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Celtic deities of
olde:
Aine – Goddess of the
Hidden paths in the realms of the Western ocean.
ANDARTE- Mother goddess worshipped by the Voconti in Gaul. Known as Dea
Augusta Andarta, possibly equated with Magna Mater. The name denotes
ruler ship.
ANDRASTE- Celtic goddess of Victory, worshipped during Boudicca
rebellion.
Angus (Angus Mac Oc) – His name means
"son of the young"; A Gaelic Eros known for his physical beauty and
golden hair; his kisses become birds.
Aonghus – God of Youth Banbha, Fodhla.
APOLLO
GRANNUS- Even more popular Healing and Sun god, consort of Sirona, and
mentioned by the historian Cassius Dio.
APOLLO
MORITASGUS- Popular healing god, Consort of Damona.
ARTIO-
Celtic goddess of forest animals, plenty, hunting, and fertility.
Possible connection with the Greek Artemis? Probably linked with Diana.
AVETA-
Celtic mother goddess of nursing, fruit, plenty & prosperity.
Badb – The fury; Macha, the battle
goddess who collects the heads of her victims for her "acorn crop."
Boann – The Dadga's wife; an Eve figure;
The Boyne River is named for her; she and the Dagda have many famous
children including Bridgit, Angus, Mider, Ogma, and Bodb the Red.
Bodb the Red – He succeeds his father as
king of the gods.
BORMO-
Healing god of bubbling springs, also associated with plenty. Associated
with Apollo, and pictured holding a goblet, purse and plate of fruit.
Known from Spain, France, and Gaul.
BREGANS- Celtic god who was the consort of the goddess Brigantia.
BRIGANTIA- Goddess of victory known from inscriptions in Britain.
Thought to be the patron deity of the Brigantes tribe. Sometimes equated
with the goddess Victoria. Portrayed with a mural crown, wings, spear
and Aegis shield, usually associated with Minerva. Her consort was the
god Bregans.
Brigit – Goddess of the hearth, fire and
poetry; best loved of all deities; Candlemas is held in her honor; she
is the only goddess to survive into the Christian pantheon of saints.
CAMULOS- Celtic war god known in both Britain and Gaul. Known to be
important in pre-Roman times, and equated with Mars as Mars Camulos.
CERNUNNOS- Celtic god of fertility, abundance, regeneration and wild
animals. Worshipped widely in Roman times, but also known from Pre-Roman
sites. Cernunnos means "horned one." The distribution of images show
that Cernunnos was widely worshipped in both Gaul and Britain.
COCIDIUS- Celtic god who was primarily worshipped in Northern and
Western Cumbria, and in the Hadrian's Wall region. A god of woodland and
hunting, also a god of war sometimes depicted with a shield and spear.
At Ebchester there was an inscription to Cocidius Vernostonus, (a Celtic
god whose name means "alder tree"). Cocidius was sometimes equated with
the Roman god Silvanus, and at other times with Mars. A Fanum Cocidi
(sanctuary of Cocidius) is mentioned in in the Ravenna Cosmography; it
was probably somewhere near the valley of the Irthing River, near
Hadrian's Wall.
COVENTINA - Celtic goddess of a spring at Carrawburgh, near Hadrian's
Wall. Although the spring had no medicinal properties, Coventina may
have been regarded as a healer and water goddess. She apparently had
high status, and is referred to in inscriptions as "Augusta" and
"Sancta." Coventina is usually portrayed as a water nymph, naked and
reclining on lapping waves. She holds a water lily, and in one depiction
is shown in triplicate pouring water from a beaker.
Dagha – The All Father: Many Talented and Powerful, Master of the harp
and possessor of a dread double ended club.
Danu The Red Mother of All – Major Mother Goddess of Ireland, Mother of
the Gods and Patroness of wizards, rivers, water, wells, prosperity and
plenty, Magic and Wisdom. Danu is one of a Triad of War goddesses know
collectively as the MorrighanBadbGoddess of WarMachaMacha the Crow. The
Third of the Triad of War goddesses known as the Morrighan, Macha feeds
on the heads of Slain Enemies.
DEA
NUTRIX - A particular form of Celtic mother goddess, usually depicted
sitting in a high-backed wicker chair suckling one or two children.
Pipeclay statuettes in this form have been found throughout all ancient
Celtic areas. Finds of these statues in graves suggest that Dea Nurix
was also a goddess of renewal and rebirth. Pipeclay figurines resembling
the classical Venus are also probably connected with a Celtic-Roman
domestic fertility cult.
Diancecht – God of medicine; he once
saved Ireland; married to Morrigan; among their children are Etan, who
marries Ogma, and Cian, who marries Ethniu, daughter of Balor, the
Fomor.
Eriu – The Goddess of Sovereignty.
EPONA
- Celtic horse goddess, whose name is derived from the Celtic word for
horse. Her worship was spread throughout Gaul and Britain. Epona was a
popular goddess in Rome, and even had a Roman festival day, December 18.
This is unique for a Gaulish deity. Epona was always portrayed on or
with horses, and sometimes with paterae full of corn, ears of corn,
baskets of fruit, a dog, and a key. Apart from her association with
horses, the symbolism suggests that Epona was also associated with
water, and presided over such aspects of life as fertility, healing,
death and rebirth.
ESUS -
A Celtic god who is known from the writings of the first-century Roman
poet Lucan. Eusus is also known from inscriptions in Paris, France, and
Trier, Germany. The god had a particular connection with willow trees
and is depicted as a woodsman cutting or pruning trees. In later written
commentaries from the ninth century, Esus was compared to both Mars and
Mercury.
Fea – The war Goddess: the hateful;
Nemon, the venomous
Goibniu – The forger of weapons; the
Gaelic Hephaestus; he possesses a potion that enables those who drink it
to become invisible; he also is called the "divine architect."
Ler – The gaelic Poseidon; married to
Aebh, Bodb's daughter, with whom he has four children after she dies he
marries Aeife, who out of jealousy turns the children into swans.
LughIs – A Sun God and a Hero God, Young , strong and Radiant with hair
of gold. Master of all arts, skills and crafts.
Lugh – Son of Cian and Ethniu called
the "long-handed" or "far-shooter"; Sun god par excellence; he possesses
a magic spear and magic hound; The Milky Way is called "Lugh's Chain";
he is the "master of all art," an accomplished carpenter, smith,
warrior, harpist, poet, physician, cup-bearer, and bronze-worker.
Manannan – Ler's son; "God of the
headlands"; patron of sailors and merchants; his famed possessions
include the yellow shaft, the red javelin, the boat, the wave-sweeper, a
horse called Splendid Mane, and three swords named retaliator, great
fury, and little fury; he has the gift of in exhaustible life.
Mannan Mac LyrChief – Irish God of the Sea.
MedbMedb the Drunken Woman – A Goddess of War.
Mider – God of the underworld; his abode
is Falga, the Isle of Man; Etain (Ogma's daughter) became his wife, but
she was taken away by Angus.
Morrigan (Morrigu) –
The great goddess in her Virago aspect; as chief deity of battle, she
likes to take the form of the hoodie or carrion crow; her name derives
from Mor Righ Anu, meaning "the great queen."
Nuada – The gaelic Zeus; called "he
of silver hand"; killed by the Fomor, Balor early in history of the
gods.
Ogma – The Sun Faced One: The God of Wisdom, Eloquence and Language. |