Abandinus, male, Britain, Realm – Earth (but has connections with Fire and Sky)
The name has roots in the Balkans and has a long evolution from the Vedic fire god Agni to the Balkan sky, thunder and fertility god, Perëndi, through to Andinus of the Dardanians. What we are given is “Andinus bound to the river” (‘ab’ as in Welsh ‘aber’, meaning ‘river’). He is associated with the River Great Ouse. The transition vector, water, is of all the Realms but rivers are of the Earth.
Historical Offering – a horse or foal burned alive.
Modern Offering – Abandinus does not need another horse. As said before, this is not a crude trade, but the gods do need to know that we are invested in the sought process. In the Iron Age, a horse was an expensive item, central to status and ability. Its loss was shattering and it was not gifted lightly. The emotion, the effort, the commitment and the intent, are what this deity requires. Today, taking our time, giving of our best, we hand-carve a small representation of horse or foal and gift it in a sacred fire. Or compose a song, poem or tale about a horse, and perform that in front of a sacred flame.
Symbol – a bronze feather (Earth and Sky).
Abcán, male, Ireland, Realm – Earth, Living and Ancestors
A god of poetic and musical skills, Abcán is a dwarf of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He ferried Ruad, a goddess of the Underworld, in his bronze boat with a tin sail (the sacred metals) to the surface where she intended to seduce human Aed Srónmár. Music from below lured her over the side to drown.
Historical and Modern Offering – music and song dedicated to him.
Symbol – a small boat made of the sacred metals.
Abellio, male, Gaul, Realm – Earth
A god of apple trees and all that is healing, pleasant and magical about them.
Historical Offering – blood and mead at the base of an apple tree.
Modern Offering – now, feed it with blood, fish and bone fertiliser (NPK), plus the mead (of the bees) and keep it free of mistletoe.
Symbol – a sprig from an apple bough.
Abhean, male, Irish, Realm – Living
This god appears in the later Irish mythologies, Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of the Taking of Ireland). From the proto-Celtic root, *Ad-bej-ānos, “at-striking-related-one”, he was killed by Óengus/ Aengus in front of Midir (a god of justice and clear insight). He is the god of harps and harpists, one of the three signature Bardic instruments, the harp, the crwth and song.
Historical and Modern Offering – The commission and recitation of music or sung verse, with other suitable tokens cast into dark water.
Symbol – A harp.
Abnoba, female, Gaul, Realm – Earth
Abnoba is a forest and river goddess,
Historic and Modern Offering – meaningful gifts cast into the river or left at the base of a tree in the forest. Today, the offering needs to be environmentally non-disruptive.
Symbol – a pine sprig floating in a bowl of water
Acionna/ Axiona/ Exona, female, Gaul, Realm – Earth
A goddess of large springs and fountains. In particular, water as a gateway or portal to the Realms. Water, the Transition Element. A liminal goddess.
Historic and Modern Offering – dedicating porches on houses, arches in public places, thresholds, to her.
Symbol – a gate
Adsagsona, female, Gaul, Realm – The Living
The Gaulish “Adsagsona” is “the one who seeks to reach”. Her invocation on the Larzac lead tablet places her as a goddess who repels evil spells and charms. She may be equivalent with Irish Bé Chuille / Becuille, daughter of Flidais, who uses the power of trees, stones and grasses of the earth to halt evildoers and aggressors.
Historical and Modern Offering – something of personal value with a spray from a young tree and a handful of grass, in fire.
Symbol – a handful of stones and a sprig of grass.
Adsullata, Sulis, female, Gaul, Britain, Realm – The Sky
Goddess of hot springs, shrines found in Austria, Brittany and Bath. Shrines and dedications to Adsullata are found on the river Savus, the longest tributary of the Danube. There may still be a Britannia origin, as this is where British vassal conscripts for the Roman army were sent to serve their time in auxiliary companies.
The healing property of fresh bubbling springs is not from the Earth, but from the light which mixes with the water as it sparkles in the sunlight. Gods and goddesses of healing springs are thus always of the Sky Realm.
Historic Offering – metal ingots and sheets, often with requests written on them.
Modern Offering – Take your thin polished sheet of bronze, scribe your adoration, request and promise on to it and then roll it up using pliers. Cast it into a deep pool near the spring. In time, it will corrode to nothing. The roll must do no harm so no sharp edges, please.
Symbol – a face with sun-rays emanating from them.
Aed/ Aodh, male, Ireland. Realm – Ancestors
Aed is a prince of the People of the Mounds, the Aos Sidhe, the Fair Folk. A god of the Underworld, his name means “fire” in Old Irish deriving from “to burn” or “to kindle” in a Proto-Indo-European verb. He is the eldest son of the High King of the Tuatha de Danann, Lir, and of Aoibh, daughter of Bodb Dearg. His usual appellation is “of the wind-swift horses”. In another account he is the son of the Good God, the Dagda (Taranis) and brother to Aengus and Cermait.
One story has him with all his cousins and siblings as great songsters, knowing all the songs in all the languages of the world.
Historical and Modern Offering – Something of a recently departed loved one, given in fire, the transition vector from life to death.
Symbol – A horse.
Aengus/ Angus/ Oengus/ Óengus / Mac ind Óic / Maccan Óc, male, Irish. Realm – Living
Son of The Dagda and Boann, goddess of the River Boyne, his attributes are youth, love, summer and poetic inspiration. He is the same as Welsh mythical figure Mabon and the Celtic god Maponos – Maccan Óc, “the young boy” or “young son”. In the Scots’ tale, “Angus and Bride”, he drives away the Cailleach of Winter and weds Brighid/ Brigit.
As for Maponos and Mabon:
Historic and Modern Offering – Libations and Song.
Symbol – harp.
Aereda or Erda, male, Pyrenean Gaul, Realm – Sky
Serpent thunder god, the serpent being a representation of lightning. The etymology also gives that Aereda flies out from the West, the setting sun, and brings fire. He is particularly invoked during the Midwinter. Thus, in broad Celtic comprehension, also a Taranis personality.
Aereda is thought to be a Celtic understanding of the nearby Basque culture serpent god of thunder, Sugaar. The Basque culture is believed to be Neolithic in origin and not Indo-European, like the ‘Celtic’. Note, the deity Sugaar is linked to the midwinter sun but not the midsummer.
Historic Offering – winter fare – root vegetables and preserved fruits, wild meats and preserved meats, given in fire.
Modern Offering – Today, you would give the cooked food to people who need it.
Symbol – an “X” made of two crossing blazing serpents.
Aernus, Aernvs (Deo Aerno), male, Celtiberian, Realm – Living
Aernus was the protector deity of the Zoelae tribe. A similarity of concept to Teutates thus a kindred aspect.
Historic Offering – Animal and bird offerings accompanied by a rhythmic stamping dance with deep booming drumming on large shields was performed. Perhaps resembling the Yolngu dance patterns in Arnhem Land, Australia.
Modern Offering – Prepare your food offerings, perform your dance, then give the food to people who need it.
Symbol – Fur and feathers
Aerno, male, Lusitanian, Gallo-Iberian, Realm – Earth
A chthonic god of plants. They are in his care and he nurtures their growth.
Historic Offering – The offering to Esus was probably the old version, and likely the blood and bone ash from the pre-winter slaughter of surplus livestock.
Modern Offering – Today, nutritious organic matter to feed new growth – blood, fish and bone meal, that is, nitrogen, phosphorus & potassium (NPK) for roots, shoots and fruits respectively, or a seaweed dressing if vegan.
Symbol – a grove of pine trees.
Aerten, female, Cornwall, Wales, Realm – Living
The Goddess who decides the outcome of battles. Undoubtedly Andraste.
Comparable to Atropos, the Greek Fate who cuts the string of a life, or Nemesis, amender of disparities.
Historic Offering – Votives before battle. Guidance divined.
Modern Offering – Think very carefully before calling to Aerten. She is a goddess of battles not disagreements. If her concerns really apply to you, then the votives will be something genuinely precious to you, given in a makeshift shrine or deep water. Let her advice come to you intuitively.
Symbol – as for Andraste, a bronze shield.
Afallach, Avalloc, male, Wales, Britain, Ancestors
Several medieval Welsh genealogies made Afallach (Aballac in Old Welsh) the son of Beli Mawr (Belenos). In the Welsh Triads (no.70), Afallach is the father of the goddess Modron (Matrona) . He is father of ‘The Mother’. She is ‘Mother’ of Mabon, ‘The Son’ (Maponos).
Geoffrey of Monmouth links him with Ynys Afallach, the Isle of Avalon, (Historia Regum Britanniae, Brut y Brenhinedd) but this is a coincidence – two uses of a common Welsh word.
Also, a personality of the King of Annwn, Arawn / Gwyn ap Nudd, as his daughter refers to him by this title, in the Tale of Urien and Modron.
Historic and Modern Offering – apples, cider, apple tree – wood and offering place
Symbol – an apple or a sprig from an apple tree
Afagddu. Male. Wales. Realm – Earth, Ancestors
The ugly son of Ceridwen and brother of a beautiful sister who sought wisdom and knowledge outside himself, unsuccessfully. Avagddu; from y fagddu, “utter darkness”. He is almost certainly a version of Morfran eil Tegid, the son of Ceridwen and Tegid Foel. Morfran means “sea” (môr) “crow” (brân) or “cormorant”. He is of the dark and hideous and has an opposite number, Sanddef Pryd Angel, who is radiant and beautiful (hence “like an angel”). Morfran appears as one of Arthur’s knights and in The Dream of Rhonabwy. Surprisingly, he is a great lover. In the 12th-century, Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr (“the Great Poet”) mentions a celebrated poet called Morfran, lesser in greatness than Taliesin, c. C6th CE.
A possible parallel with the Greek Hephaestus and Roman Vulcan.
Historic and Modern Offering – salmon, hazelnuts, elderberries, blackcurrants and blackberries
Symbol – whole hazelnuts
Agrona (probably Andraste), female, Wales, Realm – Living
Goddess of war and carnage.
Likened to Greek Enyo and Roman Ballona.
Historic Offering – Blood of a slave (battle captive) before battle. Guidance divined.
Modern Offering – Think very carefully before calling to Agrona. She is a goddess of warfare not fallings-out. If her concerns really apply to you, then the votives will be something genuinely precious to you, given in a makeshift shrine or deep water. Let her advice come to you intuitively.
Symbol – as for Andraste, a bronze shield
Ai, male, Irish, Realm – Living
A god of poetry, a male aspect of Brighid.
Comparable to one of Apollo’s aspects.
Historic Offering – a pot of honey (Brighid is described as “honey tongued”)
Modern Offering – the same but put the honey on a thick board and leave outside a badgers’ sett.
Symbol – roll of parchment (fit for the best poetry)
Ailill Angubae, male, Irish, Realm – Living
God of unrequited lovers, Ailill fell in love with Midir’s (Ailill’s brother) wife, Étaín, at their wedding. He began wasting away. They were to meet but Midir heard of their intent and cast Étaín into a deep sleep.
Historic and Modern Offering – a composition or rendering of the unattainable intended, cast into flames.
Symbol – an image of a locked gate
Áine (pr. ‘ain-ee-ya’), female, Irish, Realm – Sky and Living
Goddess of summer, wealth and power, love and fertility, thus influencing livestock and crops. Her time is Midsummer Solstice and Midsummer’s Day. In the mythologies, she is daughter of Egobail – a name for The Daghda, sister to Aillen and/or Fennen and great matriarch to many Irish lines.
Likened to Aphrodite and Venus.
Historical and Modern Offering – a bundle of growing grain crop in fire (or of medicinal herbs on the Diwrnod Casglu’r – The Gathering Day). The plants must be yours to offer!
Symbol – a red mare.
Alator, male, British, Realm – Earth and Living
Meaning either huntsman or cherisher, Alator thus has connections with Esus – Lord of the Forest and Smertrios – the Great Provider, as carer. A dog in the symbolism is usually an indicator of a protector, even in a hunting context.
He is paired by the Romano-British with Mars probably in his agricultural context (caring for both wild and cultivated land).
Historical and Modern Offering – a libation of ale poured on either field or woodland glade.
Symbol – a hunting dog
Alaunus, Alaunius, male, Gaul, Germania. Realm – Living
A god of healing and prophecy connected with the transition element of water. He has a feminine aspect, Alauna, a river goddess whose shrines have been found in Brittany. Proto-Celtic root word, *alo– (“feed, raise, nurture”), implying a linkage to Esus as Smertrios or Rosmerta, or Proto-Indo-European root word, *el- or *ol-, “to flow or stream”.
Aspected as Mercury.
Historic and Modern Offering – something small, precious and personal, thrown into water.
Symbol – wooden bowl of water (healing and prophecy)
The Alaisiagae, female, British, Gaulish, Realm – Living
Two goddesses who are individually named Boudihillia (Victory’s Fullness) and Beda (Burial) that always appear together as The Alaisiagae, “They who send terror”. ‘Queen of Nightmares’ is a Mórrígan title so there may be linkage. The Mórrígan is known in Britain as Andraste. Another link is an alternative reading that means “they who send victory”. Andraste’s name means “victorious” as does Boudica’s, whose name has the same root as the individual names.
Equated to Fimmilena and Friagabis, two Germanic goddesses linked with war-god Týr, who is linked to Teutates.
Historic Offering – The blood from deep chest wounds of captives before battle, scattered on the ground as a libation.
Modern Offering – As before, Boudihillia and Beda are war goddesses. Do not call to them lightly. Today two bottles of very good red wine libated.
Symbol – a stone carved with the two goddesses.
Alantedoba, female, Alpine Gaul, Realm – Earth
Her name means “The Travelling Darkness”. In ‘Celtic’ symbolism, this is not always a synonym for evil as great revelation appears from darkness and the gods exchange with humankind in this medium, whether in water or the deep unlit places. It is likely that we would call her in wild places when guidance or support is needed.
Historic and Modern Offering – wrap the offering in black cloth and place it somewhere deep.
Symbol – an empty black bowl.
Alisanos (Alisaunus), male, Gaul. Realm – Earth
A mountain-god associated with the tree, alder, (Proto-Celtic *alias) and the region associated with Vercingetorix, Alesia.
Historic and Modern Offering – forest fruits left in high places – high hills, mountains tree tops or a tall building if you are permitted.
Symbol – pebble of granite or sprig of alder.
Alus, male, Alpine Gaul, Realm – Sky
A local powerful agricultural god. He is cited in a Romano-Gaulish dedication – “Deus Alus Saturnus” – as being aspected to Saturn, father of Jupiter, in an agricultural context. It would be fair to say that Amaethon and Alus are the same.
Saturn (= Greek Cronos) controlled time, fertility, wealth and agricultural abundance. For Celtic equivalents, a hybrid of Taranis (fertility, storms; rain, light; warmth, growth and health), Esus (abundance of the earth), Lugos (agricultural abundance and time) and Teutates (material wealth). We must look only at the aspect matched.
Historic Offering – Blood of the autumn’s slaying poured onto the field before the plough bites. After harvest, a basket of the best of the produce, in fire.
Modern Offering – If you farm livestock, you’ll have a slaughterer’s licence. Note well that this is a byproduct offering from a normal event and part of the normal soil fertilisation process in ancient times. Otherwise, today’s second option would be the gift of a good sample of your best produce to those who need it.
Symbol – an eagle sitting in an oak tree.
Amaethon, male, Wales, Realm – Earth
The agricultural god so popular that Welsh words for “farmer”, amaethwr, and “plough”, arddu, derive from him. In the epic, he is responsible for the Cad Goddeu or “Battle of Trees”.
Compared with aspects of Saturn.
Historic Offering – Blood poured onto fields before ploughing. Harvest tokens at the time of their gathering.
Modern Offering – If you farm livestock, you’ll have a slaughterer’s licence. Notice that this is a byproduct offering from a normal event and part of the normal soil fertilisation process in ancient times. Otherwise, today’s second option would be the gift of a good sample of your best produce to those who need it.
Symbol – a male corn dolly.
Ambisagrus, male, Gaul, Britain, Realm – Sky
An important weather god.
Liken to certain aspects of Greek Zeus and Roman Jupiter.
Historic and Modern Offering – Libations and votives in high places.
Symbol – a carved lightning bolt
Ancamna, female, Gaul, Realm – Earth
In some localities, consort of Teutates, Lord of the Tribes, in others, consort of Smertrios, the Provider, personality of Esus, in yet others, a consort of Loucetios, a personality of Taranis.
Whilst there being no particular attributes that Ancamna bestows, she is usually the goddess of a sacred spring and her ‘beingness’ may be to complete one of the major gods, his fertility, his relevance to family and balance the ‘maleness’ with the ‘female’. As custodian of sacred springs, she would be a patron to the Druids as Nemetona is for sacred groves. Note that Ancamna is an Earth goddess as it is not the sparkling property of her springs that make them sacred, as it would be for the healing springs of the Sky deities.
Historic Offering – the traditional sacrifices to her consorts were human. Heads were placed in sacred springs.
Modern Offering – Now we toss a coin into the pool under a spring (coins have value and a head imprinted on them).
Symbol – the symbol of her consorts on a fine white scarf.
Ancasta, female, Britain, Realm – Earth
A river goddess, a woman’s upper body with two scaly fish tails, whose name has the root *kasto, being proto-Celtic for ‘swift’. The verbal construction thus implies “goddess of the swift flowing river”. Her likeness and a dedicated altar were found near a fast-flowing bend in the River Itchen, Hampshire. Bitterne (Anglo-Saxon), the nearby village, now a suburb of Southampton, UK, means “a bend in the river”. She is almost certainly a Niska (see Maximia for details) and related to Niskus, god of the nearby Hamble River, Hampshire. The Scots call the Niskas, ‘Kelpies’, which you may have heard of.
Historic and Modern Offering – A libation poured into the river.
Symbol – a figurine of the goddess with a blue sash.
Andaeico, male, Celtiberian, Realm – Earth
A chthonic god who brings crops to flower before the fruit. He is sought as an oracle. Stand with your flowering apple, cherry or oak and call on him.
Historic and Modern Offering – something of personal value buried in the outer roots. Or feed the plant that it may grow and fruit well.
Symbol – a depiction of a tree in bloom.
Andeis, male, Pyrenean Gaul, Realm – Earth
First of the Pyrenean mountain gods (also Arpeninus and Arixus) called on for protection and for safe travel through such places. They are lords of the mountain rather than being protective in nature, and it is their indulgence that is craved. They are worshipped in high places.
Historic and Modern Offering – food and a lighted candle (to guide the way) are placed on a small cairn built for the occasion. Never leave a naked flame unattended (put it out properly when rite completed). Your candle will be biodegradable, not fossil fuel.
Symbol – a craggy rock, not rounded by stream or wear.
Andraste, Andarte (see also Agrona and Aerten), female, Britain. Realm – Living
The war goddess. Her name means ‘Victory’ and she is the British understanding of ‘The Mórrígan’. See above. Aerten and Agrona (above) may derive from this goddess’ name. She is of the wild places and her envoys are the bear and the hare (as messenger).
Similar to the Greek Athena and the Roman Minerva.
Historic Offering – Captive warriors would receive a massive chest wound – sometimes cut in half before the battle. Victory would be foretold from the blood flow and spasms. Trophy heads were deposited in holy pools for her.
Modern Offering – Firstly, the war goddess is not to be called on for minor or trade disputes, like court cases. If the situation is appropriate, libate a bottle of very good wine. Let her advice come to you lightly and intuitively. Leave valuable coins that bear a head on one side.
Symbol – a bronze shield.
Anextiomarus/ Anextlomarus, male, Gaul, Britain. Realm – Living and Sky
The ‘Great Protector’. Can grant prosperity. Female divine form, Anextlomara.
Linked by the Romans to sun god Apollo
Historic Offering – mixed wine and water, but could also be unmixed wine, honey, dressing oil, water or milk in a sacred flat bowl.
Modern Offering – as above but gift the food to those who need it.
Symbol – high value coin.
yr Angau, an Ankow, Ankou, male, Britain (Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, Normandy), Realm – Ancestors
An evolution of Arawn / Arawen, belief in yr Angau continued into the late Middle Ages as “the Servant of Death”. His later image was the skull face, full black robe, black hat and scythe still prevalent today as “Death”. There are many stories of yr Angau but the oldest describes him as the King of the Dead. His vassals wind their way along individual pathways in sacred processions. Interestingly there may be linkage to the Germanic-Gaul Arubianus, an Earth god who is called to for blessings on ploughed fields. His name means “tiller” (of soil).
Historic Offering – Bread, cakes, milk, fruit, ale and mead on anniversaries
Modern Offering – Feast in memory of the departed, tell the tales of their lives, but also ensure you gift the above food to those who need it.
Symbol – a pebble of basalt
Annea Clivana, female, Transalpine Gaul, Realm – Ancestors
A goddess who dwells in the spirit realms. She links to the spirits of place giving them strength to message, and for good and ill to be wrought. She may be a vector for fertility to farmland, protection and wise counsel to the state, and will shield women. If we wish to commune with the spirits of a place, then we remember her in our supplications.
She was linked with Juno by the Romans.
Historic Offering – the firstborn of the flocks and the herds; the first sheaves and fruits.
Modern Offering – The principle of the historic offering is that the best of our labours are gifted. E.g., if you are an accountant, offer your services to a charity or do some debt counselling for those who need it. Other trades, offer your skills in like manner.
Symbol – a divot or pebble from the place.
Annwvyn “an-NOO-vin”, Wales
Not a god. The Otherworld. Equivalent to the Irish Realm of the Sídhe.
Antenociticus, Anociticus, male, British, Realm – Living
The god’s image has a torc around his neck suggesting a Teutates aspect and the hair is depicted as forming two horns, allying him to Esus as Cernunnos. He is known as a source of inspiration and mediation in military matters, thus key to Druidic function. The best known sculpture of him is of a young man with nascent ram’s horns appearing out of his hair. This would make him a personality of Camulos.
Historic Offering – if the mediation was between two tribes, a very expensive white bull with red ears from each chief was demanded. Others could tribute forest, agricultural or personal produce bounty to be consumed in a ‘need-fire’.
Modern Offering – Before mediation, make a precious offering, gifting where it will do the most good. The implied principle is that it’s best not to fall out with your neighbours, it can get expensive.
Symbol – a torc around two horns.
Anu or Anand, female, Irish, Realm – Earth and Living
See Nemain
Anvallus, male, Gaul. Realm – Living
From “an-ualos” = “without-a ruler” or “ruled by none”. A god of freedom and liberation. He was especially dear to the Druids after the Roman conquest, in their new, state-sanctioned, guise as “Gutuatres” (pl.), “Gutuater” (s.) or “Priests”, restricted to officiating at sacrifice and divining fortunes only – their old Vates function.
Historic Offering – The armour of defeated tribes or invaders
Modern Offering – Invasions do still happen. If you have to fight for your homeland, it’s best not to take souvenirs but mourn the loss and tragic waste on both sides, creating memorials in the aftermath, working towards it never happening again.
Symbol – a golden chair (an empty throne)
Araco Arantoniceo, Aharacui, Haracui, male, Celtiberian, Realm – Earth
Deity of place. The small parish of Alcabideche has been continuously settled from the Palaeolithic through to Chalcolithic, Bronze Age to the Romano-Iberian period. Fishing, especially shellfish, is the distinguishing activity, with a “monte de cascas” or “mountain of shells” (oysters, cockles, limpets, periwinkles, mussels). If you fish in this area, give suitable respect.
Historic and Modern Offering – The best of your catch in fire of driftwood.
Symbol – a seashell of the above species.
Arawn / Arawen, male, Wales, Realm – Ancestors
God-King of the Underworld/ Otherworld, lord of the hunt, the bounty of the earth, master of magic, enriched by his interactions with Pwyll, chief of Dyfed.
