FERTILITY GODDESSES See mother goddesses
Fiachra In Irish myth, one of the unfortunate children of Lir 2 , a member of the Tuatha De Danann. Fiachra and her three siblings were turned into swans by their father's second wife, their jealous stepmother who was also their aunt, AiFE 2 . The children remained swans for 900 years until the curse was broken by the marriage of a man from the North and a woman from the South. FlACHU MAC Fir FhEBE An Ulster hero who, along with Fergus, fought with Queen Medb of Connacht against his own...
Red Man of All Knowledge Celtic god
who helps the hero Diarmait in the tale of the Loathly Lady. The Red Man is a messenger, prophet, and wise man from Land Under Wave, a place located in the Otherworld. He helps Diarmait in his quest to find the cup of healing water to cure the Loathly Lady, who is really a fairy princess. He also warns Diarmait of what will happen once the lady is cured, advising him to refuse all gifts except for the offer of a ride home on an enchanted ship. RHIANNON Welsh princess, wife of king Pwyll and...
DERMOT See Diarmait
DESTRUCTIONS One of the story types found in Celtic myth. The tales describe the destruction of a building, often by fire. The best known of this literary form is The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel. In that story, a king's failure to follow his sacred vows result in his death. DlAN A Fianna chieftain who traveled to the Otherworld and back. Upon returning, he told his friends that he would rather be a slave of the Fianna than a ruler in the Otherworld. Another Dian was one of the three sons...
Cymraeg Cymric A dialect of the Celtic
language that was spoken in Wales and also used a unique alphabet. The Celtic language evolved from the Indo-European languages, which were the basis for all languages spoken in Europe, India, Persia, and some parts of Asia. As the Celts spread out through Europe and Great Britain, they began to pronounce words differently or use different terms for the same ideas. Under British rule, Cymraeg was discarded or outlawed in favor of the English language. Today, because of renewed interest in...
contents
Introduction vu Time Line for Celtic Culture xv Map of Celtic Europe 800-200 bce xv A-to-Z Entries 1 Selected Bibliography 124 Index 125 Mythology is a key that helps us unlock the mysteries of people, cultures, and civilizations of the past. Even after the inhabitants of these worlds are long gone, we can learn about them by reading their stories. Celtic pronounced KEL-tic mythology is no exception to this rule. The cast of characters in Celtic myth is a reflection of the society itself. These...
Horned God
Celtic warriors often wore horned helmets to evoke the power of horned gods like Cernunnos. This helmet dates from the first century B.C. and is decorated in the La Tene style. Photo by Vissarion Used under a Creative Commons license HORNED GOD Early Celtic gods were often depicted with animal horns or antlers on their heads. Such horns were believed to be a symbol of male strength. The most prominent of the horned gods was the Gaul Cernunnos. The Gaul god Camu-lus and the British god CociDius...
Fairy Mounds
for all she gives, this fairy lives off of and drains the life force of her human lover, who remains her slave until he can find someone else to take his place. The Irish leipreachain, or lepracaun a name which means shoemaker , is another solitary fairy who sometimes plots mischief against humans they are also known as Cluricauns a drunk leprechaun and Far Darrig red man or practical joker . Yeats describes leipreachains as withered, old, and solitary and badly dressed, slouching, jeering,...
Milesians
he tricked Eochaid into letting her go. Either way, Eochaid and his men rescued Etain and brought her back home again. Milesians The final wave of invaders of Ireland, as described in the Lebcjr GabAla Book of Invasions . They were led by MiL Espaine, who wanted to avenge the death of his uncle, Ith. Mil, for whom the group was named, did not survive the journey. When Mil's sons and followers arrived in Ireland, they were greeted by Banba, Eriu, and Fodla. Each of the three beautiful goddesses...
Diarmait
Her father, wanting only to please the girl, told her that such a man lived nearby. He was NoisE, the nephew of Conchobar. His hair was as black as a raven's feathers, his skin was as white as snow, and his cheeks were flushed red as newly spilled blood. Deirdre pined for this man whom she had never met. She became so melancholy that her father agreed to arrange a meeting. The young man and the maiden fell in love instantly. Recognizing Deirdre as the infant who had been promised to his uncle...
