NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Celtic polytheism

Celtic polytheism refers to the religious beliefs and practices of ancient Celts until the Christianization of Celtic-speaking lands. At various times those lands included Gaul, Britain, Ireland, Celtiberia, certain territories on the Danube, and Galatia in Asia Minor. Other terms, such as Druidism or Celtic paganism, are also sometimes used with a similar meaning. Look up belief in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A practice refers to a way that something is done. ... A Celtic cross. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... The Celtiberians were a Celtic people living in the Iberian Peninsula, chiefly in what is now north central Spain and northern Portugal, before and during the Roman Empire. ... The Danube (ancient Danuvius, Iranian *dÄnu, meaning river or stream, ancient Greek Istros) is the longest river in the European Union and Europes second longest river. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Anatolia (Greek: ανατολη anatole, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to...

Celtic religious practices bear the marks of Romanization in the wake of the Roman conquest of Gaul (58–51 BC) and Roman Britain (AD 43), although the depth and significance of Romanization is a subject of scholarly disagreement. Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC - 50s BC - 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC Years: 63 BC 62 BC 61 BC 60 BC 59 BC 58 BC 57 BC 56 BC 55... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC - 50s BC - 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC Years: 56 BC 55 BC 54 BC 53 BC 52 BC 51 BC 50 BC 49 BC 48... Principal sites in Roman Britain Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between 43 and 410. ... Events Aulus Plautius, with 4 legions, landed on Britain. ...

Sources

Four main types of source provide information on Celtic polytheism: the minted coins of Gaul, Raetia, Noricum and Britain; the sculptures, monuments and inscriptions associated with the Celts of continental Europe and of Roman Britain; Greek and Roman literature; and the insular literatures of Celtic mythology that have survived in writing from mediaeval times. All pose problems of interpretation. The pre-Roman coins of the 1st century BC and early 1st century AD bear few relevant inscriptions, and their iconography derives partly from standardized Hellenistic numismatic prototypes and partly presents highly local emblems. Most of the monuments, and their accompanying inscriptions, belong to the Roman period and reflect a considerable degree of syncretism between Celtic and Roman gods; even where figures and motifs appear to derive from pre-Roman tradition, they are difficult to interpret in the absence of a preserved literature on mythology. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Template:Buttface mythology Celtic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism annas hippo butt, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... Syncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate, even opposing, beliefs and to meld practices of various schools of thought. ...

Only after the lapse of many centuries—beginning in the 7th century in Ireland, even later in Wales—were Celtic mythological traditions consigned to writing, but by then Ireland and Wales had been Christianized and the scribes and redactors were monastic scholars. The resulting literature is abundant and varied, but it is much removed in both time and location from its epigraphic and iconographic correlatives on the Continent and inevitably reflects the redactors' selectivity and something of their Christian learning. There are nevertheless many points of agreement between the insular literatures and the continental evidence. This is particularly notable in the case of the Classical commentators from Poseidonius (c. 135–c. 51 BC) onward who recorded their own or others' observations on the Celts. This article is about the country. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, which begins roughly with the earliest-recorded Greek poetry of Homer (7th century BC), and continues through the rise of Christianity and the fall of the Western Roman Empire (5th century AD... The bust of Posidonius as an older man depects his character as a Stoic philosopher. ...

Syncretism with other forms of polytheism

The locus classicus for the Celtic gods of Gaul is the passage in Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico (52–51 BC; The Gallic War) in which he names five of them together with their functions. Mercury was the most honoured of all the gods and many images of him were to be found. Mercury was regarded as the inventor of all the arts, the patron of travellers and of merchants, and the most powerful god in matters of commerce and gain. After him the Gauls honoured Apollo, Mars, Jupiter, and Minerva. Of these gods they held almost the same opinions as other peoples did: Apollo drove away diseases, Minerva promoted handicrafts, Jupiter ruled the heavens, and Mars controlled wars.^[1] The word locus (plural loci) is Latin for place: Locus (genetics), the position of a gene (or other significant sequence) on a chromosome. ... The gods and goddesses of Celtic mythology are known from a variety of sources. ... Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... Gaius Julius Caesar [1] (Latin pronunciation ; English pronunciation ; July 12 or July 13, 100 BC or 102 BC â€“ March 15, 44 BC), was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men in classical antiquity. ... An 18th century edition of Commentarii de Bello Gallico Commentarii de Bello Gallico (literally Commentaries on the Gallic War in Latin) is an account written by Julius Caesar about his nine years of war in Gaul. ... De Bello Gallico (literally On the Gallic Wars in Latin) is an account written by Julius Caesar about his nine years of war in Gaul. ... A sculpture of the Roman god Mercury by 17th-century Flemish artist Artus Quellinus. ... Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... Lycian Apollo, early Imperial Roman copy of a fourth century Greek original (Louvre Museum) In Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo (Ancient Greek , ApÃ³llÅn; or , ApellÅn), the ideal of the kouros (a beardless youth), was the archer-god of medicine and healing, light, truth, archery and also a... Mars was the Roman god of war, the son of Juno and a magical flower (or Jupiter). ... Jupiter et ThÃ©tis - by Jean Ingres, 1811. ... Head of Minerva by Elihu Vedder, 1896 A head of Minerva found in the ruins of the Roman baths in Bath Minerva was a Roman goddess of crafts and wisdom. ... Lycian Apollo, early Imperial Roman copy of a fourth century Greek original (Louvre Museum) In Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo (Ancient Greek , ApÃ³llÅn; or , ApellÅn), the ideal of the kouros (a beardless youth), was the archer-god of medicine and healing, light, truth, archery and also a... Head of Minerva by Elihu Vedder, 1896 A head of Minerva found in the ruins of the Roman baths in Bath Minerva was a Roman goddess of crafts and wisdom. ...

In characteristic Roman fashion, Caesar does not refer to these figures by their native names but by the names of the Roman gods with which he equated them, a procedure that greatly complicates the task of identifying his Gaulish deities with their counterparts in the insular literatures. He also presents a neat schematic equation of god and function that is quite foreign to the vernacular literary testimony. Yet, given its limitations, his brief catalog is a valuable witness. Interpretatio graeca is a Latin term for the common tendency of ancient Greek writers to equate foreign divinities to members of their own pantheon. ...

The gods named by Caesar are well-attested in the later epigraphic record of Gaul and Britain. Not infrequently, their names are coupled with native Celtic theonyms and epithets, such as Mercury Visucius, Lenus Mars, Jupiter Poeninus, or Sulis Minerva. Unsyncretized theonyms are also widespread, particularly among goddesses such as Sulevia, Sirona, Rosmerta, and Epona. In all, several hundred names containing a Celtic element are attested in Gaul. The majority occur only once, which has led some scholars to conclude that the Celtic gods and their cults were local and tribal rather than national. Supporters of this view cite Lucan's mention of a god Teutates, which they interpret as "god of the tribe" (it is thought that teuta- meant "tribe" in Celtic).^[2] The multiplicity of deity names may also be explained otherwise—many, for example, may be simply epithets applied to major deities by widely extended cults.^{[citation needed]} Visucius was a Gallo-Roman god, usually identified with Mercury. ... Lenus was a Celtic healing god sometimes equated with the Celtic god Iovantucarus (apparently as a protector of youth) and the Roman god Mars. ... In ancient Celtic polytheism, Sulis (also found as Sulevis/Sulis/Sulla) was the deification of spring-water, especially of thermal spring-water, conceived as a nourishing, life-giving Mother goddess. ... In ancient Celtic religion, Sulevia was a goddess worshipped in Gaul and Britain, very often in the plural forms Suleviae or Sule(v)is. ... In Celtic mythology, Sirona was a goddess worshipped predominantly in East Central Gaul and along the Danubian limes. ... In Continental Celtic mythology, Rosmerta was a goddess of fire, fertility and warmth, as well as flowers and death. ... For other uses of Epona, see Epona (disambiguation) Image:Epona link. ... Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (November 3, AD 39-April 30, 65), better known in English as Lucan, was a Roman poet, and is one of the outstanding figures of the Silver Latin period. ... Toutatis or Teutates, ancient god of Celts and Gauls, whose name means father of the tribe. ...