Similar to Greek Hades and Roman Pluto.
Historic Offering – Bread, cakes, milk, fruit, ale and mead on anniversaries
Modern Offering – as above but gift the food to those who need it.
Symbol – a pebble of basalt
Arentio and Arentia, male and female, Celtiberian, Realm – Earth and Living
These gods are twins and are linked to water, Proto-Indo-European root *hleor-, “to be in motion” or “to run”. They originated with the Ambrones tribe who had Germanic origins and migrated. The deities can be invoked as a pair or separately; they protect families, clans and tribes. Their symbol is a horse or a snake – the snake represents the umbilical cord, signifying family connection. They were invoked under yews or running streams. Sailors invoked them for protection and for favourable winds.
Historic and Modern Offering – libations and gifts into deep water.
Symbol – a horse or a snake
“Ares Lusitani”, male, Celtiberian, Realm – The Living
“The Lusitanian Ares”. Allegedly a god of horses and mounted warriors in Lusitanian mythology. There are no ancient correspondences so “he” seems to be a masculinised Epona, who was a major Lusitanian goddess. On the insertion of the Roman empire, there seems to be an attempt to create a masculine version to relate to Mars. Epona remained a major goddess and there are shrines to her in Rome.
The nearest ‘Celtic’ version would be Camulos, but he has no link to horses and was mostly worshipped in Britain and Belgae Gaul.
Commune with Epona/ Rhiannon/ Rigantona or Camulos instead.
Historic Offering – Valuable gifts into portal pools.
Symbol – representation of a war horse.
Arixus, male, Pyrenean Gaul, Realm – Earth
Second of the Pyrenean mountain gods (also Arpeninus and Andeis) called on for protection and for safe travel through such places. They are lords of the mountain rather than being protective in nature, and it is their indulgence that is craved. They are worshipped in high places.
Historic Offering – food and a lighted candle (to guide the way) were placed on a small cairn built for the occasion.
Historic and Modern Offering – food and a lighted candle (to guide the way) are placed on a small cairn built for the occasion. Never leave a naked flame unattended (put it out properly when rite completed). Your candle will be biodegradable, not fossil fuel.
Symbol – a craggy rock, not rounded by stream or wear.
Arduinna/ Arduina/ Arduinnae/ Arduinne, female, Gaul, Realm – Earth and Living
In the Musée des antiquités nationales, St-Germain-en-Laye, Arduinna is depicted in bronze as a woman in a short, belted tunic, riding a boar side-saddle and holding a knife. The boar is always found in forests and represents courage, feasting, warfare, indefatigability. Unlike the Roman, in Gaulish society these are not only masculine virtues.
The Romans described her as Diana.
Historic and Modern Offering – sing chants in Arduinna’s honour while drinking and feasting.
Symbol – the boar or a large bronze hunting knife, or both.
Arnemetia, female, British, Realm – Earth
“She who dwells in the sacred grove”. Nemeton being a sacred grove, Arnemetia is another name for Nemetona (see below). The name is from the shrine at Aquae Arnemetiae, modern-day Buxton in Derbyshire. The spring is dedicated to her and the water sacred.
Historic Offering – A portion of the blood of sacrifices and bouquets of flowering meadowsweet, broom and oak, both presented at night into the water.
Modern Offering – Libate a bottle of good red wine or very good dark ale, and bouquets of flowering meadowsweet, broom and oak, both presented at night into a woodland spring.
Symbol – a sprig of oak or yew.
Arianrhod “ah-RYAN-rud”, female, Wales, Sky and Ancestors
The name means “Silver Wheel”, a mystical name for the moon. Her boat carries the dead into the Afterlife. One account has her the daughter of Beli Mawr, a myth name for Belenos, another of Dôn, the later myth-cycle mother of the gods. She is mother of Lleu Llaw Gyffes (the myth-cycle name of Lugos) and Dylan ail Don (a sea god), who were forced from her.
A feminist icon, her seizing of her own sexuality was used to humiliate her. In revenge, she uttered a tynged (geis, fatwa, taboo) that disrupted the patriarchal lineages and traditions of the time. Male sorcerers created a compliant magical woman to counter the tynged, but she too asserted her own sexual choices, and was cursed for it.
Compared with the Greek Artemis and Roman Diana.
Historic offering – a small silver bowl filled with blood.
Modern Offering – Today, we fill our bowl with red wine or dark ale (in the moonlight, blood is black).
Symbol – a silver disc.
Arpeninus, male, Pyrenean Gaul, Realm – Earth
Third of the Pyrenean mountain gods (also Arixus and Andeis) called on for protection and for safe travel through such places. They are lords of the mountain rather than being protective in nature, and it is their indulgence that is craved. They are worshipped in high places.
Historic Offering – food and a lighted candle (to guide the way) were placed on a small cairn built for the occasion.
Modern Offering – food and a lighted candle (to guide the way) are placed on a small cairn built for the occasion. Never leave a naked flame unattended (put it out properly when rite completed). Your candle will be biodegradable, not fossil fuel.
Symbol – a craggy rock, not rounded by stream or wear.
Artaius, male, Gaul, Realm – Ancestors
Like Arthur, Artaius has a root ‘artos’, meaning ‘bear’, so Artaius is ‘bear-like’.
The bear hibernates in underground caves and Mercury is the guide of spirits to the Underworld. Artaius helps with divination, boundaries (worldly and Otherworldly), eloquence and other communicating. A key set of Druidic attributes.
He was likened to Mercury.
Historic and Modern offering – something personally precious, cast into a cave or pothole.
Symbol – black cloth.
Artahe, Artehe, female, Gaul, Realm – Earth
An ancient Aquitanian goddess, predating the “Celtic” cultures; there is a relationship to Basque dialects so she may be Neolithic. Her name means “oak”, the sacred tree, and she is a woodland deity who commands the bears.
Historic offering – Sacrificial blood poured onto the bole of the tree.
Modern offering – Blood, fish and bone meal sprinkled around the roots is acceptable in these enlightened times. Vegans will prefer a seaweed-based feed.
Symbol – A carving of a bear lain on a sprig of oak.
Ataegina, female, Lusitanian, Celtiberian, Realm – Earth
Her name is thought to come from proto-Irish, “adaig”, for “night”. A chthonic fertility goddess.
Historic Offering – a goat, blood to spill onto a rock into the earth.
Modern Offering – a fine Portuguese red wine libated onto a rock, to scatter and be soaked up by the earth.
Symbol – a she-goat.
Atepomarus, male, Gaul, Realm – Living
“The Great Horse” (atepos, horse, and maros, great), Atepomarus is a “Leader of the Tribe”. The horse is representative of kingship in Celtic symbolism. Kings were ‘married to the land’ and horses were sacrificed at these accessions.
It is likely that this is a title of Teutates/ Toutatis but, of course, there are resonances with Rigantona/ Epona.
Historic Offering – The blood of a horse and a man, mixed and poured as a single libation.
Modern Offering – Intense emotion, commitment and dedication are required by the gods in these offering ceremonies, not the waste of lives, so, like Abandinus above, Atepomarus does not need another horse. As today, in the Iron Age to Medieval times, a horse was an expensive item, central to status and ability. Its loss was shattering and not gifted lightly. Today, taking our time, giving of our best, we hand-carve a small representation of horse or foal and gift it in a sacred watercourse. Or compose a song, poem or tale about a horse, and perform that in front of a sacred spring or shrine.
Symbol – a carving of a horse.
Arthur Pendragon. Male. Wales and Britain. Hero for Ancestors and Living Realms
A hero rather than a god and a champion of Teutates. Literal meanings- (Arthur) “The Bear” who rides under the banner of the “Red Dragon” (Pendragon), Head of the Warlords. In the post-Roman period, Britons had a Latin version of their name as well as the British version. Ambrosius Aurelius (‘Golden Immortal’), who wore the purple of high Roman rank, was also Emrys Wledig (‘Immortal Countryman’). Similarly, Arthur’s name is composed of two elements – ‘Arth’, British for ‘Bear’, and ‘Ursa’, Latin for ‘Bear’.
Arthur first appears in written history in the Historia Brittonum collected by the monk Nennius around 796. He is described as the British “Dux Bellorum” = “Duke of War” ≈ “General”, leading the troops to war on Mount Badon, against the rebelling Saxon mercenaries. Oral tales of Arthur the King go back earlier into Welsh myth, however. Elaborations by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Chretien de Troyes, and Thomas Mallory gradually reduced Arthur and his Knights to figures in a romantic drama of human frailties. Lancelot was a relatively late addition. The ‘Head of the Warlords’ appellation shows the strong bond with Teutates.
There is a repeated connection to Stonehenge, which either means that the legends were created to explain the stone circle or that the first version was a memorial to an illustrious Neolithic chieftain called The Bear and his 56 warriors (the first 56 bluestones) who arrived from Wales and carved out a great kingdom with peace, prosperity and justice for all. There is later linkage to the Iron Age proto-’Code of Chivalry’, shown by Professor David Crouch and others, to be a direct development from Aristotle’s 350BCE Eudaimonia, with British additions. The most important promise made by the legends is that Arthur will return whenever the Britons are in the time of their greatest need. He is the Britons’ hope against the invaders’ injustice, as ‘Robin Hood’ was the Saxons’ mythical disenfranchised champion against the Norman.
Historic and Modern Offering – Arthur is not a god but keep the memories alive with praise, toasts and the telling of tales. Defy oppressors, work for their overthrow and the restoration of fairness, prosperity and peace in a new Arthurian Golden Age. Mindfully and honourably follow the path of virtue in harmony with reason.
Symbol – The Red Dragon on the Cymric flag. We prefer the flag to have a black background in mourning for Arthur’s departure.
Artio, female, Gaulish. Realm – Earth
A Celtic bear goddess of the forest, which gives her feminine Esus linkage. Her name is derived from the Gaulish word for “bear”, artos. Artio, seated on a woodland throne, feeds bears fruit, showing aspects of Smertrios, Rosmerta and Flidais. Bronze figurines have been found at Bern.
Existing before the Greek beliefs, she evolved into Artemis, goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, the Moon and chastity. The goddess Diana is her Roman equivalent. Called ‘Dea Artio’ in the Gallo-Roman religion.
Historic and Modern Offering – Fruit, nuts and honey.
Symbol – a bear figurine in bronze or apple or walnut wood.
Arubianus, Arubinus, male, Germanic Celt, Realm – Earth
With an origin of Germano-Gaulish, his name translates as “ploughman” or “god of the ploughed earth” , he is Arawn, senior deity of the underworld. Arawn is a chthonic god. As Arubinus, Arawn is the keeper of the agricultural knowledge and experience of those who went before. A dog in the symbolism is usually an indicator of a protector, even in a hunting context.
The Romans equated him with Jupiter, the senior Roman deity, as a protector of settlements.
Historic Offering – the best of a crop of the field into a cave, deep hole or pool. As Arawn, bread, cakes, milk, fruit, ale and mead on anniversaries. Both can be appropriate.
Modern Offering – As above, dedicate your gifts in these places and then distribute them to people who need them.
Symbol – A white-eared, red-eyed dog.
Arvernus, male, Gaul, Realm – Living
A character of Teutates, worshipped in front of alder trees.
The Romans considered him Mercury.
Offerings – as for Teutates.
Symbol – as for Teutates.
Aveta, female, Gaul, Germania. Realm – Earth.
The mother goddess of birth, associated with freshwater springs. The patron goddess of midwifery. Aspected to Brighid. A dog in the symbolism is usually an indicator of a protector, even in a hunting context, here protecting children.
Historic and Modern Offering – fresh prominently seed-bearing fruit placed at freshwater springs
Symbol – figurines showing the goddess with infants at the breast, small lapdogs or baskets of fruit.
Axona, female, Gaul, Realm – Earth
Goddess of the river Aisne, called the Axona in the Iron Age. The name probably means “plenteous fish” and would be related to the modern Welsh “pysg/ pysgod” = “fish”. Related names are the Axe, Exe, Esk and Usk rivers in the UK. Freshwater fish were holy creatures signifying wisdom, Otherworldly knowledge and the path to the gods (Black Water).
Historic and Modern Offering – personal, prestigious items made unusable (‘killed’) and thrown in.
Symbol – a carving or casting of a freshwater fish.
Baco, male, Gaul, Realm – Earth and Living
The Boar god. Boars represented the wild woods, food, bravery, warfare, indefatigability.
Historic and Modern Offering – apples, nuts, representations of spears and swords (bronze).
Symbol – the tusk of a boar.
Baeserta, female, Pyrenean Gaul, Realm – Earth
Goddess of the mountains but especially of difficult and dangerous pathways. Invoked for safe passage, she was known into the Middle Ages as “Our Lady of Basert”.
Historic and Modern Offering – A food, drink or precious thing offering, placed onto a newly made cairn.
Symbol – A small statuette of a tough faced woman.
Balor, male, Irish. Realm – Sky
Balor or Balar is a leader of the Fomorians, a group of malevolent supernatural beings. He is described as a giant with a large eye that wreaks destruction when opened. A personification of the scorching sun.
Balor took part in the Battle of Mag Tuired. He is killed by his grandson Lugh of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
Likened to Greek Cyclops, figures from other mythologies, such as the Welsh Ysbaddaden.
Historic and Modern Offering – melted butter, a burnt bannock, roasted meat.
Symbol – a red disc.
Bandua and Bandus, female and male, Celtiberian, Realm – Living
God of the battle standard, their wisdom is revealed through dark water, healing springs and at fords as one travels to the fray. They are also known as Bandus (male) and are genderfluid, both and neither as occasion befits. When not at war, they keep watch over the tribe at their homesteads , encampments and settlements.
Historic Offering – Blood from the throats of captives and the broken weapons of the vanquished given into deep, dark pools.
Modern Offering – Fine red wine or connoisseur-quality dark ales given in libation into deep, dark pools. A token of honourably vanquished antagonists of family or community given into the pools.
Symbol – Two interlinked yew wood rings, by a bowl of dark water.
Bandus, male, Celtiberian, Realm – Living
See Bandua
Barinthus, male, Wales. Realm – Ancestors
The driver of a chariot carrying the dead into the Otherworld. The British personality of Manannán mac Lir (“son of the sea”), Irish sea and weather god.
Compare to Greek Charon.
Historic and Modern Offering – seafood and apples on a fire made with driftwood.
Symbol – Seaweed (dried kelp or bladderwrack)
Bébinn / Bé Binn / Bébinn / Béfionn, female, Irish, Realm – Earth
Bébinn is from the Old Irish for “melodic woman”. Married to a mortal man, she is a tall, beautiful river goddess (sister of Boann), an underworld goddess (of Irish Mag Mell or Welsh Annwn) and guardian of birth.
Historic and Modern Offering – Something acquired in preparation for childbirth. It should be given into a fast-flowing river.
Symbol – a hand mirror.
Bé Chuille / Becuille / Bé Chuma / Bé Théide, female, Irish, Realm – Earth
Daughter of Flidais / Fliodhais. A patron of beneficial magic, using the power of trees, stones and grasses of the earth to halt evildoers and aggressors. Bé Chuille works alongside her sister Dianann / Dinand, with Lugh.
She is not Bechuma of the Fair Skin, another legend for another time.
As the White Sorceress, Bé Chuille fought off Carman and her sons alongside the god of poetry (Ai Mac Ollamain), a satirist (Cridhinbheal) and a magician (Lugh Laebach). Carman was a Greek warrior-witch of dark magic, from Athens, who invaded Ireland with her sons, Dub (darkness), Dothur (evil) and Dian (violence). “White Sorceress” is the literal translation of Gwenhwyfar/ Guinevere, spouse of Arthur in three different personalities.
Historical and Modern Offering – something of personal value with a spray from a young tree and a handful of grass, in fire.
Symbol – a handful of stones and a sprig of grass.
Bedaius, male, Germanic-Gaul, Realm – Earth (Sea)
The Roman inscriptions have him as an aspect of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, the supreme sky god, which makes him an aspect of Taranis, and the lightning bolt is one of his symbols. However, he is associated with the sea so a marine version.
Historic Offering – Sacrifices received a deep blow to the skull from a bronze socketed axe – a ‘lightning bolt’, and/ or were cast into the waves to the deep.
Modern Offering – Today, something precious is smashed and thrown into the sea followed by a libation of ale.
Symbol – Ram-horned Lightning Adder
Beira, the Cailleach, the Hag of Beara, female, Irish, Scots and Manx, Realm – Sky
Beira is Queen of Winter. She transitions autumn to winter and is expelled in springtime by Brighid and Aengus after a battle starting at Là Fhèill Brìghde (Imbolc) and being lost at Bealtaine. Her agent, the hobgoblin, summons the winter back again with the Horn Dance at Autumn Equinox – Harvest Home. She uses the worst of winter weather as weapons and commands an army of Storm Hags who ride goats. The Cailleach means, “the veiled one” but has come to signify “an elderly woman”.
There is a poem, “The Lament of the Old Woman of Beara”, in Old Irish about Beira.
Historic Offering – Stored foods – salt meat, grain, apples and cheese – or a sheepskin, weighted and given into deep water.
Modern Offering – In winter, dedicate food stores and warm clothing to Beira, then gift them to those who need it.
Symbol – A corn dolly, “the Carlin” or “the Carline”.
Belatucadros, Belatucadrus, Hu Gadarn and Vitucadrus, male, Wales and Britain, Realm – Living and Earth
The name means ‘shining death giver’ or ‘fair slayer’. A god of war, champion of the poor and oppressed. Some commentators see him as a forerunner of Bendigeidfran or Bran the Blessed. Links to both Teutates and Cernunnos (Esus) thus also a provider to the soldier.
Compare with the Greek Ares and Roman Mars.
Historic and Modern Offering – A god of the simple soldier, so food and small, precious to the bearer, personal items. True, modest, meaningful sacrifice.
Symbol – unusually, an iron sword.
Belenus (also Belenos, Belinus, Bel, Beli Mawr), male, Gaul, Britain, Realm – Sky
Meaning “Fair Shining One” or “The Shining God”, Belenus is a god of fire and the sun. Associated with the horse – the chariot of the sun. Consort of Belisama. The Gauls associated wolves with Belenus, possibly on a root relating to the Brythonic/ Welsh blaidd, meaning ‘wolf’.
Belenus was probably celebrated at Bealtaine/ Beltane, but this is not the root of the festival name, which means, “bright fires”.
Compared to Greek and Roman Apollo
Historic and Modern Offerings – Offerings, like Taranis, in fire.
Symbol – a golden chariot.
Belisama, female, Gaul, Britain, Realm – Sky, transition
A goddess of fire, the forge, crafts and illumination, sharing traits with Brighid and possibly a personality of hers. Consort of Belenus and the rivers Ribble and Mersey are dedicated to her. Consort of Belenos/ Beli Mawr.
Often compared to the Greek Athena and Roman Minerva.
Historic and Modern Offerings – river fish, written original verse and straw poppets on a charcoal fire.
Symbol – a live coal of charcoal.
Bergimus, male, Cisalpine Gaul, Realm – Earth
God of high places, which in the alps, means mountains.
Historic Offering – Breads, fruits, cooked meats and brewed drink were placed on cairns on the mountains.
Modern Offering – Dedicate your offerings in high places but give the food to those who need it.
Symbol – a slab of marble.
Bergusia, female, Gaul, Realm – Living
This goddess is companion to the god Ucuetis. Bergusia brings success and wealth while Ucuetis, who bears a hammer, is a patron to the skilled in crafts especially metalworkers.
Historic and Modern Offerings – Fine and delicate works in bronze silver and gold, a share of the wealth bestowed by her.
Symbol – an image of her with symbols of wealth.
Bleiddwn, male, Welsh, Realm – Living
“Wolf-man” from Cymraeg, “blaidd”, Wolf.
In the Red Book of Hergest, Math placed a dihenydd, or “fate”, on his male nephews, Gwydion and Gilfaethwy for raping Goewin. For one year they would be a pair of mating deer. During this time, they produced Hyddwn (“stag-man”, from hydd, stag). Then for a year they would be mating pigs. So Hychddwn Hir (“Dark-Red Pig, the Tall” from hwch, “pig” and hir, “long”) was born. Finally, a year as breeding wolves and so Bleiddwn was born.
He symbolises just punishment.
Historic Offering – A haunch of venison and a leg of pork.
Modern Offering – Again, take the money that those cost and feed those who need it. A justice god will be pleased at that.
Symbol – a male wolf.
Bladud, male, Wales, Ancestors
Strong doubts as to authenticity as a deity. ‘Wolf-lord’, a patron of healers and holistic health. Enabler of conversations with the ancestors. Legendary king first mentioned in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae.
Historic Offering – allegedly the sacrifice of a domestic pig.
Blodeuwedd/ Blodeuedd, (“blo-DOY-weth”; “BLOOD-wed”), female, Wales, Realm – Living
Night goddess of beauty and flowers. She was turned into a tawny owl, the creature hated by all other birds, as punishment for adultery and murder. Her name means “Flower Face.” She may be a personality of Nemetona. Blodeuwedd was not given a choice in marriage as she was magically created for Lleu Llaw Gyffes by sorcerers Math and Gwydion, and punished for choosing another. Thus, she may now be seen as a feminist torchbearer and the protector of those caught up in “honour” feuds or punishments.
Compare Selene and Chloris. Also, Minerva, whose emblem is an owl.
Historic and Modern Offerings – Bouquets of flowering meadowsweet, broom and oak, presented at night.
Symbol – a carved owl.
Boann, Boand, Segais, Banna, Ethniu, female, Irish, Realm – Earth
Goddess of the River Boyne, her name derives from “white cow” (Irish, bó fhionn; Old Irish, bó find). In the Dinsenchas, husband of Nechtan / Elcmar, her lover is The Dagda, with whom she has had Aengus. To hide their affair, The Dagda froze time for nine months so that Aengus was conceived, borne and born in what seemed to be one day. Boann is daughter of Delbáeth, son of Elada and sister of Befind
As Ethniu (Ethliu, Ethniu, Boand, Feada), she is the goddess who protects foster children.
Epithets: The Great Silver Yoke; White Marrow of Fedhlimidh (High King, the Lawgiver, a mortal); Stormy Wave; River of the White Hazel; Roof of the Ocean
Historic and Modern Offerings – a libation of fine wine, ale or mead.
Symbol – an empty wedding band or a turf from the bank of the Boyne
Bodb Derg, male, Irish, Realm – Living
From the proto-Irish for “Red Crow”, he is son of The Daghda. He fathered many deities. If asked, he will find us the perfect spouse. Not to be confused with Badb, the war goddess.
Historic Offering – a burned offering of cooked beef.
Modern Offering – buy cooked beef for hungry people
Symbol – a red crow.
Borvo, Bormo, Bormanico, Bormanicus, male, Britain, Celtiberian, Realm – Sky
A hot springs healer god sometimes compared with Apollo. Accompanied by divine consort, the goddess Damona/ Boand / Bormana.
Historic Offering – Tokens at hot springs. Coins and engraved metal tablets.
Modern Offering – This is one of the “clootie” deities. Clooties, strips of cloth, are tied in trees next to healing springs. They work by transference magic. As the clootie decays, the sickness or wound heals. When it is gone, the cure is complete. It is therefore vital that the clootie is made of a quickly biodegradable substance. An exhortation can be written but, again the material must quickly decay into a bio-friendly substance. A thin tile of untreated wood, for instance.
Symbol – a bowl of healing water
Bran, male, Wales, Realm – Sky
“Raven”, the Blessed, a solar god associated with prophecy, music, writing, the arts and death. A Lugos connection.
Compare with Apollo.
Historic Offering – meat in high places.
Modern Offering – collect road kill for high places.
