Board Games
The most common game, which people of any worth were expected to play, was a variant of draughts or checkers invented by Lugh of the Long Hand, called fidchell in Eriu and gwyddbwyll in Prydain. The name, in both languages, meant wooden wisdom, and the game occupied the same social niche as chess did in medieval chivalry. Sometimes a king's fidchell board had a name, in much the same way as a weapon. Often guests were asked to play against the king, and were expected to try their best to beat...
Headhunting
One of the most common practices of Celtic warriors, and the one which seemed most barbaric to more civilized neighbors such as the Romans, was the habit of headhunting. When a Celtic warrior killed an enemy, it was considered perfectly normal to take the head as a trophy. These heads were hung on the side of the chariot, or on the warrior's belt, and it was a matter of great pride to collect the most heads in a battle. The heads were taken home and hung around the door of the warrior's house,...
Setkntk
Cathbad had three daughters by his wife Maga, whom Connor counted as sisters, since Cathbad was his natural father. The oldest, Eva, married Usli and had three sons, Noisi, Ainle, and Ardan. The second, Findchaem, married Amairgen and had one son, Con all Cearnach. The youngest, Dechtira, was Connor's charioteer. One day these two were out on the plain when a fog arose and they had to seek hospitality at a strange dun. There they were entertained by a great lord, and when they retired the lord...
Arianrhod and Llcw LLaw Gyffcs
Math then began to look for a new footwarmer. Gwydion suggested that he ask his sister Arianrhod. She came to court and said that she was a virgin, but when she stepped over Math's wand she gave birth to two children. One of them Math named Dylan Eil Ton Seaborn, son of the Wave and fostered. Dylan was amphibious and had toad-eyes, eventually forsaking the land entirely for the sea. The other child Gwydion fostered. When the second child was old enough, Gwydion took him to Arianrhod. Arianrhod...
Holy Places
Many places in the Celtic world inspired a feeling of awe or religious terror, often without apparent reason. A hillside, or a stream in a valley where a torrent struck a boulder, might seem outwardly no different from any such other place, but still might make the hairs stand up on the back of the neck. These places could represent sites where doors to the Otherworld had been opened, places where momentous events once happened, or even spots marked by wonders. These spots were venerated but...
Gods of the Celts
The Tuatha de Danaan were mortal when they came to Eriu from Murias and fought the Fomor. After the coming of the Milesians they moved into the Otherworld and also literally underground, many of them living inside the hollow hills. After living in the Otherworld for some time many developed godlike powers. See Chapter 4 for more on the Tuatha de Danaan. Considered here are the mysterious old gods, who were gods before the Tuatha came and were still powerful afterward. These gods had many...
The Tuatha Be Danaan
he Tuatha de Danaan were the most powerful of the Sidhe, the children of the goddess Danu. The gt came to Eriu, it was said, from the high air, possibly in splendid fl gt ing ships. Very little was known about their original homeland, except that it must have been somewhere in the Otherworld and that it had four cities greai Falias. and shining Gorias, and Finias and rich Murias in the south. When the Tuatha came to Eriu, they brought the best of their people with them, people whose exploits...
Connor Fergus nd Noisi
When this matter was settled Connor decided to try make peace with Noisi. He sent his mother's husband Fergus to Alba to bring Noisi and Deirdre back. Because Noisi trusted Fergus he came with him. even though he suspected a trick. Connor did indeed plan a trick. It was a gesa of Fergus' that he could never refuse a drink. Connor arranged for someone to invite Fergus for a drink on the way back so that Noisi and Deirdre would leave his protection. After the two arrived alone, Noisi kept Deirdre...
Hunting
As well as being a useful source of meat, hunting served as a pleasant diversion for the king's warriors, a chance for excitement, and weapons-training less risky than warfare. Wild birds were commonly hunted, particularly water birds such as ducks. These were usually brought down with slings, or occasionally with bows. Warriors competed to see how many birds they could catch in a hunting session. They used chariots for bird-hunting, and took great delight in shooting birds out of the sky while...
Honor Pricg
If a Celt suffered a wrong, he could demand compensation from the offender. The restitution, or log-n-enech honor price , that the brehon decided on varied not only according to the offense, but according to the social rank of the victim. The base honor price of an individual was what he would normally earn in two weeks' time, and the severity of the offense would multiply this amount. It was possible to refuse an offer of an honor price if it was considered insufficient, but once an honor...
Gwcrn
Matholwch and Branwen lived in peace for a year and Branwen bore a son named Gwern, Alder. After this, Matholwch i gt champions derided him for accepting compensation for his horses when the culprit escaped without punishment. They persuaded him to turn against Branwen. and she was forced to live in the kitchen and have her face slapped every day by the butcher. She tamed a starling and sent it to Bran with a message about her treatment. When Bran discovered what had happened to his sister, he...