Sualtam mac Roich Husband of Deichtine and foster father of Cuchulainn
Sucellus SUCELLUS, The God Striker A Gaulish god whose function is unclear. He carried a large hammer. He was possibly a king of the gods or a god of the dead. The cup or purse he carried could mean that he was a fertility god or a god of wealth and well-being. His consort was the water goddess Nantosuelta. Sulis A Gaulish goddess of healing and fertility. sun gods and sun goddesses The male and female deities often regional connected with the Sun. Male figures included Belenus and Beli Mawr....
Yeats William Butler Famous Irish POET
and dramatist leader of the nineteenth-century renewal of Celtic and traditional Irish culture. Yeats's poems, plays, and books reflected his deep love of Ireland and its myths. His life's work gained him the Noble Prize for literature in 1923 and deeply influenced a renewal of worldwide interest in Celtic culture. Born in Dublin in 1865, Yeats was just a baby when his family returned to London. He spent many of his boyhood summers at his grandparent's home in County Sligo, Ireland. He was not...
Brigit
promised, Bricriu left the hall before the start of the great feast. But before departing, he turned and told the guests that they should decide among themselves who deserved the champion's portion. Bricriu and his wife then crept up into a balcony to watch and enjoy the chaos. As expected, each of the three Ulstermen announced his claim to the champion's portion. The argument soon became a fistfight. A wise Ulsterman, Sencha mac Ailella, ended the fight by suggesting that each guest get an...
ElTHNE INGUBAI In some stories the wife of Cchulainn
Elatha In Irish tales, the mystical Fomorian king who mated with riu of the Tuatha De Danann to produce Bres. Despite his family ties to the two warring factions, Bres failed to make peace between the two peoples. ELCMAR The alias of the Tuatha De Danann king Nuadu when he was serving as foster father to Angus g, the god of youth. ELDER A tree that, like the alder, seems to bleed when cut. The elder was thought to contain spirits of fertility. ELEN A Welsh heroine from the Mabinogion. She used...
B
BADB BadHBH, Black Crow Goddess of war or death who visited battlefields to incite mayhem, slaughter, and general confusion. Disguised as a crow, she visited the celebrated Ulsterman Cuchu-lainn. She visited Dagda in the form of a woman and assured his victory in the second battle of Mag Tuired. Badb was one of a triad of great Irish queens, along with Macha 1 and MoRRiGAN. Together, they are known as the MoRRiGNA. See battle gods and goddesses. Balor Balar A mighty Fomorian leader, warrior,...
Time line for Celtic Culture
6000 B.c. 1000 B.c. ca. 900 B.c. ca. 800 B.c. Beginning of the Stone Age Beginning of the Iron Age The use of iron spreads into Europe First Celtic people in central Europe Hallstatt era begins Celts settle in Spain First Celtic tribes arrive in Ireland from Spain Celts continue to colonize British Isles, move into Scotland Height of Celtic influence in Britain La Tene culture era begins the first heroic and royal sagas are created Celtic tribes expand into Italy, Spain, France, and Bavaria...
ALPHABET See ogham
AMAETHON 1 In Welsh tales, the magician son of the goddess Don. His brother, Gwydion, was also a powerful magician. When Amaethon stole a deer, a bird, and a dog from Annwfn, the Welsh Otherworld, he angered the deities there. Arawn, the ruler of Annwfn, declared war on Amaethon and his brother, Gwydion. Just when all seemed lost, Gwydion used magic to turn trees into warriors. With the aid of their magical army, the brothers managed to defeat the gods. The battle was called Cad Goddeu, or the...
Tuatha De Danann
people of Dana. Badb, Macha 1 , and MorrIgan are their three great queens or war goddesses. Each member of the Tuatha De Danann has a special significance, skill, or capacity. The principal characters and their main traits are as follows Angus Og was the god of youth and beauty and a protector of lovers. BOand was a river goddess who gave her name to the river Boyne. She was the wife of Dagda. Brigit was the fiery goddess of poetry and the patron of storytellers and bards. Cian was a shape...
