; The Ancient Egyptian Ennead and Ogdoad, where the deity Osiris assumes pre-eminence, to be displaced by Seth or Sutekh, who is in turn replaced by Horus, son to Osiris and Isis The etymology of Beltaine may be connected with Belenus. He was killed by the god of death Balor. Classical writers preserve a few fragments of legends or myths that may possibly be Celtic.[10]. She is usually referred to as "the Morrigan". Gods are a race of divine immortal beings who control the forces of nature and rule large portions of the Earth. Ceridwen is a Celtic shape-shifting goddess of poetic inspiration. Icons made of either of wood or stone, were stored in the shrines, along with sacred, precious artefacts. She is most commonly known for her involvement in the Táin Bó Cúailnge. ; The people who lived in Britain during the Iron Age weren’t called ‘Celts… Source: "Cernunnos" A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Other characters, in all likelihood, derive from mythological sources, and various episodes, such as the appearance of Arawn, a king of the Otherworld seeking the aid of a mortal in his own feuds, and the tale of the hero who cannot be killed except under seemingly contradictory circumstances, can be traced throughout Indo-European myth and legend. Celtic mythology is found in a number of distinct, if related, subgroups, largely corresponding to the branches of the Celtic languages: As a result of the scarcity of surviving materials bearing written Gaulish, it is surmised that the most of the Celtic writings were destroyed by the Romans, although a written form of Gaulish using Greek, Latin and North Italic alphabets was used (as evidenced by votive items bearing inscriptions in Gaulish and the Coligny calendar). Sacrifices, human and animal, took places at these sacred sites. Borvo (Bormanus, Bormo) was a Gallic god of healing springs whom the Romans associated with Apollo. She is compared with the Roman goddesses Minerva and Vesta. [1] Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure. The distribution of some of the images has been mapped and shows a pattern of central concentration of an image along with a wide scatter indicating these images were most likely attached to specific tribes and were distributed from some central point of tribal concentration outward along lines of trade. The Celtic god Albiorix was associated with Mars as Mars Albiorix. Belenus is also written: Bel, Belenos, Belinos, Belinu, Bellinus, and Belus. Whatever its ultimate origins, the surviving material has been put to good use in the service of literary masterpieces that address the cultural concerns of Wales in the early and later Middle Ages. [7] The Dagda was the figure on which male humans and other gods were based because he embodied ideal Irish traits. Zeus, the Greek god of the sky and the king of the Greek gods.. Juno, the patron goddess of Rome.. ... Albiorix is the "king of the world." Celtic gods were also considered to be a clan due to their lack of specialization and unknown origins. "A List of Celtic Gods and Goddesses." She had many husbands and figured in the Tain Bo Cuailgne (Cattle Raid of Cooley). Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. Significant Irish gods include Nuada Airgetlám, the first king of the Tuatha Dé Danann; Goibniu, the smith and brewer; Dian Cecht, the patron of healing; and the sea god Manannán mac Lir. The worship of Belenus was linked with the healing aspect of Apollo. (2020, August 28). She keeps a cauldron of wisdom. Bres married the goddess Brigid. Bres was a Celtic fertility god, the son of the Fomorian prince Elatha and the goddess Eriu. Lugh of the Long Arm was the Irish god of kings, justice, and rulership. Bres was a tyrannical ruler, which proved his undoing. Indeed, though there is much in common with Irish myth, there may have been no unified British mythological tradition per se. Belenus is a Celtic god of healing worshiped from Italy to Britain. ThoughtCo. There were no temples built for the Celtic gods in the pre-Roman conquest. Uniquely for the Celtic goddesses, the Romans adopted her and erected a temple to her in Rome. Medb (or Meadhbh, Méadhbh, Maeve, Maev, Meave, and Maive), goddess of Connacht and Leinster. Morrigan is a Celtic goddess of war who hovered over the battlefield as a crow or raven. A number of objets d'art, coins, and altars may depict scenes from lost myths, such as the representations of Tarvos Trigaranus or of an equestrian ‘Jupiter’ surmounting the Anguiped (a snake-legged human-like figure). She is the mother of Taliesin. This has been called into question by recent studies which show that there may have been a representation of what looks like a large drapery hanging from the horizontal arm of the figure, leading to suspicion that this figure actually represents Hercules (Heracles), with the skin of the Nemean lion over his arm and carrying the club he used to kill it. [14] In this he names the five principal gods worshiped in Gaul (according to the practice of his time, he gives the names of the closest equivalent Roman gods) and describes their roles: Mercury was the most venerated of all the deities and numerous representations of him were to be