The Cult of the Head
The Celts were very fond of headhunting see pp. 22 and 91 . The head of a dead enemy was not only a trophy but a religious item. The head was the seat of learning and the spiritual center of the body. Severed heads were believed to retain many abilities, as house alarms, for example. Merely having the head of a fallen foe gave one some of the power he had in life. As well as the real heads of dead enemies, Celts made many statues of heads, which were appropriate votive offerings, many of which...
Cuchulain Hound of Chulain
Cuchulain appeared in the stories as a boy and a young man, and was only 27 when he died. As a half-Sidhe, Cuchulain was handsome and had a number of Sidhe advantages, including Wild Mana Generator and the Spurt of Speed version of Heroic Running. He was quite intelligent IQ 13 . and had some druidic learning. He was also exceptionally dexterous DX 17 , allowing him to succeed at feats which no normal person could attempt. Normally his Strength was only 12, but when his riastradh battle frenzy...
Character Tapes
Bard is the first level of the Druidic Order. A Bard knows many stories, poems, and histories, and has some skill at composing new songs and sagas. Bards don't necessarily have Magical Aptitude what they must have is a good memory and a talent for riddles. Bards are keepers of history, teachers, and people who can immortalize heroes in song. Advantages Useful advantages for a bard are Eidetic Memory, Extra Fatigue, Musical Ability, and Voice. Bards are Status 3, and must have Literacy Ogham p....
Bricrius Feast
There was a man at Connor's court called Bricriu of the Poisoned Tongue who delighted in stirring up trouble. He arranged a feast and told Cuchulain, Connal Cearnach, and Leary Budach individually beforehand that they should each claim the hero's portion. They all did so, and had it not been for the intervention and judgment of the druid Sencha the matter might have ended in blood. Sencha's judgment was that the three men should go to the court of Maeve and Aillel at Cruachan in Connachta and...
Thg Heros Portion
One important tradition in the king's hall was that of the hero's portion. When the meat was served in the hall, the largest or most savory portion was supposed to go to the greatest hero present. Great insult could be given if the hero's portion were given to the wrong person. In some cases the meat was carved and then taken to each person individually. In other cases the carver would ask, Who claims this portion The stories of Bricriu's Feast and Mac Da Tho's Pig see pp. 34 and 37 are good...
The Fourth branch Math jfon of JWathonmg
Ipiw ath was one of the three great druids of Prydain, wise and riddling Bs Yy LJ and able to hear anything that was whispered aloud by anyone ou sSJHr of doors. He ruled Gwynedd from his court in Harddlech and ha lt a gesa that, unless the country was at war, he had to keep his feet in the lap of maiden. Math had two nephews and a niece living near him, the children of his sis ter Don by her husband Beli. The niece was Arianrhod, whose home was a Dun Arianrhod. The nephews were Gilfaethwy, a...
Rhiannon Pwyll and Pryderi
Rhiannon was a very powerful Sidhe, who was wise and knowledgeable, and who gave good advicc. She had the Sidhe advantages Enhanced Strength and Heroic Running, and was a Wild Mana Generator. As well as being very wise IQ 14 she was very beautiful. She had Status 6 as queen of Dyfed, and retained this Status even after Pwyll's death and her marriage to Man-annan. Gwawl and Llwyd were powerful enemies of hers. She was exceptionally good at riding and could shapeshift herself into a horse. She...
nd rthur hlmsglf
The Three Most Generous Men of the Island of Prydain Nudd the Generous, son of Senyllt, Mordaf the Generous, son of Serwan, Rhydderch the Generous, son of Tudwal Tudglyd. And Arthur himself was more generous than the three . Although Arthur was a genuine historical figure from the post-Roman Celtic period, he was so impressive that he made guest appearances in much older Celtic stories. He and his knights were mentioned alongside people centuries older in the Triads, sometimes as parenthetical...
Moytura
The Tuatha de Danaan arrived in Eriu from four great cities. Nobody knows where these four cities were, although some say they were in Cartre r Gwaelod and others in drowned Atlantis. They came to Eriu from the air, and the place where they are said to have landed is well inland in Mumu. They brought with them four great treasures the Spear of Victory, the Cauldron of Plenty, the Sword of Light, and the Stone of Destiny the last kept later at Tara .
The Othermorld Islands of ff[onders
TV V vT he Otherworld lay parallel to the real world, like a shadow where H M everything was much the same as in this world, except that it was Jr bigger, brighter, and more magical. In some places, such as Eriu, the Otherworld drew nearer to this world, and the border between them grew thin from constant crossings. In other places the Otherworld withdrew, and in consequence this world was more mundane. An interesting use of the Sidhe in a campaign is as Patrons. Such a Patron would normally...