The term «Celt» is usually used to identify a people who lived their heyday in the 4th century BC, occupying the northwest of the European continent and the British Isles. As they were divided into several independent tribes, the Celts also ended up worshiping many different legends and gods in each region of Europe in which they spread. Here, you can check which are the most important deities of the two main groups into which Celtic mythology is divided: continental and Irish mythology.
The most popular deities in northwestern Europe
SUCELLUS
Sometimes depicted as the king of the gods, Sucellus represents fertility and carries a large, long-handled hammer. He uses the mighty hammer to strike the earth, awakening the plants and summoning the onset of spring – planting time.
TARANIS
Much adored in the Celtic world, he is the god of thunder, who always crosses the sky in a chariot. Lightning is the sparks produced by the horses’ hooves, while the sound of thunder is the noise of Taranis’ chariot wheels.
CERNUNNOS
One of the oldest Celtic gods, Cernunnos has the ears and antlers of a stag. He is the lord of the animals, being often represented beside them, feeding them. He has the power of mutation, being able to appear in the form of a snake, wolf or deer.
DEA MATRONA
A kind of “mother goddess” for the continental Celts, she is often represented as three women carrying different items – such as a fish or a basket of fruit. Three is a sacred number for the Celts.
EPONA
The earth goddess almost always appears with a horse. The vigor and strength of the animal symbolize the power and fertility of the land. Archaeologists believe white horse figures carved in European caves were dedicated to Epona
BELENUS
The Celts have several gods of light and fire named after the word bel, “bright” in their language – in addition to Belenus, Beletucadrus, for example. The Celts see these gods as a single entity, as they have similar functions and attributes.
Gods, heroes and beliefs that developed mainly in Ireland
DAGDA
The basis of Irish myths are wars between two divine races: the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Formorians. Dagda, god of magic and wisdom, is a Tuatha and has a club with two ends: one can kill nine men and the other can raise the dead!
LUGH
In addition to being a warrior, the god of the sun’s rays and light is a craftsman who creates various magical weapons – including a sword that can cut anything. In a battle, Lugh slew the leader of the Formorians, a deity named Balor.
CUCHULAIN
Son of Lugh, Cuchulain is not a god but a warrior hero. He blasts enemies with a spike-tipped spear. Once, however, he was hit by his own gun. In order to continue fighting, he tied himself to a stone pillar!
MORRIGAN
The goddess of war can change her human form into an animal form. When she appears as a crow, she announces that death is near. If she washes a warrior’s armor, it is also a sign that he will die.
FINN MACCOOL
Hunter, prophet and warrior, Finn is another hero of Irish mythology. One of his greatest achievements was saving the kings of Ireland from a goblin, a monstrous creature that tormented the place where they lived.
MANANNÁN MAC LIR
The god of the seas and the underworld is also a Tuatha Dé Danann. He gave Lugh a magical boat to help him fight the Formorians. Manannán is the patron saint of Ireland and Irish heroes
HELL DOESN’T ROLL
After death, the Celts of Ireland always win
1) According to Irish mythology, all the dead go to a mythical realm called Mag Mell. In legends, Mag Mell is sometimes mentioned as an island west of Ireland, sometimes as a kind of undersea kingdom.
two) Mag Mell means something like «Plain of Happiness». This kingdom, ruled by Manannán Mac Lir, is a paradise of pleasures where joy lasts forever, where there is no disease, judgment or punishment.
3) For the Irish Celts, the living could get there too. Heroes involved in adventures, and even ordinary travelers, pushed by a storm, can reach the mythical kingdom
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