Friday, December 9, 2011

Celtic Deities


With current trends toward the resurrection and reconstruction of the old religions, it would be possible to spend weeks writing about the various deities of each culture. Since this is primarily a Celtic web site, I will focus mainly on those of early Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Due to the limitation of space, I will give a brief summation of the attributes associated with each deity in this text. There are many excellent texts available where you may study these in depth.

It is important to note that modern day Wiccans, Pagans and Witches generally focus on the major aspect of The One, Goddess and God without breaking deity down into the many subsets shown here.

ANGUS MAC OG (Makohk) ((Ireland)) *God*
One of the Tuatha De Danann. God of youth, love and beauty.

ANU (An-oo) / ANANN / DANA / DANA-ANA ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
Mother Earth, Goddess of fertility, prosperity, comfort.

ARAWN (Ar-awn) ((Wales)) *God*
God of the underground kingdom of the dead. Revenge, terror and war.

ARIANRHOD (Ari-an-rod) ((Wales)) Goddess
Mother aspect of the Triple Goddess. Honored at the full moon, beauty, fertility, reincarnation.

BADB (Bibe) / BADHBH / BADB CATHA ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
Mother aspect of the Triple Goddess in Ireland. Associated with the cauldron, crows and ravens. Life, wisdom, inspiration and enlightenment.

BANBA ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
Part of a triad with Fotia and Eriu. They used magick to repel invaders.

BEL /BELENUS / BELINUS / BELENOS / BELIMAWR ((Ireland)) *God*
Closely connected to the Druids. Science, healing, hot springs, fire, success, prosperity, purification, crops, vegetation, fertility. A sun and fire god.

BLODEUWEDD (blod-oo-eeth) / BLODWIN / BLANCHEFLOR ((Wales)) *Goddess*
The maiden form of the Triple Goddess. Goddess of the earth in bloom, flowers, wisdom, lunar mysteries, initiations.

BOANN (Boo-an) / BOANNAN / BOYNE ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
Goddess of the river Boyne; mother of Angus mac Og.

BRAN THE BLESSED / BENEDIGEIDFRAN (Bran) ((Wales)) *God*
God of prophecy, the arts, leaders, war, the sun, music, writing.

BRANWEN (Bran-oo-en) ((Wales)) *Goddess*
Goddess of love and beauty.

BRIGIT (Breet) / BRID (Breed) / BRIG / BRIGID / BRIGHID ((Ireland, Wales, Spain, France)) *goddess*
Associated with Imbloc. Goddess of fire, fertility, the hearth, all feminine arts and crafts and martial arts. Healing, physicians, agriculture, inspiration, learning, poetry, divination, prophecy, smithcraft, animal husbandry, love, witchcraft, occult knowledge.

CERNUNNOS (Ker-noo-nos) / CERNOWAIN / CERNENUS / HERNE THE HUNTER ((Known to all Celtic areas in one form or another)) *God*
God of nature and all wild things. Virility, fertility, animals, physical love, nature, woodlands, reincarnation, crossroads, wealth, commerce, warriors.

CERRIDWEN / CARIDWEN / CERIDWEN ((Wales)) *Goddess*
Goddess of nature. Death, fertility, regeneration, inspiration, magick, astrology, herbs, science, poetry, spells, knowledge.

CREIDDYLAD / CREUDYLAD / CORDELLIA ((Wales)) *Goddess*
Connected with Beltane, often called the May Queen. Goddess of summer flowers, love.

THE CRONE ((Known in all Celtic regions)) *Goddess*
One aspect of the Triple Goddess. She represents old age or death, winter, the end of all things, the waning moon, post-menstrual phases of women's lives. All destruction that precedes regeneration through her cauldron of rebirth.

THE DAGDA ((Ireland)) *God*
Protection, warriors, knowledge, magick, fire, prophecy, weather, reincarnation, the arts, initiation, the sun, healing, regeneration, prosperity and plenty, music, the harp.

DANU / DANANN / DANA (Thana) ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
Probably the same as Anu. Mother of the Gods, Great Mother, Moon Goddess. Patroness of wizards, rivers, water, wells, prosperity and plenty, magick wisdom.

DIANCECHT (Dian-ket) / DIAN CECHT ((Ireland)) *God*
Physician-magician of the Tuatha. God of healing, medicine, regeneration, magick, silver working.

DON / DOMNU (Dom-noo) ((Ireland and Wales)) *God*
Ruler of the land of the dead and entrances to the otherworld. Control of the elements, eloquence.

DRUANTIA ((All Celtic regions)) *Goddess*
Mother of the tree calendar. Fertility, passion, sexual activities, trees, protection, knowledge, creativity.

DYLAN ((Wales)) *God*
God of the sea.