Symbol – a black raven.
Branwen, female, Wales, Realm – Living
In her mythology, “White Raven” was an unhappily wed love and beauty goddess.
Reminiscent of the Greek Aphrodite and Roman Venus.
Historic Offering – white meat and cream in high places.
Modern Offering – as above – roadkill rabbit and birds plus the cream.
Symbol – a white raven.
Brasennus, male, Cisalpine Gaul, Realm – Earth
“God of the Hill” in the local dialect. A genius locus from Brescia, formerly Brixia, Lombardy.
Historic Offering – local produce at the time of making and harvest.
Modern offering – dedicate your produce then feed those who need it.
Symbol – a handful of earth.
Bres / Eochaid / Eochu Bres, male, Irish, Realm – Living
A fearsome god, he is son of Balor of the Evil Eye. Eochu Bres translates as “beautiful horseman” although an alternative reading of the root would be “fight,” “blow,” “effort,” “uproar,” or “row”. He was Brighid’s husband in a politically arranged marriage. He is described as an ungenerous host.
Despite the scary reputation, his epithets are: Gifted with Excellences; Master of Love-Spells; Kindly Friend; Noble and Fortunate; Ornament of The Host; With A Visage Never Woeful; Flower of The Tuatha De; Hot of Valour; Spear-Attended King.
Historic and Modern Offering – a sword or dagger cast into a river or lake.
Symbol – a whip.
Brian, male, Irish, Realm – Living
God of sharp wits and persuasion. Also known as Uair or Uar, according to which myth cycle you are reading. He is one of the three sons of Tuireann – a god with two triple “sons” and a triple “daughters” aspects. Look up Tuireann.
Historic Offering – a basket of apples or a pig’s skin.
Modern Offering – make an oath of your offering then take it to the food bank or clothe someone who needs it, perhaps buy them a pair of new shoes.
Symbol – a hawk, a swan and an apple.
Bricta / Brixta, female, Gaul, Realm – Sky
Consort of Luxovius, god of the waters, she is goddess of magic. Probably a personality of Sirona. The magic comes from the sun and the sparkling spring water becomes magical as the light mixes with the water.
From the word brixtom or brixta, meaning “magic”.
Historic and Modern Offering – a libation of mead or metheglin into the waters of a devoted spring.
Symbol – a bronze wristlet.
Brighid, Brigantia, Brigindo, female, Irish, British and Gaul, Realm – Sky
‘Bright Arrow’. Often thought of as an Irish goddess, the Brigantes, one of the largest British tribes named themselves after her. Often written (Scots and Welsh) as ‘Bride’, ‘Breet’ or ‘Breed’. Her face is white and beautiful on one side, and black and monstrous on the other.
“A woman of poetry, and poets worshipped her, for her sway was very great and very noble. And she was a woman of healing along with that, and a woman of smith’s work, and it was she first made the whistle for calling one to another through the night.” – Lady Augusta Gregory
Cormac’s Glossary says that she is the goddess of “high things”, high flames, high places, hill forts, bardic verse, quality, intelligence, wisdom and skilled occupations.
An Iron Age priestess of the Yorkshire Parisii tribe (neighbour to the Brigantes) was discovered buried with her chariot. When a forensic pathologist recreated her features there were curious resemblances between the woman and this goddess, due to a massive facial haemangioma. This conferred ‘otherness’ on her and she was revered as a great seer.
Caesar seems to liken her to Minerva. The Catholics turned her into Saint Brigid.
Historic Offering – Sacrifices were raised high and shot with flaming arrows.
Modern Offering – at Imbolc, dedications and oaths to the goddess are inserted into a large straw ‘poppet’. This is then doused with good whisk(e)y and put on a high, bright fire. The rest of the year, use those higher skills and lofty ideals to make a difference to the world. Brighid will see and will aid you.
Symbol – The Brideog decorated doll. The Sun cross, woven from rushes.
Britannia, female, Britain, Realm – Earth and Living
Britannia was of course the Latinised name for the island of modern-day Great Britain. It was a pronunciation of the Greek “Prettanike” (Pytheas of Massalia, C4th BCE) from the general description, Pryderi, “people of forms” (tattooed animals and shapes) in the British language of the time. The land was called Albion (The White Land – from the chalk cliffs on the south coast) by the inhabitants. Today’s Scotland was called Alba (The White) from the snow on the mountain tops.
In C2nd CE Roman Britain, Britannia came to be personified as a goddess, armed with a trident and shield and wearing a centurion helmet. This image was an adaptation of the Greek goddess Athena (Roman Minerva), thus war goddess, equestrian, guide of ships (born of water), healer, shining eyed (night-seer), shapeshifter and has three aspects. So, Rigantona, Brighid and a female Lugos.
Roman gods were personages. Long before the invaders arrived, gods were more ethereal, being great spirits of the natural state and phenomena. Gradually as European culture merged with the British, and gods took on the emotions, strength and failings of people. The personages emerged and, under Rome, the transformation was complete.
Historic Offering – gold, silver or bronze coins bearing her image.
Modern Offering – go to Rigantona, Brighid and Lugos
Symbol – coins imprinted with Britannia, especially the now obsolete bronze 1d (denarius) penny.
Broeneia, female, Gallo-Iberian, Realm – Earth
This goddess calls for “rain”, *bhroi-no, for the wheat that makes the bread, “broa”.
Historic Offering – blood on the fields (good ale now), loaves from the successful harvest.
Modern Offering – libate good ale, give loaves from the successful harvest to the hungry.
Symbol – storm clouds on altars, mud when envisioning.
Buxenus, male, Gaul, Realm – Earth
A god of box trees, usually worshipped with the likes of Abello (Apple), and Rhobur (Oak). Box is one of the hardest British woods so highly respected.
Historic Offering – Food or a libation at the base of the bush.
Modern Offering – A libation at the base of the bush. Food to the food bank.
Symbol – A wreath of box.
Callirius, male, Britain, Realm – Earth
Known from plaques in the temple of Silvanus-Callirius. Silvanus was the Roman god of woodlands, herders and domestic cattle. Callirius has been translated as “Lord of the Woods” with a feeling of “Wild Woods”, making him of Esus.
A recent paper (2019) suggests that he may be a British Riocalatis (with the syllables reversed), “Lord of Wild Horses”, a Gaulish god of Amorica. We can see the closeness to the goddess Rhiannon/ Epona/ Rigantona, but the horses are wild, not a mount of the wealthy and powerful or a power unit of a chariot, so we are back to Esus/ Cernunnos again.
Historic Offering – Esus was given a human tribute, hung upside down, with blood let from the neck. The blood was scryed in the moonlight and then poured around the tree.
Modern Offering – Today, a good dark ale is tributed, scryed and then libated onto the tree bole. Blood, fish and bone meal sparingly scattered the width of the canopy for the root plate.
Symbol – A sprig of oak.
Caletos, male, Britain, Realm – the Living
A tribal god of harmony and equality, and of resistance associated with stones. The Anco-Caletes, “Servants of the God Caletos”, were protected by him. Clearly an aspect of Teutates / Andraste.
Historic Offering – Food or a libation on a boulder at the edge of the village.
Modern offering – Work for peace and equality in your community. Dedicate your work to Caletos.
Symbol – A robust rock (e.g., granite, basalt).
Camulos, male, Britain, Romania, Germany, Belgium, Realm – Living
A sword-bearing war god symbolised by a boar or by a male head with the horns of a ram. He is the god referred to by Gaius Julius Caesar as “Mars” and the Dyn Glas (Green Man), portrayed with oak-leaf face (stone carvings in churches). The name may derive from the same root as “champion”. His name is the basis for the town Camulodunos, seized for the first Roman capital of Britain, Camulodunum, being present-day Colchester. It is remembered in legend as Camelot.
Similar to Ares (Greece) and Mars (Rome).
Historic Offering – The sacrifice of a living boar.
Modern Offering – This is a war god not a justice god. If you need to invoke him in wartime, then make oaths to feed, clothe and shelter those made destitute by the conflict. The capture of a live boar showed great courage. Show courage during the conflict by “Selflessly responding, from a noble calling, to effect the negation of a danger purely because it is the right thing to do.”
Symbol – Green Man carving with oak-leaf face
Cariocecus, male, Lusitanian, Gallo-Iberian, Realm – Living
Cariocecus is the primary god of the Lusitanian horse cult. Justice was sought at his temples and shrines, often through entrail divination.
Historic Offering – Horses were sacred but other animals and people were given, notably the cutting off of the right hand of criminals.
Modern Offering – Not much call for Cariocecus but include him in a round-up of justice gods with a collective offering befitting the purpose.
Symbol – A plumed rider on a war horse.
Careon, Crouga, male, Celtiberian, Realm – Earth
His name is from Proto-Indo-European, “kar-no”, meaning “rocks” or “a mound of rocks”, like the famous “Carnac” in Brittany. His epithet, Calanticensi, makes him a protector of sheep in the hills and the mountains. See also Crouga.
Historic Offering – A complete fleece, given in fire on a hilltop.
Modern Offering – An oath on the hilltop. Warm woollen clothing to the needy.
Symbol – a ram.
Carpundia, female, Gaul, Realm – Earth
She is a goddess of the wells.
Historic and Modern Offering – Garlands decorating the wellheads.
Symbol – A drinking bowl of spring water.
Cathubodua / Cateboduae / Catebodus / Catebodui, female, Gaul, Realm – Living
From proto-Celtic, *Katu-bodwā, “battle crow”, and thus a personality of the Mórrígan, Badb Catha and Andraste. She is also linked to Boudina, Bodua and Boudiga. Cathubodua sees the fate of warriors before the battle.
Historic Offering – Blood sacrifice before battle.
Modern Offering – Call for righteous outcomes and give libations of fine red wines and quality dark ales (blood looks black in moonlight).
Symbol – A carved crow
Caticatona, Catieatona, also Dibona, Imona, female, Gaul, Realm – Earth
Caticatona remains, shown by the epithet Clotuvla to be a water-goddess, she controls the waves. Her name seems to mean ‘very white’, evoking the crests of powerful waves, waterfalls and strong rapids.
Historic and Modern Offerings – earthenware vessels inscribed with dedications, placed floating into powerful currents in rivers, which become overwhelmed and sink.
Symbol – A wave
Caturix/ Cicollus/ Caisivus, male, Alpine Gaul, Realm – Living
“King of War”, Caturix seems to be a title of Teutates, Lord of the Tribes. The Gaulish “catu”, meaning ‘battle’ is combined with “rix”, ‘king’. We see “catu” turn up as “Cath” in Irish Gaelic and as “Cad” in the Cad Goddeu epic Welsh poem.
Historic Offering – Sacrifices were drowned in a large sacrificial cauldron filled with ale, cider or mead. Sometimes in marshland ‘portal pools’.
Modern Offerings – see Teutates.
Symbol – Torc.
Cermait / Cearmaid, male, Irish, Realm – Living
Son of the Dagda and brother to Aengus and Aed. He is the god of persuasive speech, the ‘sweet talkers’, and was killed by Lugh for having an affair with Lugh’s wife, Buach, although later revived by his father.
Calling his qualities, he is known as “Milbél” (honey-mouth), “of the battle squadrons”, “of form all fair”, “the mighty”. The Dindsenchas calls him “Conan Honey-mouth”.
Historic and Modern Offerings – strong wine or mead (the honeymoon drink) as a libation with fine love poetry or a stirring song for the people.
Symbol – a honeycomb.
Cernunnos, male, Britain, Gaul, Realm – Earth
The Horned God. ‘Cern’ is the same as ‘corn’ for ‘cornet’ or the callous grown on hands and feet – ‘a horn’. He is a personality of Esus, the Woodsman, as is Smertrios the Provider (the Altar of the Boatmen, Paris). There is no link with the Saxon ‘Herne’. He is often depicted holding a horned serpent – linked to lightning, fertility (phallic) and the Druids (Nadredd/ Nathracha) – and torc neck ornaments – symbol of warriors and depicting rank. These symbols are usually linked to Taranis and Teutates respectively, thus forming a sacred Triple God.
Historic Offering – Sacrifice of two bulls, throats cut below an oak at night, especially when mistletoe is being harvested. The blood – two bulls = 110 litres – was caught in a big cauldron and scryed under the moonlight for revelations. When divination was finished, the blood was poured onto the roots. Other forest (‘game’) animals, herbs, fruits or mushrooms were placed on a ‘need fire’ of nine woods and lit by fire bow and trough.
Modern Offerings – This is the Lord of the Forest. Mighty oaks, beech, ash etc. can be fed with blood, fish and bone meal spread sparingly over the root plate. Herbivores can be fed with ‘cattle cake’, mineral lick (high calcium very important for stags after the rut); hedgehogs and foxes with cat food; birds with fat cakes and seed blocks.
Symbol – a carved stags head or mounted antlers of 7 tines. These will have been shed naturally.
Cerridwen / Ceridwen, “ker-ID-wen”, female, Wales, Realm – Earth
An agricultural goddess also associated with war, grain and the moon. Sorceress who brewed the Awen potion for a year. She reluctantly gave birth to the hero-poet Taliesin (as Gwion).
Similar to the Greek Demeter (who toasted a boy in an initiatory fire rather than throw him into a river) and the Roman Ceres (>cereals), although she is sometimes compared with Greek Hecate.
Historic and Modern Offering – Harvest tokens at the time of their gathering. As with all modern food offerings, feed the hungry.
Symbol – a small cauldron.
Cethlenn, Caitlin, Ceithlionn, female, Irish, Realm – Sky
Has the epithet “crooked teeth”, she is consort to Balor and mother of Ethniu. A goddess of prophecy but specialising in bad news. She fought Taranis, injuring him with a throwing spear (gai). A polar opposite to Taranis, bringing bad things where he brings good.
Historic Offering – a pig killed with a spear.
Modern Offering – a carving, painting or composition about such an event. Remember who it belongs to after your presentation.
Symbol – a javelin (with throwing lanyard).
Céthur Mac Gréine, male, Irish, Realm – Sky
The “Son of the Sun” is grandson of the Daghda. The legends tell that he and his two brothers, Téthur Mac Cecht and Éthur Mac Cuill, were responsible for several ‘honour killings’ that sparking great conflicts, including Lugh or Lugos, the god of sun and light. Probably the symbolism of the sun “killed” by the moon each night or the eclipse phenomenon. The sun rises triumphant after each.
Historic and Modern Offering – A dark cape burned on a hill top.
Symbol – The moon.
The Children of Dôn, Y Plant Dôn. Welsh.
Welsh rendering of the Irish ‘Tuatha Dé Danann’. The family from which the gods are descended in the early medieval mythologies. This is at odds with the original animistic origins, but these are the rememberings of the people after the Roman pagan and Catholic Christian impositions, in which deities are human-like personifications rather than characterised natural forces.
Cían, male, Irish, Realm – Living
The son of Dian Cécht, the physician of the Tuatha Dé Danann, brother of Cu, Cethen and Miach, husband of Fomorian Princess Ethniu, and the father of Lugh Lámhfhada. Equivalent to Welsh deity Gwydion.
Cían means “enduring one”; cían signifying “long, enduring, far, distant”, called Scal Balb, “dumb/ silent champion”, so god of endurance and silent suffering, bearing one’s burdens with stoicism to the journey’s end.
Historic offerings – The sacrifice of a pig.
Modern offerings – A pig, as above, was a valuable asset of a poor to average income household. Contrast that with other offerings of bulls and horses. Those are the offerings of the uber-wealthy and nobility. Cían is a god of the lowly, the ordinary, those who endure and silently suffer. When life finds you struggling, trying to hold it together, make ends meet, then call to Cían. Your offering need not be expensive, just meaningful.
Symbol – The magic cow Glas Gaibhnenn (pr. “Glos Gavlin”).
Cicolluis, Cichol, male, Gaul and Ireland – Earth
The name translates as “great-breasted” or “all-breast”, but the root word also implies “meat” and “flesh”, so essentially “The Muscular”. He is Romanised as Mars but in that deity’s agricultural aspect. We thus see he is an amazingly strong farmer.
Litavis (also Litauis or Litauī) is his consort. Her name means ‘Sovereign of the Land’. She is an earth god.
In the mythologies he appears as Cichol or Cíocal Gricenchos, leader of the Fomorians (the semi-divine first inhabitants of Ireland). Cichol arrived in Ireland with fifty men and fifty women on six boats. There, his people lived on fish and fowl for 200 years until Partholón and his people (who brought the plough and oxen) invaded and defeated the Fomorians in the Battle of Magh Ithe.
Historic and Modern Offering offerings – Fish and fowl.
Symbol – A plough.
Cissonius, male, Gaul – Living
A god of trade and protector of travellers, he is depicted wearing a winged helmet and riding a ram. He carries a wine cup or a herald’s staff. Sometimes a goat or a cockerel accompany him. His female aspect is Cissonia. Some inscriptions name him “Matutinus” or “The Bear”, offering an Arthurian linkage. The root of his name is “courageous” with a suggestion of “remote traveller”.
The Romans rendered him as Mercury.
Historic and Modern Offering – the sacrifice of a ram, a goat or a cockerel, but today a libation of good wine is acceptable.
Symbol: a ram’s horn or a short staff.
Clíodhna, Clídna, Clionadh, Clíodna, Clíona, (pr “Cleena”), female, Irish, Realm – Living
Clídna derives from the Gaulish goddess Clutonda or Clutondae.
She is Queen of the Banshees, the Sidheog (fairy women of the hills), of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Goddess of love and beauty, she has three brilliantly coloured birds that sing sweetly and heal unwell people, while they eat apples from an Otherworld tree.
Historic and Modern Offering – Apples.
Symbol – Three birds.
Clota, female, British, Realm – The Earth
The patron goddess of the Scottish River Clyde, who is closely associated with the Gaulish water nymph, Clutoida. One of the early names of the Clyde was Clywwd, “loud”, as in heard from far away, and Gaulish Clutoida had loud instruments dedicated to her. The Clyde has quite a roar. There is also an inference of both hearing from far away. Another name was Clut meaning “clean” or “purifying”, a good attribute for both river and goddess.
Historic and Modern Offering – a votive composition, cast into the water with a gift significant to us.
Symbol – a glass bowl of ‘live’ fresh water.
Cnabetius / Gnaretius, male, Germanic-Gaul, Realm – The Living
“God of the War-Wounded” (*kṇbh-etos “mutilated”), he is mentioned together with Rosmerta, goddess of plenty. This means that he provides and protects those maimed in battle, of whom there were plenty. This wounded god is a specific in Celtic mythology, he is Nuadu Argatlám (“silver arm”), Lludd Llaw Ereint, “Lludd of the Silver Hand”.
Historic and Modern Offering – Bardic verse, fish, hazelnuts on a fire of hazel branches, or offerings into rivers.
Symbol – A silver hand.
Cocidius, Male, Britain, Realm – Earth
Warrior tree god (esp. alder) who is red in colour.
Compare with the Greek Pan and Roman Sylvanus.
Historic offering – a ram, throat cut at the base of an alder tree.
Modern Offering – a good bottle of red wine libated at the base of an alder tree.
Symbol – a sprig of alder.
Coinchend/ Coinchenn Cennfada, female, Irish, Realm – primarily The Earth and also The Living
We are assured by The Conn & Cormac Cycle, in The Epic of Art, Son of Conn, that Coinchenn Cennfada means ‘Dog-Head Long-Head’. Coinchenn kills men who amorously pursue her daughter, Delbchaem (“Shapely”), and places their heads on stakes to warn others. This is a feminist goddess who will protect those women stalked, harassed or troubled by unwanted attentions. Coinchenn listens to Druids if their words are true. She is found in “the wild forest”. She is a triple and her other aspects are Arb and Finscoth. A dog in the symbolism is usually an indicator of a protector, even in a hunting context, here protecting women from men.
Historic and Modern Offering – A libation of wine offered in a forest clearing from a ‘true’ cup, “the wine of life and love”, that is, given without selfish intent.
Symbol – A hound’s head.
Conand, Conann, Conaing, male, Ireland, Realm – Living
A Formorian patron god of tax and debt collectors.
Historic and Modern Offering – wheat, milk and first-born livestock – a steak or joint would be fine today.
Symbol – carving or representation of a tower – think Iron Age broch.
Condatis, male, Britain, Realm – Earth
God of the place where waters mingle, as when two streams meet. He had an affinity for warm waters.
The Romans thought of him as Mars.
Historic and Modern Offering – a libation of ‘live’ spring water onto an altar or coins thrown into the junction of two rivers or streams.
Symbol – a carved “Y” on a wooden disc.
Corotiacus, male, British, Realm – Living
God of battle, an image of him found in Martlesham, Suffolk shows a man on horseback wielding two axes. The Lady Simplicia created an altar out of gratitude for the safe return of her husband and son from battle so a protector god of soldiery.
Historic and Modern Offering – deeds to fulfil vows, libations and good foods in fire.
Symbol – two crossed bronze axes
Cosus, Coso, Cossue, Conso, male, Celtiberian, Realm – Earth
This is a god of the conjunction of rivers, which are where his shrines are found. His name means “meeting”. Female aspect Consuneae.
Historic and Modern Offering – libations into the water at his shrines.
Symbol – an inverted ‘Y’.
Coventina, female, Britain – Earth, transition.
Queen of river goddesses, portrayed as a water nymph, naked and reclining on lapping waves or on a floating leaf. She represents healing, inspiration and prophecy, linking her with Brighid (as a sky goddess).
Healing springs are usually tended by sky gods as the belief in ancient times was that it was light that brought about healing, and it was the light mixing with the water at sparkling springs that made them heal. But Coventina is a chthonic goddess, from the deep earth, so it is her connectedness with the earth that heals, not the light. Her springs and rivers do not need to flash and sparkle to bring about healing.
Drinking from a spring dedicated to her using a cup made from a human skull healed everything. The skull cup was calked inside with pine pitch and the outer dyed black. It was scryed also (inspiration and prophecy). This practice was transferred to semi-Christian beliefs (e.g. St Teilo’s cup, made from his skull) and continues in some places today.
Historic and Modern Offering – Originally a head of a mighty foe slain in battle but after the Roman invasion, coins into springs or wells along with an oath which must be kept. A coin, of course, is precious and depicts a head.
Symbol – A rondel of a water nymph.
Credne / Creidhne, male, Irish, Realm – Earth
The smith of golden metals of the Tuatha Dé Danann, working with gold, bronze and brass. He is one of the three gods of craftsmanship. He grants smith magic.
Historical and Modern Offering – Our message written on a tablet of one of his metals.
Symbol – A golden hammer and anvil.
Creiddylad, female, Wales, Realm – Living and Earth
A love and flower goddess; the sea god is her father. The annual May Queen emulates her. The name Cordelia derives from her.
Similar to Aphrodite/ Venus.
Historic and modern offerings – Bouquets of indigenous blooms. The texts say ‘oak, broom and meadowsweet’ but these bloom at different times of the year.
Symbol – sprig of broom
Crom Cruach, Crom Dubh, male, Ireland, Realm – Sky
From “cruim” meaning “thunder”, and “crúach”, meaning “heap” – implying heaps of farm produce, Crom Cruach is a thunder god who bestows fertility. He is thus Taran or Taranis, and The Daghda. Crom Cruach’s shrine was at Magh Slécht (The Plain of Prostrations) in County Cavan, encircled by twelve other shrines. It was apparently the evangelist Patrick himself who destroyed it.
Historic offerings – allegedly, a child, smashed onto his holy rock at Samhain. The account is written by monks though. Taranis demanded an offender hit over the back of the head, or in fire, so probably a transgressor smashed onto the rock, with evangelising monks adding that the victim be innocent for scurrilous effect.
Modern offerings Today, a libation of good red wine or quality ale poured over rock with pure intent.
