three
pieces when three lies were told over it; speaking three truths
would fix it.
Coventina In Insular
Brythonic mythology, Coventina was the goddess of wells
and springs. She
was popular in Britain, particularly in the north.
Creiddylad In
Insular Brythonic mythology, Creiddylad was a goddess, daughter
of Llyr. She was
the object of a battle between Gwyn ap Nudd and Gwythr ap
Greidawl. In
William Shakespeare's King Lear, Cordelia was based off this
goddess.
Creidhne (or
Credne) was a son of Brigid and Tuireann. He was a member of the
Tuatha de
Danaan. He was a god of metalworking, and with Goibhniu and Luchta
forged the
weapons used to battle the Fomorians.
Creidhne is
often confused with the Irish warrior Creidne.
Crom Cruach was
one of the chief gods of Ireland. He may have been a solar
deity.
There was an
idol on the Mag Sleact in Cavan County, Ulster devoted to Crom
Cruach. His
statue was of gold and surrounded by twelve smaller, stone
statues.
Parents
sacrificed one third of the children to him on Samhain in exchange for
a fertile
growing season.
He was said to
have been introduced by King Tigernmus.
St. Patrick
cursed and destroyed the idol and stopped his worship.
He is mentioned
in the 6th century Dinnshenchas in the Book of Leinster, as
well as the
Tripartite Life of Patrick.
Alternative:
Cromm Cruac ("bloody crescent"), Cenn Cruaic ("bloody
head"),
rid-iodal
h-Eireann ("the king idol of Ireland")
Cu Roi In
Goidelic mythology, Cu Roi was a sorcerer who could change his form
at will.
Cuchulainn a
heroic warrior in Irish mythology. According to the myth, the
stories about Cuchulainn
were almost forgotten until a bard named Sechan
Torpeist revived
them in the 7th century. more
Curoi mac Daire
was a giant sun-god armed with an axe. He was also a weather
deity,
associated with severe thunderstorms.
Cwn Annwn In
Brythonic mythology, the Cwn Annwn ("hounds of Annwn") were the
white, red-eared
ghostly hounds of Annwn, the land of the dead. They were
associated with
the Wild Hunt, presided over by either Arawn or Gwynn ap Nudd.
In Wales, they
were associated with migrating geese. They are supposed to hunt
on specific
nights (eves of St. John, St. Martin, Saint Michael the Archangel,
All Saints,
Christmas, New Year, St. Agnes, St. David, and Good Friday), or
just in the
autumn and winter. Some say that Arawn only hunts from Christmas
to Twelfth
Night.
Arawn and the
hounds are sometimes accompanied by a fearsome hag calld the
Mallt-y-Nos,
Matilda of the Night.
Alternative: Cwn
Mamau ("hounds of the mothers"), Gabriel Hounds (England),
Ratchets
(England), Yell Hounds, Isle of Man
Cyhiraeth was a
goddess of streams. She was later demoted to a minor demoness
called the
banshee.
Dagda The Dagda
is the supreme god of the Celtic pantheon, a son of Danu and
Beli. This word
means "The Good God", not good in a moral sense, but good at
everything, or
all-powerful. The Dagda is a father-figure, a protector of the
tribe and the
basic Celtic god of whom other male Celtic deities were
variants. Celtic
gods were largely unspecialised entities, and perhaps we
should see them
as a clan rather than as a formal pantheon. In a sense, all
the Celtic gods
and goddesses were like the Greek Apollo, who could never be
described as the
god of any one thing.
In Dorset there
is a famous outline of an ityphallic giant with a club cut
into the chalky
soil. While this was probably produced in Roman times, it is
very likely that
it represents the Dagda. In Gaul, The Dagda appeared in the
guise of
Sucellos (in Gallic belief), the striker, equipped with a hammer and
cup.
Irish tales
depict The Dagda as a figure of immense power, armed with a magic
club and
associated with a cauldron. The club was supposed to be able to kill
nine men with
one blow; with the handle he could return the slain to life. The
cauldron was
bottomless, capable of feeding an army.
He also
possessed a richly ornamented magic harp made of oak which, when De
Dagda played it,
put the seasons in their correct order; other accounts tell
of the harp
being used to command the order of battle. In Irish mythology, The
Dagda was moreover
the High King of the Tuatha de Danaan, the fairy folk and
supernatural
beings who occupied Ireland prior to the coming of the Celts. His
lover was Boann
and his wife was Breg. Prior to the battle with the
Formarians, he
coupled with the goddess of war, Morrigan, on Samhain in
exchange for a
plan of battle.
Dagda had an
affair with Boann, wife of Nechtan. In order to hide their
affair, Dagda
made the sun stand still for nine months; therefore, Aengus was
conceived,
gestated and born in one day.
He, along with
Boann, helped their son, Aengus, search for his love.
The Dagda was
also the father of Badb Dearg, who succeeded him as king of the
gods. He was the
father of Ogma by Danu.
Alternative:
Daghda, Dagde, Dagodevas, Sucellos (Gaul)
Damara In
Insular Brythonic mythology, Damara was a fertility goddess
associated with
the month of May/Beltaine.
Damona In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Damona was a fertility goddess and
wife of Borvo.
Danu was a
mother goddess and wife of Beli. With him, she was the mother of
the Dagda, Dian
Cecht, Lir, Lugh, Gwydion, Govannnon, Arianrhod, Gilfaethwy
and Amaethon. By
Dagda, she was the mother of Ogma. She was the matriarch of
the Tuatha de
Danaan.
Alternative: Don
(Welsh), Dan, Dana, Dann
Dea Matrona In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Dea Matrona was the goddess of
the river Marne
in Gaul.
Not to be
confused with the Deae Matres.
Deae Matres
(Matres Domesticae) are the triple goddesses who preside over
fertility,
motherhood and creativity — often portrayed as three seated women
wearing long
robes and various symbolic objects of fertility and abundance.
Dea Sequana In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Dea Sequana was the goddess of
the river Seine.
Dechtere was the
mother of Cuchulainn.
The father:
Dechtere
swallowed a mayfly; this made her pregnant with Cuchulainn
His father was
Sualtam
His father was
Lugh; she was impregnated by Lugh's soul, vomited
Cuchulainn into
life; thereby keeping her virginity.
Deirdre In
Goidelic mythology, Deirdre was a beautiful heroine brought up by
King Conchobar
of Ulster. He planned on marrying her. She fell in love with
Noise, his
nephew; they fled to Scotland with his two brothers. Conchobar's
messengers asked
Noise and his brothers to return to Ireland. They did and he
killed them.
Deirdre died of grief.