ELAINE ((Wales)) *Goddess*
Maiden aspect of the Goddess.

EPONA ((Britain, Gaul)) *Goddess*
Goddess of fertility, maternity, protectress of horses, horse breeding, prosperity, dogs, healing springs, crops.

ERIU (Err-i-oo) / ERIN ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
One of three queens of the Tuatha Da Danann.

FLIDAIS ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
Goddess of forests, woodlands and wild things.

GOIBNIU / GOFANNON / GOVANNON (Gov-ann-on) ((Ireland and Wales)) *God*
God of blacksmiths, weapon makers, jewelry making, brewing, fire, metalworking.

GREAT FATHER ((All Celtic regions)) *God*
The Lord. The horned god, (Not Satan) lord of winter, harvest, land of the dead, the sky, animals, mountains, lust, powers of destruction and regeneration. The male aspect of creation.

GREAT MOTHER ((All Celtic regions)) *Goddess*
The Lady. The female aspect of creation, goddess of fertility, the moon, summer, flowers, love, healing.

THE GREEN MAN ((All Celtic regions)) *God*
See Cernunnos. A horned deity of trees and green growing things of earth. God of the woodlands.

GWYDION (Gwi-dee-on) ((Wales)) *God*
Greatest of the enchanters, warrior-magician. Illusion, changes, magick, the sky, healing.

GWYNN AP NUDD (Gwin ap Neethe) ((Wales)) *God*
King of the fairies and the underworld.

GWYTHYR (Gwee-theer) ((Wales)) *God*
Opposite of Gwynn ap Nudd. King of the upper world.

HERNE THE HUNTER ((All Celtic regions)) *God*
See Cernunnos, The Horned God, and Green Man.

THE HORNED GOD ((All Celtic regions)) *God*
Lord of the wild hunt. The masculine, active side of nature. Earth father, growing things, wild animals, alertness, fertility, desire, physical love, agriculture, flocks, brewing.

LLYR (Thleer) / LEAR / LIR (Hlir) ((Ireland and Wales)) *God*
God of the sea and water.

LUGH (loo or loog) ((Ireland)) *God*
God of skills. Druid, physician, smithing, war, magick, commerce, reincarnation, lightning, water, arts and crafts, manual arts, journeys, martial arts, poets, musicians, historians, sorcerers, healing, revenge, initiation, prophecy.

MACHA (Maax-ah) ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
Protectress in war as in peace, goddess of war and death. Cunning, sheer physical force, sexuality, fertility, dominance over men.

MANANNAN MAC LIR (Mannan-awn maklir) ((Ireland and Wales)) *God*
God of the sea, navigators, storms, weather at sea, fertility, sailing, weather forecasting, magick, arts, merchants and commerce, rebirth.

MARGAWSE ((Wales)) *Goddess*
Mother aspect of the Goddess.

MATH MATHONWY (Math math-on-oo-ee) ((Wales)) *God*
God of sorcery, magick, enchantment.

MERLIN / MERDDIN / MYRDDIN (Meer-din) ((Wales and Britain)) *God*
Great sorcerer, Druid, magician. Illusion, shape-shifting, herbs, healing, woodlands, nature, protection, counseling, prophecy, divination, psychic abilities, foreseeing, crystal reading, tarot, magick, rituals, spells, incantations, artisans and smiths.

THE MORRIGU (Moor-rig-oo) / MORRIGAN (Mor-ee-gan) / MORRIGHAN / MORGAN (Moor-gan) ((Ireland, Wales, and Britain)) *Goddess*
Supreme war goddess. Queen of phantoms and demons, shape-shifter. The crone aspect of the goddess, great white goddess. Patroness of priestesses and witches. Revenge, night, magick, prophecy.

NUADA / NUDD/ NODONS ((Ireland and Wales)) *God*
Similar to Neptune. God of the water, oceans, fishing, the sun, sailing.

OGMA / OGHMA / OGMIOS ((Ireland)) *God*
Similar to Hercules.

PWYLL ((Wales)) *God*
Ruler of the underworld.

RHIANNON (Hri-an-non) ((Wales)) *Goddess*
The great Queen. Goddess of birds and horses. Enchantments, fertility and the underworld.

SCATHACH / SCOTA/ SCATHA ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
The shadowy one. Goddess in the destroyer aspect. A warrior woman and prophetess who lived in Albion (Scotland), probably on the Isle of Skye and taught the martial arts. Patroness of blacksmiths, healing, magick, prophecy, martials arts.

TALIESIN (Tal-i-ess-in) ((Wales)) *God*
God of the bards. Poetry, wisdom, wizards, music, knowledge, magick.

WHITE LADY ((All Celtic regions)) *Goddess*
Associated with the Crone aspect of the Goddess. Dryad of death, destruction, annihilation.

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