Symbol – a burnished bronze figure surrounded by 12 stones.
Crouga, male, Celtiberian, Realm – Earth
Crouga is a north Iberian understanding of Caerno (c.f.), the chthonic sheep protector, with shrines mostly in Gallicia and adjacent.
Historic and modern offering – a complete fleece, given in fire on a hilltop.
Symbol – a ram.
Cunomaglus, male, British, Realm – Sky and Living
The “Lord of Hounds”, his shrines were always next to bubbling healing springs. The belief was that it was the sparkling light mixing with the pure water that did the healing. A dog in the symbolism is usually an indicator of a protector, even in a hunting context, here protecting medically.
Associated with Diana, Silvanus and Apollo by the Romans giving hunting, light and healing.
Historic and modern offerings – tweezers, pins, scissors and other small articles associated with the curative arts.
Symbol – a hunting hound.
Cuslanus, male, Cisalpine Gaul, Realm – Earth
“God of the hazel shrub” (proto-Gaul * cosl). Hazel is a significant sacred plant as the nuts drop from 9 trees into the Well of Wisdom (an Tobar Segais) and are eaten by the Salmon of Knowledge. Each speckle on the side of a salmon indicates the number of hazelnuts it has eaten and suggests how wise it is.
In a similar story to the granting of wisdom to Taliesin, the story of Finn, has him granted wisdom by eating a drop of fat from a cooking salmon. The fat gave Finn “the three things that constitute a poet: teinm laida (“illumination of song”), imbas forosna (“illuminated inspiration”) and dichetul dichennaib (“extempore incantation”).” (Mary Jones, The Boyhood Deeds of Finn mac Cumhaill)
Historic and modern offerings – a withy basket of forest fruits at the base of the coppice.
Symbol – a sprig of hazel
Cythrawl, male, Wales, Realm – Living
The personification of evil, malice, terrible luck and random personal disasters
Similar to the Greek god Chaos.
Historic and modern offerings – Something personally dear to the supplicant to avert disaster or to bring it on a rival.
Symbol – A broken cup
The Dagda, Daghda, male, Irish, Realms – Sky, Earth, Living and Ancestors
From proto-Celtic, *Dagodeiwos, “The good god” or “the great god”, The Daghda’s other names are Eochu or Eochaid Ollathair (horseman, great father or father of all), Ruad Rofhessa (mighty one/lord of great knowledge) and Dáire (the fertile one). A king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, he is husband of the Morrígan and lover of Boann, father of Aengus, Brigit, Bodb Derg, Cermait, Aed and Midir.
So, The Daghda controls fertility, the weather, agriculture, time and the seasons, life and death, manliness, strength, magic, Druidry and wisdom. He is Druid, king and father-figure. Thusly, The Dagda is British god Taranis the Thunderer and Gaulish god Sucellos. He may be Crom Cruach/ Crom Dubh and death-ancestor god Donn.
He is very like Norse god Odin (the All-father), the Roman gods Jupiter and Dis Pater, and Greek god Zeus.
Historic offering – Two pigs and tree fruit. Roast the pigs in the feast afterwards.
Modern offerings – The principle is evident, basing your offerings on the historical prescription, ensure that many are fed to evidence your commitment, that your undertaking may be blessed, moved forward and succeed.
Symbol – The Lorg Mór – The Great Staff (or club or mace)
Dahut / Dahud-Ahes, female, Britain, Realm – Living
A red-haired coastal goddess of pleasure and voluptuousness. She ruled the city of Ys and held drink-fuelled orgies there. Her envoys are the doe or the ibex (a mountain goat), symbols of sensuality and libidinousness respectively. She was said to have been despised by Christian monks, especially Winwaloe, and thus upset all the right people.
Compared to Aphrodite/ Venus.
Historic and modern offerings – Libations, sexual acts, luxury goods.
Symbol – a finely carved wooden doe
Damona/ Boand/ Bormana, female, Wales, Britain, Gaul, Realm – Earth
“Divine Cow”, the consort of Borvo, god of the healing waters, as is she the goddess.
Historic and modern offerings – a tablet of holy metal, bronze, copper, tin, silver, gold (usually inscribed with the malady of the supplicant).
Symbol – a small bowl of healing water from a spa.
Delbáeth / Delbáed / Tuirenn, male, Irish, Realms – Sky
See Tuireann
Dercetio, male, Lusitanian, Gallo-Iberian, Realm – Sky
A large serpent god who inhabits high ground and sees all. Dercetio sees and protects territory, flocks, herds and homes. ‘Dercetio’ is from PIE *derk, “to see”, this is also the root word of “dragon” so this enormous snake is probably such.
Historic offering – Sheep and bulls slaughtered on high ground.
Modern offerings – The historic offering represents wealth for protecting the landowner, but Dercetio also protects the community and its assets. When requesting protection for your community, echo the substance of the gift but do not try to emulate the wealth of the few or the aggregate resources. Just be sincere and remember this is about commitment.
Symbol – a thick long snake.
Dewi, “Dow-ee”, male, Wales.
A dragon god whose crimson form was said to have appeared in King Arthur’s dreams and, later, on his battle standards.
* Beware of this one – I can find no basis for this ‘deity’. It seems to be wishful thinking by New-Agers. St. David is translated to ‘Dewi Sant’ in Welsh, thus this tale is trying to suggest that he did not exist. I really don’t see the point of the fabrication. The Pendragon (‘red dragon’) comes from Myrddin / Merlin’s vision of the Cymry (red dragon) and Saxons (white dragon) approaching war.
Dian Cécht, Miach, Airmed, male, Irish, Realm – Living
God of healing, from proto-Celtic, *Deino-kwekwto, ‘swift potion’,
The Book of Invasions tells that Dian Cécht’s daughters were Airmed, the female physician, and Étan the poet.
Historic and modern offering – Healing herbs into a sacred fire.
Symbol – Three serpents
Dienw’r Anffodion (D’yenn’-oorr An-FOD-yon), Male, Wales, Realm – Ancestors
“The Nameless One of Misfortune,” due to his bearing thirteen years of homeless, wandering suffering and poverty with no memory of who he was until meeting harp-playing Goreu, cousin of Arthur and ally to Culhwch. Heaping abuse on him, Goreu led him to grouchy Ceridwen, who gave him a drink from her cauldron, whereupon the wanderer realised he was Manawyddan. Goreu turned out to be Gwydion. The story of Myrddin Wyllt’s redemption is almost identical.
Historic and modern offering – A libation of hot water. The apparent emptiness of this gift represents the emptiness of ‘The Nameless One’s’ life and mind, masking his potential.
Symbol – an empty leather pouch/ purse.
Divona, Dibǒnā, female, Gaul, Realm – Earth
From “deuos” meaning “divine” and “brilliant”, she is a guardian goddess of springs and rivers. This is an important deity as she is invoked for dark water rites and sacred spring works.
Historic Offering – Votive offerings found in these places are swords, bronze art, containers and, historically, heads of vanquished foes, latterly high value coins (are precious and have heads on them).
Modern Offering – The historic offerings are of personal achievements and skills of the time. Thus artworks, the precious fruit of your modern day labours, prized receptacles for your water borne devotions into her pools. Ensure the items are not hazardous and that the materials do not pollute.
Symbol – a stone bowl of spring water.
Dôn, female, British, Cymraeg, Realm – Ancestors
Mother of Y Plant Dôn and the Tuatha Dé Danann. The ancestor figure in Welsh legend. She is the same as the goddess Danu in the Irish tradition. She may be the same as the Vedic goddess of rivers, Danu, as most European languages and indigenous faiths have their root in the very ancient South Asian Vedic culture. It is generally agreed that the River Danube is named for her and may have been the route that the “Celtic” culture arrived in the central Germanic lands. This would have merged with existing peoples and cultures to become the artistic, political and faith climate associated with the name.
Historic and modern offerings – Offerings are usually made to her offspring. She can be honoured by saying her name and holding her being in reverence as the origin of the line of deity figures.
Symbol – a representation of a great river in an artwork – paint, tapestry, woodblock.
Donn, male, Ireland, Realm – Ancestors, deep Earth
Donn “dark one”, (Proto-Celtic, *Dhuosnos) is not Dôn or Danu. He is king of the underworld and the dead, so a personality of Arawn, originally a chthonic god. Donn seems to have origins as an aspect of the Daghda, who is also Taranis. Also Bilé, a personality of Belenos, god of fire and sun. Sky, Earth, Ancestors, the gods are fluid in concern and personality. Arawn is also Gwyn ap Nudd, king of the Coblynau (goblins). They are an underground people – the ‘knockers’ who warn of imminent mine collapse. The confusion between the dead going underground or to islands of happiness and light, seems to be more one of human visualisation than contradiction. The dead do not cease to exist but they are elsewhere.
Donn has a house of the dead, Tech Duinn, said to be an island off the south-west coast of Ireland. There seems to have been a lot of rewriting of Donn in the 8th & 9th centuries but the original clearly guided the departed across the water to the Islands of the Blessed in the Otherworld.
Historic and modern offerings – food for the departed, given into a cave or down a deep, dark chasm.
Symbol – a beehive-shaped dolman tomb.
Dorminus, male, Cisalpine Gaul, Realm – Earth
A god of warm springs, always paired with goddess Sueta, of the same.
Historic and modern offerings – high value coins, thrown in, votive tablets of metal inscribed with verses of praise and supplication.
Symbol – a carving of two streams issuing from the same spring.
Druantia, female, Britain, Realm – Earth
Purported Druid queen and tree deity. Completely fictional, she was invented by poet Robert Graves for his book, The White Goddess.
Attributed similarities to a Greek dryad or the goddess Dentritus.
Duberdico, Duberdicus, male, Celtiberian, Realm – Living
God of fortresses.
Historic and modern offerings – In ancient times, livestock or personal item of value, in fire, on an altar, in the place of safety or just outside. Today, something of personal value in the same way.
Symbol – A wall.
Ducavavius, male, Cisalpine Gaul, Realm – Earth
“God of the Rivers”.
Historic and modern offerings – Libation
Symbol – A bowl of living water
Durius, male, Celtiberian, Realm – Earth
God of the river Douro. This form is obviously a latinised form of the river’s name. Compare with immediately above, Ducavavius.
Historic and modern offerings – Libation
Symbol – On his shrines, he wields a fishing net.
Dylan ail Don, male, Wales, Realm – Earth
Sea god, son of Arianrhod, brother of Lleu Llaw Gyffes. He “influences” (the meaning of his name) the flow of the sea and thus should be invoked before a sea voyage. The Cymraeg, dylanwadu, ‘to influence’, stems from conjoined proto-Celtic words, *dī-, ‘off, away’, and *φlanwo– ‘flood, filling.’
Historic and modern offerings – a fine large fish, burned and the ashes cast into the water, with another consumed in a celebratory feast in the god’s honour.
Symbol – four waves – “Wave of Iwerdon, and wave of Manau, and wave of the North, And wave of Prydain, hosts comely in fours.”
Ecne, male, Irish, Realm – Living
From the Old Irish, ecna, ecne or wise, enlightened, is the god of wisdom or knowledge. He is born of the triple god Brian, Iuchar and Iucharba, the tri dee Donand or three gods of Danu, from dán or knowledge (Oidheadh Chlainne Tuireann – The Tragedy of the Sons of Tuireann).
Ecne is consort to Brighid.
Historic and modern offerings – Three apples and the skin of a pig. In modern times, that would be something of pigskin leather.
Symbol – A hawk or a swan or a wolfhound
Elatha, Elieror, Elada, male, Ireland, Realm – Living and Sky
An ancient god, he “brings light”. This is often in the use of “enlightenment” such as knowledge, art and fine bardic skills. He sired Ogma, who brought the Ogham script. In the Book of Invasions (sect VII, liii, 9), he is described as “glory of weapons, a wolf of division against men of plunder”.
Unusually for one of such positive attributes, he is a Formorian – the “dark side” of human attributes. He is a seducer who dresses in finery – golden hair, golden clothes, gold bracelets and necklaces, shining like the sun – to turn the heads of impressionable young ladies. He is witty and of impeccable manners. Negative or positive according to your personal outlook. “A gentleman is a patient wolf” – Lana Turner.
Historic and modern offerings – a gold stylus (pen) given into deep, dark water.
Symbol – golden clothing accessories.
Erbina, Aerbina, female, Celtiberian, Lusitanian, Realm – Earth
A local goddess of the Lusitanian region who probably came out of the pre-Celtic faith there. She is goddess of borders and boundaries, particularly where the territory is bounded by a river.
Historic and modern offerings – A libation into the boundary river.
Symbol – A fence or a bridge.
Erditse, male, Pyrenean-Gaul, Realm – The Living
Derived from Aquitanian / Old Basque verb “erdi” (to birth) and “erdietsi” (to acquire, to bring about), he is the “god who makes things happen”. A success god.
Historic and modern offerings – We give something that reflects the value that we place on our endeavour. We throw it into a deep pool or a chasm, so that it can be neither retrieved nor used by anyone else who finds it. If necessary, it is damaged first.
Symbol – An empty bowl that will be filled.
Endovelicus, male, Celtiberian, Realm – Earth
From proto-Basque, *Endo-belles, “most black”. A chthonic god of health, prophecy and the earth, linked to vegetation and the afterlife.
Other cultures called him “Venus” and “Lucifer”.
Historic Offering – animal sacrifice, with feasting of the carcass after the blood has been poured down a deep, dark cleft of a chasm.
Modern Offering – A good blood-red wine poured down a deep, dark cleft of a chasm followed by feasting in his name.
Symbol – A black vase.
Erecura, Eracura, Aerecura, Herecura, female, Realm – (deep) Earth
Consort of Taranis, she controls the springtime growth of crops and the cycle of life, death and rebirth or renewal. One of the Triple Mothers, she is depicted in a seated posture, wearing a full robe and bearing baskets of apple or other fruit, as a cornucopia.
The Romans associated her with Proserpina. Possibly that is another reason why Julius Caesar paralleled Taranis with Dis Pater. Dis Pater was an underground, deep earth (chthonic) god that granted wealth and fertility to the soil. Proserpina was his wife. The fertility of the earth is the connection with Taranis, a sky god, who brings the fertility with lightning. Dis Pater is seen as a personality of Jupiter as “Diespater”. Jupiter was the senior Roman god as Taranis was seen as the senior Celtic god in some observances (Taran, in the Irish tradition, especially).
Historic Offering – wine, dark ale, apples (especially at Samhain) and grain (see below).
Symbol – seeds that are from those stored to be sown not eaten.
Ernmas, female, Irish, Realm – Earth
A mother goddess who gives life to the farms. From her sprang the triple female gods of Ériu, Banba and Fódla, who are the spirits of the land of Ireland; war goddesses the Badb, Macha and Anand (the Mórrígan, goddess of death and destiny) and the triple male gods of Glonn, Gnim and Coscar.
Historic and modern offerings – fruits of the farm – a sheaf of wheat or barley, baskets of roots or tree fruits, a leg of mutton or pork.
Symbol – a gold thumb ring
Esus, male, Britain, Gaul, Realm – Earth
Lord of the Forest. i) By the Gauls he was and is worshipped as a forest and nature god. ii) Minorly as a sea god. Esus is depicted ‘brashing’ lower tree branches with an axe to protect the forest from wildfires. See foreword and Cernunnos for full introduction.
Caesar translated him to his Roman readership as “Apollo”. The sea god persona, similar to the Greek Poseidon and the Roman Neptune.
Historic Offering – Male sacrifices would be suspended by one foot from an oak or yew tree on a full moon and have their throats cut. The blood was caught in a bronze or silver cauldron, the moon’s light renders blood black. It would then be scryed. Afterwards the blood was poured onto the tree’s bole and roots.
Modern Offering – Scry and pour a good dark ale now. Then sprinkle a dressing of blood, fish and bone meal sparingly across the width of the tree’s canopy to feed the whole root plate. Esus nurtures the trees and will look kindly upon you for this.
Symbol – Bronze axe with an oak or yew shaft.
Étaín, Edain, Aideen, Etaoin, Éadaoin, Aedín, Adaon, female, Irish, Realm – Sky
Meaning “passion, jealousy”. Given the epithet Echraide (“horse rider”), she is the goddess known as Rhiannon by the Cymry/ Welsh and Epona by the Gauls.
A triple goddess, Étaín has a daughter Étaín Óg or Étaín the Younger, who bears a daughter, Mess Buachalla or “cowherd’s fosterling”. We see the three stages of a woman’s life, as understood in ancient times – girl, mother, grandmother. Today’s understanding would be child, woman, elder.
She can bestow love, long life, wealth and prestige. She is beautiful beyond all mortals.
Historic Offering – Four burnished bronze bowls containing pure sacred spring water, the blood of a snake, of a swan and of a calf.
Modern Offering – Four burnished bronze bowls containing pure sacred spring water, the shed skin of a snake, the flight feather of a swan and some raw milk – for a calf.
Symbol – a horse or a fly.
Éthur Mac Cuill, male, Irish, Realm – Living
One of the Tuatha de Danaan, grandson of the Daghda, the son of Coll, god of hazel. Hazel is the dispenser of knowledge, so the recipient is wise and has great knowledge, meaning he will be prosperous. The knowledge is contained in hazelnuts which are eaten by the wise salmon, who have one spot for each of the nuts ingested.
He and his brothers, Céthur Mac Gréine and Téthur Mac Cecht, were responsible for several “honour killings”, that caused major conflicts. In the legends, Éthur Mac Cuill was killed in single combat by Éber Finn, the Milesian, over control of the land of Ireland. This is probably a monkish device to wrest power from the pagan gods by men.
Historic Offering – A salmon.
Modern Offering – Some hazel nuts
Symbol – A sprig of hazel.
Fagus, male, Gaul, Realm – Living
Despite ‘fagus’ being the Latin for ‘beech’, this is not a tree god. The root is from proto-Basque and gives his authority over especially the new-born and generally the safeguarding of babies. Infant mortality is very high in the human species, when away from cutting edge medical care. Divine protection is indispensable. His Druids had red hair and beards.
Fagus is honoured in time of childbirth but also if pregnancy must be terminated, as the potential child would be harmed more if born now, rather than waiting for when the time is right. Fagus will nurture the spirit until it is time.
Historic and Modern Offering – Something linked with the care of a child, something small, personal and precious.
Symbol – A coin with a baby carved into it.
Fand, female, Irish, Realm – Earth
Daughter of Flidais / Fliodhais and sea god, Manannán’s wife, so a sea goddess. Like her mother, she was celebrated for her beautiful hair. She lingered with Cúchulainn and had to have a cloak shaken between them.
Historic and Modern Offering – something precious of the forest given into the sea.
Symbol – a skein of flax or nettle fibre.
Felvennis, male, Cisalpine Gaul, Realm – Sky
A powerful god of both the storms and agricultural fertility so a name for Taranis/ the Daghda.
Likened to Jupiter by the Romans
Historic offering – Two pigs and tree fruit. Roast the pigs in the feast afterwards.
Modern offering – Tree fruit and cooked pork from the feast. The first cuts.
Symbol – A lightning staff
Fir Bolg, Firbolg, Fir Bholg, a people, Irish, legendary ‘hero’ status.
The Fir Bolg are ancient settlers of Ireland. They are not deities. They may be historical and a memory of a spur of the Belgae tribe, who settled many places in the Bronze and Iron Ages.
Flidais / Flethnais / Fliodhais, Female. Ireland, Britain, Gaul, Realm – Earth
The Lady of the Forest. A female member of Tuatha Dé Danann, known by the epithet Foltchaín (“beautiful hair”). A goddess of animals, woodlands and fecundity – she grants the sexual stamina of seven women. As “goddess of wild beasts […] she rode in a chariot drawn by deer”, while as “goddess of the domestic herds”, she had a magical cow of plenty. Mother of Fand, Bé Chuille and Bé Téite. By attributes, a female personality of Esus.
Similar to the Greek Artemis and Roman Diana.
Historic and Modern Offering – Fruits, garden produce, milk and grain for her wild animals placed in a glade.
Symbol – a sprig of ash
Fódhla/ Fótla, Banba/ Banbha and Ériu, female, Irish, Realm – Earth
These are three sisters and also a triple goddess, this often happens when the mythologies of the gods are turned into legends of ancient heroes after a culture change. They give their names as mothers to the land of Ireland, although “Ériu/ Éire/ Éirinn” is most often seen.
In legend, their parents were Delbáeth and Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
Fódhla/ Fótla is always associated with The Morrígan, “Terrifying or Monstrous Queen”, war goddess and harbinger of personal disaster, but they are not the same. She is always attended by a host of Sídhe.
Banba/ Banbha always attends Macha, the “Sun of Womanfolk”, deity of land, fertility, kingship, war and horses. Like Fódhla, she is always accompanied by “her troop of faery magic hosts”.
Ériu attends Badb, the war goddess and bringer of terrible news (Badb Catha – “battle crow”). Her name has a proto-Celtic etymology of “fat” (*Φīwerjon) but in a meaning of abundance and good health (c.f. “the fat of the land”).
Historic and Modern Offering – fruits of the land, fine clothes (such as we might give our mothers).
Symbol – a harp, a sprig of watercress or wood sorrel (the original seamróg/ shamrock), a turf from the banks of the River Boyne/ Bóinne.
The Fomorians, male and female, Irish, Realm – Ancestors, Living, Earth, Sky and the transition elements
These are traditionally the people that invaded and subjugated the Tuatha de Danaan. Mediaeval Irish mythology depicts them as representing all the negative human and natural characteristics but that is disapproving and judgemental, characteristics of the Christian church, whose monks transcribed the tales, inserting events from their own mythologies and putting their “spin” on the narratives. Every principal must have a mirror image to oppose and contrast in a positive, constructive manner, driving forwards evolution and understanding. Dogma and absolutes are stagnation. The spirit world is not the human; human ethics and standards do not apply.
The Fomorians told of, are:
Indech, King of the Fomorians,
Balor,
Bres,
Cethlenn,
Cichol Gricenchos,
Conand,
Elatha,
Ethniu (f),
Tethra,
Manannán (as the Gilla Decair),
Tuiri Tortbuillech,
Goll,
Irgoll,
Loscenn-lomm,
Octriallach, son of Indech,
Omna and Bagna,
Regan.
Frovida, female, Celtiberian, Realm – Earth
A goddess of rivers that emerge from underground. She grants visions.
Historic and Modern Offering – Libation at the point of emerging.
Symbol – Depiction of a river emerging.
Fuamnach, female, Irish, Realm – Earth
A goddess of magical verse, song and incantation. Her name means “to make vocal sounds”, with an inference that this is not mere speech. The oral tradition calls her gáeth (wise) and trebar (crafty), “versed in the knowledge and power of the Túatha Dé Danann”. The sense of the narrative is that she is Machiavellian. This sits well with the skills of the Druid, who is a political being as well as a healer, maven and crafter of magics.
The medieval legendary cycles call her a witch and that that her foster father had been the wizard-Druid Bresal Etarlám, but that would be the understanding of that time.
Historic and Modern Offering – A marriage cup, thrown into a deep pool of water.
Symbol – Her wand of scarlet rowan (Cáerthann).
Garmangabis, female, British, Realm – The Living
“She who takes the cries away”. The most complete inscription on an altar in Lanchester, Co. Durham, gives the usage. British “gabi-”, ‘to take’, plus Welsh ‘gawr’, ‘shout’ and ‘cry’, Welsh and Breton ‘garm’, ‘clamour’, ‘outcry’ or ‘cries of rage’. Related are the Old Irish ‘gáir’ and ‘gairm’. We might say ‘The Pacifier’ or ‘The Peacemaker’ and call to her on the ‘Claim’ month, Elembivos, (July) and the following Arbitration month, Edrinios, (August).
