Celtic Deities (Long List)  

Aedh (fire). Irish. A son of Ler. He is a Lord of fire, and may thus be

considered as a male aspect of the Brigit. He is one of the children of Ler  transformed into a swan by a wicked stepmother, see Conn for fuller details.

Aengus (unique strength). Irish. Son of the Daghda. Associated with birds,  particularly songbirds. An accomplished musician, He is considered a God of  Beauty and perfection of form.

Aeron (slaughtering). Welsh. A war-god, a male Aspect of the Irish Morrigan. He is a later-period male counterpart to Agrona, of earlier British belief.

Afagddu (utter darkness). Welsh. The ill-favored child of Ceridwen, whose name means "Dark" or "Ugly", for whom the Potion of Knowledge is intended.  This Archetype reappears in the Arthurian cycle as a mortal warrior whose  unsurpassed ugliness prevents him from ever being struck at by an opponent,  for fear that he might be the Devil.

Agrona (slaughtering). British. A warrior Goddess, seemingly a version of the Irish Morrigan, in that she is associated with rivers as well. Later this archetype became masculinized among the Cymri as Aeron, which see,  above.

Aife I (pleasant, beautiful). Irish Third wife of Ler, the evil stepmother

of Aedh, Conn, Fiachra, and Finnguala, who transforms them into talking swans in a heat of jealous spite (she being childless). Her deed discovered,  she herself is transformed into a vulture, and made to stay eternally in the  winds.

Aife II (pleasant, beautiful). Irish Lover of Ilbrech, she is transformed

into a crane by a jealous rival. In such form, and as a water-bird, she

becomes a part of Manannan's Realm; when at length she dies, he makes of her remains the fabulous Crane Bag, in which he stores his chief treasures.

Aine (brightness, glow, splendour, glory). Irish. A Faery Goddess of love and desire, she is also the tutelary Goddess of Knockany, Munster. In that  her name derives from the root for "fire", She may be considered as an  aspect of the Brigit.

Ancamna. Gaulish. A Goddess known from inscriptions in the Moselle valley, near Trier. Apparently recognized as a Consort to a divinity identified by  the Romans as Mars.

Andarta ( ... bear). Gaulish. An obscure continental Goddess known from inscriptions in Berne and in the south of France. Apparently a Patroness of  the Vocontii tribe, and perhaps a counterpart or Aspect of Artio. She may  also have a connection with Andrasta (see immediately below).

Andrasta. British. A warrior Goddess of the Iceni tribe, who accepted

sacrifices of hares and, perhaps, humans. She is perhaps best known as the deity invoked by the Iceni warrior-queen

Angus .Scottish The Scottish version of Aengus, and also a God of youthful vigour and perfection of form. Much of His tale revolves around conflicts with Cailleach Bheur, who attempts to deny Him His consort, Bride.

Arawn. Welsh. Lord of Annwn, the underworld and realm of departed spirits. He makes a pact with Pwyll, to exchange places with him for one year, in  order that Pwyll might defeat an enemy, King Hafgan. Though Arawn set no  conditions upon the exchange, when the pact was successfully concluded and  each had returned to his own heritage, Arawn discovered that Pwyll had  denied himself of his own accord the rights of a husband to Arawn's Lady.  Thus Arawn swore an eternal vow of friendship and support toward Pwyll.

Arduinna. Gaulish. An Artemis/Diana-like figure, the tutelary Goddess of the  Ardennes Forest region. She seems to be a particular protectress of wild  boars, and is imaged as riding upon one at least once. Often conflated with  the Roman Diana.

Arecurius (one who stands before the assembly, lawgiver?). British. A Tutelary God of northern Britannia during the Roman occupation.

Arianrhod (silverwheel). Welsh. The mother of Llew, the tale of how she  needed to be  beguiled into granting him a name and arms is a mainstay of the  Mabinogion. She is associated with Night, with the star Polaris, and her  hall is said to be the aurora borealis. As her name clearly implies, she may  very well be a late version of a Moon-Goddess.