Cosmology and eschatology

Though there are records of deity names, and archaeological remains including altars and temples, little is known about the specific religious beliefs of the Celts of Gaul. Their burial practices, which included burying food, weapons, and ornaments with the dead, suggest a belief in life after death.^[3] The druids, the early Celtic priesthood, were said by Caesar to have taught the doctrine of transmigration of souls along with astronomy and the nature and power of the gods.^[4] Druidry or Druidism was the religion of the ancient druids, the priestly class in ancient Celtic and Gallic societies through much of Western Europe north of the Alps and in the British Isles. ... Gaius Julius Caesar [1] (Latin pronunciation ; English pronunciation ; July 12 or July 13, 100 BC or 102 BC â€“ March 15, 44 BC), was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men in classical antiquity. ... Transmigration can has several meanings: Transmigration of the soul is a common term for reincarnation. ...

The Irish believed in an Otherworld, which they described sometimes as underground, such as in the Sídhe mounds, and sometimes located on islands in the Western Sea. The Otherworld was variously called Tír na mBeo ('the Land of the Living'), Mag Mell ('Delightful Plain'), and Tír na nÓg ('Land of the Young'), among other names. It was believed to be a country where there was no sickness, old age, or death, where happiness lasted forever, and a hundred years was as one day. It was probably similar to the Elysium of the Greek mythology and both may have a shared origin in ancient Proto-Indo-European religion. In Irish Immrama ('voyage') tales, a beautiful young woman often approaches the hero and sings to him of this happy land. Sometimes she offers him an apple, or the promise of her love in exchange for his assistance in battle. He follows her, and they journey over the sea together and are seen no more. Their journey may take place in a boat of glass, in a chariot or on horseback (usually upon a white horse, as in the case of the goddess Niamh of the Golden Hair). Sometimes the hero returns after what he believes is a short time, only to find that all his companions are dead and he has actually been away for hundreds of years. Sometimes the hero sets out on a quest, and a magic mist descends upon him. He may find himself before an unusual palace and enter to find a warrior or a beautiful woman who makes him welcome. The woman may be the goddess Fand, the warrior may be Manannán mac Lir or Lugh, and after strange adventures the hero may return successfully. However, even in cases where the mortal manages to return to his own time and place, he is forever changed by his contact with the Otherworld.^[5] The Otherworld in Celtic mythology is the realm of the dead, the home of the deities, or the stronghold of other spirits and beings such as the SÃdhe. ... SÃdhe (IPA , shee, Modern Irish: sÃ) is an Irish and Scottish Gaelic word referring first to earthen mounds that were thought to be home to a supernatural race related to the fey and elves of other traditions, and later to these inhabitants themselves. ... TÃr na nÃ“g, called in English the Land of Eternal Youth or the Land of the Ever-Young, was the most popular of the Otherworlds in Irish mythology, perhaps best known from the myth of OisÃn and Niamh of the Golden Hair. ... Elysian redirects here. ... The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and their own cult and ritual practices. ... Ancient anthropomorphic Ukrainian stone stela (Kernosovka stela), possibly depicting a late Proto-Indo-European god, most likely Dyeus, the thunderer. ... An Immram (pl. ... This article is about the satellite APPLE. For the fruit apple, see Apple. ... Niamh (pronounced or ) is an Irish female name. ... In Irish mythology, Fand was Queen of the Fairies, and wife of Manannan. ... In Irish mythology, Manannan mac Lir was a sea and weather god. ... Lugh (earlier Lug, modern Irish LÃº, pronounced //) is an Irish deity represented in mythological texts as a hero and High King of the distant past. ...

This conception of the Otherworld is also preserved in the Welsh story of 'Branwen, daughter of Llyr', which ends with the survivors of the great battle feasting in the presence of the severed head of Bran the Blessed, having forgotten all their suffering and sorrow, and having become unaware of the passage of time.^[6] In Irish lore, Donn, a god of the dead, reigned over Tech Duinn ('The House of Donn'), which was seen as existing on or under Bull Island, located off the Beare Peninsula in the Southwest of Ireland. It was believed that the newly-dead journeyed to Tech Duinn, either to remain there forever, or perhaps as a starting-point on their journey to the Blessed Isles across the Western Sea.^[7] A Welsh corollary to Tech Duinn is Annwfn, ruled by the Otherworld kings Arawn and Gwyn ap Nudd.^[8] In Welsh mythology, Branwen was a daughter of Llyr and Penarddun and has been interpreted as a goddess of love and beauty. ... In Celtic mythology, Lir (the sea) was the god of the sea, father of Manannan mac Lir, Bran, Branwen and Manawydan by Penarddun and a son of Danu and Beli. ... Bran the Blessed, also known as Bran Vendigaid, Bendigeidfran or Branovices, is a giant and king of Britain in Welsh mythology. ... According to Irish mythology, Donn, or the Dark One, is the Lord of the Dead and father of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, whom he gave to Aengus Og to be nurtured. ... Bull Island or North Bull Island is an island located in Dublin Bay in Ireland, about 5km long and 800m wide, lying roughly parallel to the shore. ... Welsh mythology, the remnants of the mythology of the pre-Christian Britons, has come down to us in much altered form in medieval Welsh manuscripts such as the Red Book of Hergest, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Book of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin. ... Annwn, (alternatively: Annwfn, Annwyn, Annwyfn, and Annwfyn) was the Otherworld, the land of souls that had departed this world in Insular Brythonic mythology, specifically Welsh. ... In Welsh mythology, Arawn was the Lord of the Underworld, which was called Annwn. ... In Welsh mythology, Gwyn or Gwynn ap Nudd was the ruler of Annwn (the Underworld). ...

Insular Celts swore their oaths by their personal or tribal gods, and the land, sea and sky; as in, 'I swear by the gods by whom my people swear' and 'If I break my oath, may the land open to swallow me, the sea rise to drown me, and the sky fall upon me.'^[9] Or, in more detail, as sworn by the King of Ulster, Conchobar in the Ulster Cycle tale, Táin Bó Cúailnge ('The Cattle Raid of Cooley'): Statistics Area: 24,481 kmÂ² Population (2006 estimate) 1,993,918 Ulster (Irish: CÃºige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... In Irish mythology, Conchobar mac Nessa (also Conchobor, Conchubar, Conchobhar, Conchubhar, Conchúr, Conchúir, Conor) was king of Ulster during the events of the Ulster Cycle. ... The Ulster Cycle, formerly the Red Branch Cycle, is a large body of prose and verse centering around the traditional heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster. ... TÃ¡in BÃ³ CÃºailnge (the driving-off of cows of Cooley, more usually rendered The Cattle Raid of Cooley or The TÃ¡in) is the central tale in the Ulster Cycle, one of the four great cycles that make up the surviving corpus of Irish mythology. ...

Worship

According to Poseidonius and later classical authors Gaulish religion and culture were the concern of three professional classes—the druids, the bards, and the vates. This threefold hierarchy had its reflection among the two main branches of Celts in Ireland and Wales, but is best represented in early Irish tradition with its draoithe (druids), filidh (visionary poets), and Faidh (seers). However these categories are not always fixed, and may be named or divided differently in different primary sources. The bust of Posidonius as an older man depects his character as a Stoic philosopher. ... Two druids, from an 1845 publication, based on a bas-relief found at Autun, France. ... A bard is a poet and singer, with the particular meaning differing for various countries and epochs. ... Vates - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... A fili was a member of an elite class of poets in Ireland, up into the Renaissance, when the Irish class system was dismantled. ...

Classical sources claimed that the Celts had no temples (before the Gallo-Roman period) and that their ceremonies took place in forest sanctuaries. However, archaeologist have discovered a large number of temple sites excavated throughout the Celtic world, primarily in Gaul. In the Gallo-Roman period, more permanent stone temples were erected, and many of them have been discovered by archaeologists in Britain as well as in Gaul. Indeed, a distinct type of Celto-Roman temple called a fanum also was developed. This was distinguished from a Classical temple by having an ambulatory on all four sides of the central cella. A cella, in Ancient Greek and Roman temples was the central room that housed cult statues. ...