Historic and Modern Offering – Something symbolic of what peace of mind means to us.
Symbol – a sheathed sword and basket for justice and restitution, or, restoring peace.
Gebrinius, male, Belgian Gaul/ Germania border, Realm – Living
Derived from the Proto-Celtic *gabros or “goat,” from the Indo-European *kapros which refers to any male hooved animal (c.f. ‘Capricorn, the goat’ or ‘capricious’ meaning “goat-like”). He is a healer.
The Romans associated him with Mercury, deliberately reassigning a ram to his image instead. The Greeks, with Pan
Historic Offering – a male goat.
Modern Offering – a pint of goat’s milk or a good, expensive, goat’s cheese.
Symbol – a goat’s horn.
Glanis (male) and the Glanicae (female), Gaul, Realm – Sky
Glanis tended the healing spring, in which the sick bathed, and a sacred triple of goddesses, the Glanicae, nurtured the sick whilst recovering. A town, Glanum, Provençe, was named for them before being destroyed by the Alamanni in 270CE
It is puzzling to the modern mind that healing springs are tended by sky gods. It was believed that light brought about healing and that it was light mixing with the water at sparkling springs that made them heal.
Historic and Modern Offering – something personal and precious, perhaps a model of the ailing part in an expensive metal or stone.
Symbol – A beeswax or tallow candle and three small bowls of water.
Goewin, female, Wales, Realm – Living
The maiden who held Math’s feet. At the beginning of the tale of Math fab Mathonwy, Math will die if his feet are not always held in the lap of a virgin or he is at war; Goewin is the virgin who performs this duty until Math is tricked into going to war by his nephews Gwydion and Gilfaethwy, who proceed to rape Goewin. Once Math returns, she reveals that the nephews have dishonoured her. Math punishes the two by transforming them into a series of animals, and marries Goewin, giving her the power of his kingdom, in order to restore her honour.
Math fab Mathonwy is a god of prosperity, coinage, acute hearing and magic thus Goewin has his power also by dint of his restitution. Women who are survivors of male violence or oppression may call on Goewin for strength, renewal and fulfilment.
Compare with the Greek Hebe.
Historical and modern offerings – precious scarves.
Symbol – a fine green scarf.
Gofannon, Gobannus, male, Wales, Realm – Earth, Living
A great metal worker and the son of Dôn. Gofannon killed his nephew, Dylan Ail Don, not knowing who he was. One of the tasks given to Culhwch if he were to win the hand of Olwen was to get Gofannon to sharpen his brother Amaethon’s plough. See Goibniu below.
Historic Offering – Best preserved dedication to Gobannus is found on Bern zinc tablet, “to Gobannus, the world-traveller, dedicated by the people of Brennoduron in the Arura valley”.
Historical and modern offerings – Lead, zinc and tin are offered.
Symbol – A small copper ingot.
Goibniu, male, Irish, Realm – Earth
Called Gofannon by the Welsh and Gobannus by the Gauls. The smith of silver metals of the Tuatha Dé Danann, working with silver, steel, tin and zinc. He is one of the three gods of craftsmanship. He grants smith magic.
Historical and Modern offering – A message written on a tablet of one of his metals.
Symbol – A golden hammer and anvil.
Grannus / Granus / Mogounus / Amarcolitanus, male, Gaul, Ireland, Wales, Realm – Sky
Bushy of hair, beard and eyebrows, Grannus is deity of spas, thermal springs, and the sun. All having the nature of shining, twinkling and gleaming, it is the light not the material and thus there is a Lugos connection. His consort is Sirona.
Associated by the Romans with Apollo and Mars, by the Greeks with Phoebus.
Historic Offering – a sheaf of grain is burnt (for the light of the flames).
Modern Offering – a kilo of flour thrown handful by handful into hot, vigorous flames. It will ignite with a small explosion giving lots of light. Be careful doing this.
Symbol – shiny metal bowl of twinkling water or glass beads.
Gwenhwyfar “GWIN-hwee-var”, Guinevere. Female. Wales. Realm – Ancestors and Living
Revered wife and queen of King Arthur. The name is comprised of proto-Celtic *Windo-, being “white, flaxen-haired, sacred” amalgamated with *sēbarā “magical creature”. The latter is the root of the Old Irish síabair “aethereal being, spirit, mystical entity”. We are left with a meaning of “flaxen-haired sorceress” or “the white fae”. Geoffrey of Monmouth renders her “Guanhumara”. There are three Guineveres in the Arthurian legends showing a triple goddess origin. There is a Findabair, daughter of Ailill and Queen Medb of Connacht (beautiful fair-haired wolf-queen) mentioned in The Cattle-Raid of Fraech, whose name means the same. She may be an oral tradition memory of the same goddess.
Historic and Modern Offering – tell the tales of the fair consort of Arthur. Of the just society they created and how it flourished until brought down by selfishness, jealousy and greed.
Symbol – a fine white scarf.
Gwyddion “GWITH-yawn”, male, Wales, Realm – Ancestors
A cunning enchanter and patron of the arts and education. Thought by many to be a forerunner of Arthur of Camelot. The story goes that he morphed into the great poet, Taliesin. Linked to both Teutates and Brighid.
Somewhat similar to the Greek Hermes and the Roman Mercury.
Historic Offering – Any of the creatures listed in his shapeshifting battle with Cerridwen. Also, fine poetry, prose, music and song.
Modern offering – Fine poetry, prose, music and song.
Symbol – a sharpened quill.
Gwyddno, male, Wales, Realm – Earth
A sea god ruling from an underwater kingdom.
Compare to Poseidon/ Neptune.
Historic and modern offerings – beef or horsemeat, well-seasoned with sea salt, or fish on a fire made of driftwood.
Symbol – a cockleshell.
Gwyn ap Nudd, male, Britain, Realm – Ancestors and Deep Earth
Son of Nuada/ Nodens. King of the Coblynau, underworld god of the hunt and fallen warriors. Three dogs accompanied his horse. A dog in the symbolism is usually an indicator of a protector, even in a hunting context, here protecting spirits on their journey to the Otherworld. Abductor of Lady Creiddylad and fights Gwythyr ap Gwreidwyl every Bealtaine. Also, see Vindos.
According to the “Speculum Christiani” (C14thCE), “Welsh soothsayers” would utter the following ‘Invocation of Gwyn ap Nudd’ before entering forest groves:
‘Ad regen Eumenidium et reginam eius: Gwynn ap Nwdd qui es ultra in silvis pro amore concubine tue permitte nos venire domum.’
“To the King of Spirits, and to his Queen: Gwyn ap Nudd, you who are yonder in the forest, for love of your beloved, permit us to enter your dwelling.”
“I Frenin y Gwirionedd, ac i’w Frenhines: Gwyn ap Nudd, ti sydd draw yn y goedwig, er cariad at dy anwylyd, caniatâ inni fynd i mewn i’th drigfan.”
Often likened to Hades/ Pluto/ angel of death
Historic Offering – a boar or a fine horse in a cave.
Modern Offering – a fine carving of a boar or a fine horse, burned outside of a cave.
Symbol – an earthenware boar.
Gwri Gwallt Euryn (GOOR-ee Gwalht EYE-rin), male, Wales, Realm – Living
See Pryderi. In Arthurian legend he appears as Sir Gaheris.
Historic Offering – well fattened domestic pigs.
Modern Offering – a joint of pork burned in a fire.
Symbol – a falcon in brass or bright bronze
Gwythyr ap Gwreidwyl, male, Wales, Realm – Sky
He is a solar/ summer deity and opponent of Gwyn ap Nuad (who made off with Gwythyr’s intended bride, Creiddylad). Also, a Lugos connection.
Historic and modern offering – a garland of sweet-scented spring blooms.
Symbol – a scallop shell, polished or silvered to reflect the sky.
Henwen, Hen Wen, female, Wales, Realm – Sky
Manifesting as a sow (female domestic pig), ‘Hen Wen’ means ‘Old White’. The stories from The Prydain Chronicles relate her as a seer and prophetess. Arawn, Lord of Annwn, Lord of the Hunt, the Bounty of the Earth, Master of Magic, hunts her. Taranis, god of Thunder and Fertility, protects her. Gwenhwyfar/ Guinevere means “White Sorceress” and there is a likely connection.
Triad 26: The Three Powerful Swineherds of the Isle of Britain, relates that Henwen farrows (gives birth to): A grain of wheat and a bee at Maes Gwenith, Gwent; a grain of barley and a bee or wheat or a piglet at Llonion Pembroke/ Dyfed; a grain of rye at Lleyn, Arfon; a wolf-cub and an eaglet at the Hill of Cyferthwch, Eryri; a kitten at Maen Du, Llanfair in Arfon.
The wolf, the eagle and the gigantic Cat of Palug became fearsome and deadly creatures killing many men. Blaidd, the wolf, is an envoy of Andraste/ The Morrígan, The Victorious, Spirit Queen, Queen of Nightmares. Iolair, the Eagle, is a personality of Belenos (the sun deity), Beli Mawr (Beli the Great), and in the legends, Lugos, Lord of Light, as ‘Lleu’ was turned into an eagle at the moment of his murder. The ‘great cat’ would be Llewyn, the lynx, derived from the Cymraeg for “light”, the same origin as Lugh, unraveller of hidden truths and the gift of clairvoyance. When, as Druids, you seek truth, invoke Llewyn.
The grains were a great blessing and Taranis bestows fertility when he lays lightning, “the sperm of the sun” on the land.
Historical and modern offering – apples, nuts, vows to perform acts of courage that uphold justice then upheld.
Symbol – a depiction of a large, white, farrowing (swollen udders) sow.
Histria, female, Cisalpine Gaulish, Realm – Earth
Originally an Illyrian goddess, Histria Terra (“Histria of the Earth”), is a chthonic deity. The Illyrians were a Baltic people descended from an Illyrius, who was abandoned next to the Illyrian river and raised by the serpent who found him. The Illyrians blended with the Gauls and the ‘fane’ (shrine) to Histria Terra was found at Parentium, “I bring forth, I give birth to, I produce”. Character links to the female aspects of Esus, especially Rosmerta.
Historic and modern offering – Illyrian spiritual figures are linked to the Don/ Danaan (Danube) families, so offerings of richly decorated pots and jars filled with libations and food placed into sacred waterways.
Symbol – a piece of dolomite from deep underground. The area is part of the classical Karst Region.
Ialonus Contrebis, Ialonus, Gontrebis, male, Britain, Gaul, Realm – Ancestors
God of clearings and meadows. A rite calling on Ialonus used a form of foretelling in which a small boy picked out one of various futures that were written on oak rods.
Romans and Greeks paired him with Fortuna and Tyche, the goddess of fortune and destiny.
Historic and modern offering – food in a clearing
Symbol – a handful of grass
Icaunis, Icaunus, female, Gaul, Realm – Earth
Patron god of the River Yonne, a tributary of the Seine, and the tribe of the Icauna. She can be seen as a spirit of place and a deity guarding her river and people. She bestows her blessings on the travellers upon her and especially the woodcutters who sailed their harvest down the river for sale in the large population centres the river passed through. The main city was Autricum, later called Autissiodorum by the invaders and now Auxerre, Burgundy.
Historic and modern offering – grateful tribute of her bounty returned by casting in and by libation.
Symbol – art showing a lion sitting against the night sky.
Iccona, female, Lusitanian, Celtiberian, Realm – Sky
Iccona is associated with healing and connected with Reo and Trebaruna. In the Celtic traditions, it is light that heals, usually mixing with water in bubbling springs or exposing wounds to it. Opening wounds to fresh air once the bleeding is stopped is always a good idea rather than festering under filthy cloths and breeding clostridia.
Historic and modern offering – fulfilled vows and burnt offerings (smoke goes to the sky).
Symbol – a burnished disk reflecting light.
Icovellauna, female, Gaul, Realm – Sky
Called “chief” and “commander”, Icovellauna is associated with hot springs, like Sulis.
Historic and modern offering – coins, metal statuettes and ingots were left in her springs.
Symbol – a metal (bronze, silver, gold) disc bearing her name or image.
Ilurbeda, female, Gallo-Iberian, Realm – Earth
This chthonic goddess’ name means “gold” and her shrines are next to mountain mines. It is thought that she has an ancient Basque origin and was ‘updated’ when the Celtic culture arrived.
Historic offering – animals, food, wine at an altar set near your mine.
Modern offering – meat, other food, wine at an altar set near your mine.
Symbol – a pick.
Inciona, female, Gaul, Realm – Living and Earth
Inciona, ‘the Anvil’, consort of Lenus the Healer. Smithing was and is an important practical magic, clearly here, not only the preserve of men. Hot irons can be used for cauterising hence the healing connection.
Historic and modern offering – something hand-forged.
Symbol – an iron nail.
Iovantucarus, male, Gaul, Realm – Living
Probably a character of Lenus the Healer, Iovantucarus is charged with the protection of children.
Romans called him Mercury.
Historic and modern offering – Images of children holding birds.
Symbol – a picture of a songbird.
Iouga, male, Britain, Realm – Living
A numen or “divine mind”, a “divine power”, “which pervades the minds of men”. Originally an animistic presence that causes the prophetic uttering of birds and gifts its wisdom in the blowing of the wind. There are parallels in the manifestations of the Awen. A later origin tale has the presence as the anima of a great and powerful past ruler. Possibly an Arthurian allusion? Certainly, Pliny the Younger associates a numen with “power,” “dignity,” and “majesty”.
Historic and modern offering – Exquisite verse, song or oratory, followed by a quiet, open (listening) mind.
Symbol – a wren’s wing feather. The bird of prophecy that rides on the winds.
Intarabus, male, Gaul, Realm – Living
A beardless, long-haired young man in a tunic, wearing a wolf skin, carrying a spear and a small shield. He is a hunter and never given a consort. In today’s terms, he might be described as a god for teenagers.
Not allied to any Roman gods, he is worshipped at a sacred spring between two rivers.
Historic and modern offering – libations into the spring or at the mixing of the two rivers.
Symbol – the wolfskin.
Iuchar and Iucharba, male, Irish, Realm – Living
Brothers, and sons of Tuireann and Danand (sister of Danu), their names come from proto-, old- and middle- Irish, “*exs-koris” > “eochair” meaning to “turn, curve”. There is an implication of “duck and weave”. They embody action, movement but there is a context of action without direction, so they are always attached to their brother, Brian / Uar, who is wise and plans.
While offerings are made to Brian / Uar / Uair on his own, the “loose cannon” quality means that offerings are never made to the brothers on their own. Go to Tuireann.
Laneana, female, Celtiberian, Realm – Sky
Another goddess of healing springs, hence sky-light-water. Her springs always come out of granite.
Historic and modern offering – Libation into the spring.
Symbol – A granite pebble in a bowl of living (spring/rain) water.
Latis, male and female but separately, Britain, Realm – Living
Latis appears as both Dea Latis and Deus Latis in different inscriptions on altars. The name has roots in the proto-Celtic words for daytime, booze and lust. Coupled with the gender-switching, Latis seems to be the perfect party god! Dedications to Latis happen alongside those to Belatucadros, a war god worshipped by lower ranking warriors, as well as Cernunnos.
There are no Roman or Greek associations.
Historical and Modern Offerings – evidence is scant, but libations of wine, mead and ales seem meet.
Symbol – a simple soldier’s wooden cup or drinking bowl.
Lén, male, Irish, Realm – Earth
Lén is one of the Aos Sídhe, the People under the Hill, a master of metal crafting who makes beautiful and intricate items for the Lady of the Forest, Flidais, a female aspect of Esus. It is to him we must make supplication when taking metal from the Earth.
The etymology of his name is a little confusing as Old Irish renders “lén” as “defeat” and “misfortune”, or “lénaid”, to “injure” and “wound”. There may be some resonance with the related Welsh/ Cymraeg “llwyn”, a “grove”, “bush” or “shrub”, to relate to the recipient, Flidais, Lady of the Forest, but that is tenuous. It is more likely that there is a lost myth explaining why Lén was making and gifting objets d’art to Flidais. A guess would be either to comfort her following a wound or as compensation for causing the same, probably the latter, as that would be a misfortune.
Historical and Modern Offerings – Beautiful metal objects, into a lake, to give him respite from his labours.
Symbol – A small anvil, for fine work.
Leno, male, Gaul, Realm – Earth and Ancestors
God of the Islands, with a strong suggestion of the Islands beyond the Ninth Wave, The Otherworld of the Ancestors. This makes him cognate with Manannán/ Manawydan, Barinthus and Llyr/ Lir. As Leno, he is associated with the Lérins islands, off the French Riviera, in Cannes. There is an abbey on Saint-Honorat, founded in 410CE, presumably over a Gaulish shrine or temple, as was the christian habit.
Historical and Modern Offerings – pork or venison on a fire of driftwood.
Symbol – a small boat.
Lenus, male, Britain, Gaul, Realm – Living, Earth, Sky
An important healing god with shrines at medicinal springs, a bestower of health and general good fortune. There is an association with wood groves and hedgerows from a proto-Celtic root *lēno- (giving Welsh ‘llwyn’ – ‘grove’ or ‘hedge’). Lenus is an aspect of Teutates, god of the people and protector of the tribes. Note three Realm involvements of Sky (sunlight), hedgerows and groves (Earth) and the protector of the tribes (The Living). Clearly a catalytic god for triple deity formulae.
Lenus’ divine partners are goddesses of those Realms, Andraste (warrior goddess of The Living), Ancamna (an aspect of Nemetona, of the holy Druidic groves, The Earth), Inciona (‘the Anvil’), as well as the Xulsigiae, the triple goddesses of healing springs (water mixed with light, The Sky).
Almost always identified with the Roman god Mars
Historic and modern offering – a fire of oak and yew sprigs
Symbol – an oak leaf floating on water.
Lero, male, Gaul, Realm – Earth
A spirit of place, patron god of Lérins, Provence. Always invoked with goddess Lerina, a counterpart female aspect.
Historical and Modern Offerings – libations of wine, mead and ales poured onto the earth in sacred places.
Symbol – a cup of soil from this place.
Lerina, female, Gaul, Realm – Earth
A spirit of place, patron goddess of Lérins, Provence. Always invoked with deity Lero, a counterpart male aspect.
Historical and Modern Offerings – libations of wine, mead and ales poured onto the earth in sacred places.
Symbol – a cup of soil from this place.
Litavis, Litauis, Litauī, female, Brittany, Wales, Realm – Earth
Meaning ‘Sovereign of the Land’, although literally, “The Earth Goddess” or “The Vast One”, she is the consort of Cicolluis, ‘The Muscular’ god. She is an Earth god.
Romans equated her with the goddess Bellona, personification of war. But they would, wouldn’t they?
Historic offering – blood let onto the earth.
Modern offering – fine arable or horticultural produce dug into the earth.
Symbol – a bowl of black (fertile) soil.
Llyr/ Lir, male, Britain/ Ireland, Realm – Ancestors and Earth.
A sea god but also patriarch of the family at war with the children of Dôn (Danaan). The epithets and deeds of Llyr/ Lir place his tribe as the forces of Darkness against Dôn/ Danaan’s Light. Of course, the deities cannot be judged by human standards, so it is best viewed as a whirlpool of yin-yang universal balance.
In the Welsh tradition, the offspring aspects are: Manawydan is also a sea god like Llyr (Irish, Lir and Manannán mac Lir); Brân/ Bendigeidfran, a god of bards and poetry; Branwen, wife of the sun deity Matholwch; Creiddylad of the Bealtaine conflict.
Matholwch mistreated Branwen sparking a war with her father and his kingdom. Only seven survived. Manawydan wed Rhiannon/ Rigantona.
Historical and modern offering – a black disc and salt
Symbol – plain wooden cup, bowl-shaped like a wine goblet without a stem.
Loucetios, Leucetios, Leucetius, male, Gaul, Realm – Sky
His name means ‘lighting’ and he is worshipped alongside Nemetona, but his consort is Sun goddess Sulis (of Bath fame), who is also a mother goddess. A Taranis personality.
Another Mars association for the Romans.
Historical offering – as for Taranis
Symbol – as for Taranis
Luchta, Luchtaine, male, Irish, Realm – Earth
The smith of dark metals (iron) and craftsman in wood of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He made the javelin shafts and shields for The Second Battle of Moytura. He is one of the three gods of craftsmanship. He grants smith magic.
Historical and modern offering – A message written on a tablet of one of his metals.
Symbol – A golden hammer and anvil.
Lugos – Lugh in Ireland, Lleu in Wales, Britain and Gaul, Realm – Sky
“Shining One”: a bright-faced solar god of endless talents, arts, crafts, healing abilities, prophecy; a.k.a Lámhfhada (“Long Arm”) because of his skill with sling and spear (his emblem) ; a.k.a. Lleu Law Gyffes (Lleu of the Skilful Hands), his many talents gained him admittance into the Tuatha. He was the father of Cu Chulainn.
Similar to Apollo, although Julius Caesar took him for Mercury.
Historic Offering – Sacrifices were impaled on high stakes and left for the ravens (Boudica did this).
Modern Offering – Today, roadkill left in a basket hoisted high will satisfy both sun god and corvids.
Symbol – The spear (made of yew wood), sword, sling (as in shepherd’s).
Luxovios, male, Gaul, Realm – Sky
A god of light and healing hot springs. Again, it is the sunlight reflecting and sparkling as the spring bubbles up from the earth. We have connection between the Sky Realm, the Earth Realm and the Living Realm (healing people). Other gods were worshipped at his altars – Taranis, Sirona, Grannus – all have connections with light, healing and fertility.
Historic and Modern Offering – Libations poured in the waters.
Symbol – bubbling water, sparkling with light.
Mabon, male, Britain esp. Wales, Realm of the Earth
Mabon ap Modron is the Welsh personification of youth. “Divine Son, son of Divine Mother”. A generally youthful harvest and wine god. He is almost always depicted as a prisoner, such as in the story of Culhwch ac Olwen in the Mabinogion, where he is set free by Cei and Bedwyr to capture the boar Twrch Trwyth. He derives from the Gallo-Brittonic god Maponos, below. The traditional song John Barleycorn seems to have resonances. The similarities to Maponos are so striking that it is almost certain that this is the same god.
Similar to Dionysus.
Historic and modern offerings – Field crops and ales (wine after the Roman influence).
Symbol – ear of barley.
Macha, female, Irish, Realm – Living and Earth
Of the three Mórrígan aspects, her name derives from the Plains of Ireland, she is, the “Sun of Womenfolk”, deity of land, fertility, sovereignty, war and horses. She is the red-haired revenger of wronged women, enslaver of would-be rapists, the raven of the raids and diffuser of all excellences. She picks her lovers and discards them when she chooses. When Cú Chulainn, the Irish hero, rejected her, she pursued him as a wolf.
Macha shares aspects with British goddesses Andraste and Rhiannon, though the two are not the same.
Historic offerings – The sacrifice of a war-horse or the burning of a man who has violated a woman.
Modern offerings – Today this is practically supporting the successful prosecution of a man who has violated a woman. Standing up to misogyny, giving a substantial amount to a women’s refuge or an organisation that provides legal support to abused women.
Symbol – A raven or a she-wolf.
Manannán, Manawydan, male, Irish and Welsh, Realm – Earth
Manannán or Manann is warrior king of the Otherworld. The name means ‘water’ from a Proto-Indo-European root. Mac Lir means ““son of the sea”, he is also known as “mac Alloit” or “mac Alloid” or “son of the soil”. This makes more sense when the understanding of the Otherworld as the “Islands beyond the Ninth Wave” is brought in. He is Lord of Emhain Abhlach, the Isle of Apple Trees, or Ynys Afallach, the Isle of Avalon. An account has Manannán riding his chariot across the waters to meet a ship in The Voyage of Bran. He is Tir fo Thuinn, the Druid of Chivalry (The Ancient Way).