discovered. Gill, N.S. The Druid priests of the Celts did not write down the stories of their gods and goddesses but instead transmitted them orally, so our knowledge of the early Celtic deities is limited. Master of all arts, Lugh served as chief Ollam of the Tuatha Dé Danann; he was also a cunning trickster and the wielder of … In exchange for his life, Bres taught agriculture and made Ireland fertile. Belenus . Less is known about the pre-Christian mythologies of Britain than those of Ireland. Notable is Epona, the horse goddess, celebrated with horse races at the summer festival. Julius Caesar associated Cernunnos with the Roman Underworld god Dis Pater. Inscriptions of more than three hundred deities, often equated with their Roman counterparts, have survived, but of these most appear to have been genii locorum, local or tribal gods, and few were widely worshiped. Although the Celtic world at its height covered much of western and central Europe, it was not politically unified nor was there any substantial central source of cultural influence or homogeneity; as a result, there was a great deal of variation in local practices of Celtic religion (although certain motifs, for example the god Lugh, appear to have diffused throughout the Celtic world). She has been equated with Medh. The image of the three-headed god has a central concentration among the Belgae, between the Oise, Marne and Moselle rivers. Shrines and sanctuaries were found outdoor at sacred groves or near sacred lakes. While this was probably produced in relatively modern times (English Civil War era), it was long thought to be a representation of the Dagda. While further mythological names and references appear elsewhere in Welsh narrative and tradition, especially in the tale of Culhwch and Olwen, where we find, for example, Mabon ap Modron ("Divine Son of the Divine Mother"), and in the collected Welsh Triads, not enough is known of the British mythological background to reconstruct either a narrative of creation or a coherent pantheon of British deities. The most famous of these are the cities of Lugdunum (the modern French city of Lyon), Lugdunum Batavorum (Brittenburg, 10 kilometers west of Leiden in the Netherlands) and Lucus Augusti (Greek: Λοuκος Λuγούστον, the modern Galician city of Lugo). Most gods are described as being part of a family or Pantheon, and they rely on their mortal devotees for worship. James McKillop. https://www.thoughtco.com/celtic-gods-and-goddesses-117625 (accessed March 14, 2021). [8] [9]She was known as the Morrígan, but the different sections she was divided into were also referred to as Nemain, Macha, and Badb (among other, less common names), with each representing different aspects of combat. Although early Gaels in Ireland and parts of modern Wales used the Ogham script to record short inscriptions (largely personal names), more sophisticated literacy was not introduced to Celtic areas that had not been conquered by Rome until the advent of Christianity. Many of the deities from Celtic mythology were influenced by the pantheons of other groups that invaded the British Isles. She has been featured by NPR and National Geographic for her ancient history expertise. Lugh is a god of craftsmanship or a solar deity, also known as Lamfhada. The oldest body of myths stemming from the Heroic Age is found only from the early medieval period of Ireland. He is evidently a residual of the earlier, more widespread god Lugus, whose diffusion in Celtic religion is apparent from the number of place names in which his name appears, occurring across the Celtic world. Epona is a Celtic horse goddess associated with fertility, a cornucopia, horses, asses, mules, and oxen who accompanied the soul on its final journey. Drawings of the Greco-Roman Gods and Goddesses, Apollo, the Greek God of the Sun, Music, and Prophecy, Industry and Agriculture History in Europe, M.A., Linguistics, University of Minnesota. The horseman with the kneeling giant is centered on either side of the Rhine. The Celts also worshiped a number of deities of which little more is known than their names. It is mostly through contemporary Roman and Christian sources that their mythology has been preserved. Nemausicae was a Celtic mother goddess of fertility and healing. Indeed, many Gaelic myths were first recorded by Christian monks, albeit without most of their original religious meanings.[5]. Nehalennia was a Celtic goddess of seafarers, fertility, and abundance. The Celtic peoples who maintained either political or linguistic identities (such as the Gaels in Ireland and Scotland, the Welsh in Wales, and the Celtic Britons of southern Great Britain and Brittany) left vestigial remnants of their ancestral mythologies that were put into written form during the Middle Ages. collective term for all the fabulous profane and religious narratives of the Celts, Julius Caesar on Celtic gods and their significance, Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends|year=1999|publisher= Constable & Robinson Ltd|, Celtic Religion – What Information do we really have, What We Don't Know About the Ancient Celts, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Celtic_mythology&oldid=1005068442, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Ancient Celtic religion (known primarily through archaeological sources rather than through written mythology), This page was last edited on 5 February 2021, at 20:48. Gill, N.S. A List of Celtic Gods and Goddesses. Important reflexes of British mythology appear in the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, especially in the names of several characters, such as Rhiannon, Teyrnon, and Brân the Blessed (Bendigeidfran, "Bran [Crow] the Blessed"). MacBain argues that Apollo corresponds to Irish Lugh, Mercury to Manannan mac Lir, Jupiter to the Dagda, Mars to Neit, and Minerva to Brigit.