Dewi In Insular
Brythonic mythology, Dewi was an ancient god, worshipped
primarily in
Wales. He was represented by a Great Red Serpent; this symbol in
the form of a
dragon is only the official emblem of Wales.
The patron saint
of Wales is Saint David, known in Welsh as Dewi Sant
Dia Griene In
Goidelic mythology, and especially Scotland, Dia Griene was the
daughter of the
sun. She was held captive in the Land of the Big Women, freed
by Cailleach (disguised
as a fox) and Brian.
Dian Cecht was
the god of healing, a son of Danu and Beli. He was the healer
for the Tuatha
de Danaan.
He blessed a
well called Slane so that the Tuatha de could bathe in when
wounded; they
became healed and continued fighting.
He made King
Nuada's silver arm. Dian Cecht's son, Miach, replaced the silver
arm with Nuada's
old arm; Dian Cecht killed him out of professional envy.
Dis was the
Roman name assigned to the supreme god of the Celts by Julius
Caesar. Nobody
knows which Celtic god this refers to.
Don was a mother
goddess and wife of Beli. With him, she was the mother of the
Dagda, Dian
Cecht, Lir, Lugh, Gwydion, Govannnon, Arianrhod, Gilfaethwy and
Amaethon. By
Dagda, she was the mother of Ogma. She was the matriarch of the
Tuatha de
Danaan.
Alternative: Don
(Welsh), Dan, Dana, Dann
Dwyn (or
Dwumwem) was the goddess of love.
Dylan (or Dylan
Eil Ton; sea in Welsh) is a sea-god in Welsh Celtic mythology,
a son of
Arianrhod and Gwydion. He was killed by his uncle, Govannon, who
didn't know who
he was. He is sometimes said to be a god of darkness.
Dylan was the
first of the two sons born to Arianrhod - the second being Llew
Llaw Gyffes.
Since the moment of his birth the golden-haired Dylan was a
creature able to
swim in the ocean like a fish, and he therefore received the
epithet Eil Ton
(Son of the Wave). It was said that his death caused all the
waves of the sea
to mourn his loss.
Edain an
alternate name for Epona.
Efnisien was the
son of Penarddun and Eurosswydd. His twin was Nisien.
His half-sister,
Branwen, was courted by an Irishman named Matholwch, who gave
her brother,
Bran horses to curry favor. Efnisien mutilated the horses;
Matholwch was
irate until Bran gave him a cauldron which restored the dead to
life.
Branwen, was
treated cruelly by her husband, Matholwch. Bran sailed from Wales
to Ireland to
rescue her with his brother, Manawydan. When Matholwch saw the
giant, he asked
for peace and built a house big enough for him. Matholwch
agreed to let
Bran live with them and give the kingdom to Gwern, his son by
Branwen. The
Irish lords didn't like the idea, so they hid themselves in flour
bags to attack
the Welsh. Efnisien guessed what was happening and threw them
into the fire,
along with Gwern.
In the ensuing
war, Efnisien and Bran died. Efnisien threw himself in the
cauldron earlier
given to Matholwch, which broke; he stayed dead. Branwen went
to Aber Alaw and
died there. Bran's head, still alive, was buried in England.
Legend said that
as long as the head was there, England would live on.
Elen In Insular
Brythonic mythology, specifically Wales (mentioned in the
Mabinogion),
Elen was a heroine who built highways across her country so that
the soldiers
could more easily defend it from attackers.
Emer was one of
Cuchulainn's lovers. She made him perform many difficult tasks
in order to
sleep with her; she reasoned that she was so beautiful that it was
worth it.
Apparently, Cuchulainn agreed.
Epona was the
goddess of horses, donkeys, mules, oxen, springs, rivers and
cattle. She was
also a psychopomp, accompanying souls to the land of the dead.
When Rome
conquered Gaul, Epona's cult was adopted by the army, which called
her Bubona.
In art, she was
depicted with a cornucopia, sitting side-saddle on a horse or
laying on one,
or standing around multiple horses.
Eri (Eriu) In
Dal-Riada & Celtic mythology, Eriu, or Eri, was the
personification
of Ireland and mother of Bres by Prince Elatha. She was one of
the Tuatha de
Danann. The name "Ireland" comes from her name.
Along with her
sisters (daughters of Dagda & Delbaeth), Fodla and Banba, she
was part of an
important triumvirate of goddesses. She was a Goddess of
Sovereignty and
the maiden/spiritual aspect of of the triplicity Goddesses
with her two
sisters. She was the third of the three to be approached and
challenged by
the Milesians. She fought long and fierce for Ireland, winning
the battle but
losing Ireland. In honor of her fight, the Milesians named
Ireland for her.
Esus In
Continental Brythonic mythology, especially among the Essuvi of Gaul,
Esus
("lord" or "master") was a god of agriculture, war and
commerce. He was
associated with
the bull. In art, he was often portrayed cutting branches from
trees with his
axe.
He was married
to Rosmerta.
Alternative:
Hesus
Etain In Irish
mythology Etain was one of Ailill's daughters, supposedly with
Medb. When Midir
fell in love with her rejecting Fuamnach, his first wife, and
married Etain,
Fuamnach got jealous and cast a series of spells on her. First
Fuamnach turned
Etain into a pool of water, then into a worm, and then into a
fly. Fuamnach
then created a wind that sent far the fly until it fell on some
rocks near the
sea, where remained for seven years. After all that time Aengus
found the fly
and wanted to bring it in the form of Etain to Midir, but
Fuamnach created
another wind, and the fly fell into a glass of wine, which
was swallowed
(together with the fly) by a pregnant woman, what make Etain
possible to be reborn.
Years went on and Etain married king Eochaidh, but
Midir got aware
and went to Tara, Eochaidh's capital, to bring his wife back
home. After
several happenings Midir and Etain escaped from Eochaidh's palace
and went home,
pursued by the king. Thanks to Midir's magical abilities Etain
remained his
wife and Eochaidh was fooled.
Other spelling:
Edain.
Ethne In
Goidelic mythology, Ethne was the daughter of Roc, steward to the
Love God Aonghus
and acted as the maid to Manannan Mac Lir's daughter. After
one of the
chieftains tried to rape her, she refused to eat or drink. Aonghus
and Manannan
searched for a remedy and found two magic cows whose milk never
ran dry, and she
lived on their milk.
Fagus In
Continental Brythonic mythology, and especially in Gaul and the
Pyrenees, Fagus
was a god of beech trees. Fagus is also the genus of beeches.