He is the patron of ‘glamour’ magic, foster-carers, shoemakers, of servants and waiters, healers and musicians.
Historic and modern offerings – a votive figure of a boat, made from a precious or holy metal, cast into the sea.
Symbol – His coracle, his helmet, his crane bag, the sword Fragarach, the Shield of Finn, the Silver Branch.
Maponos, male, Britain, Realm – Living
God of youthful life, poetry and music. Maponos, “Divine Youth”, Gaulish and Brythonic “mapos” = “boy”, plus “on” indicating deity, as a god of the living, he represents the trials and joys of youth. He is “The Divine Son of the Divine Mother”, Modron. Portrayed variously as a young man with a harp; seated with a cap, flanked by the sun and the moon; as a hunter with a bow and a hound, flanked by two deer; stocky with a beard (transition to maturity).
The Romans equated him with Apollo who represents the same qualities
Maponos was firstly a god of the Gaulish Parisii tribe, who gave their name to the French city. They also migrated to Britain and became established in the modern East Riding of Yorkshire. They seem to have had a close relationship with their neighbours, the Brigantes, revering Brigantia equally. The Parisii are known for their chariot burials. The British area seems to have been known as “Mabon” before becoming the kingdom of Rheged. This would explain the Taliesin’s references in poems XI and XVIII. Owain ap Urien takes on the persona of the land as king. He is also Ywain/ Yvain in the Arthurian cycles. See also Mabon ap Modron.
Historic and Modern Offering – Libations and Song.
Symbol – harp, bow.
Manawyddan ap Llyr “Man-ah-WEE-than ap Cheer”, male, Wales, Realm – Earth
A shapeshifting sea and storm god known in Ireland as Manannan mac Lir, after whom the Isle of Man is named. His pigs kept the gods from growing old.
Compare with Proteus.
Historic Offering – a pig thrown off a cliff into the sea.
Modern Offering – carve a really nice wooden pig, throw it off a cliff into the sea.
Symbol – carved wooden pig (a different one)
Marcia Proba, female, Britain, Realm – Ancestors
A warrior queen and lawgiver. That is her on the top of the Old Bailey.
Historic and Modern Offering – an oath to right an injustice and action, that is kept.
Symbol – bronze scales and a bronze sword.
Math ap Mathonwy, male, Wales, Realm – Living
A god of prosperity, coinage, acute hearing and magic.
Similar to Hermes/ Mercury.
Historic and Modern Offering – Coins into portal pools
Symbol – gold coin
The Matres and Matronae, female, Europe, Realms – all, according to each three represented
These are triple goddesses known as ‘The Mothers’. At least one always holds a basket of fruit in her lap so the qualities of the three are added to that of fertility.
Titles will often accompany the Matronae such the Latin, Dominae and Feminae, meaning “Lady” as both honorific and gender.
Historic and modern offerings – according to the three depicted. Burning incense, pigs (pork) and bowls filled with fruit are common.
Symbol – a statuette of the relevant three.
Matronae Aufaniae, female, Belgian Gaul/ Germania border, Realm – Earth
Aufaniae has the Gothic language root ūfjō meaning “abundance” or “plenty”. That gives this triple goddess grouping characteristics relating to Rosmerta, who carries a cornucopic basket. The finely carved altars always depict two outer goddesses with sun-like halos flanking a female child. Behind, they are again represented as two elderly women with a middle-aged woman. There is clearly a message that they can be called on throughout the whole life of a woman, at all stages in that life, and that they will always be there, watching, guiding and providing.
Historic and modern offerings – Food, especially fruits, and money.
Symbol – three connected sun discs.
Matronae Dervonnae, female, Cisalpine Gaul, Realm – The Living
A triple mother goddess, “The Mothers of Fate (luck, fortune)”, although that is not the literal translation of her/ their name, which is taken from a locality. Romans added “Fatis Dervonibus” to her shrines, and associated her/them with money, “lucrorum potens”. The Matronae Dervonnae are not Roman gods though and “Fate” here is the ‘Celtic’ concept, not the Greco-Roman. She is a spirit of place, the home of the supplicant, and knows the “dooms” (Irish – geas, geis, géis, deas, pl. geasa; Scots G. – geas, pl. geasan; Cymraeg – tynged, pl. tynghedau) ascribed to the supplicant’s life. “Dooms” are judgements and decrees concerning significant events in that life – “the twists and turns of outrageous fortune”, as Shakespeare has it. Thus certain happenings are decided before you are born, however, the outcomes of those happenings are up to you and any Otherworldly interventions. Look at the story of the tynged of Arianrhod upon Lleu Llaw Gyffes, leading to the tragedy of Blodeuwedd.
Historic and modern offerings – a bowl of fruit, a token of how important this interaction is to you, an inscription on silver or bronze indicating your proposal, including how it benefits her/ them.
Symbol – A depiction of the triple deities, one hold fruit, one holds a bag (the unknown tynghedau) another the other is accompanied by an eagle, bird of far sight.
Matres Mairiae / Malusae, female, Celto-Iberian, Realm – Earth
A triple goddess, “the nursing mother” Maiabus has three aspects. She is from the same stock as Lugos and may be his mother, i.e., Tailtiu, the chthonic goddess. Sometimes described as the Romanised “Dea Nutrix”, “The “Nursing Mother”, triple form – “ Dei Nutrices”, “the nursing Matres”. Unusually, a wetnurse had high status among Romans so Matres Mairiae / Malusae was left relatively untampered with.
Historic and modern offerings – A bowl of milk, a basket of fruit, an item of baby clothing and a child’s comb.
Symbol – a carved tablet bearing an image of the goddess in her triple form.
Matres Menmandutiae, female, Gaul, Britain, Ireland, Realm – The Living
These triple goddesses are, “They who consider prayers”. The words carry implications of ‘intelligently listen’, ‘devise solutions’ and ‘care about the supplicant(s)’. In the various tongues: Gaulish menman ‘thought’, ‘prayer’ and ‘intelligence’; Old Irish menme, ‘mind, power of philosophy, intelligence, feeling, desire’; Welsh mynw and Breton meno, ‘opinion’; and P-I-E/ Sanskrit root mánman-, ‘thought’, ‘mind’.
Historic and modern offerings – Food, libations and precious things given into water.
Symbol – A carving of the three mothers.
Matronae Vediantiae, female, Gaul, Britain, Realm – The Living
Triple goddesses again. In modern parlance, ‘The mothers who grant prayers’. ‘Vediantiae’ is from the Gaulish verb ‘uediiumi’ – ‘I pray, I invoke’. However pre-Roman supplication did not have the same cringing of modern Abrahamic practice. There were two forms, the ‘trade’, wherein an oath would be made and then fulfilled on delivery or the payment-in-advance offering. Secondly would be closer to a ‘communion’ with the deity or deities, in which a ‘way forward’ would be crafted with a Druid or anam cara (spirit-friend). Closely related words are Gaulish “gwhedhiiō” = ‘I pray’, giving, “*gwhedh-”, ‘to pray’, ‘to invoke’ or ‘to ask’. The ‘invoke’ usage gives the clue. Also, we have Old Irish “guidiu”, ‘I pray’, “guide”, ‘prayer’ and “geiss”, ‘fate/ doom/ decree’; and lastly, Welsh/ Cymraeg “gweddi” ‘to pray’.
Historic and modern offerings – Food, libations and precious things given into water.
Symbol – A carving of the three mothers.
Matunus, Matunos, Matutinus, male, Britain and Gaul, Realm – Earth
Proto-Celtic *matu– meaning “bear”. Shrines found in Britain, Switzerland and the French Alps. No Arthur connection.
The Romans connected him with Mercury
Historic and modern offerings – food and libations, in a cave.
Symbol – a carving of a bear.
Maximia, female, Pyrenean-Celtic, Realm – Earth
A Niska, Niksa, Nixie, Nix, Nixe, Nyx – shape shifting (human, horse or wyrm, thus analogous to the kelpies of Scottish lore) water spirits, who appear in human form when it pleases them. They love music and dance as well as having the gift of prophecy. They usually loathe people but sometimes take them for lovers and partners. These are found in Gaulish, British and Irish lore as well (e.g. Ancasta above, Melusine and Niskus below). Maximia is the female chieftain of the Niskai, Niskas or Nixies.
The Nixies of Aquisa, modern-day Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda in French Catalonia, a town of many curative sulphur springs, were called upon to be friendly and to “swarm” wherever they wished in the local waters.
Historic and Modern Offering – wine and honey in libations, plus decorative bracelets, necklaces and the like, given into the waters.
Symbol – a depiction of a grass snake (a wyrm that swims in water).
Melusine, female, Britain, Realm – Earth
A two-tailed mermaid-like water spirit called a Niska (see Maximia above and others).
Similar to a siren.
Historic and Modern Offering – gift of fruit, meat or wine thrown into the sea.
Symbol – Water
Midir/ Midhir, male, Irish, Realm – Living
A god of justice and clear insight, his name stems from midithir, a judge (Old Irish). In the mythologies, he is son of the Dagda (‘The Good God’ = Taranis) of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is also a patron of the tactical games: fidchell, gwyddbwyll, chess, go, backgammon.
Historical and Modern Offering – a green leafy branch and a good deed carried out with pure intention.
Symbol – A shining blue eye, that sees far and clearly.
The Milesians, a people, Irish, legendary ‘hero’ status.
These people are the early settlers of the modern Irish people. They are not deities. They are told as arriving from Spain and there is some linguistic evidence from their name to support that.
Moccus, male, Gaul, , Realm – Living
The great Boar or Pig god. Pork was seen as particularly strength giving and the wild boar is very fierce – c.f. the carnyx or “boar trumpet”, squealing away to terrify all who dared to challenge it. Moccus thus had great status. The name Moccus is particularly identified with the Lingones tribe of Gaul but had various associations in the rest of Iron Age Europe.
Historic and modern offerings – Barley, as this was the main fattening cereal feed.
Symbol – A carving of a pig’s head or a boar’s tusk.
Modron, female, Wales, Realm – Earth
“Divine Mother” (mother of Mabon/ Maponus). A powerful harvest/ mother goddess, probably converted to the character Morgana le Fay in the Arthurian legends.
Similar to Demeter/ Ceres.
Historic Offering – Blood poured onto fields before ploughing.
Modern Offering – Today, good strong ale. Harvest tokens at the time of their gathering.
Symbol – maiden corn dolly.
Mogh Roith, Mug Ruith, male, Irish, hero.
A great chief Druid, Mogh Roith was not a god but a hero to all who follow the way. His name meant “servant of the wheel”. The wheel was a Taranis dedication. Blind, an attribute often ascribed to those with “the sight”, Mogh Roith used white robes for healing, a black cloak of raven feathers (with raven headdress) for flying and attacking enemies, and a bull’s hide for foretelling. He lived on Valentia Island, County Kerry, Munster. His daughter was the great red-haired Druid, Tlachtga, who is linked to the goddess Macha, but is not her.
Mogons, Mogonus, male, Britain and Gaul, Realm – Living
The “Great/ Mighty” god, worshipped by warriors, and later, Roman soldiers. A strong battle god.
Historic offering – the sacrifice of a horse on a high place (a hill or mountain top)
Modern offering – a libation of a really good wine or whisky on a high place (a hill or mountain top)
Symbol – a rock with the god’s name carved into it.
The Morrígan, Mórrígan, female, Irish, Realm – Living
A triple goddess of Badb, Macha and Nemain or Anand.
From the Proto-Celtic, *Moro-rīganī-s, Queen of Terrors. The Morrígan, as a single entity, is a war goddess and brings news of disasters.
One of her aspects is The Crow, Badb, frequenter of battlefields. Another is a great She-Wolf, who pursues her prey relentlessly, until exhausted, they fall to her.
Macha is “Sun of Womanfolk”, Earth goddess and of fertility, red-haired revenger of wronged women.
Nemain is from the Proto-Indo-European root *nem- to “seize, take, mete out” which can manifest as “wrath, nemesis”. She has also been called “venom to the enemy”.
Nemain is also known as Anu or Anand. This stems from proto-Celtic *Φanon, with a meaning of “mother goddess”. She is known in Britain as Black Annis, who has sharp talons, eats children and wears a skirt of their skins. That may either be a folk memory of offerings to her or a repulsive slur on a protective goddess by missionary monks. The latter is more likely.
Consort of The Dagda, the great god, chief of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
Historic offering – The blood of the cut throats of captured warriors.
Modern offering – A very good red wine for the Lady now. You wouldn’t want to upset her by being cheap.
Symbol – A crown with a crow’s feather.
Moritasgus, male, Gaul, Realm – Earth and Living
A healing god, people would bring drawings of their afflicted parts to his shrines at healing springs. They would bathe in the waters and then depart. Ingots of precious metals would be placed at his altar when healing was complete. His consort is the goddess, Damona.
He is identified with the Greek god Apollo.
Historic and Modern Offering – models and drawings of the afflicted parts with something personally precious.
Symbol – a carving of a badger.
Mullo, male, Gaul, Realm – Living
Mullo may derive from “mule”. Mules were not derided in ancient times and were often the preferred mount of kings on public occasions. They are better tempered than donkeys and live longer than horses.
Mullo has to be carefully dug from the imposed alignment with Mars by the Romans. Mars was originally a thunder god, who always signify fertility, lightning being “the sperm of the sun”. Mullo is known for his virility rather than warfare. The phallus was a symbol of good luck, especially for travel, note that phallus shrines were everywhere in the Roman Empire. The equine species are renowned for large genitalia.
Also remember the Roman use of war, considering it a means to peace. “Pax Romana” meant the “Peace of Rome”, the implication being complete compliance after conquest. Compliance being slavery, taxes, the removal of the vassal state’s resources for Roman use.
Mullo is also a noted healer, particularly of eyes. Compare with Sulis, it was the association with light that brought the eyes under his influence. Mars was a lightning god and thus so is Mullo, but lightning that is in the earth after the strike, the healing and the fertility that its blessing brought.
Historic and Modern Offering – high value coins or plaques with the ailments described.
Symbol – A circle between two bowls of water.
Munis, Munidia, female, Celtiberian, Realm – Sky
A goddess of the moon, from Proto-Indo-European *méhins (moon > month). Likely an aspect of Arianrhod.
Historic offering – a small silver bowl filled with blood (in the moonlight, blood is black).
Modern offering – Today, we fill our bowl with red wine or dark ale.
Symbol – a silver disc.
Nabia, female, Gallaecian, Lusitanian, Realm – Earth
The goddess of rivers and water in her home territories.
Named after her are the rivers Navia, Avia, Neiva and Nabão.
Historic and Modern Offering – an offering of goods to be carried on or over her rivers.
Symbol – a white scarf, twisted and left snaking.
Nantosuelta. Female. Britain. Realm – Earth and Sky
Goddess of nature, fire and fertility. Nantosuelta’s envoys are bees, especially as a hive. Wife to Sucellos, a hammer-wielding sky god.
Historic and Modern Offering – Seasonal scented flowers.
Symbol – a carving of a bee
Naria, female, Gaul-Helvetia, Realm – Living
She is a goddess of good fortune but her title “Naria Nousantia” hints at fortune through practical wisdom.
The Romans allied her with Fortuna.
Historic and Modern Offering – feasts and drinking, with much of the foods and libations going to her.
Symbol – The wheel of both fortune and the year. From Fortuna, originally Vortumna, “she who revolves the year”.
Natae, Nati, female, Alpine Gaul, Realm – Living
Protector of Children. Not much else is known but this is enough.
Synonymous with Roman Orbona, deity of children and orphans, who gifts new children to bereaved parents.
Historic and Modern Offering – a token of a child to be protected, also if sick or newly deceased child (to be placed in her care in the Otherworld).
Symbol – a basket lined with blankets.
Nehalennia, Female, Britain, Belgic Gaul/ Germanic borders, Realm – Living
Coastal protector of travellers and sailors. Her temples were usually at the junction of a river and the sea – where fresh water became salt.
Moreover, she is the goddess of salt – a vitally important commodity in ancient times. In the labour-intensive ancient world, too little salt in the blood meant cramps, nausea, giddiness, nerve disorders, heart arrhythmias and ultimately death. The word ‘salary’ derives from the monthly ration of salt given to workers and soldiers along with pay.
She is depicted with a hound (associations with sheep and hunting) and a basket of apples or loaves, important daily basic foodstuffs.
Similar to the Greek Fortuna and especially Brizo, protector of mariners.
Historic Offering – the food mentioned above placed in small boats and placed in the water where a river flows into the sea. Also, a young sailor’s throat was cut, gouting across a new ship’s bow. This is where the champagne smashing ceremony came from.
Modern Offering – the food mentioned above placed in small boats and placed in the water where a river flows into the sea. Champagne across a new boat’s bow.
Symbol – a bowl of salt.
Neit, Néit, Nét, Neith, male, Irish, Realm – Living
From *nei-t – “fighting” or “passion” in proto-Celtic.
He is dangerous and lord of horse-breeding peoples.
The Metrical Dinsenchas mentions Neit in poem/story 24, Ailech III
37. Néit son of Indui, surly of temper…
40. Néit son of Indui, the stranger, he of the long weapon,
54. The kingship of Erin, we tell in books, deserted Tara after it came to Ailech of dangerous Néit.
58. Néit son of Indui, king of the north country, lord of horse-breeding peoples, was the first heathen by whom Obach was deserted for Ailech.
Historic Offering – a horse.
Modern Offering – a really nice carving horse by your own hand, broken and cast into a dark pool.
Symbol – a long cavalry sword.
Nemetona, female, Britain and Gaul, Realm – Living
Goddess and protector of the sacred oak groves. She appears in many British and Gaulish place names. She is known in Welsh folklore as Blodeuwedd and in Irish as Nemhain, Goddess of Battle-Frenzy – her military aspect opening up the Andraste connection. Her consort is the Welsh God of Light, Lleu Llaw Gyffes (the British version of Irish Lugh) /Lugos. Her male counterpart is Rigonemetis. Scrying in blood was a central activity of Iron Age Druids’ sacrificial practice, always performed at night and preferably under moonlight. Today, dark pools and the black bowl are used.
Historic Offering – A portion of the blood of sacrifices and bouquets of flowering meadowsweet, broom and oak, both presented at night.
Modern Offerings – Today, scry red wine or dark ale in a bowl in the moonlight. After your journey is done, libate them onto the bole (lowest thick bit of the trunk) in your grove. Couple that with bouquets of flowering meadowsweet, broom and oak, presented at night.
Symbol – a sprig of oak or yew
Nemain, Anu, Anand, female, Irish, Realm – Earth and Living
She is one of the triple who make The Morrígan. From the Proto-Indo-European root *nem- to “seize, take, mete out” which can manifest as “wrath, nemesis”. She has also been called “venom to the enemy”. And yet, she is called to bless with fertility, fecundity, abundance, cattle and health.
Also known as Anu or Anand. This stems from proto-Celtic *Φanon, with a meaning of “mother goddess”. She has morphed in Britain to Black Annis, who has sharp talons, eats children and wears a skirt of their skins. It is probably monkish propaganda to turn a nurturing protector of children into a demon child killer.
Compared with Greek Demeter and Roman Ceres.
Historic Offering – allegedly, a child, skinned alive.
Modern Offering – Today a bowl of milk that represents care and nurture.
Symbol – A black cat
Nemausus, male, Gaul, Realm – Earth
A deity spirit of place. The place is the sacred groves and springs of Nîmes, which served the tribe of Volcae Arecomici (“The Attacking Hawks”).
Historic and Modern Offering – precious and personal items appropriate to the supplication brought.
Symbol – a hawk.
Neto, Neito, male, Lusitanian, Gallo-Iberian, Realm – Sky
A solar deity, deriving from the Irish god, Néit, from proto-Irish *ne-t, “passion”, which for Néit manifests as “fury”, but for Neto, as “hunger”, the destructive nature of the summer sun, consuming with “passion” all that cannot get shade or water.
The Romans assumed “fury” and aspected him to Mars as a war god, natch.
Historic Offering – Propitiated with domestic livestock and crops in fire, to ward off drought, heatwaves etc.
Modern Offering – Meat (or), fruit and grain in fire, to ward off drought, heatwaves etc.
Symbol – An eye surrounded by sun’s rays.
Niskus, male, Britain, Realm – Earth.
A god of rivers, springs and waters, meaning “floating”, linked to the Hamble River, Hampshire. One of the Niska/ Niksa/ Nixie/ Nix/ Nixe/ Nyx as above (see Maximia).
Historic and Modern Offerings – libations, goods, portions of the value of things recovered or favours granted, places of dedication in fulfilment of oaths.
Symbol – A small elliptical vessel (boat shaped) filled with water from the River Hamble
Nodens, male, Britain, Ireland, Realm – Earth
Appears in Irish legends as Nuadu “silver hand” and Welsh as Nudd / Lludd Llaw-ereint, “Lludd of the Silver Hand”. God of Healing, “The Cloud Maker” (water evaporates from the rivers to the sky), Hunting, Inspiration, Wisdom, entry to the Otherworld (through river waters esp. the Severn). Associated with hunting dogs and the salmon of knowledge. A dog in the symbolism is usually an indicator of a protector, even in a hunting context. He appears yearly, riding a chariot causing the Severn Bore wave.
Similar to Mars in his healing personality. Altars have been found to Mars Nodens
Historic and Modern Offerings – Bardic verse, fish, hazelnuts on a fire of hazel branches, or offerings into rivers.
Symbol – A silver hand.
Nuada Airgetlám, Nechtan, Elcmar, male, Irish, Realm – Earth and Living
Celtic stem *noudont– or *noudent-,”acquire, have the use of”, earlier “to catch, entrap (as a hunter)” from Proto-Indo-European root *neu-d- meaning “acquire, utilise, go fishing”.
God of hunting and fishing, vitally important activities for our ancestors that filled the gaps in the agricultural year, especially the “Green Famine” of the Spring.
He is recorded in Irish mythology as Nechtan, the god of the source of the River Boyne, The Well of Wisdom, husband of Boann / Boand / Segais / Banna. This is the site of the nine hazel trees that drops wisdom giving nuts to the wise salmon. And also, Elcmar, “Lord of Horses” and disputedly, “Evil One” (monkish propaganda?). Same stories, different name. The name “Nechtan” gives “Nodens”.
Nodens is the British sea deity who heals, remembered in mythology as the kings Nudd and Lludd Llaw Eraint (Lludd of the Silver Hand).
Historic Offering – Fruits of the hunt and the net. The implication is that it is left out whole. The carnivores of the forest, the plain and the riverbank will deliver it.
Modern Offerings – Ethically sourced game and fish. A vegan, should they be invoking a god of hunting, would offer hazelnuts into water.
Symbol – A fork of white hazel, a gold brooch and a cloak.
Nudons, male, Wales, Realm – Earth
A god of the sea, sometimes beardless, sometimes is driving a chariot – think the ‘white horses’ description of waves and winds.
Resembles Poseidon/ Neptune.
Historic and Modern Offering – A token amount of harvest from the sea returned or a portion of goods to be carried by boat.
Symbol – a white horse
Ocelus, male, British, Realm – The Living
He is associated with the Silures (south Wales) confederation of tribes and depicted with a goose alongside. Devotions cite him as a protector, often in a triple-god formula, e.g., with Vellaunus and Lenus. The goose is a Teutates envoy/ totem. Coupled with the protector context, it is safe to say that Ocelus is a local personality for the Silures of Teutates. Their name means “The Kindred”, but the word usually has an agricultural context – seeds of grain or livestock.
