Celtic Gods And GoddessesCeltic Gods And Goddesses
Information on this page was gathered from books read and discussions with other local pagans. All of the books I have read will be listed in the Books/Book Reviews section - but not all at once, I will rotate the page so be sure to check back every now and again. Also not all of the Deities have images (images here can be found in "Celtic Gods, Celtic Goddesses" by R.J. Stewart), but I am hoping to provide at least a little information on each of them. If anyone has images they would like to donate (and recieve credit for) please contact me.
Gods and Goddesses without images:
Arianrhod - Welsh Goddess of the Moon, Magic, Stars and Reincarnation. She is the keeper of the Silver Wheel and the Queen of The Summerland - her castle the Corona Borealis. Known also as Lady of the Silver Wheel, her castle is also known as Caer Arianrodh. She is mother to Lleu and sister to Gwydion.
Banbha - An Irish triple aspect Goddess of the Earth.
Belenos - Gaulish God of Healing and Light - "The Shinning One". Sheep and cattle are in his care.
Boann - She is the Irish Goddess of Rivers and Fertility and the mother of Angus. OT: She is a good Mother-Phase Goddess to invoke in a pregnancy fertility spell.
Branwen - Welsh Goddess of Love. Locked away in her husband's tower and forced to do menial labor until she taught a starling to speak and carry message of her torment to her brother, Bran. A war then ensued where the cauldron of wisdom was shattered and Bran lost his life. His head buried on watch hill to protect Britain and Branwen died of a broken heart.
Ceridwen - Welsh Goddess of the Crone aspect, She is the Goddess of Magic, Witchcraft and Dark Prophetic Powers (giver of The Sight). She is the keeper of the Cauldron of the Underworld: the Cauldron which divine knowledge and inspiration are brewed and kept. She is the initiator and the mother of Taliesin, God of Bards. Look to her when you want the brutal, honest truth to your inquiries...
Dagda - The Good God - of the Father aspect in Irish mythology. Consort and father to Danu, possesor of the "bottomless cauldron of plenty". He was father to Brighid and Angus. He was also the consort of The Morrigan.
Danu - Irish Goddess, Mother of the Tuatha de Danann, also seen as an Earth Mother Goddess, daughter and Consort to The Dagda.
Rhiannon - Welsh Goddess of the Otherworld. Her totem animal is the white mare because she was framed by her maidens of eating her own child so as a punishment she carried people on her back through the gates of the underworld. Also she is 'Goddess of the Birds' more specifically the Londubh (blackbird). She is wife of Pwyll, Lord of the Otherworld and Mother of Pryderi. She is Mother Aspect Goddess and she is the Sovereignty Goddess of Wales.
Blodeuwedd - She is the Goddess that was made out of nine flowers. She was made by Math Son of Mathonwy and Gwydion, Math's nephew. Math was a Druid and the most powerful magic user in the land. Blodeuwedd was created when Arianrhod laid a geas upon Lleu that he should never marry a mortal woman. Blodeuwedd was created as the Spring Maiden and lived married to Lleu until she met Gronw and fell in love with him. She betrayed Lleu and Gronw tried to kill Lleu with a magical poisoned spear, but Lleu only changed into an eagle (dying). Gwydion found Lleu (his son), changed him back to his form and healed him. They then found Blodeuwedd and her women and chased them until they fell into a river from looking backwards. All of Blodeuwedd's women drown, but she lived and was transformed into an owl by Gwydion.
Brighid - She is the Irish Triple Goddess of Healing, The Forge and Poets and Bards. She is also the protectress of the hearth and of babies and small children. In Ireland they still revere her as St. Brigid in Kildare with a nunnery that has an ever-burning flame. Brighid is also considered a Maiden Goddess.
Cernnunos - The Stag God - God of the Hunt, animals, transformation and sexuality. He is born at the winter solstice, marries the goddess at Beltane, and dies at the summer solstice. He alternates with the goddess of the moon in ruling over life and death, continuing the cycle of death, rebirth and reincarnation. He is the Goddess' consort. He was primarily a Gaulish deity that spread to Britain.
Epona - She is the soverign Goddess of Ireland. Her totem animal is the horse. It is believed that in ancient Ireland a new king would "marry" with the soverign goddess in the ancient tradition to be recogonized as king. It is said that Epona made a pact with the Tuatha de Danann to have the right to be Sovereignty of Ireland. I however, see it as the other way around. She IS the Sovereign Goddes of Ireland and allowed the Tuatha de Danann to rule as was her right.
Lleu - The God of Light, master of all arts. Lleu (or Llew in Welsh/British) and Lugh in Irish. He was conceived by Arianrodh and her brother Gwydion. At Arianrodh's virginity trial, she thought she had rid herself of Lleu and his brother Dylan but as she stepped over the magic wand both children came into being. Dylan was cast to the sea, but Lleu was picked up by Gwydion and incubated in Gwydion's magic trunk (immaculate conception). In Arianrodh's anger she proclaimed that he would never have a name, but Gwydion and Math tricked her into naming him. Then she proclaimed that he would never bear arms and therefore never come to manhood, but they tricked her there too. Her finally geas on Lleu was that he never know the love of a mortal woman. Gwydion and Math then created Blodeuwedd. Those are the three geas' of Lleu and his first transformations.
Manannan Mac Lir - Irish God of the Wind and Sea. He is also the keeper of the doorway between the worlds.
The Morrigan- Irish Triple Goddess of Death, Rebirth, War and Passionate Love. The Morrigan's totem animal is the Raven or the Crow. She was the undoing of Cuchullain. She was also the consort of the Dagda. Each aspect of her has a parallel in Welsh mythology. Being an initiator, Goddess of death, she is also guardian of the inner mysteries of knowledge and the otherworld.
Taranis - Irish God of The Wheel; The Lord Of Thunder. He is believed to be a Druidic Father God of change.