Fand was Queen
of the Fairies, and wife of Manannan. Manannan left her and she
was attacked by
three Fomorians who wanted to control the Irish Sea. The hero
Cuchulainn
agreed to help defend her as long as she married him. She agreed
reluctantly, but
then fell in love with him when she met him, as did he and
her.
Manannan knew
their relationship was doomed because Cuchulainn was mortal and
Fand was a fairy;
Cuchulainn's presence would destroy the fairies. Manannan
then erased both
Fand's and Cuchulainn's memory of each other.
Ferdiad was
Cuchulainn's best friend. He was persuaded to fight against
Cuchulainn by
Queen Maeve. Ferdiad died in the battle.
Fergus (Fergus
mac Roich) In Goidelic mythology, Fergus mac Roich (Fergus
means
"virility") was a courtier in the court of King Conchobar. After
Conchobar killed
his nephews, Fergus left the court in protest of his
treachery.
He was
Cuchulainn's tutor.
He was one of
the lovers of Queen Medb. He was referred to as "the great
horse" in
reference to an enormous phallus.
Fianna were
Irish warriors who served the High King of Ireland. In the AD 3rd
century, their
adventures were recorded in the Fenian Cycle. Their last leader
was Finn mac
Cumhail.
Fianna:
Cailte, Son of
Ronan
Cuchulainn
Cumhail
Conan Mac Moirna
Conan Maol
Diarmait, Son of
Don: was a warrior of the Fianna before he ran off with
Finn's bride
Grainne and was finally killed by a giant boar on the heath
of Benn Gulbain.
Foster son of Oengus.
Finn mac
Cumhail: last leader of the Fianna
Lughaid
Stronghand: sorcerous warrior, nephew of Finn mac Cumhail, one
of the four who
could have untied the knots Diarmait bound the seakings
with, but
refused to do so. Lover of Aife, daughter of Manannan
Oisin, son of
Finn mac Cumhail: (Mc Phersons's Ossian)
Osgur, Son of
Oisin
Finn Mac Cumhail
or Fionn mac Cumhail was a legendary warrior of Irish
mythology. The
basis for most stories about him come from the Fenian cycle,
supposedly
narrated by the bard Ossian. According to legend, Fionn was a
famous leader of
the Fianna warrior/hunters, after whom the Fenian Brotherhood
named
themselves.
Fionn or Finn is
actually a nickname meaning "fair", a reference to hair
colour (in some
variations, it may also mean "white," a reference to purity).
Legend
Fionn was the
son of Cumhail, leader of the Fianna, and Muirne. When he was
just a baby, due
to his father's death at the hands of his rival, Goal mac
Morn, his mother
chose to send him into hiding in the woods, in the care of
two women:
Bodhmall, a Druid, and Liath Luachra, a warrior and trainer. In
the care of
these two women he was given an extensive education in the
subjects
considered important for an Irish youth of his caste and time. When
old enough, he
returned to society, and passed the extraordinary tests
required for
membership in the Fianna. Fionn tried to serve several kings
but they
refused, frightened of retaliation from Goal.
Finally, Fionn
met a poet near the river Boyne and studied under him for
seven years.
Near the end of the seven years, the poet caught the Salmon of
Knowledge and
Fionn cooked it for his master, not knowing the power of the
fish. While it
cooked, he burst a blister on the salmon, which burned his
thumb; Fionn
then sucked his thumb. As piece of the salmon's skin had become
attached to his
thumb, which Fionn then swallowed, he inherited the wisdom
of the salmon.
He then knew how to gain revenge against Goal, and in
subsequent
stories was able to call on the knowledge of the salmon by
sucking his
thumb.
In one version
of the tale, Fionn killed Goal and the rest of his men; in
another, he
humbled Goal, who later became one of his most trusted soldiers.
Fionn eventually
married a Sidhe woman.
Alternative:
Fionn, Finn, Fionn mac Coul, Fionn mac Cool, Finn mac Coul,
Finn mac Cool,
Finn mac Cumhail, Finn McCool.
Fionnuala In
Goidelic mythology, Fionnuala was a daughter of Lir. She was
changed into a
swan and cursed to wander the lakes and rivers of Ireland until
Christianity
became the religion of Ireland.
Firbolg
("men of the bags") were early gods of Ireland that attacked the
Fomorians. They
fought to a standstill and both sides lived in Ireland until
the Firbolgs
were exterminated by the Tuatha de Danaan.
Fodla In
Goidelic mythology, Fodla, daughter of Fiachna, was one of the patron
goddesses of
Ireland. She and her sisters, Banba and Eriu, were the first
settlers in
Ireland, led by King Amergin.
Fomorians or
Fomors were a race of giants who were the occupants of Ireland
before the
Gaels. They were said to be the offspring of Noah's son, Ham. They
are said to have
had the body of a man and the head of a goat, according to an
11th century
text called The Book of the Dun Cow.
The
Partholonians were the first to invade Ireland, but the Fomorians killed
them with a
plague. Then came the Nemeds but they were enslaved. The third
invasion was by
the Firbolgs, who subdued the Fomorians, and the two races
lived peacefully
together.
This continued
until the Irish gods, the Tuatha Dé Danann, arrived. They
conquered the
Firbolgs but in the Second Battle of Magh Tuiredh, the Fomorians
were defeated.
Attempting to guarantee peace, the Tuatha Dé promised to give
the throne to
one of the Fomorians, Bres, but he was deposed for his tyranny
and replaced by
Nuada of the Tuatha Dé.
The Fomorians
were given Connacht and there was some intermarriage with the
Tuatha Dé.
Gae Bulg
("notched spear") was the spear of Cuchulainn, given to him by Aife.
Gae Bulg was
notched to ensure it would do great damage when taken out of a
body; it was
made from the bone of a sea-monster that had died while fighting
another sea
monster.
Cuchulainn
killed his son, Connla, and his close friend Ferdiad, with the
spear. He
perished after losing the spear, tossing it at a satirist.
Govannon
(Goibniu) In Insular Brythonic mythology, Govannon (Welsh) was the
son of Danu and
Beli or Brigid and Tuireann. He killed his nephew, Dylan, not
knowing who he
was. He was a smith god who created magical swords for the
Tuatha de
Danaan, along with Credne and Luchtainel. He was also a god of
alcohol; his
beer gave the drinker immortality.
Alternative:
Gofannon, Goibniu (Irish)
Grannus In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Grannus (also Gramnos, Gramnnos)
was a god of
healing and mineral springs. His cult was centered in Aquae
Granni (now
Achen, Germany). He was married to Sirona. He is likely the same
as Borvo.
Gwenn Teir Bronn
was the patron goddess of mothers.
