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| Anu from Encylopedia Mythica An Irish/Celtic fertility goddess, venerated as the mother of the gods. The center of her cult was the fertile Munster in southeast Ireland. The two rounded hilltops near Killarny are called 'the two breasts of Anu'. Anu is occasionally confused with Danu. Arianrhod From "Celtic Myth & Magic" by Edain McCoy Ariahrhod's name means "Silver Circle". Ariahrhod is a Welsh diety and is the Goddess of reincarnation, the Wheel of the Year, the full moon, fertility and a primal figure of femine power. Her Heavenly star/island Caer Arianrhod in the Corona Borealis is believed in Welsh traditions where dead souls go to await reincarnation. Arianrhod is often depicted as a weaver, which links her to lost creation myths and to magickal practices, sometimes called "weaving a spell". Arianrhod mated freely with whomever she chose and not questioned until the magician Math claimed she had conceived two children she had not borne. By jumping a staff, she gave birth to Llew and Dylan. Dylan left immediately to go to the sea. Ariahrhod denied the remaining son, Llew, the right to a name or arms, as was a Welsh mother's right to bestow. She was later tricked into bestowing both. She married her brother Gwyddion and is the daughter of the great Welsh mother-Goddess Don. Arianrhod is often evoked to help females find their feminine power, spirit contact, sex and fertility magick and past-life knowledge. She is often called to bless Handfasting rites. Belenos (aka Bel, Bile, Belanos, Belinas or Beli) from Encylopedia Mythica Belenus is the Welsh god of light, and referred to as 'The Shining One'. His cult spread from northern Italy to southern Gaul and Britain. Belenus is in charge of the welfare of sheep and cattle. His wife is the goddess Belisama. They can be compared with the continental Apollo and Minerva, but Belenus can also be identified with the Irish god Bile. His festival is Beltine ("Fire of Bel"), celebrated on May 1. On this day, purifying fires were lit and cattle driven between them before being allowed out onto the open pastures. Brid (aka Bridget, Brigit, Bride and Brighid) from Celtic Myth & Magick by Edain McCoy Brid was the great mother Goddess of Ireland. At one time in history, most of Ireland was united in praise and worship of her. She probably was one and the same with Dana, the first great mother Goddess of Ireland. Brid represents the supernal mother, fertility and creative inspiration. She has also been worshipped as a warrior and protectress, a healer and guardian of children, a slayer of serpents, a sovereign, and a Goddess of fire and the sun. Other sources relate her to agriculture, animal husbandry, medicine, crafting and music. Brid is credited with inventing the Irish mourning wail called caoine (keening) when she mourned for her son, Ruadan, her child by her husband Bres, who was killed in battle. In the 5th Century, her shrine at Kildare was Christianized and adopted as a holy site. The legendary Brid has been combined with the Christian Saint Bridget. Brid is known as the Queen of Heaven. Her sabbat, Imbolc, is celebrated on February 2. Cernunnos (The Horned God) from Encyclopedia of the Celts The Lord of the Animals, 'Horned One', whose images are found in Romano-Celtic worship sites, and whose role as hunter and animal god is preserved in Celtic legend and folk lore. He ruled the active forces of life and death, giving and taking, in nature; in Romano-Celtic culture he was associated with wealth and prosperity, due to his role as Guardian of the Gateway to the Underworld where all potential forces and events originated. It should be stated emphatically that this deity has far to less to do with 'fertility' and sexuality than is assumed in popular fantasy, for he is a god of hunting, culling and taking. His purpose is to purify through selection or sacrifice, in order that powers of growth and fertility may progress without stagnation. In this context of purification and de-pollution, he should be an especially interesting figure to us today, for he represents certain truthts known to our ancestors which have been neglected by us at our peril. The figure of Cernunnos from the Gundestrup Cauldron (second century AD) is probably the best-known representation of the Celtic Horned God (See plate next page).His very name is really the title, 'Horned One.' Holding a torc and a serpent, wearing an antlered cap, he sits in a yoga pose with his right heel against his genitals. Nearly all seated statues of Hindu deities show the same conventional pose. The torc and serpent are also genital symbols, female and male respectively. Cernunnos is the spirit of the sacrificed stag-god, a nature deity to whom sacrifices were dedicated in order to maintain the wild creatures and the cycles of nature with his holy blood. There has been considerable speculation about Cernunnos' costume, which appears to be a form-fitting suit of ribbed knitted fabric, with knee-length pants. It is one of the pieces of evidence cited for the antiquity of the art of knitting among Celtic peoples. The Dagda from Encyclopedia Mythica The Irish-Celtic god of the earth and treaties, and ruler over life and death. Dagda, or The Dagda, ("the good god") is one of the most prominent gods and the leader of the Tuatha D� Danann. He is a master of magic, a fearsome warrior and a skilled artisan. Dagda