Boudicca
This statue of Boudicca by Thomas Thornycroft shows the Icene queen confronting the Romans in full warrior regalia. Her two daughters sit behind their mother. Photo by Kit36 Used under a Creative Commons license ambushed General Quintus Petilius Cerialis and his 6,000 legionnaires as they marched south. His entire infantry excepting for 500 cavalry officers was slaughtered. The general retreated back to his fortress in the north. Next, Boudicca's forces attacked the Roman headquarters in the...
F 1
fairies 53-54, 53 See also changeling Gwynn ap Nudd 62 Medb 81 in Shakespeare 54 Yeats, William Butler and 53, 121 stdh 54 fairy seals. See selkies Fand 54 35-38 wife of Manannan mac lir 80 Feast of Tara. See Feis Medb and 81 Fedlimid mac Daill 54 Feimhin 54. See also fairies Fionn mac Cumhail and 57-58 Feis Temhra Feast of Tara 54 Fenian Cycle xi, 54-55. See also Cath Gabhra Cycle of Kings Mother Goddesses Mythological Cycle Ulster Cycle Fer Caille 35-38 Scathach and 100 Fergus Finbel 55...
Brian Of Celtic Legend
the men. He sat with his father, Matholwch, and played affectionately with his uncles Bendigeidfran and Nisien. His other uncle, the jealous Efnisien, however, took offense, as the boy was not playing with him. Efnisien called Gwern to him, and the boy came running with friendship and affection. Efnisien grabbed the child and hurled him headfirst into the roaring hearth fire. Branwen cried out at this horrendous act, and the men reached for their arms. A great battle broke out in the house that...
Lugaid Laga
to the fireplace, takes pity on the wretched woman. He gives her his bed and blanket. The Loathly Lady notices Diarmait's love spot, a facial blemish put there by the fairies. The spot makes any women who looks at it fall in love with the young man. The Loathly Lady says she has wandered the world alone for the past seven years. Diarmait reassures her and tells her she can sleep all night and he will protect her. Towards dawn, he notices that she has become a beautiful young woman. The next...
xvi Celtic Mythology A to Z ca ad
Saint Patrick brings new era of religion, education, and literature to Ireland Christianity starts to spread to Wales Earliest written texts of Celtic literature Nuclear homeland of Celtic tribes Celtic settlement at its greatest extent in the fifth century BCE Etruscan lands, ca. 500 BCE Celtic migration Nuclear homeland of Celtic tribes Etruscan lands, ca. 500 BCE Celtic migration Abartach Abarta, Performer of Feats A god of the Tuatha De Danann. He used trickery to lure a group of Fianna...
Arms And Armor
who heard their song were unable to sleep for three days and three nights. animals Celtic myth is replete with tales involving animal characters. Animals are intertwined with the lives and stories of gods, goddesses, and heroes, and they often have magical powers of their own. Some Celtic deities had animal characteristics, such as Cernunnos, who had the horns of a stag. Deities with links to animals include Artio, the bear goddess, Arduinna, the boar goddess, and Epona, the horse goddess. Many...
G
GAEL A term used to distinguish Celts who lived in the Scottish Highlands and Ireland from the Manx who lived on the Isle of Man, the Cymry, or Bry-thonic, Celts who lived in southern Britain Wales, Cornwall, and Breton , and the Gauls who lived in Europe. A Gael is also used to describe any Scots or Irish citizen who speaks Gaelic, the Goidelic dialect of the original Celtic language. Gaelic Goidelic A term used to describe any aspect of Celtic culture that flourished in Ireland and Scotland,...
Women Warriors And Rulers
ing to decapitate him, and taking the gold back and presenting it to her husband. Another queen, called Teuta by the Romans, was chosen by a council of tribal chieftains to rule her dead husband's territory on the Illyrian coast. The ambitious queen made trouble among the Greeks, Romans, and Illyrian tribes by attacking the neighboring state of Epiros with the help of the Celtic mercenaries employed to protect the city. She also assassinated the Roman ambassador who threatened her with death if...