Gwydion was a
son of Beli and Danu. He helped Gilfaethwy rape Goewin, Math ap
Mathonwy's
foot-holder. He accomplished this by stealing Pryderi of Dyfed's
pigs, thus
sending Math away to fight a war. Gwydion and Gilfaethwy were
supposed to be
with him, but they snuck back. Gwydion forced Goewin to stay
with Gilfaethwy
and he raped her. She told Math, and he turned them into
animals. Gwydion
was, for one year each, a stag, sow and wolf. Gilfaethwy was,
for one year
each, a hind, boar and she-wolf. Each year, they had a child
together and
Math turned the three children into people.
During the
Battle of Cath Godeau, Gwydion turned trees into warriors, thus
winning the war
begun by his brother, Amaethon.
Gwydion raised
his nephew, who was born a blob. The blob was placed in a chest
by Gwydion.
Arianrhod, the blob's mother, created three geases: only she could
give him a name;
only she could give him weapons; he would have no human wife.
Arianrhod denied
him the three aspects of masculinity. Gwydion raised him
anyway, even
without a name. Later Arianrhod saw him killing a wren with a
single stone.
She said that he was a bright lion with a sure hand and he took
the name Llew
Llaw Gyffes ("bright lion with a sure hand"). Gwydion then
tricked her into
arming him. Llew created his own woman out of flowers,
Blodeuwedd.
After Llew Llaw Gyffes was killed by Blodeuwedd, Gwydion
resurrected Llew
and turned her into an owl.
Gwynn ap Nudd In
Insular Brythonic mythology, Gwayn ap Nudd was the god of the
underworld.
He abducted a
maiden known as Creiddylad after she eloped with Gwythr ap
Greidawl, Gwyn's
long-time rival. Gwynn and Gwythr's fight, which began on May
Day, represented
the contest between summer and winter.
See: Cwn Annwn
Hafgan In
Insular Brythonic mythology, Gwayn ap Nudd was the god of the
underworld.
He abducted a
maiden known as Creiddylad after she eloped with Gwythr ap
Greidawl, Gwyn's
long-time rival. Gwynn and Gwythr's fight, which began on May
Day, represented
the contest between summer and winter.
See: Cwn Annwn
Hooded Spirits —
the three Hooded Spirits were healing and fertility deities.
Icaunus In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Icaunus was the god of the river
Yonne in Gaul
(cur: France).
Inghean Bhuidhe
In Goidelic mythology, Inghean Bhuidhe ("yellow-haired girl")
was one of three
sisters (along with Lasair and Latiaran, daughters of Douglas
and Scathach)
associated with the harvest. She represented the summer and was
the goddess of
ripening and fertility.
After
Christianization, she was turned into a saint. Her feast day was May 6.
Alternative
anglicised spellings: Iníon Buí, Inion Bui
Lasair In
Goidelic mythology, Lasair ("flame") was the eldest of three sisters
(along with
Inghean Bhuidhe and Latiaran, daughters of Douglas and Scathach)
associated with
the harvest. She represented the summer and was the goddess of
growing crops.
She had long black hair and wore a silver crown, jewelry and
armbands. Her
home was called Red Castle. A god named Flann brought her the
Rose of
Sweetness (a flower that never dies), the Comb of Magnificence and the
Girdle of Truth.
After
Christianization, she was turned into a saint. Her feast day was May 1.
Alternative:
Lassar, Fhína ("flaming wine"), Lasairíona ("flaming
wine"),
Crobh Dearg
("red claws")
Latiaran In
Goidelic mythology, Latiaran ("breast of light") was the youngest
of three sisters
(along with Inghean Bhuidhe and Lasair, daughters of Douglas
and Scathach)
associated with the harvest, which she represented.
After
Christianization, she was turned into a saint. Her feast day was July
25.
A story after
Christianization says that she went to the same smithy every day
to bring the
smith the "seed of fire." The smith told her she had pretty feet
and she looked
down in vanity; her apron caught fire. She was not hurt but
sank into the
ground underneath a heart-shaped stone; she was never seen
again.
Leucetios In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Leucetios was the god of
thunder.
Lia Fail In
Celtic mythology, the Lia Fail was a magical stone brought to
Ireland by the
Tuatha de Danaan. When the rightful King of Ireland put his
feet on it, the
stone was said to roar in joy. This is believed to be the
origin of the
Stone of Destiny (also known as the Stone of Scone, and the
Coronation Stone
— a block of sandstone historically kept at the now-ruined
abbey in Scone,
near Perth, Scotland. It is also known as Jacob's Pillow and
as the Tanist
Stone).
Llew Llaw Gyffes
was born a blob, a son of Arianrhod and brother of Dylan.
The blob was
placed in a chest by Gwydion, Arianrhod's brother. Arianrhod
created three
geases: only she could give him a name; only she could give him
weapons; he
would have no human wife. Arianrhod denied him the three aspects
of masculinity.
Gwydion raised
him anyway, even without a name. Later Arianrhod saw him
killing a wren
with a single stone. She said that he was a bright lion with a
sure hand and he
took the name Llew Llaw Gyffes ("bright lion with a sure
hand").
Gwydion then tricked her into arming him.
Llew created his
own woman out of flowers, Blodeuwedd. Blodeuwedd had an
affair with
Goronwy and tricked the secret of his death out of him, since Llew
could not be
killed during the day or night, nor indoors or outdoors, neither
riding nor
walking, not clothed and not naked, nor by any weapon lawfully
made.
He could only be
killed at dusk, wrapped in a net with one foot on a cauldron
and one on a
goat and a weapon forged during the hours when forging weapons
was forbidden.
She then led him to his death.
Llew became an
eagle, but then Gwydion switched him back to human. He killed
Goronwy and
Gwydion turned Blodeuwedd into an owl.
Llyr ("the
sea") was the god of the sea, father of Manannan mac Lir, Bran,
Branwen and
Manawydan by Penarddun and a son of Danu and Beli. He was held
captive by
Eurosswydd until Penarddun slept with him, giving birth to twins,
Nisien and
Efnisien. He had a daughter named Fionnuala by an unknown mother.
Lud a river god.
Lugh (Lugos) The
god Lugh whose name means "shining one" was a Celtic sun god.
He was handsome,
perpetually youthful, and full of life and energy. This
energy manifests
itself especially in the number of skills he had, according
to legend,
mastered. He was the patron god of Lugdunum (cur: Lyon, France) and
a solar deity.