[15]. Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure. Celtic is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, the religion of the Iron Age Celts. Latobius was a Celtic god worshipped in Austria. Brigit is also known as Brighid or Brigantia and in Christianity is known as St. Brigit or Brigid. Oxford University Press, 1998. The Celts didn't leave us any information about their gods and goddesses, so much of what we know is from the writings of Julius Caesar and his contemporaries, as well as Christian monks who came along later. British goddess connected with river and water cults, equated with Minerva, by the Romans and possibly linked with the goddess Brigit. For Celts in close contact with Ancient Rome, such as the Gauls and Celtiberians, their mythology did not survive the Roman Empire, their subsequent conversion to Christianity and the loss of their Celtic languages. Mercury was seen as the originator of all the arts (and is often taken to refer to Lugus for this reason), the supporter of adventurers and of traders, and the mightiest power concerning trade and profit. [11], Along with dedications giving us god names, there are also deity representations to which no name has yet been attached. The classic entry about the Celtic gods of Gaul is by Julius Caesar's history of his war in Gaul. Explore the Celtic pantheon and rediscover the classic Irish, Welsh and British gods including the Dagda, the Morrigan, Lugh, Danu, Cernunnos, Brigid and more. "A List of Celtic Gods and Goddesses." Esus (Hesus) was a Gallic god named along with Taranis and Teutates. ... Cerridwen is, in Celtic mythology, the keeper of the cauldron of knowledge. Celtic is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, the religion of the Iron Age Celts. [12] Some of these images can be found in Late Bronze Age peat bogs in Britain,[13] indicating the symbols were both pre-Roman and widely spread across Celtic culture. Cernunnos is born at the winter solstice and dies at the summer solstice. As leader of the Tuatha De Danann, Lugh defeated the Fomorians at the Second Battle of Magh. The Tuatha Dé represent the functions of human society such as kingship, crafts and war, while the Fomorians represent chaos and wild nature. Lug is described in the Celtic myths as the last to be added to the list of deities. N.S. The particular character of the Dagda was as a figure of burlesque lampoonery in Irish mythology, and some authors even conclude that he was trusted to be benevolent enough to tolerate jokes at his own expense. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/celtic-gods-and-goddesses-117625. She may have been a mother goddess or historical. Celtic Deities. What has survived includes material dealing with the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomorians, which forms the basis for the text Cath Maige Tuired "The Battle of Mag Tuireadh", as well as portions of the history-focused Lebor Gabála Érenn ("The Book of Invasions"). Oxford University Press, 1998. The Morrígan was a tripartite battle goddess of the Celts of Ancient Ireland and Scotland. He lost his hand in battle which meant that he was no longer eligible to rule as king until his brother made him a silver replacement. James McKillop. Badb, Macha, and Nemain may have been aspects of her or she was part of a trinity of war goddesses, with Badb and Macha. His name is said to mean "he who nourishes the people". He had an invincible sword that would cut his enemies in half. Romans of the first century BCE recorded the Celtic myths and then later, after the introduction of Christianity to the British Isles, the Irish monks of the 6th century and Welsh writers later wrote down their traditional stories. The god appearing most frequently in the tales is Lugh. The Iron Age ended when the Romans invaded Britain and set up their own civilisation and government. The nature and functions of these ancient gods can be deduced from their names, the location of their inscriptions, their iconography, the Roman gods they are equated with, and similar figures from later bodies of Celtic mythology. He is depicted with helmet and shield. Rangers title win: Former chairman Dave King on Steven Gerrard, Premiership victory and wanting Celtic to improve. Gill, N.S. Among these are images of a three-headed or three-faced god, a squatting god, a god with a snake, a god with a wheel, and a horseman with a kneeling giant. Belenus is a Celtic god of healing worshiped from Italy to Britain. Other important goddesses include Brigid (or Brigit), the Dagda's