Dylan
used the fog to hide from druids as they passed him by. Fairies were also said to have the power to make themselves invisible. DRYANTORE A giant who sought revenge against Fionn and his men after they killed his three sons and his sister's husband. Dryantore trapped the Irish warriors in a druid's fog. He captured Fionn and imprisoned him in his Otherworld palace. The Fianna freed Fionn and killed Dryantore in the battle. DUBH DUB, DUIBHLINN A dark Irish druid and bard who gave her name to...
Fergus Mac Roich
some of the most well-known and beloved in Celtic myth. They include the stories of Fionn's youth, such as how he gained his supernatural wisdom by touching the flesh of a magical salmon. They also include the exploits of the great warriors from their minor skirmishes to their great battles. Among the latter was Cath Gaehba, The Battle of Gabhair. That conflict began when the Fianna demanded a dowry from Cairbre Lifechair, the Irish high king, upon the marriage of his daughter. Cairbre refused...
Beltaine
of battles or foretell the death of a certain warrior in combat. They sometimes took part in battles themselves, luring warriors into traps so that they were vulnerable to their enemies, or even killing them directly. They were often associated with the crow or the raven. The most ominous of the battle gods and goddesses was the frightful trio of goddesses known as the MoRRiGNA. This was the collective name for the Irish war goddesses Badb, Macha 1 , and Mor-RiGAN. All three were associated...
Yellow Book of Lecan One of three
important sources of Celtic mythology, along with the Book of the Dun Cow and the Book of Leinster Created in the 14th century, The Yellow Book of Lecan is not as old as the other two volumes, which were compiled around a.d. 1100. It was a private undertaking, created for a family clan Lecan was the name of their castle. The Yellow Book of Lecan contains a version of The Cattle Raid of Cooley TAin Bo Cuailnge . It also includes versions of great stories such as The Wooing of Etain and The...
Celtic Legend Waterhorse
Tailtiu 106 Tain Bo Cuailnge Cattle Raid of Cooley xii, 106-107 Taliesin 107. See also Ceridwen Gwiion Bach Elffin and 107 Tara 107 Niell and 89 Taranis 107 Tarvos Trigaranus 107. See also Bulls Tayrnon 108 Tech Duinn 108 Tethra 108 sea gods 100 Teutates 108 Thirteen Treasures of of Etain 109 tore 110, 110 Tory Island 110 trees 110-111 Tristan and Iseult 111, 111 First Battle of Mag Tuired 112-113 Ith killrf by 69 Second Battle of Mag Tuired 113 Tuireann 113 Uath mac Imoman 114 Uathach 114...
V
VlNDONNUS A Gaulish god who may have been a healer of eye diseases. VISIONS One of the story types found in Celtic myth. Others include adventures, cattle raids, destructions, voyages, and wooings. Vision stories are also called aislings, the Irish word for visions or dreams. One example of this literary form is the story of Angus Og, who fell in love with Caer 1 after seeing her in his dreams. VOYAGES One of the story types found in Celtic myth also called by the Irish word for voyages,...
Donn Cuailnge
every night while fleeing the aging Irish hero Fionn, to whom Grainne was engaged to be wed. DOMNU MOTHER GODDESS of the FOMORIANS. DON The Welsh mother goddess in the Mabinogion equivalent to the Irish Ana or Danu. She may also be a goddess of the Otherworld. Don was the wife of the Welsh god Beli Mawr. She was the mother of several important characters, whose fathers are not always named. Don was the mother of the beautiful moon goddess Arianrhod and the kings Lludd 1 and Llefelys by Beli...
H
Hafgan One of two dueling gods of Annwfn, the Welsh Otherworld. The other is Arawn. The two fought over power, control, and territory in Annwfn. Hafgan had special powers only a single blow from a mortal could kill him. Even if one blow seriously wounded him, the second would heal his wounds. So no matter how many times Arawn and Hafgan battled, even if Arawn appeared to win the fight, Hafgan always lived again the following day. Arawn finally devised a plan to outwit Hafgan. Arawn traded...
Fionn Maccumhail
Giant's Causeway, on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland. According to legend, Irish giant Finn McCool built Giant's Causeway Clochan na bhFomharach on his way to fight a Scottish giant named Benandonner. Photo by Code Poet Used under a Creative Commons license FlNNECES FlNEGAS The druid who unintentionally helped Fionn gain the power of divination. When Finneces caught the salmon of knowledge, he gave it to his pupil, Fionn. While cooking the fish for the druid, the boy burned his thumb...