According to a
prophecy, Balor, the god of the underworld was to be killed by
his grandson. He
locked his daughter, Ethlinn, in a tower made of crystal to
keep her from
becoming pregnant. However, Cian, one of the Tuatha de Danaan,
with the help of
the druidess Birog, managed to enter the tower. She gave
birth to a son,
Lugh, by him, but Balor threw him into the ocean. Birog saved
him and gave him
to Manannan mac Lir, who became his foster father. He was
then nursed by
Tailtiu.
Lugh was also
sometimes considered a son of Danu and Beli.
Lugh was
ingenious. One Irish tale relates of how the god travelled to Tara,
and arrived
during a feast for the royal court. Lugh was met by the
gatekeeper, and
was asked what talent he had, for it was a tradition there
that only those
who had a special ability could enter the palace. The god
said: "I am
a wright", to which the gatekeeper replied "We already have a
wright, your
services aren't needed here". Lugh persisted "I am a smith".
Again, the guard
said the court had a smith that was quite adequate; but the
god was not to
be dissuaded. Lugh then noted that he was also a champion, a
swordsman
nonpareil, a harpist, a hero, a poet, an historian, a sorcerer, and
a craftsman. The
gatekeeper merely nodded his head, and stated bluntly that
all these trades
were represented in the court by other members of the Tuatha
de Danaan.
"Ah, but you do have an individual who possesses all of them
simultaneously?",
was Lugh's clever reply. The guard was forced to admit his
defeat, and so
Lugh entered and joined the festivities.
Lugh Lamhfada
led the Tuatha in the Second Battle of Mag Tuireadh against the
Fomorians.
During this battle, Balor killed King Nuada with his eye, but Lugh
ripped the fatal
eye out with a sling, killing Balor.
Lugh was husband
of Rosmerta. After the god Nuada lost an arm in the Second
Battle of Magh
Tuiredh and was forced to abdicate his kingship since he was no
longer perfect,
Lugh became the leader of the Tuatha De Danaan.
Lugh's name is
the origin of that of the Pagan festival Lughnasadh (which is
also the Irish
Gaelic name for the month of August).
He was the
father of Cuchulainn by Dechtere.
Alternative:
Lug, Lamfhada ("of the long arm" in Gaelic), Lugos (Gaul).
Luxovius In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Luxovius was the god of the
waters of
Luxeuil, worshipped in Gaul.
He was married
to Bricta.
Mabon
("young man") was the son of Modron. He was a hunter god that was stolen
from his mother
three days after his birth. He then lived in Annwn until he
was rescued by
Culhwch. Because of his time in Annwn, Mabon stayed a young
adult forever.
He later
assisted Culhwch in his search for Olwen. Culhwch had been arranged
to marry his own
stepsister, but he refused. Angry, his stepomother cursed him
to marry no one
but Olwen. Olwen's father, Ysbaddaden, was a vicious monster
that would die
if he was separated from his daughter. After many trials and
tribulations,
Culwch succeeded and gained Ysbaddaden's powers and life.
Macha In
Goedelic mythology, Macha was one of the three aspects of the
Morrigan. She
fed on the heads of her enemies. With Anann and Badb, she formed
a triumvirate of
war goddesses; specifically, Macha was often said to have
cured the
wounded. She is said to have been the queen of Ulster, the capital
of which, Emain
Macha, was named after her. With the other Morrigan, Badb,
Nemhain and Fea,
she was part of a group of Irish war goddesses. She and the
other Morrigan
helped the Tuatha De Dannan find against the Fir Bolgs.
She may have
been related to the British Morgan and the continental Celtic
Epona.
Mag Mell
("plain of joy"), also called Tir na n-Og ("land of
youth"), was the
underworld.
Unlike the underworld in most mythologies, Mag Mell was a
pleasurable
paradise, either an island or at the bottom of the ocean.
It was ruled by
King Tethra, a Fomorian or Manannan mac Lir. Queen Niamh ruled
Tir na n-Og.
See also:
Aericura, Aillen
Manannan mac Lir
was a sea and weather god. He was one of the Tuatha de
Danaan, though
he was considered older than them. His parents were Lir and
Penarddun and
his wife was Fand. He ruled over the Blessed Isles as well as
Mag Mell, the
underworld.
Manannan had
many magical items. He gave Cormac his magic goblet of truth; he
had a ship that
did not need sails; he owned a cloak that granted him
invisibility; a
flaming helmet; and a sword that could never miss its target.
Manannan left
his wife, Fand, and she fell in love with Cuchulainn. Since a
mortal and fairy
(Fand was Queen of the fairies) could not stay together
without
destroying the fairy, Manannan erased their memories of each other.
He raised many
foster children: see Egobail and Lugh
In the Isle of
Man, Manannan mac Lir was known as Mannan. On Midsummer
Eve, people
offered green grass to Mannan-beg-mac-y-Leir and prayed for
blessings in
seafaring and fishing. He was believed to be a magician who
could make an
illusory fleet from pea shells in order to discourage
would-be
invaders.
Alternative:
Manawyddan ap Llyr (Welsh), Barinthus, Manannan, Manawydan,
Mannan (Manx)
Manawydan
referred to Manannan mac Lir, as well as a son of Llyr and
Penarddun.
Pryderi invited
Manawydan (son of Llyr) to live with him in Dyfed after he
married
Rhiannon, Pryderi's mother. Soon, Dyfed turned into a barren wasteland
and only
Rhiannon (Pryderi's mother), Pryderi and his wife, Cigva, and
Manawydan lived.
Manaywdan and Pryderi, while out hunting, saw a white boar
which they
followed. Pryderi and his mother, Rhiannon, touched a golden bowl
that the boar
led them to and became enchanted. Manawydan and Cigva were
unable to help
them until they captured a mouse which was actually the wife of
Llwyd,
Rhiannon's enemy, and the spell was lifted.
Mannan (see
Manannan mac Lir)
Maponos was the
god of youth, the son of Modron; he was kidnapped as a
newborn, and
hidden inside a salmon. The name "Maponos" or "Mabon"
(Welsh
mythology) means
"Divine Son." He is also known as "Mabuz" and
"Mabonagrain".
Math Mathonwy
was a king who needed to rest his feet in the lap of a virgin
unless he was at
war, or wanted to be. When one of his virgins, Goewin, was
raped by
Gilfaethwy, she was replaced with Gilfaethwy's sister, Arianrhod. She
immediately gave
birth to a young boy (Dylan) and a blob.
Matres In
Continental Brythonic mythology and especially in Gaul, Matres (or
Matronae) was
the goddess of motherhood.
See also Dea
Matrona.