daughter; Aibell, Áine, Macha, and the sovereign goddess, Ériu. The hero Cu Chulainn rejected her because he failed to recognize her. Saitada was a Celtic goddess from the Tyne Valley in England whose name may mean "goddess of grief.". However, from what has survived of Celtic mythology, it is possible to discern commonalities which hint at a more unified pantheon than is often given credit. The Celtic god Alator was associated with Mars, the Roman war god. Next the Gauls revered Apollo, Mars, Jupiter, and Minerva. In Gaul, it is speculated that the Dagda is associated with Sucellus, the striker, equipped with a hammer and cup. In addition to these five, Caesar mentions that the Gauls traced their ancestry to Dīs Pater[16] (possibly Irish Donn). The children of Llŷr ("Sea" = Irish Ler) in the Second and Third Branches, and the children of Dôn (Danu in Irish and earlier Indo-European tradition) in the Fourth Branch are major figures, but the tales themselves are not primary mythology. King of the gods in different cultures. ... Nuada of the Silver-Hand was the first King of the Tuatha dé Danann, well liked and wise, yet he was forced to give up the throne after he lost his hand. A list of major Celtic gods and goddesses includes those reported by the Romans in the first century BCE and Irish monks of the sixth century CE. Among these divinities Caesar described the Celts as holding roughly equal views as did other populations: Apollo dispels sickness, Minerva encourages skills, Jupiter governs the skies, and Mars influences warfare. These examples seem to indicate regional preferences of a common image stock.[12]. ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/celtic-gods-and-goddesses-117625. In Dorset there is a famous outline of an ithyphallic giant known as the Cerne Abbas Giant with a club cut into the chalky soil. Albiorix is the "king of the world.". [3] Julius Caesar attests to the literacy of the Gauls, but also wrote that their priests, the druids, were forbidden to use writing to record certain verses of religious significance[4] (Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico 6.14) while also noting that the Helvetii had a written census (Caesar, De Bello Gallico 1.29). Examples of this displacement of kings of the gods include: In the Mesopotamian Anunnaki, Enlil displaces Anu and is in turn replaced by Marduk. Nuada (Nudd or Ludd) is the Celtic god of healing and much more. Counted among the oldest of the ancient Celtic gods in Ireland, Ana (also known as Anu, Dana, Danu, and Annan) possibly embodied the primordial scope, with her epithets describing her as a mother goddess.Thus the Celtic goddess, often portrayed as a beautiful and mature woman, was associated with nature and the spiritual essence of nature, while also representing the contrasting (yet … Source: "Mórrígan" A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. The worship of Belenus was linked with the healing aspect of Apollo. Esus is linked with Mercury and Mars and rituals with human sacrifice. Cernunnos is a horned god associated with fertility, nature, fruit, grain, the underworld, and wealth, and especially associated with horned animals like the bull, stag, and a ram-headed serpent. The leader of the gods for the Irish pantheon appears to have been the Dagda. Nerthus was a Germanic fertility goddess mentioned in Tacitus' Germania. The Gundestrup cauldron has been also interpreted mythically. Lenus was a Celtic healing god sometimes equated with the Celtic god Iovantucarus and the Roman god Mars who in this Celtic version was a healing god. Latobius was a god of mountains and sky equated with the Roman Mars and Jupiter. In Ireland a festival called the Lughnasadh (Irish: Lúnasa "August") was held in his honor. [6] As Christianity began to take over, the gods and goddesses were slowly eliminated as such from the culture. According to the Syrian rhetorician Lucian, Ogmios was supposed to lead a band of men chained by their ears to his tongue as a symbol of the strength of his eloquence. The first-century Roman poet Lucan mentions the gods Taranis, Teutates and Esus, but there is little Celtic evidence that these were important deities. She is the giver of wisdom and inspiration, and as such is often associated with the moon and the intuitive process. Let's look at some of the many lunar gods and goddesses from around the world. The Celts lived during the Iron Age, from about 600 BC to 43 AD.This is the time when iron was discovered and used. When he died, Morrigan sat on his shoulder as a crow. Celtic Gods. Maponus was a Celtic god of music and poetry in Britain and France, sometimes associated with Apollo. Brigit is the Celtic goddess of fire, healing, fertility, poetry, cattle, and patroness of smiths. Irish tales depict the Dagda as a figure of power, armed with a club. Rome introduced a more widespread habit of public inscriptions, and broke the power of the druids in the areas it conquered; in fact, most inscriptions to deities discovered in Gaul (modern France and Northern Italy), Britain and other formerly (or presently) Celtic-speaking areas post-date the Roman conquest. He may have been a woodcutter. 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