Artio (she-bear). Gaulish. A Goddess of Bears, a protector and nurturer of ursine virtues. Closely associated with the Helvetican city of Berne. See  also, Andarta.

Badb (raven) Irish. One of the three Valkyrie-aspects of the Morrigan.

Banbha (pig, sow). Irish. One of the triplicity of Goddesses who are

patronesses of all Ireland (for whom, see Eriu and Fotla). Her Name derives from the same root as "sow", or "pig".

Banghaisghidheach (white ...). Irish. Chief of the cats of Kilkenny.

Belatucadros (shining one, bright). British. Apparently an early version of  Bran the Blessed, and clearly cognate with Beli. He was honoured by common soldiers in the north of Britain during the Roman occupation.

Belenus (bright). Gaulish. The continental version of Beli, conflated by classical authors with Apollo.

Beli (bright). Welsh. Brother, or perhaps precursor, of Bran the Blessed, and reputed to be father of all the Gods in some cycles. Quite possibly a solar deity in early times.

Bendigeidfran. Welsh. The Cymric equivalent of Bran.

Blodeuedd (flowerface). Welsh. A woman created by Math out of flowers (those of Oak, Broom, and Meadowsweet) to be a wife to Llew Llaw Gyffes. The match proved unfortunate as she encompassed his death through infatuation with  another. For this, she was cursed by Gwydion to perpetual abhorrence of

sunlight, and transformed into an owl, a bird vilified and detested by all other birds.

Boand (she of the white cattle). Irish. Wife of Nechtain, and mother by the Daghda of Aengus Og. She is associated with the river Boyne.

Bodb Dearg (Bodb the red). Irish. A daughter of the Daghda, and the tutelary God over southern Connacht and part of Munster.

Boudicca (victory). Irish/British. A female personification of Victory,

especially in a martial sense. A very appropriate personification of her is seen in the historical Boadicca, Queen of the Iceni, who fought the Romans  to a standstill in the first century CE. Although she ultimately lost, this  original Victoria resembles her namesake very strongly.

Bran (raven, crow). Irish. A master of the Isle of Britain, he is a

cauldron-God, associated with a cauldron of regeneration which would revive  the slain while leaving them voiceless. His cauldron destroyed, and he  mortally wounded in a war to rescue his sister Branwen, he instructed his  adherents to decapitate him and, after many travels, bear the head to London  and bury it, where it would become a defense and a protection to the whole Isle.

Branwen (white raven, white crow). Welsh. In the Mabinogion, She is a central figure in being wed to the High King of Ireland and thereby

encompassing the doom of both the Irish and Britons, when her brother Bran  invades Ireland to rescue her from the degradation she experiences at the hands of a vengeful Court.

Brianan ( ? ) Scottish A very obscure figure, apparently a Divinity whose Name is used in oaths and exclamations, often as an invoking force with which to hurl fortune (sometimes good, but more usually bad) toward another.

Bride Scottish Consort of Angus, a Scottish variant on Brigit.

Brigit (exalted one). Irish and British. A triplicity of Goddesses

associated with Fire and smithcraft, with poetry, and with motherhood and childbirth. As an individual, she is a daughter of the Daghda. In pre-Roman Britain, she was the tutelary Goddess of the Brigantes tribe, and like so many Celtic Goddesses, she has some riverine associations. She was conflated into Christian mythology as Saint Brigit.

Cailleach Beara (crone of Beare). Irish. A giantess associated with

mountains. She holds in her apron huge boulders with which to add to  mountainous realms. She is a Tutelary to southwest Munster. She also appears in tales describing a knight being importuned by an old hag for love, acceptance of which transforms her into a beautiful maiden.