Etan
A renowned and divine beauty of Ireland perhaps a sun goddess see also sun gods and sun goddesses . She may also have connections to the horse goddess Epona and the princess Rhiannon. tain is the heroine of several conflicting tales. The most famous is Tochmarc Etaine The Wooing of Etain . King Midir won Ftafn through trickery and brought her Rome with him to his kingdom in the Otherworld. But Midir's first wife was jealous and turned the beautiful maiden into a fly. Tochmarc Etafne The Wooing...
SEGAIS See Well of Segais
SELKIES fairy seals Selkies are thought to be fairies that live underwater and can shape shift from a seal form to a human form in order to find a mate. Folktales about selkies are popular in Scotland's Shetland and Hebrides Island regions. Fairy seals are said to swim from island to island and sun themselves on rocks, scouting out local women and fishermen. When they find a likely mate, they float out a jewel to entice the person into the water then drag him or her under the waves. In some...
Yspaddaden Penkawr
anything, Gradlon sets his engineers to work to build a fabulous city called Ys, which rises out of the sea itself. An ingenious dike is built with a brass sea gate to hold back the water. Gradlon keeps the key to this sea gate on a chain around his neck. The City of Ys is a beautiful place where feasts, games, songs, and dances are given daily in Dahut's honor. Sailors stop there from all over the world, bringing new men to the attention of the love-starved Dahut, who takes a new lover every...
HAWK See birds
HAZEL A revered tree and a symbol of wisdom. Its fruit, the hazelnut, was said to give wisdom to whoever ate it, especially if the tree grew at the head of a river. Hazel trees were connected to water and the fish that swam in it. One could also gain wisdom by eating the flesh of a salmon that had eaten hazelnuts. The fish would grow one spot on its flesh for each hazelnut it ate. The more spots a salmon had, the more wisdom it would bring to whoever ate it. Connla's Well was a mystical spring...
Lludd Lud See Nudd
LlYr Welsh sea god about whom little is known, comparable to the Irish Manannan mac Lir. He was the father of Branwen, Bran 1 the Blessed, and Manawydan. Loathly Lady A troubled female spirit of the Otherworld, who at first appears ugly and distraught, like an Irish banshee or hag. Her rude behavior and misery is really a test to discover a worthy man who will treat her with kindness and consideration, two powerful acts of love that can restore her beauty. This supernatural being is only able...
Thirteen Treasures of Britain Thirteen
Treasures Magical possessions that only work for a worthy Celtic ruler or hero, thereby giving him an advantage in social and military situations. They are similar to the four magical possessions used by the Tuatha De Danann to test whether a newly selected tribal king is fit to rule. These thirteen treasures are described in the myths and legends set down in the Mabinogion and The Welsh Triads. Each treasure is named for the person connected with the legend in which the object is featured....
Kings
body temperature so hot that he can keep himself dry in a rainstorm, and the ability to stay under water for nine days in a row without coming up for a breath. The one-armed Bedwyr is swifter than a deer and has the strength of three warriors in his good arm. In this story, Kilhwch, a young, handsome, and brave cousin of King Arthur, falls under a love spell and sets off in search of Olwen, a woman he has only heard about but never seen. Several knights agree to go on the quest with him. They...
Culann
themselves into birds to fly over the land hunting for C chulainn. Although unable to see him feasting within the hall at Deaf Glen, they saw his horses and chariot waiting outside. The children of Cailit n conjured up the phantom army a third time. Inside Deaf Glen, C chulainn could not hear the terrible battle cries, the war trumpets, or the thundering hoofs of the horses, but the smell of the torches and the light of the camp fires lured him outside. In the cold night air, he saw a great...
Bendigeidfran
the Otherworld, so the Beltaine fires were also intended to scare away wayward spirits. Beltaine was also considered a good day to begin an ambitious project. In Welsh tradition, May 1 was Calan Mai. It was thought to be an especially lucky day and a good day for magic. Bendigeidfran Another name for the Welsh King Bran 1 the Blessed, used in the set of tales called the maeinogion. He was the sister of Bran-wen, whose ill treatment at the hands of an Irish king sparked war between the two...