During the Roman occupation, Ocelus became one of the gods associated with deified emperors, in confirmation of the “Lord of the Tribes” context.
Historic Offering – Teutates was offered criminals and deposed chiefs, drowned in cauldrons of ale, mead or cider, or else in a portal pool of Dark Water in a marsh. Human sacrifice ended at the time of the Romans so high-status offerings such as prize bulls or pigs would be gifted instead. The blood would be libated into a dark pool with wine and the flesh consumed in celebratory feast.
Modern Offering – Teutates, whatever his local name, is CEO of the tribes so, if you want to engage him on your project, your gift will be high status, pricey and sophisticated.
Symbol – The goose.
Ocrimira, female, Celtiberian, Realm – Sky
Her name is the local Celtic dialect for “cold”, personalised, so it is understood she is that region’s aspect of Beira, the Cailleach.
Historic and Modern Offering – Stored foods – salt meat, grain, apples and cheese – or a sheepskin, burnt on her altar.
Symbol – A figurine – doll made from rags – representing her.
Ogma / Oghma, male, Irish, Realm – Living
Oghma Grianainech, one of the three gods of skill, is in a triad with Lugh and the Dagda (The Dagda is his brother and Lugh is his half-brother), the Trí Dée Dána. Called Grianainech, that means “sun-faced”, also Trenfher, meaning “strongman”.
Oghma is credited with the invention of the Ogham script for Irish Gaelic and the special learned tongue of educated men, which ties in with Ogmios being the Gaulish god of eloquence. Julius Caesar states that Druids and the warrior class spoke Greek, but there was also an argot of allusion to the ancient tales memorised by Druids and the sons and daughters of nobles. He is also mighty in battle with his great wooden club (shillelagh).
He is the same as Cymraeg Eufydd fab Dôn and Gaulish Ogmios / Ogmius. Eufydd was remembered in Welsh tradition as a skilled magician:
I have been with skilful men
With Matheu and Gofannon
With Eunydd and Elestron
In company with Achwyson,
For a year in Caer Gofannon.
Prif Gyfarch Taliesin
Historic and Modern Offering – Composition demonstrating the gifts of eloquence and literary skill, especially rousing speeches in times of difficulty.
Symbol – The wooden club and walking staff (shillelagh).
Ogmios, Ogmius, male, Gaul, Realm – Living and Ancestors
The tanned, smiling deity of eloquence but also a binding god and a psychopomp (guide of the newly dead to the Otherworld).
Always likened to Heracles due to wearing a lion-skin carrying a club and bow, though sometimes to Hermes, Greek god of articulacy.
Historic and Modern Offering – Our best poetry, painstakingly composed and expressing our thoughts beautifully.
Symbol – a fine silver chain – the symbolism is of the fine words binding the listeners’ ears to the mouth that is speaking fine rhetoric.
Orevaius, male, Ligurian Gaul, Realm – Sky
“Golden god”, called upon in high places. A sun god. Probably a Lugos or Belenus personality.
Historic and Modern Offering – cooked meats left on stakes or cairns in high places.
Symbol – a disc of burnished golden metal
Paronnus, male, Ligurian Gaul, Realm – The Living
A Ligurian (of the Ligures, NW Italy) justice god, Paronnus is described as a Pre-Indo-European god of the Early Bronze Age. Closely related to both the Italic and Celtic peoples, the Ligures recognised gods familiar to both cultures.
The modern French word means “forgiveness” and it is likely that the two share roots.
Historic and Modern Offering – True contrition when hoping to reintegrate with society after offence is given. In these ‘Celtic’ cultures, forgiveness is earned. One must go to the wronged party, determine what damage has been caused and make reparations before the wrong is expunged. That may be a neighbour, a stranger, the environment or a god. The ritual of the bronze spoons may be involved and perhaps a ‘plan of repair’, overseen by an anam cara.
Symbol – The bronze spoons.
Pryderi “pree-dairy”, Gwri Gwallt Euryn. Male. Wales. Realm – Living
The kidnapped son of Pwyll and Rhiannon. His name means “worry.” Renowned for his strength and skill.
Comparable in some ways to Heracles.
Historic and Modern Offering – something personally precious to the giver, to take away worrying times and their causes.
Symbol – an open gate, signifying release.
Pwyll “pooeech”, male, Wales, Hero – Living Realm
Lord of Dyfed, first husband of Rhiannon, and father of Pryderi. Pwyll swapped places with Arawn, Lord of Annwn, for a year, to the enhancement of both their kingdoms. During this time, he defeated Hafgan, Arawn’s enemy, and lived with Arawn’s wife without taking advantage of his disguised position.
Note: some lists of Celtic deities nominate Pwyll as a god, but he is more of a heroic king who learns important lessons from the Otherworld. At most he is a highly differentiated byform of Arawn and, through an involved genealogy, possibly the father of the British god Maponos, from whom the Welsh word Mabinogi, though deriving in its meaning as a collection of ancient stories, might allude.
Quangeio, male, Celtiberian, Realm – Living
From Indo-European *kuwon – “dog” giving *kwanke/eyo, “The Dog God”, Quangeio appears to the blessed as a huge hound and protects them on their travels. A dog in the symbolism is usually an indicator of a protector, even in a hunting context. Quangeio may be linked to the ‘shuck’ folklore.
Historic and Modern Offering – something that embodies the worth of your perilous journey.
Symbol – a representation of a guardian hound.
Ratis, male, Britain, Realm – Living
God of fortified boundaries and walls.
Somewhat similar to Enodia, guardian of gates, and Cardea, Roman goddess of doors and thresholds.
Historic Offering – Heads.
Modern Offering – Something symbolising the homeliness of your dwelling or the worth of your place of business. Gift this in a fire bowl inside of the building’s outside boundaries.
Symbol – a limestone brick.
Regan, male, Irish, Realm – Living
One of the Formorian, “Leader of the retinue of red-armed Oengus mac ind Oc, with all his army,” (Bréfne – The metrical Dindsenchas). It will be remembered that Angus Óg is god of Summer, youth, love, pleasure and prosperity. Angus defeats Beira, the Cailleach of Winter, and weds the goddess Brighid (Ffraid, Breet, Brigantia). Regan epitomises skill, courage and tenacity, even when the cause is unpopular. He killed a soldier-woman in battle and forced tribute from the Gaels on a claim they considered unrighteous.
The spirit world, of which the deities are part, functions on different principles from the human world. Their actions may sometimes seem cruel, misleading and, to us, evil. However, the spirit world is part of the All; what hurts us may be part of something vast that is ultimately beneficial for the Bionetwork.
Historic Offering – The life of a captive soldier.
Modern Offering – Today we offer something that represents an unfair struggle, where we feel “outgunned”. Let Awen be your guide for your particular situation. Be prepared though, Regan will take his own course in the matter.
Symbol – a winged dagger.
Reo/ Reus/ Reue/ Reve, male, Lusitanian-Gallaecian, Realm – Sky
Fertility bull-god associated with nearby mountains. Fertility, sky and mountains (attract storms and lightning) give a character of Taranis. Consort is Trebaruna.
Historic Offering – A sacrifice of ten sheep.
Modern Offering – Burn ten new woollen sweaters. Or dedicate them and give them to people who need them.
Symbol – carving of a bull or rondel bearing the face of a bull, or a simple bull’s horn.
Rhiannon, female, Wales, Britain, Realm – Sky, transition
Strong, outspoken queen goddess associated with a magical pale horse. Originally known to the British as Rigantona and to the Gauls as Epona, in the Mabinogion she married Pwyll and mothered Pryderi. A deeply significant goddess, as horses were a powerful envoy of strength and wealth. She is a major envoy for all women.
Compare with the Greek Persephone.
Historic and Modern Offering – Valuable gifts into portal pools. Invoked with the horseshoe and the Fari Llud.
Symbol – a horse.
Ricagambeda, female, Britain, Gaul, Realm – Earth
Her name derives from the Gallic *rica, for ‘furrow’. She is thus a goddess of the fields, agriculture and the fertility of the earth.
Historic Offering – One of last year’s corn dollies is placed onto the field before ploughing. Ale or blood poured onto it, and it is ploughed in.
Modern Offering – One of last year’s corn dollies is placed onto the field before ploughing. A substantial quantity of good ale poured onto it, and it is ploughed in.
Symbol – a ploughshare.
Rigonemetis, male, British, Realm – Earth
God of the woods and groves – he is a male counterpart of Nemetona. Probably the same as the Irish ‘Nemed’, husband of Macha. The ‘nemetons’ are always sacred and the earth in this context is linked to sovereignty, in that the king ‘marries the land’.
Linked to Mars in his agricultural and earth aspect.
Historic Offering – A portion of the blood of sacrifices and bouquets of flowering meadowsweet, broom and oak, both presented at night.
Modern Offering – Today, in a clump of trees at night, scry good red wine or dark ale in a large bowl. It will be black under the moonlight. When the journey is done, libate this onto the lower trunk of the largest tree in the grove. Do not take any of it for yourself. Also, place a garland of flowering meadowsweet, broom and oak.
Symbol – a sprig of oak or yew.
Riocalatis, male, Gaul, Realm – Earth
His name means “Lord of the Wild Horses” and his shrines were found in quarries in Brittany, then Armorica. The structure of the name would give a male personality of Rigantona/ Rhiannon/ Epona, the sky goddess, but truly wild horses are of the Earth Realm.
A shrine turned up in Newcastle, UK, in the 1800s but it was gifted by a bankrupt estate, provenance unknown. The curators translated the name as “Great King”.
Historic Offering – Horse gods were gifted a horse, the blood libated onto natural altars or symbols in the landscape – here it would be a sacred rock.
Modern Offering – The horse gods have enough horses. Horses were symbols of wealth, power and prestige, not slaughtered lightly. What is your equivalent?
Symbol – an unbridled horse.
Ritona, female, Gaul, Realm – Earth
Goddess of Fords (PIE root gives Welsh rhyd ‘ford’,) but also of other ‘crossings’. Also a ‘mother’ goddess found in triple Matronae carvings with dogs, babies and baskets of fruit on their laps. A dog in the symbolism is usually an indicator of a protector, even in a hunting context, here protecting travellers and children.
Historic and Modern Offering – pouring fine vegetable oils , mead and wine into seething waters.
Symbol – a ‘mother’ carving.
Rhobor, male, Gaul, Realm – Earth
Rhobor is invoked alongside the spirits of place. He seems to be a bridging agent between animistic belief and polytheistic.
Historic and Modern Offering – a portion of what we feel is appropriate for the spirits of place.
Symbol – granite, basalt or quartz.
Rigantona, Rigana, Rigina, Regavia, Camloriga, female, Britain, Gaul, Realm – Earth and Living.
Rigantona, “Divine Queen”, is the Bronze and Iron Age form of Epona and Rhiannon. She is an aspect of Matrona, “Great Mother”, mother of Mabon. W.J. Gruffydd describes her as “Matrona on horseback”. She is a ruler figure and was a rallying point against Roman rule – some depictions subtly show anti-Roman sentiment.
She has an opposite, Tigernonos, “Great King”, a Teutates figure. There is a report from a monk in Ireland of, as part of a coronation ritual, the king having sex with a horse, killing it and then bathing in a broth made from the boiled horse. In doing this, he “married the land”. The horse is an emblem of nobility and of the land as an entity. This may be an enactment of the Rigantona story.
Like Rosmerta, she has a butter churn of plenty, always overflowing with bounty for all. If you want justice, freedom and abundance, call Rigantona.
Historical offering – a horse, blood caught in a cauldron.
Modern offering – The horse gods have enough horses. Horses were symbols of wealth, power and prestige, not slaughtered lightly. Perhaps spend time and effort carving a beautiful wooden horse, composing a song or poem, and then gift it in fire. The gods want intense emotion and sincerity in their interaction with you before engaging. They want to know you are committed to their process.
Symbol – a white horse or three interlinked crows.
Ruad, female, Irish, Realm – Ancestors, Earth, Living
Irish Gaelic for “mighty”, Ruad is a goddess of the underworld, linked to both Arawn and Dahut / Dahud-Ahes. She is a powerful seductress.
Historical and modern offering – Beautiful music written and played by you.
Symbol – Fine linen scented with an alluring perfume.
Runesocesius, male, Lusitanian, Celtiberian, Realm – Earth
His name is the combination of Gaulish, “runa”, “mystery”, and, “gaiso”, “spear”, personalised to give “mysterious one of the spear”. The spear is not the Lugos feature, Runesocesius is not a sky god but very clearly chthonic from his shrines. He seems to be a Celtic adoption of an older Lusitanian god. There is an implication from “mysterious” that he comes from afar. His welcoming and veneration makes him a bringer of new things and technologies from outside – by trade and by exploration.
Historical and modern offerings – Precious things brought by traders and explorers, given in fire at altars in caves and chasms.
Symbol – His spear.
Rosmerta “ro-smert-a”, female, Gaul, Realm – Earth
The name Rosmerta is Gaulish. She carries an axe and a Butter Churn of Plenty – the Celtic version of the Roman cornucopia. The axe shows the link to Esus, Lord of the Forest, Smert means “provider” (of fertility, food, especially fruits, and money) or “carer” and is the root of the male god, Smertrios, a male personality of Esus. This root is also found in other Gaulish names such as Ad-smerio, Smertu-litani, Smerius, Smertae, Smertus, and others. Ro- means “very”, “great” or “most”. The -a ending is the Gaulish feminine singular. The meaning is thus “the Great Provider”. A personality of Brighid by attributes and relationships. Great bounty also means wealth through trade, so she is a patron of merchants also.
In Romanised Gaul she was often depicted holding the cornucopia, with the Roman god Mercury as her consort, but is sometimes found independently.
Historic and Modern Offerings – Food, especially fruits, and money
Symbol – butter churn of plenty
Rudianos, male, Gaul, Realm – Living
“The Red”, a mounted warrior god who is depicted with trophy heads dangling from his saddle.
Historic Offering – The weapons of the slain and vanquished.
Modern Offerings – Rudianos is a war god not a domestic conflict entity. He wants commitment and oaths to give victory in battle. If you are calling on him, you must be going to literal war. His tribute will be as above.
Symbol – a mounted Celtic warrior.
Rudiobus, male, Gaul, – Living
Another “Red God”. Bronze statuettes of a boar, a stag, a bull and a prancing horse were dedicated to this god. Other bronze figures found at his shrine (Neuvy-En-Sullias, Loiret) were a Druid, musicians and naked female dancers. A bronze trumpet was also there. He is thus a lord of feasting, revelry and sacred celebration. There is also Esus linkage.
He was associated with Aesculapius, Hercules and Mars by the Romans, thus adding attributes of healing, agriculture and might.
Historic offerings – a boar, a stag, a bull and a horse, the blood poured on the ground or under a tree before a feast of the carcasses.
Modern offerings – Today, if giving an important banquet, then top quality wine and spirits would be gifted on broken ground or under a tree.
Symbol – a dancing horse.
Sadhbh (pr. ‘Syve’), female, Irish, Realm – Earth
Enchanted to take the form of a doe by Fear Doirche, dark Druid of the Men of Dea (the Tuatha Dé Danann). She may be Flidais, who has a similar story and attributes, and thus a female aspect of Esus.
She is beautiful and gives love and fecundity to true lovers.
Historic Offering – Succulent leaves on the branch (but never hazel). The bundle is left in a woodland clearing. Do not harm the tree it is taken from – careful prunings only.
Symbol – A doe.
Satiada, female, Britain, Gaul (Netherlands region), Realm – Earth
Satiada is the goddess of the bounty of bees, “Goddess of the Swarm”. Honey, fertility, fruit, beeswax, mead in excess (“to saturation”). All these were very important in ancient times and highly prized.
No association with Graeco-Roman deities has been found.
Historic and Modern Offering – Flowers, fruits and honey-syrup.
Symbol – a carved hive or bee
Segomo, male, Gaul, Realm – Living
“Victor” or “mighty one”. The same god as the British war god Cocidius. His emissarial animals are eagles and hawks. In the Irish legend cycle, High King Nia Segamain’s name means “sister’s son or champion of Segamon”.
Romans adhered his name to both Mars and Hercules
Historic offering – a ram, throat cut at the base of an alder tree.
Modern Offering – a good bottle of red wine libated at the base of an alder tree.
Symbol – a sprig of alder
Seixomniai Leuciticai, Leucina, Leuca, female, Istrian Gaul, Realm – Sky.
A goddess of light. Deities of light and sky heal and bring fertility. W. Tomaschek, To the lore of the Haemus Peninsula, 1882, gives “a victorious Diana”, so one might think either an Andraste or Flidais linkage but Matteo Gallo, A Rovignese Inscription: Seixomniai Leuciticai Polates, 2018, has that she must be seen in the context of the naming – a name and an action. The second gives the name: Leucina or Leuca, being “Of Light”, brilliance, whiteness, the lustre, the first light of the morning, the dawn. The “Seixomniai” derives from “great six”. Six is significant in Druidic belief, being 1 (the All) plus 2 (the female aspect) plus 3 (the male) thus life creating, and 6 is the cube root of 216, the ‘perfect’ number that is the key to the Metonic cycle, life and rebirth. So a goddess of the cycle of life, of the beginning of things. As adjective to the name, “Of Light”, it gives an emphasis of great brilliance. So we should look towards Lugos/ Lugh/ Lleu and Rhiannon/ Epona/ Rigantona for linkage.
Historic and modern offering – offerings given in a bubbling spring or in the brightest of fires. Again, the offering should be of your decision, reflecting the value of your commitment.
Symbol – a mirror reflecting the sun.
Senuna, Senua, female, Britain, Gaul, Realm – Earth
“The Old One” is an ancient chthonic goddess. She governs the sprouting of the corn, the barley, the flax, the beans. She allows gold, silver, copper, tin and iron to be taken from her belly.
The Romans merged her with Minerva, so shares attributes with Brighid and Nemetona.
Historic and Modern Offering – gifts from the bounty she has granted to us, so bread loaves, casseroles of beans, bolts of flax, plaques of precious and useful metals, richly worked and inscribed, all left in a heap to decompose, to return to her, and be seen by all who venerate her.
Symbol – metal plates bearing her image and her symbols, the spear, the shield and the owl (just like Minerva).
Sequana, female, Gaul, Realm – Earth
She is the goddess of the origin of great rivers, the source springs. Her blessing should be sought if we travel on them or have cargo delivered by that means. The Seine in France is named for her.
Historical and modern offering – something personally valuable, cast into the river.
Symbol – a duck – often with a ball in its beak.
Sexarbores, male, Gaul, Realm – Earth
God of groves of six trees. These would have been very sacred places. Six is the sum of “1” the number for The All, The Everything, “2”, the female number and “3”, the male number, and thus sacred to the creation of life. Six is the triple root (cube root) of the life-creating “perfect number”, 216 (see Seixomniai Leuciticai). Wood carvers are blessed by Sexarbores.
Historic and Modern Offering – Ritual wooden carvings.
Symbol – A wooden object formed from a wooden knot or branch stump with six sprouts. The projections would be smoothed and polished.
The Sidhe, Aes Sídhe, the Sith, a spirit people, Ireland, Scotland
The “People under the Hill”. These are the equivalent of the British Tylwyth Teg – the Fair Folk and Good Neighbours. The women are the Bhean Sidh, the ‘banshees’ who proclaim death. We might say they are spirits of place, of trees, of other plants, who will appear as animals or as ‘not-quite-human’. The monks asserted they were fallen angels who supported neither god nor Lucifer so were cast out for dithering. The legends say that they are the Túatha Dé Danann after losing the invasion battles. The hills are the burial mounds seen across Britain, Ireland and Europe.
Sirona, female, Gaul, Realm – Sky
Her name means “Of the Stars”. She is consort to Grannus and is similarly associated with springs and bubbling water. This shows that, like Grannus, her name refers to the sparkling and twinkling light bouncing off/ ‘mixing with’ the water. The springs are always healing. Magic is part of her attributes.
Historic and Modern Offering – A libation of mixed wine and water, unmixed wine, honey, oil or milk.
Symbol – snakes and eggs
Smertrios “Smert-rios”/ Smertulitanus. Male. Gaul, Britain. Realm – Earth and Living
“The Provider”. Personality of Esus / Cernunnos. On the Pillar of the Boatmen, the god is a well-muscled bearded man confronting a snake which rears up in front of him (altercation with Taranis?). He brandishes a torch or firebrand, so perhaps he is stealing fire from the lightning god. His name contains the same root as that of the goddess Rosmerta and thus means “The Purveyor” or “The Provider”. The links with trade also apply. His consort is Ancamna, goddess of sacred springs and a patron of the Druids.
Historic and Modern Offerings – Food, especially fruits, bread and ale, and money.
Symbol – a basket, brimming with fresh foods
Souconna, female, Gaul, Realm – Earth
She is patron goddess of the Sequanes tribe and of the great River Saône, which is named for her. The river is a tributary of the Rhône.
Historic and Modern Offering – stone tablets with verse praising her, cast into the waters or placed on the bank.
Symbol – a flask of the river water, preferably pure, from the source.
Sucellos / Sucellus. Male. Gaul, Britain. Realm – Sky
A hammer-wielding sky god. His wife is Nantosuelta. Sometimes accompanied by a three-headed dog. A Taranis personality. A dog in the symbolism is usually an indicator of a protector, even in a hunting context.
Comparable to Zeus/ Jupiter
Historic Offering – Like Taranis, foods, goods or captives, in fire.
Modern Offering – Today, something precious is smashed and thrown into a hot fire then ale poured into the fire so that it evaporates immediately.
Symbol – a hammer.
Sueta, female, Cisalpine Gaul, Realm – Earth
A goddess of warm springs, always paired with god Dorminus, of the same.
Historic and Modern Offerings – high value coins, thrown in, votive tablets of metal inscribed with verses of praise and supplication.
Symbol – a carving of two streams issuing from the same spring.
Sulis, female, Britain, Gaul (Germanic areas), Realm – Sky
Sulis is the goddess of healing springs, especially those in Bath, Somerset. There is also a theme of sun-worship in her shrines and in the root of her name. The sun aspect may refer to reflected light in the bubbling spring waters as the proto-Celtic words for ‘sight’ and ‘eyes’ have similar roots. Similar examples would be “Lugos” and “lynx”, the lynx having eyes that reflect a huge, scary, amount of light in the dark. The ancients understood that it was the light of the sun, mixing with the water of the hot bubbling springs, that enacted the healing sought. She may be Sirona, and vice versa.
A vengeful goddess, healing by retaliation, curses could be brought to her for enacting. The slights to be requited usually involved theft. Today, we prefer that restoration and reformation be effected.
The Romans amalgamated her with Minerva.
Historic and Modern Offering – metal ingots, often with requests written on them.
Symbol – a face with sun rays emanating from them.
Sulevia/ Sulevis/ Suleviae (triple form), female, Gaul, Britain, Hibernia, Realm – Living
Different from the Matres, the Suleviae are “the three that govern well”. She/ they are always sought for matters of politics or jurisprudence. Some believe the single deity to be a personality of Sulis. Some connect the Suleviae to the Xulsigiae, triple goddesses of healing springs, but there is no evidence for this.
Historic and Modern Offering – a token of wealth is offered, proportionate to the benefits raised in the supplication.
Symbol – a rolled scroll or parchment (representing governance.)
Tailtiu, Taltiu, Maiabus, Matres Mairiae, female, Irish, British, Gaulish, Celt-Iberian, Realm – Earth
Her name derives from a British word meaning “well-formed and beautiful”. The modern Welsh is “telediw”. A chthonic agricultural goddess, she flattened the forests of Ireland to make fields for farming. Foster-mother of Lugh, sun god and bestower of skills. On her death, Lugh began the Lughnasadh festival.