Celtic religious practice was probably sacrificial in its interactions with the gods. Roman writers stated that the Celts practiced human sacrifice in Gaul: Cicero, Julius Caesar, Suetonius, and Lucan all refer to it, and Pliny the Elder says that it occurred in Britain, too. It was forbidden under Tiberius and Claudius. However there is also the possibility that these claims may have been false, and used as a sort of propaganda to justify the Roman conquest of these territories. There are only very few recorded archaeological discoveries which preserve evidence of human sacrifice and thus most contemporary historians tend to regard human sacrifice as rare within Celtic cultures. There is some circumstantial evidence that human sacrifice was known in Ireland and was later forbidden by St. Patrick, a claim which has also been disputed. Marcus Aurelius and members of the Imperial family offer sacrifice in gratitude for success against Germanic tribes: contemporary bas-relief, Capitoline Museum, Rome For other uses, see Sacrifice (disambiguation). ... The Celts practised human sacrifice on a limited scale as part of their religious rituals. ... Cicero at about age 60, from an ancient marble bust Marcus Tullius Cicero (IPA:Classical Latin pronunciation: , usually pronounced in American English or in UK English; January 3, 106 BC â€“ December 7, 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, political theorist, philosopher, widely considered one of Romes greatest orators... Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus ( 69/75 - after 130), also known as Suetonius, was a prominent Roman historian and biographer. ... Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (November 3, AD 39-April 30, 65), better known in English as Lucan, was a Roman poet, and is one of the outstanding figures of the Silver Latin period. ... Pliny the Elder: an imaginative 19th Century portrait. ... Tiberius Caesar Augustus, born Tiberius Claudius Nero (November 16, 42 BC â€“ March 16 AD 37), was the second Roman Emperor, from the death of Augustus in AD 14 until his own death in 37. ... For other persons named Claudius, see Claudius (disambiguation). ... Statue of Saint Patrick Saint Patrick (died March 17, 462, 492, or 493), is the patron saint of Ireland. ...

The early Celts considered some trees to be sacred. The importance of trees in Celtic religion is shown by the fact that the very name of the Eburonian tribe contains a reference to the yew tree, and that names like Mac Cuilinn (son of holly) and Mac Ibar (son of yew) appear in Irish myths. In Ireland, wisdom was symbolized by the salmon who feed on the hazelnuts from the trees that surround the well of wisdom (Tobar Segais). The Eburones were a Belgic tribe based of north-eastern Gaul in the 1st century BC. Julius Caesar describes them as being of Germanic origin. ... MacCuillinn or Mac Cuillann is an Irish surname. ...

There was also a warrior cult that centered on the severed heads of their enemies. The Celts provided their dead with weapons and other accoutrements, which indicates that they most likely believed in some form of an afterlife. 17th Century Brazilian Tapuia A warrior is a person habitually engaged in warfare. ...

Religious vocations or castes

Druids

A Druid was a member of the learned class among the ancient Celts. They acted as priests, teachers, and judges. The earliest known records of the Druids come from the 3rd century BC. Some scholars have suggested that the Druids were the Celtic counterparts of the Brahmans of India. Two druids, from an 1845 publication, based on a bas-relief found at Autun, France. ... Two druids, from an 1845 publication, based on a bas-relief found at Autun, France. ...

Bards and filid

In Ireland the filid were visionary poets, associated with lorekeeping, versecraft, and the memorization of vast numbers of poems. They were also magicians, as Irish magic is intrinsically connected to poetry, and the satire of a gifted poet was a serious curse upon the one being satirized. To run afoul of a poet was a dangerous thing indeed to a people who valued reputation and honor more than life itself. A fili was a member of an elite class of poets in Ireland, up into the Renaissance, when the Irish class system was dismantled. ... The Bard (ca. ... 1867 edition of the satirical magazine Punch, a British satirical magazine, ground-breaking on popular literature satire. ... Look up Curse in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In Ireland a "bard" was considered a lesser grade of poet than a fili - more of a minstrel and rote reciter than an inspired artist with magical powers. However in Wales bardd was the word for their visionary poets, and used in the same manner fili was in Ireland and Scotland. This article is about the country. ...

The Celtic poets, of whatever grade, were composers of eulogy and satire, and a chief duty was that of composing and reciting verses on heroes and their deeds, and memorizing the genealogies of their patrons. It was essential to their livelihood that they increase the fame of their patrons, via tales, poems and songs. As early as the 1st century AD, the Latin author Lucan referred to "bards" as the national poets or minstrels of Gaul and Britain. In Gaul the institution gradually disappeared, whereas in Ireland and Wales it survived. The Irish bard through chanting preserved a tradition of poetic eulogy. In Wales, where the word bardd has always been used for poet, the bardic order was codified into distinct grades in the 10th century. Despite a decline of the order toward the end of the European Middle Ages, the Welsh tradition has persisted and is celebrated in the annual eisteddfod, a national assembly of poets and musicians. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Festivals

Insular sources provide important information about Celtic religious festivals. In Ireland the year was divided into two periods of six months by the feasts of Beltane (May 1) and Samhain (Samain; November 1), and each of these periods was equally divided by the feasts of Imbolc (February 1), and Lughnasadh (August 1). Samhain seems originally to have meant "summer," but by the early Irish period it had come to mark summer's end. Beltine is also called Cetsamain ("First Samhain"). Imbolc has been compared by the French scholar Joseph Vendryes to the Roman lustrations and apparently was a feast of purification for the farmers. Beltane ("Bright Fire") was the festival of the beginning of summer, and there is a tradition that on that day the people drove their cattle between two fires as a protection against disease. Lughnasadh was the feast of the god Lugh and a celebration of the first fruits or early harvest. This article is about the Gaelic holiday. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... This article is about the Celtic holiday. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... Imbolc is one of the four principal festivals of the Irish calendar, celebrated either at the beginning of February or at the first local signs of Spring. ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ...

The Coligny calendar has sometimes been looked to for information regarding the Gaulish year including holy days. overview of the re-assembled tablet detail of Mid Samonios The Gaulish Coligny Calendar was found in Coligny, Ain, France (46Â°23â€²N 5Â°21â€²E) near Lyons in 1897, along with the head of a bronze statue of a youthful male figure. ...

Beltane

Beltane was a festival held on the first day of May in Ireland and Scotland, celebrating the beginning of summer and open pasturing. In early Irish lore a number of significant events took place on Beltane, which long remained the focus of folk traditions and tales in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. Like Samhain, Beltane was seen as a time when the spirit realm is especially close at hand. This article is about the Gaelic holiday. ...

Samhain

The beginning of the month of Samhain (Old Irish samain), was one of the most important calendar festivals of the Celtic year. At "the three nights of Samhain", held around the beginning of November, the world of the gods and spirits was believed to be made visible to humans. The deities and spirits may play tricks on their mortal worshipers, and it was a time filled with supernatural episodes. Samhain was traditionally a time of sacrifice, whether in offering to the deities or due to the need to slaughter any livestock that it would be impossible to feed for the entire winter. Samhain was an important precursor to the later festival of Halloween, as it was a time for the Celts to honour the dead, the spirits and deities, and to face the realities and fears of the coming winter. This article is about the Celtic holiday. ... This article is about the Celtic holiday. ... Old Irish is the name given to the oldest form of the Irish language which can be more or less fully reconstructed from extant sources. ... Halloween, or Halloween, is a tradition celebrated on the night of October 31, most notably by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting sweets, fruit, and other gifts. ...