Cailleach Bheur (genteel crone) Scottish A giantess associated with Winter.  She is said to be blue in color, and a peculiarity of hers is that she emerges on Samhain as a ancient hag, gradually ages in reverse, and  disappears at Beltane as a young and beautiful maiden.

Ceridwen (... white). Welsh. A cauldron-Goddess associated with the brewing of a potion of Knowledge which she created for the benefit of her child, Afagddu. When the boy Gwion inadvertently tastes the brew instead, she pursues him in a transformation hunt which is a thinly glossed description of an initiatory rebirth. See also, Taliesin.

Cernunnos (horned one). Gaulish. The horned God associated with the Wild Hunt. A lord of the natural world, of animal and vegetative strength. See also, Gwynn and Herne.

Conn (wolf ?, hound?). Irish. A son of Ler, and twin brother of Fiachra. He, his twin, and two other siblings (Aedh and Finnguala) are transformed into swans who can speak and sing by a jealous and spiteful stepmother, Aife. They spend many centuries in this form, and are eventually brought into the household of a Christian missionary, who binds them together with a silver chain. A Queen of Ireland hears of the remarkable birds and, coveting them,

attempts to seize them. In the ensuing struggle, the chain breaks, and they become pillars of dust, representing human bodies many centuries old.

Crearwy (light, beautiful). Welsh. The favoured child of Ceridwen, sibling to Afagddu.

Credne (craftsman). Irish. One of a triplicity of Smithy-Gods. He is an

artisan of worked metal, usually bronze, brass, or gold. The others are Goibhniu and Luchta.

Cruacha. Irish. An obscure figure, maidservant to Etain.

Cymidei Cymeinfoll. Welsh. A War-Hag, said to give birth every six weeks to a fully armed warrior. Wife to Llasar, keeper of the Cauldron of regeneration.

(the) Daghda (lord of skill). Irish. An important figure associated with a sacred well, and water in general. Also a fertility God. Various names and epithets (Eochaid Ollathair, all-father; Ruadh Rofhessa, master of knowledge; Deirgderc, redeye, the sun) of his seem to link him to horse-cults, fire, and knowledge. He is the father of many of the others,  including Brigit, Mider, Aengus, Oghma, and Bodb Dearg. Interestingly  enough, he is often portrayed as a rather sly but bumptious rustic, one who can be fooled, defeated, or bargained with by plying some idiosyncrasy or personal trait. His favoured weapon is a giant club, or maul.

Danu. Irish, Celtic, and general Aryan. A river Goddess whose name appears across the face of Europe, the tutelary deity of many nations and places (cf. Don River, Danube River, Denmark, etc.). In the isles, she was the Mistress of the Tuatha De Dannan, the race of divine and semi-divine inhabitants of Ireland before the coming of the Milesians.

Dioncecht (swift ...). Irish. God closely associated with healing and

mending of physical ills.

Don. Welsh. The Cymric equivalent of Danu, which see, above. There seems to have been some conflation between Don and St. Anne within Mediaeval times.

Donn (lord, master). Irish. A God of the underworld, and of the dead.

Associated territorially with western Munster. The Romans recognized him as an aspect of their own Dis Pater. Expectedly enough from his attributes, He is a silent and solitary figure, unusual enough among the often tumultuous and extroverted Irish divinities.

Efnisien (unpeaceful). Welsh. Maternal half-brother to Bendigeidfran (Bran) and full brother to Nisien. Quarrelsome and a natural antagonist, he is said to be able to cause strife between two brothers when they were most loving. He it is that is responsible for the heinous insult to the Irish leading to Branwen's punishment; he it is that slays her son Gwern at the feast of reconciliation. When the Irish begin using the Cauldron of Regeneration to overwhelm Bran's forces, he feels remorse and, pretending to be a slain Irish warrior, is cast alive into the Cauldron, breaking it and killing himself.

Eochaid (horse-rider). Irish. A very early Aspect of the Daghda, A solar deity associated with lightning. Usually spoken of as one-eyed, and often referred to by an epithet of Daghda's, Deirgderc, redeye, the sun.