is a son of the goddess Danu, and father of the goddess Brigid and the god Aengus mac Oc. The Morrigan is his wife, with whom he mates on New Years Day The Dagda is portrayed as possessing both super- human strength and appetite. His attributes are a cauldron with an inexhaustible supply of food, a magical harp with which he summons the seasons, and an enormous club, with one end of which he could kill nine men, but with the other restore them to life. He also possessed two marvellous swine---one always roasting, the other always growing---and ever-laden fruit trees. One of his epithets is Ollathir, which means "All-father". He is identified with the Welsh Gwydion and the Gallic Sucellos. Epona from Encyclopedia Mythica The Celtic horse goddess whose authority extended even beyond death, accompanying the soul on its final journey. She was worshipped throughout entire Gaul, and as far as the Danube and Rome. Her cult was eventually adopted by the Roman army and they spread her worship wherever they went. She was the only Celtic Goddess to be honored by the Romans with a temple in their capital city. Among the Gaulish Celts themselves, she was worshipped as goddess of horses, asses, mules, oxen, and, to an extent, springs and rivers.Epona is depicted sitting side saddle or lying on a horse, or standing with multiple horses around her. Her symbol is the Cornucopia ("horn of plenty") which suggests that she could (originally) have been a fertility goddess. She is also identified with the Celtic goddess Edain. Lugh (aka Ioldnach or Samhioldananach or Llamhfada) From "Celtic Myth & Magick" by Edain McCoy "The Shining One". "Master of all Arts". A God of the sun, light and the grain harvest who is honored at the Sabbat which bears his name Lughnasadh. Like Brid, he is a deity of many skills and was even said to be able to come to human form and worship among the Druids. He is worshipped as a god of fire, metallurgy, crafting, weaving and as a protector of the weak. Fertility magic during this festival ensured ripening of the crops and good harvest Llew From Encylopedia Mythica Llew Llaw Gyffes, "the Bright Lion with the Sure Hand", son of the virgin Arianrhod. He could only be killed neither by day nor night, indoors nor out of doors, riding nor walking, clothed nor naked, nor by any weapon lawfully made. Because his mother had cursed him to have no human wife, he married a made woman, created of flowers, Blodeuwedd. She betrayed him with Goronwy, tricked the secret of his death out of him, and led him to it. Llew became an eagle, and was recovered into human form by his uncle Gwydion. He then killed Goronwy, but Blodeuwedd was turned into an owl. Maeve, Queen (aka Medb, Medhbh, Madb and Mabb) From "Celtic Myth & Magick" by Edain McCoy Queen Maeve was the Queen of Connacht who personifies the heights of femine power. She was no doubt a powerful Goddess who merged with a later historical figure. Her name means "intoxicated woman" and she was known for her long golden hair, fiery temperment and iron will. Of the many legends surrounding her, the most famous is The Cattle Raid of Cooley. In this myth, her coveting of a famous Ulster bull began a war with Ulster. As an archetype sovereign, her aging husband, the ineffectual King Ailill, seems as if her was replaced by the great hero Cuchulain, who resists the sacrifical role, and battles Maeve instead. She wins the battle, and Cuchulain's blood is spilled on earth in the manner of all sacrificial Gods. Queen Maeve's sexual images are strong, and she often boasted that she could sexually exhaust thirty men each night. As evidence of her feminine power, battles would pause while she menstruated. Ancient peoples believed this time to be the peak of a woman's power. Maeve was not only a powerful leader, but also an expert warrior, huntress and horseman. Animals, especially horses, are often depicted with her. Mabon From Encylopedia Mythica Mabon son of Modron ("young man" son of "mother goddess") was a hunter-god. He was stolen from his mother at three days, and lived in Annwn, whence he was rescued by Culhwch (and Arthur) as an adult. He was ever-young as a result of this sojourn. He assisted Culhwch in the quest for Olwen. Culhwch's stepmother wished him to marry her own daughter. When he demurred, she cursed him to marry no one but Olwen, daughter of Ysbaddaden. He has the power to make a land flourish or waste away. He enlisted the aid of Arthur to search for Olwen. When they found her, she said her father would not permit her to marry for that would cause his own death. Nonetheless, Culhwych overcame many trials and eventually married her. Ogmios From Encylopedia Mythica The Celtic patron god of scholars and personification of eloquence and persuasiveness. It is he who invented the runic language of the Druids. Ogmius escorts souls on their journey to the after-live. He is represented as an old man, with a bald head, and dressed in a lion skin. His attributes are a bow and stick. He was worshipped in Gaul (Celtic France). His Irish counterpart is Ogma. Taranis From Encylopedia Mythica "Thunder". The thunder-god of ancient Gaul, and master of the sky. He may be compared to the Roman Jupiter, although his place in the Celtic pantheon was not as prominent as that of Jupiter in the Roman pantheon. His attribute is the wheel, which could be the symbol of thunder |
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