Cults within Celtic polytheism

Cult of Lug/Mercury

According to Caesar the god most honoured by the Gauls was ‘Mercury’, and this is confirmed by numerous images and inscriptions. Mercury's name is often coupled with Celtic epithets, particularly in eastern and central Gaul; the commonest such names include Visucius, Cissonius, and Gebrinius.^[11] Another name, Lugus, is inferred from the recurrent place-name Lugdunon ('the fort of Lugus') from which the modern Lyon, Laon, and Loudun in France and Leiden in The Netherlands derive their names; a similar element can be found in Carlisle (formerly Castra Luguvallium) and Legnica in Poland. The Irish and Welsh cognates of Lugus are Lugh and Lleu, respectively, and certain traditions concerning these figures mesh neatly with those of the Gaulish god. Caesar's description of the latter as "the inventor of all the arts" might almost have been a paraphrase of Lugh's conventional epithet samildánach ("possessed of many talents"), while Lleu is addressed as "master of the twenty crafts" in the Mabinogi.^[6] An episode in the Irish tale of the Battle of Magh Tuiredh is a dramatic exposition of Lugh's claim to be master of all the arts and crafts.^[12] Inscriptions in Spain and Switzerland, one of them from a guild of shoemakers, are dedicated to Lugoves, widely interpreted as a plural of Lugus perhaps referring to the god conceived in triple form.^{[citation needed]} Lugus was a deity widely hypothesized to have been worshipped in Gaul, Britain, Ireland, Spain and other ancient Celtic regions. ... Lugh (earlier Lug, modern Irish LÃº, pronounced //) is an Irish deity represented in mythological texts as a hero and High King of the distant past. ... In Welsh mythology, Lleu Llaw Gyffes (sometimes called Llew Llaw Gyffes) is a character appearing in the fourth of the Four Branches of the Mabinogion, the tale of Math fab Mathonwy. ... A sculpture of the Roman god Mercury by 17th-century Flemish artist Artus Quellinus. ... Visucius was a Gallo-Roman god, usually identified with Mercury. ... Cissonius (also Cisonius, Cesonius) was an ancient Gaulish god. ... Gebrinius is a local Celtic version of the god Mercury. ... Lugus was a deity widely hypothesized to have been worshipped in Gaul, Britain, Ireland, Spain and other ancient Celtic regions. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: (Franco-ProvenÃ§al: Forward, forward, Lyon the best) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region RhÃ´ne-Alpes Department RhÃ´ne (69) Subdivisions 9 arrondissements Intercommunality Urban Community of Lyon Mayor GÃ©rard Collomb (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics... Laon is a city and commune of France, prÃ©fecture (capital) of the Aisne dÃ©partement. ... Loudun is a small town and commune of approximately 9,000 inhabitants in the Vienne dÃ©partement of France. ... Leyden redirects here. ... Carlisle is a city in the far north-west of England, and is the largest urban area in Cumbria. ... Legnica ( , formerly Lignica; German: ) is a town in Silesia in southwestern Poland. ... Lugh (earlier Lug, modern Irish LÃº, pronounced //) is an Irish deity represented in mythological texts as a hero and High King of the distant past. ... In Welsh mythology, Lleu Llaw Gyffes (sometimes called Llew Llaw Gyffes) is a character appearing in the fourth of the Four Branches of the Mabinogion, the tale of Math fab Mathonwy. ... Mabinogi is a network game released by Nexon. ... Cath Maige Tuireadh (the (second) Battle of Magh Tuiredh) is a tale of the Irish Mythological Cycle in which the Tuatha DÃ© Danann defeat their enemies, the Fomorians. ...

The Gaulish Mercury often seems to function as a god of sovereignty. Gaulish depictions of Mercury sometimes show him bearded and/or with wings or horns emerging directly from his head, rather than from a winged hat. Both these characteristics are unusual for the classical god. More conventionally, the Gaulish Mercury is usually shown accompanied by a ram and/or a rooster, and carrying a caduceus; his depiction at times is very classical.^[2] The Caduceus Two caduceuses without wings as decoration of door portal in ZtracenÃ¡ street in Olomouc (Czech Republic). ...

Lugh is said to have instituted the festival of Lughnasadh, celebrated on 1 August, in commemoration of his foster-mother Tailtiu.^[13] To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... Tailtiu (Tailltiu, Tailte, Teia Tephi) is the name of a presumed goddess from Irish mythology and the town in County Meath that was named after her. ...

In Gaulish monuments and inscriptions, Mercury is very often accompanied by Rosmerta, whom Miranda Green interprets to be a goddess of fertility and prosperity. Green also notices that the Celtic Mercury frequently accompanies the Deae Matres (see below).^[14] In Continental Celtic mythology, Rosmerta was a goddess of fire, fertility and warmth, as well as flowers and death. ... In Celtic mythology, the Deae Matres are the triple goddess who preside over fertility, motherhood and creativity. ...

Cult of Toutatis/Mars

Teutates, also spelled Toutatis (Celtic: "god of the tribe"), was one of three Celtic gods mentioned by the Roman poet Lucan in the 1st century,^[15] the other two being Esus ("lord") and Taranis ("thunderer"). According to later commentators, victims sacrificed to Teutates were killed by being plunged headfirst into a vat filled with an unspecified liquid. Present-day scholars frequently speak of ‘the toutates’ as plural, referring respectively to the patrons of the several tribes.^[2] Of two later commentators on Lucan's text, one identifies Teutates with Mercury, the other with Mars. He is also known from dedications in Britain, where his name was written Toutatis. Toutatis or Teutates, ancient god of Celts and Gauls, whose name means father of the tribe. ... Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (November 3, AD 39-April 30, 65), better known in English as Lucan, was a Roman poet, and is one of the outstanding figures of the Silver Latin period. ... The 1st century was that century which lasted from 1 to 100 according the Gregorian calendar. ... Image of Esus on the Pillar of the Boatmen. ... In Celtic mythology Taranis was a god of thunder worshipped in Gaul and Britain and mentioned, along with Esus and Toutatis, by the Roman poet Lucan in his epic poem Pharsalia. ... A sculpture of the Roman god Mercury by 17th-century Flemish artist Artus Quellinus. ... Mars was the Roman god of war, the son of Juno and either Jupiter or a magical flower. ...

Paul-Marie Duval, who considers the Gaulish Mars a syncretism with the Celtic toutates, notes that:

Cult of Jupiter/Taranis

The Gaulish Jupiter is often depicted with a thunderbolt in one hand and a distinctive wheel in the other. Scholars frequently identify this wheel/sky god with Taranis, who is mentioned by Lucan. The name Taranis may be cognate with those of Taran, a minor figure in Welsh mythology, and Turenn, the father of the 'three gods of Dana' in Irish mythology. In Celtic mythology Taranis was a god of thunder worshipped in Gaul and Britain and mentioned, along with Esus and Toutatis, by the Roman poet Lucan in his epic poem Pharsalia. ... Jupiter et ThÃ©tis - by Jean Ingres, 1811. ... In Celtic mythology Taranis was a god of thunder worshipped in Gaul and Britain and mentioned, along with Esus and Toutatis, by the Roman poet Lucan in his epic poem Pharsalia. ... Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (November 3, AD 39-April 30, 65), better known in English as Lucan, was a Roman poet, and is one of the outstanding figures of the Silver Latin period. ... Taran (in Russian language ram attack) was a tactic in air combat. ... Welsh mythology, the remnants of the mythology of the pre-Christian Britons, has come down to us in much altered form in medieval Welsh manuscripts such as the Red Book of Hergest, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Book of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin. ... In Irish mythology, Tuireann or Tuirill Biccreo was the father of Creidhne, Luchtaine and Giobhniu by Brigid. ... In Goidelic mythology, and especially Scotland, Brian was a pompous, bumbling bastard who helped Cailleach rescue DeÃ²-ghrÃ¨ine. ... The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branches of Celtic mythology. ...

Healing deities

Healing deities are known from many parts of the Celtic world; they frequently have associations with thermal springs, healing wells, herbalism and light. In Irish mythology, the goddess Airmed was one of the Tuatha de Danaan. ... In Celtic mythology, Belenus (also Belinus, Belenos, Belinos, Belinu, Bellinus, Belus, Bel) was a deity worshipped in Gaul, Britain and Celtic areas of Italy and Austria. ... In Celtic mythology, Borvo (to boil), also Bormo, Bormanus, was a deity worshipped in Gaul. ... In Irish mythology, Brigid or Brighid (exalted one) was the daughter of Dagda (and therefore one of the Tuatha de Danaan) and wife of Bres of the Fomorians. ... In Celtic mythology, Grannus (also Gramnos, Gramnnos) was a god of healing and mineral springs. ...