Epona (divine horse). Gaulish. Female associated with sovereignty and rulership. Aspect is as a horse, which are sacred to her.

Eriu. Irish. One of the triplicity of Goddesses who are patronesses of all Ireland (for whom, see Banbha and Fotla). She it was whose name was applied to all Ireland.

Etain. Irish. Wife of Mider. By Eochaid, the mother of Liban. She has

associations with horses, and may be a later period aspect of an early sun goddess.

Etan. Irish. Sometimes confused with Etain, above. The daughter of Dioncecht and the wife of Oghma; she is considered a Patroness of craftsmanship and artisans.

Fand (tear; but also Fann, weak or helpless person). Irish. Wife of Manannan and a lover of Cuchullain. Her name apparently derives from the same Aryan root that produces "Venus".

Fiachra. Irish. A son of Ler, and twin brother of Conn, which see for a

fuller telling of their tale.

Finnguala Irish A daughter of Ler, sister to Aedh, Conn, and Fiachra and, like them, a victim of Aife.

Flidais (... deer). Irish. A Celtic Artemis; a huntress figure associated

with archery, the sanctity of forests and the wildlife therein, and the

chase. Unlike Artemis, however, Her lustiness and sexual appetite is

legendary.

Fotla (under-Earth). Irish. One of the triplicity of Goddesses who are

patronesses of All Ireland. The others are Banbha and Eriu.

Gilfaethwy (servant of ... ). Welsh. The brother of Gwydion, his doom is encompassed by his uncontrolled lust for Goewin.

Goewin. Welsh. The footmaiden of Math, and the object of Gilfaethwy's uncontrolled desires.

Goibhniu (smith). Irish. A God of smithcraft, one of a trio (see also Credne  and Luchta ). Aside from his craftsmanship, he is known as the provider of  the Fled Goibnenn, a Sacred Feast. Associated, among other things, with  brewcrafting, he is said to have formulated a draught of immortality; note  the similarity with the Greco-Roman Hephaestus/Vulcan, a divine smith who   was also a brewer. His name survives in Abergavenny (Goibhniu's River).

Gwydion. Welsh. The Cymric equivalent of Goibhniu. In Welsh sources his hall is the Milky Way; he was a magician of high repute, and the tutor and mentor of Llew.

Gwynn ap Nudd. (Southern) Welsh. A Cthonic divinity, leader of the Wild Hunt, in chase of the White Stag. Closely paralleling the Gaulish Cernunnos and British Herne, he also has affiliations with the northern Welsh Arawn.

Hafgan. Welsh. A lord in Annwyn, and a mortal enemy of Arawn, he may only be slain if struck a single killing blow; to strike a mercy-blow to his mortally wounded body would be to revive him again. This is accomplished by  Pwyll when he comes to Arawn's aid, as related in the First Branch of the  Mabinogi.

Hafren. Welsh. Another river Goddess, she is the tutelary of the River

Severn.

Ilbrech. Irish. A son of Manannan, he rules over a section of County

Donegal.

Ler. Irish. A God of the sea. Father of Bran, Fiachra, Aedh, Manannan, and numerous others.

Liban. Irish. A water-spirit, the daughter of Eochaid, by Etain.

Llasar Llaes Gyfnewid. Welsh. The husband of Cymidei, and bearer of the Cauldron later taken by Bran.

Llew Llaw Gyffes (bright one of the steady hand). Welsh. The Cymric

equivalent of Lugh. In the Mabinogion, he is portrayed as a youth who

struggles against a series of malign geases cast by his mother, Arianrhod, and is assisted by Gwydion. He is later severely injured out of circumstances arising from his wife Blodeuedd's infidelity. In all of this he displays a rather feckless naiveté, and does not appear as a pantheon Chieftain.

Llyr. Welsh. The Cymric equivalent of Ler.