In Europe, she is called Maiabus and is also a triple called the Matres Mairiae / Malusae.
Historic and Modern Offerings – the fruits of the fields at harvest time, especially wheat and milk.
Symbol – a bronze felling axe.
Taliesin “tal-YES-in”, male, Wales, Hero of the Earth Realm.
Not a god but a hero-poet linked to Ceridwen. His name means “shining brow”/ “radiant forehead”. Earliest known great Welsh poet. Some of his poems were written down in the 10th century. In myth, he was a servant to Ceridwen who, originally as Gwion, accidentally drank some of her brew of wisdom, and then fled in a complex and mystical shape-changing running battle.
Celebrated in Bardic pursuits and in evoking the Awen (mystical inspiration).
Tamesis. British.
There is no god “Tamesis” of the River Thames.
Many votive offerings have been found in the mud of the Thames. “Thames” means “Dark River”, as do the Tamar, the Tame(s), Teifi, Teme and the Teviot. Dark water is indeed sacred in Druidical thought, it provides a transition point between the Living and the gods/ the All. The name “Black Water” was appended to many of Britain and Ireland’s most sacred places – Lindow Moss (llyn dhu = black lake), Blackpool, Blackburn, Dublin and Devlin (dubh lin = black lake).
Victorians wanted to believe that one of the old names for the river, “Tamesis”, used into the late Middle Ages, was an amalgamation of “Thames” and “Isis”. This pandered to the vogue for all things Egyptian, providing a tenuous link to the narratives of the Abrahamic bible, and allowed desperate theories of the British being one of the “Lost Tribes of Israel” (there are no lost tribes, they interbred during the Babylonian exile, losing their individual identities and merged into “Judah”, bar the priesthood (Kohenim) who are the tribe of “Levi”).
Taranis, Tannus, Taran, The Daghda, Male, Cymru, Eire, Alba, Albion, Gaul, Realm – Sky and transition.
From the foreword above:
Taranis the Thunderer, Lord of Fertility, holds the Thunder Wheel (many Bronze and Iron Age roads were made of heavy wooden sections and a chariot wheel makes a rumble like thunder when rolling across them). An especially important deity, he represents The Realm of Sky which comprises the sky, the sun, the moon, the light, the winds and the rain. This Realm fertilises the Earth, our fields, the forests, with the sperm of the sun, lightning. The energy (heat) of lightning plasma causes nitrogen (N2) and water (H2O), in air and rain, to fracture and recombine to form ammonia (NH3) and nitrates (NO3). Rain carries the ammonia and nitrates to the ground, where they can be assimilated by the plants. The ancients noticed the lushness of the plants where lightning regularly struck and the fatness of the animals that grazed there. Even today, farmers will encourage a single “lightning tree” to grow in a field in the hope of getting a free feed. The thunder god is always responsible for fertility.
At night, the sister of the sun shines her light and her passing controls the tides, the winds and the dance of the continents. The Sun and the Moon proclaim the Seasons and the passage of time. The air that we breathe gives us life and our last breath signifies the departure of life. Taranis’ envoys are the zigzagged adder whose movement and markings represent lightning, flattery and satire; the lynx, unraveller of hidden truths and possessor of great skills; and the wren, messenger of the gods, the eagle, flies as high as the thunder clouds and lands like a lightning strike on its prey. The oak has an association too – the hills that got the most lightning strikes were often covered in oaks, so an association grew. The oak is a totem for Druids and “oak” is an integral part of their name. The Druids have a special link to Taranis – they were known as Nadredd, Nathracha and Nadres – adders, in the various British languages, and Mogh Ruith’s name, the famous chief Druid, meant ‘Servant of the Wheel’.
Similar to the Roman Jupiter and the Greek Zeus. Julius Caesar refers to him as “Dis Pater”, the Roman god of the underworld, which is odd and completely wrong. See Arawn, Arubianus/ Arubinus (foreword), Erecura (entry).
Historic Offering – Sacrifices received a deep blow to the skull from a bronze socketed axe – a ‘lightning bolt’, and/ or were consumed by fire.
Modern Offering – Today, something precious is smashed and thrown into a hot fire then ale poured into the fire so that it evaporates immediately.
Symbol – primarily, The Wheel, secondarily, the Ram-horned Lightning Adder.
Telesphorus, male, Gallo-Grecian, Realm – Living
“The Accomplisher” or “bringer of completion”, is a god of healing, especially convalescence. In appearance, he is of the Dweorgi (dwarves) with a cowl or cap over his head. He became associated with Asclepius and was adopted by the Hellenistic faith, then later by the Romans. A dog in the symbolism is usually an indicator of a protector, even in a hunting context.
Historic Offering – first, ritual purification and a ‘detox diet’, a supplication, then after a sleep that induces visions, the gift of a dog, a rooster or a snake.
Modern Offering –– first, ritual purification and a ‘detox diet’, a supplication, then after a sleep that induces visions, the gift of a carving of a dog, a rooster or a snake.
Symbol – The large non-venomous Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus).
Telo, male, Celto-Ligurian, Realm – Earth
Telo is god of the sacred places. Toulon was named for him. His source of power comes from the rivers (in Toulon, the River Var). Water is the transition element between the sacred realms and ours.
His consorts are Vesunna, giver of wealth, plenty and good fortune, and Sianna, a goddess of the hunt. So the health of the natural world and of its bounty are very much emphasised.
The Romans called him Mars/ Martius.
Historic and Modern Offering – a portion of the bounty bestowed.
Symbol – a disc with a grove of trees depicted in relief.
Tethra, male, Irish, Realm – Ancestors/ Otherworld
Tethra is king of Mag Mell – the Delightful Plain – a description of the Otherworld where the ancestors rest. Other names are the Land of the Ever Young, the Fortunate Isles, and the Isles of the Blessed.
Tethra’s name derives from the Old Irish for “sea crow” (cormorant) or “battle crow” (sacred to Badh). This would make him a personality of Manannán mac Lir (“son of the sea”), sea god and Lord of the Underworld, Arawn, British god of the same, Manawydan, British god of the same, and Leno, Gaulish equivalent. Female aspects would be Bébinn, “melodic woman”, Ruad, “mighty”, and Annea Clivana, “Radiance”, a variation of Áine, the most powerful of the Sidh in Ulster.
Historic and Modern Offering – Bread, cakes, milk, fruit, ale and mead on anniversaries
Symbol – As Tethra, a sheathed sword (bronze).
Téthur Mac Cecht, male, Irish, Realm – Earth
One of the Tuatha Dé Danann, son of, Cecht, the god of the ploughshare, grandson of the Daghda.
We make gifts to Téthur Mac Cecht if we want our soil to be rich and fertile, that our fields bear great harvests.
In the legends, with his brothers, Céthur Mac Gréine and Éthur Mac Cuill, Téthur Mac Cecht carried out several “honour killings” that caused great turmoil.
Historic and Modern Offering – A portion of the harvest bestowed.
Symbol – A ploughshare.
Teulu “TIGH-lee”, male, Wales, Hero.
A king’s bodyguard, sworn to die to protect him.
Teutates, Toutatis “TIGH-ta-tees”, male, Britain, Gaul, Realm – Living
A god of war and wealth. One of the most important deities, Lord of the Tribes, he represents and watches over the Realm of the Living. He is a judge, a chief, a CEO, a general and a father. A god of war and of peace, his symbol is the torc (neck ring).
His representative heroes are Arthur, great king, with whom The Ancient Way, life guide of the Druids, is associated, and Gwyddion, cunning enchanter and patron of the arts and education. Envoys and symbols are the bear, fierce defender; the goose, watcher of the flock; the eagle, fierce far-seer and possessing the wisdom of the Ancestors.
Often compared to Mars.
Historic Offering – Sacrifices were drowned in a large sacrificial cauldron filled with ale, cider or mead. Sometimes in marshland ‘portal pools’.
Modern Offering – Teutates, whatever his local name, is CEO of the tribes so, if you want to engage him on your project, your gift will be high status, pricey and sophisticated and gifted into deep dark water.
Symbol – the Torc, a twisted tribal neck ring.
Trebaruna, Trebopala, Trebaroni, female, Lusitanian, Gallo-Iberian, Realm – Sky and Living
Goddess of civic springs and water supplies. She, being a solar deity, brings health to the people by the mixing of light with water, probably when it rains and fills the aquifers and cisterns. Consort of Reo.
Historic Offering – sheep at her altars in high places.
Modern Offering – like her spouse, burn 10 woollen sweaters at her altars in high places. Or dedicate them and give them to people who need them.
Symbol – water in a deep blue bowl (the waters of the celestial ocean).
Tridamos, Tridamus, male, British, Realm – Earth.
Derived from the Proto-Celtic *tri-damos meaning ‘three-bovine one’, thus an Esus personality. The three bulls, the three cranes and the axe are his symbols.
Historic Offering – Male sacrifices would be suspended by one foot from an oak or yew tree on a full moon and have their throats cut. The blood was caught in a bronze cauldron and scryed, the moon’s light renders blood black, afterwards poured onto the tree’s bole and roots.
Modern Offering – Use dark ale and a scattering of blood, fish and bone meal around the base of the tree today.
Symbol – Three bulls or three cranes or the bronze axe with an oak or yew shaft.
Trí Dé Dána, male, Irish, Realm – Earth
Brothers Goibniu, Creidhne and Luchta are the three gods of craftsmanship of the Túatha de Danaan. They can be approached as a triple entity.
The individual offerings are:
Historical and Modern offering to Goibniu who works with the silver metals: silver, steel, tin and zinc – A message written on a tablet of one of his metals.
Historical and Modern Offering to Creidhne, smith god who works with the gold metals: bronze and brass – Our message written on a tablet of one of his metals.
Historical and Modern Offering to Luchta, smith god who smiths with the dark metal, iron, and crafts wood – A message written on a tablet of one of his materials.
Thus Historic and Offering – The three offerings to each performed at the same time.
Symbol – A placing of their three emblems together.
Tuan mac Cairill, male, Irish, hero.
Over 2,000 years, Tuan was reborn as a stag, a wild boar, an eagle and a salmon before returning to human and remembering his lives – most of us do not. The animals he lived as are highly significant in Celtic symbolism and mythology. His name is similar to Tuireann (below) and people confuse the story for a shapeshifting legend. Tuan mac Cairill is not Tuireann.
Tuireann, male, Irish, Realm – Living and (to a lesser degree) Earth
Tuireann is a shapeshifting god of wisdom and transition, who has six male aspects (“sons” in the myth cycles). The first triple are Brian, Iuchar and Iucharba, who focus on misalliances of thought (Brian) and pure action (Iuchar and Iucharba – loose cannons). The second are the three gods of metal craftmanship, Creidhne, Luchtaine and Goibniu, products of an alliance with Brighid. They transition the three groups of metals. His three female aspects (“daughters” in the myth cycles) are Ériu, Banba, and Fódla, the three goddesses of the land of Ireland.
He is also called Delbaeth, “sorcerer’s fire”, out of whose flames five springs (water) flow. Fire is the ancient transition vector from life to death, water is the ancient transition vector from death to life. Call on Tuireann/ Delbaeth when transitioning through birth or death journeys, trancing or shapeshifting. He interacts with Brighid/ Brigantia, and assists Beira, the Cailleach, the Hag of Beara, Queen of Winter when she transitions from winter to spring or autumn to winter.
Historic and Modern Offerings – Historically, a head, but other ‘Celtic’ symbols of the seat of wisdom preferred nowadays – (representations of) ravens, salmon, hazelnuts, adder (“wisdom of serpent be thine”), an arrow (Brigantia of the High Skills), the oak (wisdom of age and experience). Or make offerings to the aspect (“son” or “daughter”) whose assistance you need.
Symbol – Fire and water, the transition elements.
Tylwyth Teg. Various. All ‘Celtic’ places. Otherworld inhabitants not deities or human.
The ‘Fair Folk’, divisible into five classes: the Ellyllon, or elves, woodland and wild places; the Coblynau, or goblins, who inhabit mines; the Bwbachod, or household brownies; the Gwragedd Annwn (“Wives of the Otherworld”), comely sprites of the lakes and streams; and the Gwyllion, or mountain ‘night-wanderers’. They are insulted by the appellation ‘fairies’ and were never depicted with wings until Victorian-era children’s books. Iron or steel is repellent to them, but bronze is welcoming and respectful.
They are the spirits of the places; they are mistrustful and contemptuous of humans but will tolerate and sometimes help or bless those who show true humility and respect for their nature. Never say, “thank you”, it is seen as formulaic and trite, but be respectful in speech and actions, showing gratitude and understanding.
See also Sidh, Aos Sidh.
Historic and Modern Offerings – Milk, cream, honey, cakes and apples.
Ucuetis, male, Gaul, Realm – Living
This god is companion to the goddess Bergusia. Ucuetis, who bears a hammer, is a patron to the skilled in crafts especially metalworkers while Bergusia brings success and wealth.
Historic and Modern Offerings – Ingots of bronze (the sacred metal).
Symbol – An image of the god with a hammer and his consort with symbols of wealth.
Uroica, female, Britain, Realm – Earth
Goddess of heather and of heather wine
Compare with the Greek Amphictyonis, byform of Demeter.
Historic and Modern Offerings – Libations
Symbol – sprig of heather
Vasio, male, Gaul, Realm – Living
‘Lord of the Vocontii’, a protector of the tribe, clearly a personalised Teutates/ Toutatis appellation. The Vocontii were largest Gaulish tribe of a confederation on the western foothills of the alps. Before being Romanised, they were known as the Uocontii (Gaulish for ‘twenty tribes’).
Historic Offerings – Sacrifices were drowned in a large sacrificial cauldron filled with ale, cider or mead. Sometimes in marshland ‘portal pools’.
Modern Offerings – This is Teutates, so a gift of some status, quality and expense, given into a deep, dark pool.
Symbol – Torc, in this case, of the Vocontii
Veica, Vibes, female, Alpine Gaul, Realm – The Living
“The One of the Battle”. P-I-E root *weik, being ‘to subjugate’, giving *weik- ā. The sense is of strong magic in battle. There is a related Irish word, “fíoch”, meaning “feud”, “anger” and “fury” (Ó Dónaill, Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, 1977). This gives a local understanding of (in Britain) Andraste. Indeed, she is called “Veica Noriceia” on many inscriptions for the town of Noreia, capital of the province of Noricum (in modern Austria), mentioned by both Pliny the Elder and Julius Caesar. So much so that many inscriptions by Romans miss the point and assume that “Noriceia” is the goddess’ actual name. She is also known as “Vibes”.
Inscriptions to “Veicae Noriceiae” (“ae” = plural) are also seen, thus “The One of the Battle” is also “The Ones of the Battle”, a triple.
Historic Offering – If a personality relating to Andraste is accepted, then the chest wound to captives before battle. Trophy heads deposited in holy pools for her.
Modern Offering – Today, expensive wine, coins and any offering showing true intent.
Symbol – A bronze shield.
Vellaunus, male, British, Realm – The Living.
Vellaunus derives from the British root “uellauno”, meaning “chief, commander, leader”. He is associated with Teutates, Lord of the Tribes, but often in a triple deity formula and as a local patron of specific tribes. He is described in one devotion as “The Victorious”. Female aspect, goddess Icovellauna. Tribes were dedicated to him: the Catuvellauni (mid-south-east UK), the Catalauni (Gaul), Catalaunia (Catalonia). Associated human hero: Cassivellaunos, aka Cassibelanus (King of Britain, Geoffrey of Monmouth) and as Caswallawn in the Mabinogion, the Brut y Brenhinedd and the Welsh Triads (Beli Mawr’s son).
Historic Offering – Teutates was offered criminals and deposed chiefs, drowned in cauldrons of ale, mead or cider, or else in a portal pool of Dark Water in a marsh. Human sacrifice ended under the Romans so high-status offerings such as prize bulls or pigs would be gifted instead. The blood would be libated into a dark pool with wine and the flesh consumed in celebratory feast.
Modern Offerings – Today, a gift of some status, quality and expense. If wines, libated into a deep, dark pool with sincere intention will satisfy.
Symbol – The torc of the client tribe.
Verbeia, female, Britain, Gaul, Realm – Sky
“She who is constantly bending and turning,” also “she who strikes from on high”, Verbeia is associated with Brighid and Brigantia. An altar to her is inscribed with a sun wheel not dissimilar to the Brighid’s cross. She is also venerated at the River Wharfe, Yorkshire, although there are many waterfalls and boulders in its 65-mile length so reflected light may be a factor.
Verbeia is depicted in a pleated robe holding two large serpents. Snakes indicate lightning in Celtic symbolism, “striking from on high”.
Historic and Modern Offering – gifts in fire on a high place.
Symbol – sun wheel with two lightning serpents intertwined.
Vesunna, female, Gaul, Realm – Earth
She is “good” and “praiseworthy”, the Proto-Celtic ‘*wesu’ meaning. There is another word her name is out of, vesannus, meaning “cruel, furious, excited, unstoppable”. Her inscriptions depict a goddess of the hunt and of wild things. There is thus linkage of the Earth Realm to Rosmerta and Flidais, both female aspects of Esus / Cernunnos / Smertrios.
Vesunna is consort of Telo, god of the sacred places. His might is channelled through Dark Water, especially dark rivers. Both Vesunna and Telo should be called to by Druids when dedicating sacred groves.
Historic Offering – In ancient times, the gift of a youth, as for Esus, against a tree’s bole.
Modern Offering – 2,000 years on, a simple homemade basket of foods appropriate for the denizens of her realm will suffice.
Symbol – a cornucopia of forest abundance.
Veteris, Vitiris, male, Britain, Gaul, Realm – Sky and Living
Worshipped with Mogons. A god of healing on the battlefield, by “good air”.
Envoys, the boar and the snake.
Historic Offering – A boar sacrificed on a high place.
Modern Offering – Representations of the boar and snake placed on a high place.
Symbol – a disc depicting a boar and a snake.
Vindonnus, male, Gaul, Realm – Sky
A character of sun god Belenus, Vindonnus’ temples were at healing springs. Gods with ‘shining’ or other bright light attributes are associated with eyes and here, with the healing of eyes. He may also be Vindos (see below) and the legendary Gwynn and Fionn are based on this god.
Romans called him Apollo, their sun god.
Historic and Modern Offerings – votive objects, some of oak, and some of stone were presented. Often the offerings take the form of images of hands holding fruit or a cake.
Symbol – a wolf
Virotutis, male, Gaul. Realm – Sky
He was a Romano-British amalgamation of Lugos and Apollo. The new name literally meant, “Life-enhancer of the tribes”, giving “Benefactor of humankind”. Call Lugos, he is that and more.
Vindos, male, Wales, Britain, Realm – Earth and Otherworld
Later became Gwynn ap Nudd, the King of the underground kingdom of Annwn and the Coblynau, a.k.a. Arawn. He rides forth at night accompanied by the pale Cwn Annwn, the pack of Otherworld hunting hounds, and bears the dying souls away. There are links here with Cernunnos, the horned god, and thus Esus. He may be understood as Vindonnus, the sky god, in Gaul, and the legendary Gwynn and Fionn are based on these. A dog or dogs in the symbolism are usually an indicator of a protector, even in a hunting context. Here, Vindos/ Gwynn ap Nudd bears away the spirits of the departed in homecoming.
Historic and Modern Offerings – meat and ale for the deity, a bale of hay for his horse and meat for the hounds, given in fire. Vegans will gift substantial meals of their own design.
Symbol – a hound.
Vinotonus, male, British, Realm – Earth
A god of agriculture, especially orchards, but of the fruits of the Earth as he is also a god of the wild places and their bounty. Vinotonus’ alter ego is Cocidius, the warrior tree god. The implication is of fruiting trees.
The Romans equated Vinotonus with Sylvanus (also agriculture). Cocidius was equated with the Greek Pan, as well as Sylvanus
Historic and modern offering – a basket of tree fruits.
Symbol – a sprig from a fruit tree, wild or cultivated.
Visucius, male, Gaul, Hibernia, Realm – Living
Meaning “of the ravens” with an implication of ‘knowledgeable’, he has aspects of Bran, Smertrios and Lugos. Therefore, the god’s common qualities are of financial gain, commerce, eloquence, commercial travel and also a psychopomp. His female aspect is Visucia who could be aspected to Rosmerta.
The Romans amalgamated him with Mercury as they did with Gebrinius and Cissonius, and consorted him with Maia, the mountain nymph and mother.
Historic Offering – The sacrifice of a pig. The blood to the god and the carcass in a dedicated feast. In the Iron Age and Roman periods, pigs, in their eating, represented health, strength and good hospitality, leading to the attributes of the god..
Modern Offerings – Using the implications of the historical offering, gift celebration foods – the sort you would serve at a wedding, birthday or business function. Or you can dedicate the foods and gift them / the still packaged ingredients to a food bank, so that those that need them may feast.
Symbol – a black raven’s feather.
Vitucadrus – (also Belatucadros, Belatucadrus and Hu Gadarn), male, Wales and Britain, Living and Earth
See Belatucadros
Vosegus, Vosagus, Vosacius, Vosagō, Vosegō, Vogesus, male, Gaul, Realm – Earth
A god of hunting and of forests, always accompanied by a dog, Vosegus carries a bow and a shield. Dissected, the name is out of the Proto-Celtic *uɸo– (“sub-, under”) and *segos (“force, victory”) giving “success from under”. A personality of Esus localised for the northeast of Gaul. This is determined by the chthonic statement of his name and the forest imagery of his symbols. The arrow and high places of his temples and groves give linkage to the female aspect of Esus, Brighid. A dog in the symbolism is usually an indicator of a protector, even in a hunting context.
Historic Offering – Game species burnt on top of a hill in a forest.
Modern Offerings – A proportionate token of the results of your success, burnt on top of a hill in a forest.
Symbol – The bow, arrow, the hound, a piglet, nuts, acorns and pine cones.
Xulsigiae, female, Gaul, Realm – Sky
The triple goddesses of healing springs (water + light = healing, hence Sky Realm). They carry fruit, a scroll or money bag representing fertility, wisdom and prosperity.
Historic and Modern Offering – Fruit, money and honey or hazel nuts (last two imparted wisdom in the mythologies) given into deep dark water.
Symbol –Some fruit, a scroll and a money bag.
Ysbaddaden, Male, Wales, Britain.
Chief of Giants, he is thus a spirit of place, a mountain. He does not work well with humans.
Historic and Modern Offering – spring water but his demands may get too much to bear (impossible tasks – anoethau).
Symbol – a wooden or bone comb.
Bibliography
“Sources have sources upon their backs to bite them, and those sources have other sources, and so on, ad infinitum.” – with apologies to Augustus De Morgan, Siphonaptera, A Budget of Paradoxes, 1872, who was riffing on Jonathan Swift, On Poetry: A Rapsody, 1733, almost by way of illustration.
This bibliography and source list is severely truncated because the above is a much shortened digest of a much longer work. That will appear when I am ready, properly annotated and fully referenced.
Jon Grundy, “Green Raven”
Aldhouse-Green, Miranda, Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend, 1997, Thames and Hudson.
Beck, Noémie, Goddesses in Celtic Religion – Cult and Mythology: A Comparative Study of Ancient Ireland, Britain and Gaul, 2009, doctoral thesis, University of Lyon
Ellis, Peter Berresford, The Druids, 1994
Ellis, Peter Berresford, Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, 1994, Oxford University Press
Ross, Anne, Pagan Celtic Britain: Studies in Iconography and Tradition, 1974.
+ over 5000 academic papers from my personal library of 30,000 on this and related subjects.
+ over 400 historical works dating between 1750 and 1938.
+ Roman Inscriptions of Britain
+ the Epigraphik Datenbank.
+ true humility and appreciation to the gods themselves for providing inspiration and clarity.