Brighid, the triple goddess of healing, poetry and smithcraft is perhaps the most well-known of the Insular Celtic deities of healing. She is associated with many healing springs and wells. A lesser-known Irish healing goddess is Airmed, also associated with a healing well and with the healing art of herbalism. Clootie wells (also Cloutie or Cloughtie wells) are places of pilgrimage in Celtic areas. ... In Irish mythology, the goddess Airmed was one of the Tuatha de Danaan. ...

In Romano-Celtic tradition Belenus (possibly from Celtic: *belen- ‘bright’^{[citation needed]}, though other etymologies have been convincingly proposed^[16]) is found chiefly in southern France and northern Italy. Apollo Grannus, though concentrated in central and eastern Gaul, also “occurs associated with medicinal waters in Brittany [...] and far away in the Danube Basin”.^[14] Grannus's companion is frequently the goddess Sirona. Another important Celtic deity of healing is Bormo/Borvo, particularly associated with thermal springs such as Bourbonne-les-Bains and Bourbon-Lancy. Such hot springs were (and often still are) believed to have therapeutic value. Green interprets the name Borvo to mean “seething, bubbling or boiling spring water”.^[14] In Celtic mythology, Belenus (also Belinus, Belenos, Belinos, Belinu, Bellinus, Belus, Bel) was a deity worshipped in Gaul, Britain and Celtic areas of Italy and Austria. ... In Celtic mythology, Grannus (also Gramnos, Gramnnos) was a god of healing and mineral springs. ... In Celtic mythology, Sirona was a goddess worshipped predominantly in East Central Gaul and along the Danubian limes. ... In Celtic mythology, Borvo (to boil), also Bormo, Bormanus, was a deity worshipped in Gaul. ... In Celtic mythology, Borvo (to boil), also Bormo, Bormanus, was a deity worshipped in Gaul. ... Bourbonne-les-Bains is a spa town of eastern France, in the Champagne-Ardenne rÃ©gion, Haute-Marne dÃ©partement. ... Coat of arms of Bourbon-Lancy Bourbon-Lancy is a commune of the SaÃ´ne-et-Loire dÃ©partement, in France. ...

Goddesses of sacred waters

In Ireland, there are numerous holy wells dedicated to the goddess Brighid. There are dedications to ‘Minerva’ in Britain and throughout the Celtic areas of the Continent. At Bath Minerva was identified with the goddess Sulis, whose cult there centred on the thermal springs. Other goddesses were also associated with sacred springs, such as Icovellauna among the Treveri and Coventina at Carrawburgh. Damona and Bormana also serve this function in companionship with the spring-god Borvo (see above). In ancient Celtic polytheism, Sulis (also found as Sulevis/Sulis/Sulla) was the deification of spring-water, especially of thermal spring-water, conceived as a nourishing, life-giving Mother goddess. ... In Celtic mythology, Damona (Divine cow) was a fertility goddess worshipped in Gaul as the consort of Borvo. ... In Celtic and Roman mythology, Sequanna (or Sequana) was the goddess of the river Seine and its environs. ... In Irish mythology, Brigid or Brighid (exalted one) was the daughter of Dagda (and therefore one of the Tuatha de Danaan) and wife of Bres of the Fomorians. ... Head of Minerva by Elihu Vedder, 1896 A head of Minerva found in the ruins of the Roman baths in Bath Minerva was a Roman goddess of crafts and wisdom. ... Bath is a city in South West England most famous for its baths fed by three hot springs. ... In ancient Celtic polytheism, Sulis (also found as Sulevis/Sulis/Sulla) was the deification of spring-water, especially of thermal spring-water, conceived as a nourishing, life-giving Mother goddess. ... Icovellauna was a Celtic goddess worshipped in Gaul. ... The Treveri tribe of Gaul inhabited the lower valley of the Moselle, within the southern fringes of the vast Arduenna Silva (Ardennes Forest). ... In Celtic mythology, Coventina was a goddess of wells and springs. ... In Celtic mythology, Damona (Divine cow) was a fertility goddess worshipped in Gaul as the consort of Borvo. ... Bormana is a Celtic goddess, the female equivalent of the god Borvo (Bormanus). ...

A number of goddesses were deified rivers, notably Boann (of the Boyne), Sequana (the deified Seine), Matrona (the deified Marne), Souconna (the deified Saône) and perhaps Belisama (perhaps the deified Ribble). In Irish mythology, Boann or Boand (white cow) was the goddess of the River Boyne. ... The Boyne is a river in Leinster, Ireland, which course is about 70 mi (112 km) long. ... In Celtic and Roman mythology, Sequanna (or Sequana) was the goddess of the river Seine and its environs. ... The Seine (pronounced in French) is a major river of north-western France, and one of its commercial waterways. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Marne is a department in north-eastern France named after the Marne River which flows through the department. ... The Saône is a river of eastern France. ... The SaÃ´ne is a river of eastern France. ... In Celtic mythology, Belisama (also Belesama, Belisma) was a goddess worshipped in Britain. ... The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in the North of England. ...

While the most well-known deity of the sea is the god Manannán, possible early Irish sea deities include Fand, her sister Lí Ban, and the mother-goddess of the Fomorians, Domnu. In Irish mythology, ManannÃ¡n mac Lir was a sea and weather god. ... In Irish mythology, Fand was Queen of the Fairies, and wife of Manannan. ... LÃ Ban was a minor sea goddess in Celtic mythology, probably originating from an ancient Manx deity. ... In Irish mythology, the Fomorians, Fomors, or Fomori (Irish FomÃ³iri, FomÃ³raig) were a semi-divine race who inhabited Ireland in ancient times. ...

The god of strength and eloquence

A club-wielding god identified as Ogmios is readily observed in Gaulish iconography. In Gaul, he was identified with the Roman Hercules. He was portrayed as an old man with swarthy skin and armed with a bow and club. He was also a god of eloquence, and in that aspect he was represented as drawing along a company of men whose ears were chained to his tongue. Ogmios was a Gaulish deity, usually depicted as a bald old man with a bow and club who leads an apparently happy band of men with chains attached to their ears and tongues. ... Ogmios was a Gaulish deity, usually depicted as a bald old man with a bow and club who leads an apparently happy band of men with chains attached to their ears and tongues. ...

Ogmios' Irish equivalent was Ogma, who was impressively portrayed as a swarthy man whose battle ardour was so great that he had to be controlled by chains held by other warriors until the right moment.^{[citation needed]} Ogham script, an Irish writing system dating from the 4th century AD, was said to have been invented by him.^{[citation needed]} OGMA-IndÃºstria AeronÃ¡utica de Portugal, S.A., founded in 1918, is a major representative of the Portuguese Aviation Industry, dedicated to aircraft and aircraft component maintenance, repair and manufacturing. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ...

The god with the hammer

Sucellos, the 'good striker' is usually portrayed as a middle-aged bearded man, with a long-handled hammer, or perhaps a beer barrel suspended from a pole. His companion, Nantosuelta, is sometimes depicted alongside him. When together, they are accompanied by symbols associated with prosperity and domesticity. This figure is often identified with Silvanus, worshipped in southern Gaul under similar attributes; Dis Pater, from whom, according to Caesar, all the Gauls believed themselves to be descended; and the Irish Dagda, the 'good god', who possessed a caldron that was never empty and a huge club. Sucellus was the god of agriculture, forests and alcoholic drinks in Lusitanian mythology. ... A claw hammer For other uses, see Hammer (disambiguation). ... Traditional wooden barrels in Cutchogue Modern aluminium beer barrels - also called casks - outside the Castle Rock microbrewery in Nottingham, England A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container, traditionally made of wood staves and bound with iron hoops. ... In Continental Brythonic mythology, and especially in Gaul, Nantosuelta was a goddess of water and fertility. ... Silvanus may refer to: Silvanus (mythology), a Roman tutelary spirit of woods, apparently inherited from the Etruscan deity Selvan Silvanus, also called Silas, an early Christian and companion of Paul Silvanus of the Seventy, another early Christian and traditionally among Jesus seventy apostles Saint Sylvanus, Bishop of Emesa in Phoenicia... Dis Pater, or Dispater, was a Roman and Celtic god of the underworld, later subsumed by Pluto or Jupiter. ... The Dagda is an important god of Irish mythology. ...