Luchta. Irish. One of a triplicity of Smithy-Gods, his aspect is that of the wright, a mechanic and artificer. The others are Credne and Goibhniu.

Luchtigern. (mouse-lord). Irish. Chief of the mice of Kilkenny, slain by

Banghaisghidheach.

Lugh (light, brightness). Irish. Considered the chief Lord of the Tuatha De  Dannan, the Celtic Zeus. His archetype appears to derive from an early solar deity, and he has many epithets and sobriquets, among which: Lamhfhada, Long-arm, referring to his skill with spear or sling; Samildanach, much-skilled, having many talents; Ildanach, seer; and Maicnia, boy-warrior. Macha (field, plain). Irish. One of the three Valkyrie-aspects of the Morrigan.

Manannan (he of the [Irish] sea). Irish. A child of Ler, and the principal sea-God; his name seems to derive from an earlier form of the Isle of Man. He possesses among other things, the fabulous Crane-Bag, holder of all his treasures, including Language. As with many Aryan Sea-Gods, he has a close association with horses.

Maponus. British. Lord of poetry and music; revered during the Roman occupation of Britain.

Math. Welsh. Uncle to Llew. Tutelary to Gwynedd, in North Wales. He is considered the premier sage of Britain: old beyond reckoning, most skilled in Magick, and knowledgeable beyond measure. It was said that he could hear anything spoken that was uttered in the presence of the slightest breeze; the wind would carry the words to him.

Mathonwy. Welsh. Father to Math.

Mabon (son, youth). Welsh. The God associated with youthfulness, he is sometimes conflated with Pryderi. His full name is "Mabon Ap Modron", which simply means "Son, son of Mother".

Manawydan. Welsh. The Cymric equivalent to Manannan.

Mider (central one). Irish. His Name derives from the root for "middle", and implies judgment or negotiation. Among the Tuatha De Dannan, he is a chieftain, and known for his stinginess and misplaced pride.

Modron (mother). Welsh, British, and Gaulish. Often conflated with the Roman Matrona, she is the Tutelary of the Marne in Gaul. In Britain, she appears as a washerwoman, and thus there would seem to be a connection with the Morrigan.

(the) Morrigan (great queen). Irish. A triplicity of Valkyries (see Badb,

Macha, and Nemain ), exalting in battle frenzy, chaos, and the gore of slaughter. She/they have a particular role in being the Choosers of the Slain; selecting, severing from the body, and guiding to the afterworld the spirits of fallen warriors. She has, however, many and diverse aspects and functions. She has been closely associated with water in general, and rivers in particular. She seems in this latter aspect to be a chooser of the slain as well, in that she is seen by those whose fate it is to die in an upcoming battle as a crone, washing their clothing beside a river. See also Morgan le

Fay, for a late version.

Nechtain (?, but cf. the Latin "Neptune"). Irish. Another water-spirit, He is associated with a sacred Well within which live the Salmon of Knowledge. He is closely associated with the Daghda, and has been conflated with him.

Nehalennia (steerswoman). Gallo-Belgic. Primarily associated with protection of travelers over the sea. Her known temple locations are always on the coast, and surviving inscriptions often praise her for successfully completed voyages, or implore her for similar journeys to come. She is invariably associated with a large dog as a companion. She has occasionally been conflated with the Roman Goddess Fortuna. Note also the Anglo-Saxon Elen.

Nemain (frenzy). Irish. One of the three Valkyrie-aspects of the

Morrigan. 

Nemetona (she of the sacred grove). Gaulish. A Continental Deity revered during Roman times; her name may be cognate with the Irish Valkyrie Nemain, and in fact the Romans seem to have regarded her as having some connection with Mars.

Nisien (peaceful). Welsh. Maternal half-brother to Bendigeidfran (Bran) and full brother to Efnisien. Well-favored, he was a natural diplomat of whom it was said that he could make a peace between two embattled armies at the height of their fury. He spent much of his time repairing the damage done by Efnisien.