Midir In Irish
mythology Midir (also spelled Midhir) was a god who, as all
gods of both
sexes had to do after being defeated by the Milesians, lived in
the sidh of Bri
Leith. Midir was the husband of Fuamnach, but later fell in
love with Etain,
receiving Aengus's help to make her his new bride; this
provoked
Fuamnach's vengeance against the young new wife, causing her several
disgraces, until
some years later Etain married Eochaidh, by that time the
High King of
Ireland. Far from giving up, Midir made an attempt to bring his
wife back home,
going to see the king and challenging to a game, supposedly of
chess. As Midir
won, he asked a kiss from Etain as his prize, but Eochaidh
refused,
breaking his word and banishing Midir from Tara. Nevertheless Midir
could enter the
city and the palace, and turning himself and Etain into swans
left the royal
residence through the chimney. Eochaidh did not accept the loss
of his wife and
pursued them. Then Midir used his magical powers to turn fifty
women into
similar to Etain, offering the king the possibility to choose only
one. Eochaidh,
trying to find the true one, chose his own daughter by accident
and lost Etain.
Milesians In
Irish mythology Milesians or Sons of Mil Espaine (see Milesius)
is the name by
which the sons and descendants of Mil Espaine were called. They
arrived to
Ireland during the festival of Beltane, led by Amhairghin
(Amergin). The
Milesians defeated the Tuatha De Danaan and took Tara, their
capital city,
establishing their own capital there. On their way they met the
goddesses Eriu,
Banba and Fotla, promising them that the land would be named
after the one
whose advise could help the invaders in their conquest of the
country. Eriu's
advice led them in their mission and the land was named Erin
(ancient) or
Éire (modern) in her honour. The Tuatha De Danaan were defeated
at the Battle of
Tailtinn, and, after a short resistance, a truce was made and
the land was
divided, the Milesians retaining the part above ground, meanwhile
the Tuatha De
Danaan were given the underworld part of the country. Eremon, a
son of Mil
Espaine, received the rule of the northern half of Ireland, and
Eber Finn, one
of the chiefs of the Milesians, was granted the rule of the
southern half.
Some time later both parts went to war, being Eber Finn killed
in battle, and
Eremon got the rule of all the territory, becoming the first
'human' king of
the entire land.
Modron In
Insular Brythonic mythology, specifically Welsh, Modron ("mother
goddess")
was a daughter of Avalloc, similar to Matrona. She may have been the
prototype of
Morgan from Arthurian legend. She was the mother of Mabon.
Mog Ruith In
Goidelic mythology, Mog Ruith was the sun god who rode on a
bronze chariot
or flew through the sky every day.
Morrigan
Morrigan, also known as Morrigu, is the Celtic goddess of war and
destruction. She
is typically depicted as being armoured and armed: wherever
war occurs,
there is Morrigan. She is reputed to have hovered over the
battlefield in
the form either of a crow or a raven. Her name is pronounced as
More Ree-an.
Morrigan has
three aspects: Macha, Nemainn and Badb.
The first part
of her name is consonant with the Old English maere, part of
which still
persists within the modern English word "nightmare"; the second
part is rigan
meaning "queen".
Murigen In
Goidelic mythology, Murigen was a goddess of lakes. She may have
been another
form of Morrigan.
Nantosuelta
(Nantosuetta) In Continental Brythonic mythology, and especially
in Gaul,
Nantosuelta was a goddess of water and fertility. The Mediomatrici
(Alsace)
depicted her in art as holding a model house. She is the consort of
Sucellos
(Silvanus)and was a goddess of the dead. Her animal is the raven.
Nemausus is
often said to have been the Celtic patron god of Nemausus Nimes.
The god does not
seem to exist separely from the locality. The city certainly
derived its name
from Nemausus, which was perhaps the sacred wood in which the
Celtic tribe of
Volcae Arecomici (who of their own accord surrendered to the
Romans in 121
BCE) held their assemblies (according to Encyclopaedia
Britannica
1911), or was perhaps the local Celtic spirit guardian of the
spring that
originally provided all water for the settlement, as many modern
sources suggest.
Or perhaps Stephanus of Byzantium was correct in stating in
his geographical
dictionary that Nemausos, the city of Gaul, took its name
from the
Heracleid (or son of Heracles) Nemausios.
Nemetona
("shrine") was the goddess of temples and sacred groves.
Niamh was the
daughter of Manannan mac Lir and Queen of Tir na n-Og. She fell
in love with
Oisin, a bard, and went to Ireland on her horse, Embarr to get
him.
Oisin was a
member of the Fianna and, though he fell in love with Niamh and
returned with
her to Tir na N-Og, he became homesick after what he thought was
three years.
Niamh let him borrow Embarr, who could run above ground, and made
him promise not
to touch Irish soil.
The three years
he spent in Tir na n-Og turned out to be 300 Irish years and
Oisin fell off
Embarr, instantly becoming an old man. Meanwhile, Niamh had
given birth to
his daughter, Plor na mBan. Niamh returned to Ireland to search
for him, but he
had died.
Nisien was the
son of Penarddun and Eurosswydd and twin of Efnisien.
Nodens In
Insular Brythonic mythology, Nodens was the patron deity of the
Severne river in
Britain.
Nuada In
Goidelic mythology, Nuada was one of the Tuatha de Danaan. He was a
god of the sea,
children and childbirth, the sun, beauty, healing, sorcery and
poetry and
writing. One of the four great treasures of the Tuatha de Danaan
was his sword,
Fragarach, which cut his enemies in half.
In the Second
Battle of Magh Tuiredh, Nuada lost his arm. Since he was no
longer perfect,
his kingship was taken by Bres. His brother, Dian Cecht, made
him a living
silver hand to substitute. Nuada became known as Nuada Airgedlámh
(Nuada of the
Silver Hand). Bres had became a tyrant and so was exiled. Nuada
returned to the
throne and was killed by Balor, the grandfather of Bres.
Later, Dian
Cecht's son, Miach, replaced the silver arm with Nuada's old arm;
Dian Cecht
killed him out of professional envy.
Alternative:
Nudd, Ludd
Oengus Mac Oc In
Goedelic mythology, Aengus ("son of the young") was the god
of love. He was
said to have four birds symbolizing kisses flying about his
head. His
parents were Dagda and Boann. He was said to have lived by the river
Boyne.
Dagda had an
affair with Boann, wife of Nechtan. In order to hide their
affair, Dagda
made the sun stand still for nine months; therefore, Aengus was
conceived,
gestated and born in one day.
Aengus fell in
love with a girl he dreamed of. His mother, Boann, searched
Ireland for an
entire year. Then his father, Dagda, did the same. Finally,
King Bov the Red
of Munster found her after a year.