Mother goddesses

Mother goddesses are a recurrent feature in Celtic religions. The epigraphic record reveals many dedications to the Matres or Matronae, which are particularly prolific around Cologne in the Rhineland.^[11] Iconographically, Celtic mothers may appear singly or, quite often, triply; they usually hold fruit or cornucopiae or paterae; ^[2] they may also be full-breasted (or many-breasted) figures nursing infants. In Roman mythology, the Matronae (Latin for important mothers/ladies) were three mothering fertility goddesses of peace, children and serenity. ... It has been suggested that Mother (neopaganism) be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Cologne (disambiguation). ... The Rhineland (Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. ... A Triple Goddess symbol (probably originating from Classical Greek lunar symbolism), representing the three aspects of the moon (waxing crescent, full moon, waning crescent) and womankind (maiden, mother, crone). ...

Welsh and Irish tradition preserve a number of mother figures such as the Welsh Dôn, Rhiannon (‘great queen’) and Modron (from Matrona, ‘great mother’), and the Irish Danu, Boand, Macha and Ernmas. However, all of these goddesses fulfill many roles in the mythology and symbolism of the Celts, and cannot be limited only to motherhood. In many of their tales, their having children is only mentioned in passing, and is not a central facet of their identity. "Mother" Goddesses may also be Goddesses of warfare and slaughter, or of healing and smithcraft. DÃ´n was a Welsh mother goddess, equivalent of the Irish Danu. ... For the Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac song, see Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win). ... In Welsh mythology, Modron (divine mother) was a daughter of Avalloc, derived from the Gaul goddess Dea Matrona. ... In Irish mythology, Danu or Dana was the mother goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann (peoples of the goddess Danu), although little is recorded about her as a character. ... In Irish mythology, Boann or Boand (white cow) was the goddess of the river Boyne. ... In Irish mythology, Macha is a goddess linked with war, horses and kingship. ... Ernmas is an Irish mother goddess. ...

Mother goddesses were at times symbols of sovereignty, creativity, birth, fertility, sexual union and nurturing. At other times they could be seen as punishers and destroyers: their offspring may be helpful or dangerous to the community, and the circumstances of their birth may lead to curses, geasa or hardship, such as in the case of Macha's curse of the Ulstermen or Rhiannon's possible devouring of her child and subsequent punishment. A geas (pronounced //, plural geasa) has two interpretations in Gaelic mythology and folklore. ...

The horned god

A recurrent figure in Gaulish iconography is a cross-legged deity with horns or antlers, sometimes surrounded by animals, often wearing or holding a torque. The name usually applied to him, Cernunnos, is attested only a few times, on a relief at Notre Dame de Paris (currently reading ERNUNNOS, but an early sketch shows it as having read CERNUNNOS in the 18th century), an inscription from Montagnac (αλλετ[ει]υος καρνονου αλ[ι]σο[ντ]εας, "Alleteinos [dedicated this] to Karnonos of Alisontia"^[17]), and a pair of identical inscriptions from Seinsel-Rëlent ("Deo Ceruninco"^[18]). Figured representations of this god, however, are widespread; the earliest known was found at Val Camonica in northern Italy,^{[citation needed]} while the most famous is plate A of the Gundestrup Cauldron, a 1st-century-BC vessel found in Denmark. On the Gundestrup Cauldron and sometimes elsewhere, Cernunnos is accompanied by a ram-headed serpent. At Reims, he is depicted with a cornucopia overflowing with grains or coins.^[2] Depiction of Cernunnos from the Pilier des nautes, Paris Cernunnos in Celtic polytheism is the deified spirit of horned male animals, especially of stags, a nature god associated with produce and fertility. ... A torc, also spelled torq or torque (from Latin torqueo, to twist, because of the twisted shape of the collar) is a rigid circular necklace that is open-ended at the front. ... Notre Dame de Paris: Western Facade For the novel by Victor Hugo, see The Hunchback of Notre Dame. ... There are communes that have the name Montagnac in France: Montagnac, a former commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence dÃ©partement that is now a part of Montagnac-Montpezat Montagnac, in the Gard dÃ©partement Montagnac, a former commune in the Gers dÃ©partement that is now in the... A photo of the Gundestrup cauldron. ... Cornucopia held by the Roman goddess Aequitas on the reverse of this antoninianus struck under Roman Emperor Claudius II. The cornucopia (Latin Cornu Copiae), literally Horn of Plenty and also known as the Harvest Cone, is a symbol of food and abundance dating back to the 5th century BC. In...

The divine bull

Another prominent zoomorphic deity type is the divine bull. Tarvos Trigaranus ("bull with three cranes") is pictured on reliefs from the cathedral at Trier, Germany, and at Notre-Dame de Paris. In Irish literature, the Donn Cuailnge ("Brown Bull of Cooley") plays a central role in the epic Táin Bó Cuailnge ("The Cattle-Raid of Cooley"). The relief of Tarvos Trigaranus on the Pillar of the Boatmen. ... Categories: Animal stubs ... The relief of Tarvos Trigaranus on the Pillar of the Boatmen. ... Trier (French: ; Luxembourgish TrÃ©ier) is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle River. ... Notre Dame de Paris: Western Facade For the novel by Victor Hugo, see The Hunchback of Notre Dame. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du TrocadÃ©ro. ... In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology Donn Cuailnge, the Brown Bull of Cooley, was an extremely fertile stud bull over whom the Táin Bó Cuailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley) was fought. ... The TÃ¡in BÃ³ CÃºailnge, or Cattle Raid of Cooley, is the central tale in the Ulster Cycle, one of the four great cycles that make up the surviving corpus of Irish mythology. ...

The horse goddess

The horse, an instrument of Indo-European expansion, plays a part in all the mythologies of the various Celtic cultures. The cult of the Gaulish horse goddess Epona was widespread. Adopted by the Roman cavalry, it spread throughout much of Europe, even to Rome itself. She seems to be the embodiment of "horse power" or horsemanship, which was likely perceived as a power vital for the success and protection of the tribe. She has insular analogues in the Welsh Rhiannon and in the Irish Édaín Echraidhe (echraidhe, "horse riding") and Macha, who outran the fastest steeds. For other uses of Epona, see Epona (disambiguation) Image:Epona link. ... In Irish mythology, Macha is a goddess linked with war, horses and kingship. ... For the Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac song, see Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win). ... For other uses of Epona, see Epona (disambiguation) Image:Epona link. ... For the Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac song, see Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win). ... In Irish mythology, Macha is a goddess linked with war, horses and kingship. ...

The Welsh horse goddess Rhiannon is best known from The Mabinogion, a collection of medieval Welsh tales, in which she makes her first appearance on a pale, mysterious steed and meets King Pwyll, whom she later marries. She was accused of killing and devouring her infant son, and in punishment she was forced to act as a horse and to carry visitors to the royal court. According to another story, she was made to wear the collars of asses about her neck in the manner of a beast. The Mabinogion is a collection of prose stories from medieval Welsh manuscripts. ... This article is about the Welsh hero; for the impact crater on Europa, see Pwyll (crater). ...

The Irish horse goddess Macha, perhaps a threefold goddess herself, is associated with battle and sovereignty. Though a goddess in her own right, she is also considered to be part of the triple goddess of battle and slaughter, the Morrígan. Other faces of the Morrígan were Badhbh Catha and Nemain. In Irish mythology, Macha is a goddess linked with war, horses and kingship. ... The MorrÃgan (terror or phantom queen) or MÃ³rrÃgan (great queen) (aka MorrÃgu, MÃ³rrÃghan, MÃ³r-RÃogain) is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have once been a goddess, although she is not referred to as such in the texts. ... In Irish mythology, the Badb (crow in Old Irish; modern Irish Badhbh means vulture) was a goddess of war who took the form of a crow, and was thus sometimes known as Badb Catha (battle crow). ... In Irish mythology Nemain (or Nemhain) was a goddess of war, and possibly an aspect of the MÃ³rrÃgan. ...