Noudens. Gaulish. A derivation from Nuada, and as such revered during Roman times. This name has the somewhat unenviable distinction of being borrowed by H. P. Lovecraft to play a bit part in his famous Cthulhu Cycle.

Nuada (cloud maker or catcher). Irish. A warrior God, He was twice king over the Tuatha De Dannan. He lost his office when his arm was severed in combat with the Fomorians; as Kings must be physical whole, he could not resume his kingship until Dioncecht fashioned a silver arm for him.

Nudd. Welsh. Another form of Nuada.

Oghma. Irish. A child of the Daghda, a warrior God who is closely connected  to knowledge, magick, and eloquence. He is the inventor of Ogham script, the Celtic variety of runes; and note well, he is said to have designed the letters as a way of encoding knowledge--- they were not granted to him by mystical vision.

Ogmios. Gaulish. The continental equivalent of Oghma, portrayed as a bald old man leading a contented group of followers by chains attached to their ears.

Pryderi (care, thought). Welsh. The son of Pwyll, whom he succeeds in his lands. He is stolen away as a newborn infant by a nameless Fiend who, on a horse-thieving expedition, drops him once more into the world when it is struck a blow by the guardian of the horses. Note the equine connection with his mother, Rhiannon.

Pwyll (wisdom, prudence). Welsh. Lord of Arberth. Father of Pryderi, Husband of Rhiannon, trusted associate of Arawn as related in the first book of the Mabinogi.

Rhiannon. Welsh. Wife of Pwyll, mother of Pryderi. Unjustly accused of destroying Her newborn son (who had been kidnapped by a nameless Fiend; see above), She is compelled to take on the role of a horse, until Her son is unexpectedly returned to her. She is considered as an aspect of the Gaulish Epona, and the Irish Morrigan.

Scathach (Shadowed) Irish/Scottish. "Lady of Shadows", or, "of the Shadowy Isle". She is a warrior, with additional associations in smithcraft and oracular wisdom. She dwells in Albannach (Scotland), on (most tales agree) the Isle of Skye (Scaith), and is best known as the tutor of CuChulainn in the arts of both love and war.

Sequanna. Gaulish. Patron Goddess of the River Seine.

Silvanus. A woodland spirit associated with parks, villas, and fields, and at an earlier date associated with the forest beyond the settlements, the wildwood. He is a Roman Deity, but so closely did He resonate with Celtic notions that He is often combined with other Celtic Deities of similar attributes. But note well one difference: to the Roman, the Forest was a place of fear, a nightmare land of chaos, and thus Silvanus had for them a shadowy or darker side; to the Celt, however, the Forest was Home, and as such held no mystery or fear.

Sinann. Irish. Patron Goddess of the River Shannon.

Sirona (divine star). Gaulish. A Continental divinity of healing and

fertility.

Tailltiu. Irish. Tutulary Goddess of the Telltown region of Ulster.

Taliesin (radiant-brow). Welsh. A semi-mythical figure whose life has become deeply intertwined with the Divinities of the Celts. He apparently lived in the 6th century CE, and was regarded as the premier bard, or poet of his or any other time. A book of his work exists, set down in the 13th century; several of the works within it are regarded as genuine. He figures in many tales, but chief among them is the story that he began as the boy Gwion, was asked by the Cauldron-Crone Ceridwen to watch the vessel in which she brewed

a Knowledge potion, inadvertently tasted it himself, was pursued by her in a chase involving many shapeshifts, and was at length swallowed by Her, to be reborn nine months later as the Divine bard Taliesin.

Taran (thunder). Welsh/Continental. A war god who may very well be the source of the image I describe as the God of the Wheel, below.

Tuireann. Irish. Son of Oghma and Etan, Husband to the Brigit.

Uathach (Spectral). Irish/Scottish. Daughter of Scathach and, like Her, a lover of CuChulainn.