Mythology

Scota
Scota was thought to be the earliest ancestor of the Scots. According to one story, she was the daughter of an Egyptian pharaoh. A wise teacher by the name of Niul, had settled in Egypt and become her husband. They had one child named Goidel, who gave his name to the Gaels. In another story, she was the wife of Milesius and was killed fighting the Tuatha De Danann.

Sangreal
The Sangreal, or Holy Grail, was the holy vessel of Authorian mythology. It was said to be the cup that Christ drank out of at the Last Supper and is believed to have caught the blood which flowed from the spear thrust in His side at the Crucifixion. It was thought to have been brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimathea, the rich man who buried Christ. It may have also been brought by his brother-in-law Bron and his son Alan. Originally it was Sir Percival who was the first to see the Grail and in later versions of the story, it was changed to Sir Galahad, as the only knight who was worthy enough to see such a vision. The Grail was somehow lost, but many believed it was hidden somewhere in Britain, as a punishment for all the sinfulness at that time. The mere presence of the holy Grail inspired most of the knights to pursue a path of goodness and virtue. On its arrival at Camelot, the vessel filled King Arthur's hall with the most tasty smells and the knights ate and drank as never before. Sir Galahad was the one who drank from the Grail, as requested by Joseph of Arimathea, which ensured his spiritual survival and was strongly believed that Sir Galahad lives on in a Christian otherworld.

Avalon
Avalon was another name for the Welsh otherworld, Annwn. Its name suggests it was an island filled with apples. This is where the mortally wounded King Arthur was ferried to, by three mysterious women in a black boat, after the terrible battle against Sir Modred's army. It is said that the undead king will return from Avalon and lead the oppressed Celtic population of Britain to victory over their oppressors. According to one story, Avalon is where Excalibur was forged. Traditionally, Avalon has been associated with Glastonbury, the supposed site of Arthur's tomb.

Tuatha De Danann
The Tuatha De Danann are called 'the people of the goddess Dana' in Celtic mythology and were known to most of the Celtic peoples. They were the last generation of gods and goddesses to rule Ireland just before the last invasion of Milesius, who were the ancestors of the present day Irish. The Fomorii were the previous rulers of Ireland, until the Tuatha De Danann defeated them after the second and last battle of Magh Tulreadh. The main reason they won the second battle, was due to their superior magical abilities. Also the Tuatha De Danann were great masters of magic, crafts, and knowledge. They brought with them four talismans: the Stone of Fal, which would scream out loud whenever the true king of Ireland placed his foot upon it; the Magic Sword of Nuada, which was a weapon that only inflicted fatal blows; the spear or sling-shot of the sun god Lugh, and the cauldron belonging to Dagda, who was the father of the gods. It was an inexhaustible pot and was capable of satisfying everyone's appetite. With the advent of Christianity in Ireland, the Tuatha De Danann did not entirely disappear. In fact, many of their exploits were recorded by the monks, who wrote down many of the Celtic legends. The Tuatha De Danann eventually took up residence underground and became known as the fairies. It is believed, that on the ancient Celtic feast of Samhain, which is celebrated on the last day of October, the Tuatha De Danann would sometimes allow certain mortals to enter their realm.

Banshee
The Banshee (bean sidhe -- woman of the fairies) is the traditional fairy of the Irish countryside. It was believed that the banshee would attach herself to family and her eerie wail warns them of impending death. They lived underground in sidhe (the fairy heavens), hidden beneath the grassy mounds on the Irish hillsides.

Fomorii
The Fomorii were the sea gods in Irish myths, who were extremely violent and misshapen. They are described as having only one eye, one hand, or one foot. It is said that the Fomorii emerged from the waves of the ocean and challenged the rulers of Ireland, the Firbolg and the Tuatha De Danann. It was the Tuatha De Danann, who defeated them in battle.

Annwn
Annwn was a Welsh otherworld, which was a place of peace and plenty. In Annwn there was the fountain of sweet wine and the cauldron of rebirth. The lord of Annwn was the grey-clad Arawn, with whom Pwyll had agreed to exchange shapes and responsibilities for a year. Arawn had a pack of hounds, which were called, 'the hounds of hell.' It is believed that they would fly at night in search of human souls.

Ceridwen
Ceridwen was the Welsh goddess of fertility. She was the mother of Afagddu, who was the ugliest man in the whole world. To try and compensate for his ugliness, Ceridwen boiled a cauldron of knowledge for a year and a day, so Afagddu could become the wisest of all and thus be respected. She told Gwion Bach it would be his duty to tend to the cauldron. However Afagddu was denied the prophetic gift, when a drop of the liquid fell on Gwion Bach's finger and unthinkingly he stuck it in his mouth and sucked it off. Furious, Ceridwen hunted him down and eventually ate him. Later however, he was reincarnated as Taliesin, who became the greatest of all the Welsh bards. Ceridwen had another ugly son, who was called, Morfan. He was a fearsome warrior and fought with King Arthur in his last battle at Camlan. At first none of Sir Modred's men would dare fight against Morfan, because they thought he was so ugly, that surly he must be a devil.