Divine couples

One notable feature of Gaulish and Romano-Celtic sculpture is the frequent appearance of male and female deities in pairs, such as ‘Mercury’ and Rosmerta, Sucellos and Nantosuelta, Apollo Grannus and Sirona, Borvo and Damona, or Mars Loucetius and Nemetona.^[11] In Continental Celtic mythology, Rosmerta was a goddess of fire, fertility and warmth, as well as flowers and death. ... The Dagda is an important god of Irish mythology. ... In Continental Brythonic mythology, and especially in Gaul, Nantosuelta was a goddess of water and fertility. ... In Celtic mythology, Grannus (also Gramnos, Gramnnos) was a god of healing and mineral springs. ... In Celtic mythology, Sirona was a goddess worshipped predominantly in East Central Gaul and along the Danubian limes. ... In Celtic mythology, Borvo (to boil), also Bormo, Bormanus, was a deity worshipped in Gaul. ... In Celtic mythology, Damona (Divine cow) was a fertility goddess worshipped in Gaul as the consort of Borvo. ... In Gallo-Roman religion, Loucetios (Latinized as Leucetius) was a Gaulish god invariably identified with Mars. ... In Celtic mythology, Nemetona (shrine) was the goddess of temples and sacred groves. ...

The ram-headed snake

A distinctive ram-headed snake accompanies Gaulish gods in a number of representations, including the horned god from the Gundestrup cauldron, Mercury, and Mars. A photo of the Gundestrup cauldron. ...

Esus

Esus appears in two monumental statues as an axeman cutting branches from trees. Image of Esus on the Pillar of the Boatmen. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ...

Deities

This table shows some of the Celtic and Romano-Celtic gods and goddesses mentioned above, in Romanized form as well as ancient Gaulish or British names as well as those of the Tuatha Dé Danann and characters from the Mabinogion. They are arranged so as to suggest some linguistic or functional associations among the ancient gods and literary figures; needless to say, all such associations are subject to continual scholarly revision and disagreement. In particular, it has been noted by scholars such as Sjoestedt that it is inappropriate to try to fit Insular Celtic deities into a Roman format. Such attempts seriously distort the Insular deities. This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Statue of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture A goddess is a female deity, in contrast with a male deity known as a god. Many cultures have goddesses. ... â€œÃes dÃ¡naâ€ redirects here. ... The Mabinogion is a collection of prose stories from medieval Welsh manuscripts. ...

In Welsh mythology, Arianrhod (silver wheel) was a daughter of Beli and Don. ... Lycian Apollo, early Imperial Roman copy of a fourth century Greek original (Louvre Museum) In Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo (Ancient Greek , ApÃ³llÅn; or , ApellÅn), the ideal of the kouros (a beardless youth), was the archer-god of medicine and healing, light, truth, archery and also a... In Celtic mythology, Belenus (also Belinus, Belenos, Belinos, Belinu, Bellinus, Belus, Bel) was a deity worshipped in Gaul, Britain and Celtic areas of Italy and Austria. ... In Celtic mythology, Borvo (to boil), also Bormo, Bormanus, was a deity worshipped in Gaul. ... In Celtic mythology, Grannus (also Gramnos, Gramnnos) was a god of healing and mineral springs. ... Victoria on the reverse of this coin by Constantine II. In Roman mythology, Victoria was the goddess of victory. ... Catubodua (battle-crow) is a Gaulish goddess known from a single inscription in Haute Savoie, eastern France. ... Bran the Blessed, also known as Bran Vendigaid, Bendigeidfran or Branovices, is a giant and king of Britain in Welsh mythology. ... Depiction of Cernunnos from the Pilier des nautes, Paris Cernunnos in Celtic polytheism is the deified spirit of horned male animals, especially of stags, a nature god associated with produce and fertility. ... For other uses of Epona, see Epona (disambiguation) Image:Epona link. ... In Irish mythology, Macha is a goddess linked with war, horses and kingship. ... For the Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac song, see Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win). ... Image of Esus on the Pillar of the Boatmen. ... The Forge of Vulcan, by Diego VelÃ¡zquez. ... Gobannus (or Gobannos, the Gaulish form) was a Gallo-Roman god normally taken to have been a patron of smiths. ... In Irish mythology Goibniu or Goibhniu (pronounced Goive-nu) was a son of Brigid and Tuireann and the smith of the Tuatha DÃ© Danann. ... In the Welsh mythology, Govannon of Gofannon was a smith and the son of the goddess Don. ... In Welsh mythology, Gwydion is a magician appearing prominently in the Fourth branch of the Mabinogi and the ancient poem Cad Goddeu. ... A sculpture of the Roman god Mercury by 17th-century Flemish artist Artus Quellinus. ... Lugus was a deity widely hypothesized to have been worshipped in Gaul, Britain, Ireland, Spain and other ancient Celtic regions. ... Lugh (earlier Lug, modern Irish LÃº, pronounced //) is an Irish deity represented in mythological texts as a hero and High King of the distant past. ... In Welsh mythology, Lleu Llaw Gyffes (sometimes called Llew Llaw Gyffes) is a character appearing in the fourth of the Four Branches of the Mabinogion, the tale of Math fab Mathonwy. ... In Irish mythology, ManannÃ¡n mac Lir was a sea and weather god. ... In Welsh mythology, Manawydan, son of Llyr, is the equivalent of the Irish Manannan mac Lir and a presumed sea god. ... Lycian Apollo, early Imperial Roman copy of a fourth century Greek original (Louvre Museum) In Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo (Ancient Greek , ApÃ³llÅn; or , ApellÅn), the ideal of the kouros (a beardless youth), was the archer-god of medicine and healing, light, truth, archery and also a... In Celtic mythology, Maponos or Maponus (divine son) was a god of youth known mainly in northern Britain but also in Gaul. ... In Irish mythology, Aengus (Ãengus, Ã“engus, Angus, Aonghus, Anghus) aka Aengus Ã“g (Aengus the Young), Mac ind Ã“g (son of the young), Maccan or Mac Ã“g (young son) was a member of the Tuatha DÃ© Danann and probably a god of love, youth and poetic inspiration. ... In Welsh mythology, Mabon (divine son) was the son of Modron (divine mother). He was a hunter god who was stolen from his mother three days after his birth. ... In Roman mythology, the Matronae (Latin for important mothers/ladies) were three mothering fertility goddesses of peace, children and serenity. ... In Welsh mythology, Modron (divine mother) was a daughter of Avalloc, derived from the Gaul goddess Dea Matrona. ... The Lamia who moodily watches the serpent on her forearm (painting by Herbert James Draper, 1909), appears to represent the hetaira. ... The Mórrígan (Morrígan, Morrigu, Mór-Rhioghain) (great queen or phantom queen), is an Irish goddess of war and destruction. ... Mars was the Roman god of war, the son of Juno and either Jupiter or a magical flower. ... Nodens, or Nodons, was a Celtic deity worshipped in Britain. ... In Irish mythology, Nuada or Nuadu (later Nuadha), known by the epithet AirgetlÃ¡m (Silver Hand/Arm), was a king of the Tuatha DÃ© Danann. ... Lludd Llaw Eraint, Lludd of the Silver Hand, son of Beli Mawr, is a legendary hero from Welsh mythology. ... Lludd Llaw Eraint, Lludd of the Silver Hand, son of Beli Mawr, is a legendary hero from Welsh mythology. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Heracles. ... Ogmios was a Gaulish deity, usually depicted as a bald old man with a bow and club who leads an apparently happy band of men with chains attached to their ears and tongues. ... OGMA-IndÃºstria AeronÃ¡utica de Portugal, S.A., founded in 1918, is a major representative of the Portuguese Aviation Industry, dedicated to aircraft and aircraft component maintenance, repair and manufacturing. ... In Welsh mythology, King Pryderi of Dyfed was the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon. ... This article is about the Welsh hero; for the impact crater on Europa, see Pwyll (crater). ... Maia, in Greek mythology, is the eldest of the Pleiades, the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. ... In Continental Celtic mythology, Rosmerta was a goddess of fire, fertility and warmth, as well as flowers and death. ... In Greek mythology, Hygieia (Roman equivalent: Salus) was a daughter of Asclepius. ... In Celtic mythology, Sirona was a goddess worshipped predominantly in East Central Gaul and along the Danubian limes. ... Silvanus (of the woods) was a Roman tutelary spirit of woods, a genius loci that was apparently inherited from the Etruscan Selvans. ... Sucellus was the god of agriculture, forests and alcoholic drinks in Lusitanian mythology. ... The Dagda is an important god of Irish mythology. ... Head of Minerva by Elihu Vedder, 1896 A head of Minerva found in the ruins of the Roman baths in Bath Minerva was a Roman goddess of crafts and wisdom. ... In ancient Celtic polytheism, Sulis (also found as Sulevis/Sulis/Sulla) was the deification of spring-water, especially of thermal spring-water, conceived as a nourishing, life-giving Mother goddess. ... In Celtic mythology, Coventina was a goddess of wells and springs. ... Icovellauna was a Celtic goddess worshipped in Gaul. ... In Celtic and Roman mythology, Sequanna (or Sequana) was the goddess of the river Seine and its environs. ... In Roman mythology, every man had a genius and every woman a juno (Juno was also the name for the queen of the gods). ... In Celtic mythology, Sulis is the local goddess of the thermal springs that still feed the spa baths at Bath, which the Romans called Aquae Sulis (the waters of Sulis). Her name appears on inscriptions at Bath, but nowhere else. ... Jupiter et ThÃ©tis - by Jean Ingres, 1811. ... In Celtic mythology Taranis was a god of thunder worshipped in Gaul and Britain and mentioned, along with Esus and Toutatis, by the Roman poet Lucan in his epic poem Pharsalia. ... In Irish mythology, Tuireann or Tuirill Biccreo was the father of Creidhne, Luchtaine and Giobhniu by Brigid. ... Taran (in Russian language ram attack) was a tactic in air combat. ... Mars was the Roman god of war, the son of Juno and either Jupiter or a magical flower. ... Toutatis or Teutates, ancient god of Celts and Gauls, whose name means father of the tribe. ... Veteros (commonly spelled Veterus, Vitiris, Vheterus, Huetiris, and Hueterus) was a Celtic god attested from many inscriptions in Roman Britain. ...