Aegus went to
the lake of the Dragons's Mouth and found 150 girls chained up
in pairs. He
found his girl, Caer. On November 1, Caer and the other girls
would turn into
a swan for one year. Aengus was told he could marry Caer if he
could identify
her as a swan. Aengus succeeded. He turned himself into a swan
and they flew
away, singing beautiful music that put all its listeners asleep
for three days
and nights.
Aengus and Caer
had one son, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne.
Alternative:
Aengus the Young, Angus, Anghus, Aonghus, Angus Og, Aengus mac
Oc, Oengus mac
Oc
Ogma (Ogmios)
was the god of scholars, education, writing and eloquence. He
was a son of
Danu and Dagda and a member of the Tuatha de Danaan. He invented
the early Irish
alphabet called Ogham.
He was killed at
the Second Battle of Mag Tuireadh after taking away Balor's
sword.
In art, he was
depicted as an old man with a bald head and wearing a lion
skin.
Alternative
versions of his name are: Ogmios (Gaul), Ogmios Sun-Face, Ogmios
Sun Face
Ogyruan was the god
of bards and father of Gwenhwyar.
Olwen was the
god of bards and father of Gwenhwyar.("white track") was a
daughter of
Ysbaddaden.
Her father was a
vicious monster that would die if separated from her. Culwch
came to court
her, along with his friend Mabon. After many trials and
tribulations, he
succeeded and Ysbaddaden died, his powers and life
transferring to
Culwch.
Plur na mBan
("the flower of the lady") was the beautiful daughter of Oisin
and Niamh.
Pryderi — King
Pryderi of Dyfed was the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon.
Their first son
disappeared while in the care of several of Rhiannon's
ladies-in-waiting.
To avoid the blame, the smeared blood from a puppy on
Rhiannon, who
was asleep.
The child
appeared in the court of King Teyrnon, whose mares had just given
birth but the
foals had disappeared. Teyrnon watched his stables and saw a
mysterious beast
coming to take the foal; Teyrnon stopped the beast and found
the child
outside the stable. He and his wife adopted him. The child grew to
adulthood in
only seven years and was given the foal which had led Teyrnon to
the stable.
Teyrnon realized who the child was and returned him to Pwyll and
Rhiannon, who
named him Pryderi (worry).
Pryderi married
Cigva and became King of Dyfed after his father died. He then
invited
Manawydan to live with him in Dyfed. Soon, Dyfed turned into a barren
wasteland and
only Rhiannon, Pryderi, Cigva and Manawydan lived. Manaywdan and
Pryderi, while
out hunting, saw a white boar which they followed. Pryderi and
his mother,
Rhiannon, touched a golden bowl that the boar led them to and
became
enchanted. Manawydan and Cigva were unable to help them until they
captured a mouse
which was actually the wife of Llwyd, Rhiannon's enemy, and
the spell was
lifted.
Later, Pryderi
had his pigs stolen by Gwydion, thus starting a war between
Pryderi and Math
ap Mathonwy.
Pwyll was a lord
of Dyfed.
In the
Mabinogion (Welsh mythology), Arawn, Lord of Annwn, the Welsh
mythological
otherworld, convinces Pwyll to trade places with him for a year
and a day as
recompnse for allowing his own dogs to bring down a stag Arawn's
pack was
chasing. Arawn arranges to exchange appearnces with Pwyll and takes
his place at
Pwyll's court in Dyfed. Pwyll defeats Hafgan, Arawn's rival, at
the end of the
year, something Arawn had tried to do and failed. Arawn and
Pwyll became
lasting friends because Pwyll slept chastely with Arawn's wife.
Pwyll then meets
Rhiannon, who appears to Pwyll as a beautiful woman dressed
in gold silk
brocade and riding a shining white horse after Pwyll sits on the
gorssed or mound
of Arberth. Pwyll sends his best horsemen after her, but she
always remains
ahead of them, though her horse never does more than amble.
After three
days, he finally calls out to her, and Rhiannon tells him she has
come seeking him
because she would rather marry him than her fiance, Gwawl.
After a year and
a day, he won her from Gwawl with her assistance. Their son
disappears while
in the care of several of Rhiannon's ladies-in-waiting. To
avoid the blame,
they smear blood from a puppy on Rhiannon, who was asleep.
The child
appeared in the court of Teyrnon, whose mares had just given birth
but the foals
had disappeared. Teirnon watched his stables on May eve, and
sees a
mysterious beast coming to take the foal; Tiernon stopped the beast and
found the child
outside the stable. He and his wife adopt the child. The child
grows unusually
quickly and is given the foal born the night Terynon found the
lad. Teyrnon,
who had once served Pwyll, realizes the child resembles Pwyll,
returns him to
Pwyll and Rhiannon, who name him Pryderi (worry).
Rhiannon In
Welsh mythology, Rhiannon was a daughter of Hefeydd the Old. She
was married to
Pwyll and, later, Manawydan.
Pwyll first met
Rhiannon, when she appeared as a beautiful woman dressed in
gold and riding
a white horse. Pwyll sent his horsemen after her, but she was
too fast. After
three days, he spoke and Rhiannon told him she would rather
marry him than
her fiance, Gwawl. After a year and a day, he won her from
Gwawl with her
assistance. Their first son disappeared while in the care of
several of
Rhiannon's ladies-in-waiting. To avoid the blame, they smeared
blood from a
puppy on Rhiannon, who was asleep.
The child
appeared in the court of King Teyrnon, whose mares had just given
birth but the
foals had disappeared. Teirnon watched his stables and saw a
mysterious beast
coming to take the foal; Tiernon stopped the beast and found
the child
outside the stable. He and his wife adopted him. The child grew to
adulthood in
only seven years and was given the foal which had led Teyrnon to
the stable.
Teyrnon realized who the child was and returned him to Pwyll and
Rhiannon, who
named him Pryderi (worry).
Pryderi married
Cigva and became King of Dyfed after his father died. He then
invited
Manawydan (his stepfather) to live with him in Dyfed. Soon, Dyfed
turned into a
barren wasteland and only Rhiannon, Pryderi, Cigva and Manawydan
lived. Manaywdan
and Pryderi, while out hunting, saw a white boar which they
followed.
Pryderi and his mother, Rhiannon, touched a golden bowl that the
boar led them to
and became enchanted. Manawydan and Cigva were unable to help
them until they
captured a mouse which was actually the wife of Llwyd,
Rhiannon's enemy
(seeking revenge for her treatment of Gwawl), and the spell
was lifted.
Robur was the
god of oak trees, worshipped primarily in Gaul alongside
Abellio, Fagus
and Buxenus.