Colum Cuaillemech A smith of the Tuatha De Danann
Conaire A high king who ruled at Tara in Ireland but died for failing to honor the sacred vows placed upon him see Geis . His parents were the mortal woman Mess Buachalla and the bird god Nemglan. He was the grandson of the goddess or fairy queen ETAiN. The story The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel describes Conaire's downfall. At his inauguration, Conaire took the traditional series of sacred vows. But Conaire was destined to break every geis placed upon him. When two of his foster brothers...
Chariot
Cesair was a powerful magician and may also have been an earth goddess. Her mother is sometimes given as Banba, one of three goddesses for whom Ireland is named. Otherwise, her mother is given as Birren, the mortal wife of Bith. CESAIR 2 A Gaulish princess who was the wife of the Irish chieftain Ugaine Mor. CETHERN MAC FINTAIN A Connacht warrior who fought in Tain bo Cuailnge The Cattle Raid of Cooley . His weapon of choice was a silver spear. He was wounded and captured by the men of Ulster...
Tarvos Trigaranus
to his wounds, but Cuchulainn sent him away to seek help from the men of Ulster. No longer did Cuchulainn believe he could defend against Con-nacht by himself. Sualtam returned to Ulster to warn the men of Medb's advancing armies. He found them still suffering the pains of Macha's curse. He rode his horse around and around, trying to wake them up. In the process, he fell from his horse, struck his head, and died. But his death cries awoke the men of Ulster. They rushed to Cuchulainn's aid the...
Horn
A group of Celtic high crosses mark a burial plot in Ireland. Photo by Adam Harner Shutterstock A group of Celtic high crosses mark a burial plot in Ireland. Photo by Adam Harner Shutterstock seen in the elaborate designs of the Christian Book of Kells. HIGH KING ard rf In Irish Celtic culture, the leader who ruled from Tara. Though distinguished from lower or petty kings, it is unclear what power the high king had over the other Irish kings. The office was ceremonial and religious rather than...
L 1
La Tene era 72-73, 72f second phase of Celtic culture viii Labraid Lamderg 72 Laeg 72. See also charioteer See Tir na nOg Lebor Gabbala Book of Invasions 73 Lecan, Book of. See Yellow Munster leprechaun. See fairies Lia Fail Stone of Destiny 73 crane bag Liath Macha 73 Lieu Llaw Gyffes 74. See also Blodeuedd Dylan Betrayal of Blodeuedd 74 Tragic Story of the Children of 73-74 Llefelys 74 Lludd 2 . See Nudd Llyr add hat on y 74 Loathly Lady 74-75 Otherworld spirit 92-93 Loegaire 75 hero of...
D 1
Da Derga 41. See also Conaire destructions Fer Caille and 55 Dagda 41-42 Angus Og and 4-5 Bodb Derg and 11 Brigit and 21-22 Brigit as daughter of 21-22 Dagda's porridge xiii, 41-42 Danu and 42 Midir and 83-84 Daire 1 . See also Lugaid Daire 2 42 Daire mac Fiachna 42 deer and stags 42. See also animals Tuan mac Cairill Deichtine 42 Lugh and 76-77 Deirdre 42-43 Cathbad and 25 Noise and 42-43, 90 Dela 43 Delbchaem 43 Dermot. See Diarmait destructions 43, 104 Dian 43 Fianna chieftain 56 Otherworld...
FAIRY SEALS See selkies
Fand Wife of the sea god Manannan mac Lir. She fell in love with Cuchulainn. Their affair aroused the jealousy of Emer, Cuchulainn's wife. At first, Emer planned to kill Fand, but then she saw that Fand and Cuchulainn were truly in love. Emer offered to give up Cuchulainn. Fand, moved by Emer's selfless act, also offered to step aside. Manan-nan solved the conflict by shaking his magical robe between Fand and Cuchulainn, thus casting a spell that made the two forget each other forever. Fedelm A...