The effect of Christianity

The conversion to Christianity inevitably had a profound effect on this socio-religious system from the 5th century onward, though its character can only be extrapolated from documents of considerably later date. By the early 7th century the church had succeeded in relegating Irish druids to ignominious irrelevancy, while the filidh, masters of traditional learning, operated in easy harmony with their clerical counterparts, contriving at the same time to retain a considerable part of their pre-Christian tradition, social status, and privilege. But virtually all the vast corpus of early vernacular literature that has survived was written down in monastic scriptoria, and it is part of the task of modern scholarship to identify the relative roles of traditional continuity and ecclesiastical innovation as reflected in the written texts. Cormac's Glossary (c. 900) recounts that St. Patrick banished those mantic rites of the filidh that involved offerings to "demons", and it seems probable that the church took particular pains to stamp out animal sacrifice and other rituals repugnant to Christian teaching. What survived of ancient ritual practice tended to be related to filidhecht, the traditional repertoire of the filidh, or to the central institution of sacral kingship. A good example is the pervasive and persistent concept of the hierogamy (sacred marriage) of the king with the goddess of sovereignty: the sexual union, or banais ríghi ("wedding of kingship"), which constituted the core of the royal inauguration seems to have been purged from the ritual at an early date through ecclesiastical influence, but it remains at least implicit, and often quite explicit, for many centuries in the literary tradition. Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... See Fíli and Kíli for the dwarf appearing in The Hobbit. ... Vernacular literature is literature written in the vernacular - the speech of the common people. ... A Scriptorium was a room or building, usually within a Christian monastery where, during medieval times, manuscripts were written. ... The Sanas Cormaic (sometimes called Sanas Chormaic using modern rules of initial consonant mutation) is an Irish glossary containing etymologies and explanations of over 1400 Irish words. ... Hieros Gamos or Hierogamy means a coupling (sometimes marriage) of a god and a man, often having a symbolic meaning. ...

Nagy has noted the Gaelic oral tradition has been remarkably conservative. The fact that we have tales in existence which were still being told in the 19th century in almost exactly the same form as they exist in ancient manuscripts leads to the strong probability that much of what the monks recorded was considerably older. Though the Christian interpolations in some of these tales are very obvious, many of them read like afterthoughts or footnotes to the main body of the tales, which most likely preserve traditions far older than the manuscripts themselves.

Mythology based on (though, not identical to) the pre-Christian religion is still common place knowledge in Celtic-speaking cultures. Various rituals involving acts of pilgrimage to sites such as hills and sacred wells which are believed to have curative or otherwise beneficial properties are still performed. Based on evidence from the European continent, various figures which are still known in folklore in the Celtic countries up to today, or who take part in post-Christian mythology, are known to have also been worshipped in those areas that did not have records before Christianity. Template:Buttface mythology Celtic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism annas hippo butt, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. ... Clootie wells (also Cloutie or Cloughtie wells) are places of pilgrimage in Celtic areas. ...

Revival

Various groups claim association with Celtic polytheism. These groups range from reconstructionists who seek to reconstruct as much as possible regarding ancient practices to new age groups whom place little significance on any sort of historical basis. Polytheistic reconstructionism, or simply reconstructionism, is the practice of re-establishing and practicing historical polytheistic religions in the modern world. ... New Age describes a broad movement characterized by alternative approaches to traditional Western culture. ...

Celtic Reconstructionism

Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism is an effort to reconstruct, in a modern Celtic cultural context, Celtic polytheistic practices from surviving written, archaeological and cultural examples of Celtic polytheism. Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism (CR) is a polytheistic, animistic, religious and cultural movement. ...

Neo-Druidism and Wicca

Modern eclectic religions such as Wicca and Neo-druidism place little emphasis on historical basis or reconstruction, instead blending many outside influences into a modern religion that draws little influence or resemblance to historical Celtic polytheism outside of borrowed imagery or terminology. The pentagram within a circle, a symbol of faith used by many Wiccans, sometimes called a pentacle. ... A group of British druids, congregating to celebrate the summer solstice at stonehenge. ...

Contents

Sources

Syncretism with other forms of polytheism

Cosmology and eschatology

Worship

Religious vocations or castes

Druids

Bards and filid

Festivals

Beltane

Samhain

Cults within Celtic polytheism

Cult of Lug/Mercury

Cult of Toutatis/Mars

Cult of Jupiter/Taranis

Healing deities

Goddesses of sacred waters

The god of strength and eloquence

The god with the hammer

Mother goddesses

The horned god

The divine bull

The horse goddess

Divine couples

The ram-headed snake

Esus

Deities

The effect of Christianity

Revival

Celtic Reconstructionism

Neo-Druidism and Wicca

See also

References

Further reading

External links

Contents

Sources GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Syncretism with other forms of polytheism

Cosmology and eschatology

Worship

Religious vocations or castes

Druids

Bards and filid

Festivals

Beltane

Samhain

Cults within Celtic polytheism

Cult of Lug/Mercury

Cult of Toutatis/Mars

Cult of Jupiter/Taranis

Healing deities

Goddesses of sacred waters

The god of strength and eloquence

The god with the hammer

Mother goddesses

The horned god

The divine bull

The horse goddess

Divine couples

The ram-headed snake

Esus

Deities

The effect of Christianity

Revival

Celtic Reconstructionism

Neo-Druidism and Wicca

See also

References

Further reading

External links

Sources