Rosmerta In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Rosmerta was the goddess of fire,
fertility and
warmth, as well as flowers and death. She hated marriage.
She was married
to either Lugh or Esus.
Rudianos In
Continental Brythonic mythology, the god Rudianos was the patron
deity of Gaul.
Sabrina In
Insular Brythonic mythology is the goddess (and ancient name of )
the River Severn
(England).
Segomo In
Continental Brythonic mythology, and especially in Gaul, Segomo was
the god of war.
He is probably the same as Cocidius.
Sequanna (or
Sequana) was the goddess of the river Seine and its environs.
Shannon was the
goddess of the river by the same name, the River Shannon.
Sheila-na-gig In
Insular Brythonic mythology, Sheila-na-gig was a fertility
goddess. In art,
she was depicted as displaying her genitals in order to ward
off death. Even
after Christianization, she was depicted on the outside of
buildings, such
as churches, in order to ward off death and evil - an example
can be seen at
Kilpeck in Herefordshire
Shoney In
Insular Brythonic mythology, and especially in Britain, Shoney was a
sea goddess.
Sirona In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Sirona was a goddess of astronomy
and fertility,
wife of Grannus. She was also the patron goddess of the Mosel
Valley.
Alternative:
Dirona
Smertios In
Continental Brythonic mythology, Smertios was a god of war
particularly
worshipped in Gaul.
In art, he was
depicted as a bearded man with a club, often about to kill a
snake.
Sucellos (see
The Dagda)
Sul In Insular
Brythonic mythology, Sul was the goddess of hot springs,
especially those
at Bath.
Alternative:
Sulla
Tailtiu In
Goidelic mythology, Tailtiu was an earth goddess. She was the wife
of Eochaid mac
Eire, and the nurse of Lugh.
Taliesin (c.
534-c.599) is the earliest known poet of the Welsh language. His
name is
associated with the Book of Taliesin, a book of poems written down in
the 10th century
but which most scholars believed to date in large part from
the 6th century.
He is believed to have been the chief bard in the courts of
several Celtic
kings of that era. He attained the status "Chief Bard of
the royal bards
of
the margins of
manuscripts. His life was later the subject of 16th century
mythological
work by Elis Gruffydd, who may have relied on existing oral
tradition about
him. More
Tamesis was a
water goddess, particularly fresh water. The English name for
the river Thames
comes from her name.
Taranis In
Continental Brythonic mythology, and especially in Gaul, Taranis
was the god of
thunder. He was associated with the wheel and may have received
human
sacrifices. He is likely connected with the Anglo-Saxon god Thunor.
Tarvos
Trigaranos In Continental Brythonic mythology, and especially in Gaul,
Tarvos
Trigaranos was the bull god.
Representations
of Tarvos Trigaranos variously show the bull with three herons
perched on his
back, or a bull with three horns. Some representations show a
branch of a tree
over the animals.
Alternative:
Taruos Trigaranus
Tethra — King
Tethra of the Fomorians ruled Mag Mell after dying in the First
Battle of Mag
Tuireadh.
Tir na n-Og see
Mag Mell
Toutatis (or
Teutates), ancient god of Celts and Gauls, whose name means
father of the
tribe. He was a god of war, growth and prosperity.
It represented
the unity and the harmony of the tribe (often confused with
Ogmios).
Each tribe had
its own Toutatis.
Alternative:
Albiorix ("king of the world"), Caturix ("king of the
battle"),
Loucetius,
Rigisamos, Toutatis or Teutates.
Tuatha Dé Danann
The doings of the mythical Irish fairy folk and gods, the
Tuatha de
Danaan, ("people/children of Danu" in Celtic; alternative: Tuatha Dé
Danann) are
detailed in the 12th century AD Book of Invasions.
Not much is
known of the Tuatha de Danaan prior to their invasion of Ireland,
other than that
they came from four northern cities, Falias, Glorias, Murias
and Finias,
where they acquired their occult skills and attributes. On
arriving in
Ireland, some accounts state that they burned their boats behind
them to prevent
themselves from being tempted to return; the Book of Invasions
states that they
wafted in through the air as a host of spirits. Other sources
state that they
came from the west (Atlantic Ocean) on clouds.
They then fought
two battles, the First Battle of Magh Tuiredh, on the west
coast, in which
they defeated the clumsy and ill-armed Firbolgs, the
indigenous
population, and the Second Battle of Magh Tuiredh against the
Fomorians, after
a guerrilla insurrection by the Fomorians. During this
battle, King
Nuada of the Tuatha de Danaan lost an arm. He was replaced (since
he was no longer
perfect) by Bres or Lugh. After defeating the Fomorians, the
Tuatha de Danaan
gave them Connacht and there was some intermarrying. Nuada
had his arm
replaced by a silver one (made by Dian Cecht) and took back the
throne after
Bres was exiled for his tyranny. Balor, the god of death, then
killed him.
A third battle
was fought against a subsequent wave of invaders, the
Milesians, from
Spain (who are thought to have been the Celts), led by King
Milesius, who
overcame the goddess, Eriu whom the Tuatha de Danaan sent
against them.
The Milesians were magnanimous in victory and named the island
Erin, the dative
form of her name, in her honour. Defeated, the Tuatha were
led underground
into the Sidhe mounds by The Dagda. Afterwards, they
occasionally
intervened in human wars on the side of justice and
righteousness,
armed with invisibility, flaming lances and magical white
shields.
The Tuatha de
Danaan fought against the witch Carman and her three sons.
Tuatha de
Danaan:
Abarta
Abhean
Ai
Airmed
Beag
Bechuille
Bodb Dearg
Brea
Brigid
Cian
Creidhne
Dagda
Dian Cecht
Goibniu
Lear
Lugh
Luchtaine
Manannan mac Lir
Nuada
Ogma
The Tuatha de
Danaan had four magical treasures:
Dagda's Cauldron
the Spear of
Lugh
the Stone of Fal
the Sword of
Nuada
Twm Shon Catti
was called the Welsh Robin Hood. (born c.1530- d. 1609). He was
born as Thomas
Jones and lived in Rhandirmwyn. Though many considered him a
criminal, the
locals called him a hero. Most notably, he was said to have
avoided harming
an enemy by shooting him with an arrow that merely pinned his
clothes to his
saddle.
Verbeia In
Insular Brythonic mythology, Verbeia was the goddess of the Wharfe
River in North
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Preface
Theosophy and the Masters General Principles
The Earth Chain Body and Astral Body Kama – Desire
Manas Of Reincarnation Reincarnation Continued
Karma Kama Loka
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Elementary Theosophy Who is the Man? Body and Soul
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