Celtic Dieties

A
ANU - Also ANA, CATANA. She is the virgin aspect of the Triple Goddess, and a daughter of Dana (or Don). She is a Goddess of prosperity and abundance.

ARIANRHOD - "Silver Circle". She is a daughter of Dana (or Don) and Beli, and the Goddess of reincarnation, the Wheel of the Year, the full moon, and fertility. Her palace is Caer Arianrhod, the Celtic name for the Corona Borealis.

B
BADB - "The Fury". Also BADHBH, BADH CATHA. She is the crone aspect of the Triple Goddess and a goddess of war. One of a triad of war goddesses know collectively as the Morrigan. She is linked with the Beansidhe ("Banshee"). Badb usually appears over battles as a hooded crow, but sometimes runs as a wolf.

BELI - Also BELENUS. Father God, husband of Don, and father of Arianrhod. He is the God of Death and King of the Underworld.

BRIGHID - Also BRIGIT, BRID. "Power". Goddess of fertility, agriculture, animal husbandry, medicine, crafting and music. Also a warrioress and protectress, a healer, and a Guardian of Children. She is probably one and the same with Dana (See DANA).

C
CERNUNNOS - "The Horned One". He is a God of virility, woodlands, animals, and Guardian of teh Gates to the Otherworld (Annwn). Cernunnos wears the torc (neck-ring) and is ever in the company of a ram-headed serpent and a stag (see image at top of page). Extremely popular among the Celts, the Druids encouraged the worship of Cernunnos. The Celts were so enamored of Cernunnos that his cult was a serious obstacle to the spread of Christianity, with him becoming a prototype of the Christian anti-God.

CERRIDWEN - "Old White One", "White Sow". She is a sow Goddess, famous for her great cauldron of knowledge (Amen). Cerridwen is also a moon and grain Goddess. Mother of Taliesin (formerly Gwion), greatest and wisest of all the bards. Cerridwen lives among the stars. Cerridwen is associated with wolves, and some claim her cult dates to the Neolithic era. She is also associated with the Triple Goddess, being an aspect of the Great Mother.

D
DANA - Also DON, DANU. Mother goddess. She is the mother aspect of the Triple Goddess, and an aspect of the Great Mother. Most importantly, she is the consort of Beli and the mother of the Tuatha De Danann, the tribe of the gods.

E
EPONA - The Horse goddess. She is usually portrayed as riding a mare, often carrying a serpent. Roman legionnaires took up the worship of Epona themselves and eventually imported her cult to Rome itself. Epona was a Goddess able to bestow sovereignity on Celtic kings.

M
MACHA - "Battle". She is one of the Morrigan, the crone Triple Goddess of death, disease, strife and destruction. Macha feeds on the heads of slain enemies. Macha often dominates her male lovers through cunning or simple brute strength.

MORRIGAN, THE - Also MORRIGU. "the Phantom Queen". She is a Triple Goddess made up of three crone Goddesses of war, battle, death, and destruction. They are Badb, Macha, and Nemain. During battle the Morrigan would fly shrieking overhead as a raven or crow.

N
NEMAIN - Also NEMAN, NEMHAIN. "Venomous One". She is one of the three crone Goddesses that make up the Morrigan.

O
OGHMA - also OGMA, OGMIOS. He is the God of communication and writing. HE invented the Ogham Alphabet and gave it to the Druids. He was also a warrior.

R
RHIANNON - "Divine" or "Great Queen". SHe is a symbol of fertility and also a Goddess of Death and teh Otherworld. She is a bringer of dreams and a moon deity who is symbolised by a white horse.

T
TALIESIN - "Radiant" or "Shining Brow". He is considered by many to be the greatest of all Celtic bards. He is the son of Cerridwen, who gave birth to him after swallowing her servant Gwion.

TRIPLE GODDESS, THE - The Triple Goddess is known and worshiped in cultures all over the world. She is eternal, yet always in a state of flux. She is at once the Maiden (white), Mother (red) and Crone (black), and is represented by the waxing, full and waning moons.

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