Aine:
One of the great Goddesses of ancient Ireland survives in modern times as the queen of the Fairies of South Munster, the southwest corner of the island and is said to haunt Knockainy Hill there. Originally Aine was a sun goddess who assumed the form of Lair Derg (red mare), the horse that none could outrun. Her special feast was Midsummer Night, when farmers carried torches of straw in procession around Knockainy and waved them over the cattle and the field for protection and fruitfulness.
Angus of the Brugh / Oengus of the Bruig:
God of Youth, son of Dagda.
Anu:
One of the ancestor Goddesses of Ireland, some say she is the same Goddess as Aine. Others say she is identical to Danu. In any case, she was known as a force of prosperity and abundance.
Arianrhod:
"Silver Wheel", "High Fruitful Mother". One of the Three Virgins of Britiain, her palace is Caer Arianrhod, the Celtic name for the Aurora Borealis. Lady of the Silver Wheel.
Badb:
A Goddes of war. Bird shaped and crimson mouthed, Badb uses her magic to decide battles. One of the forms of the Morrigan. Badb often washes the clothing and armor of men she has doomed to die in combat in rivers and streams. When she lowered her hands to the water, it ran red with blood; when she raised them, the water disapeared, leaving a fordable pass.
Brighid / Brigit:
The Great Triple Goddess of the Celtic Irish - Goddes of healing and craftsmanship, patron of learning and poetry. The devotion of the Irish to their Goddess was so deep that the Christians "converted" her along with her people. They called her Bridget, the human daughter of a Druid, and claimed she was baptized by St. Patrick himself.
Cerridwen / Caridwen:
"White Grain" "Old White One" Corn Goddess. Mother of Taliesen, greatest and wisest of all the bards, and therefore a patron of poets. Caridwen lives among the stars in the land of Caer Sidi, and is connected with wolves. Some claim her "cult" dates to the neolithic era.
Cernunnos:
Horned God of virility. Cernunnos wears the torque (neck-ring) and is always in the company of a ram-headed serpent and a stag. Extremely popular among the Celts, his "cult" was a serious obstacle to the spread of Christianity.
Dagda:
Earh and father God. Dagda possesses a bottomless cauldron of plenty and rules the seasons with the music of his harp. With his mighty club Dagda can slay nine men with a single blow, and with it small end he can bring them back to life. On the day of the New Year, Dagda mates with the raven Goddess of the Morrigan.
Danu:
The greatest of the Goddesses of ancient Ireland, Danu was the ruler of a tribe of divinities called Tuatha de Danaan, the people of Danu. Her name derives fom the Old Celtic
dan, meaning knoweledge, and she was probably the same Goddess as the Welsh Don. Some scholars see her as the same as the Goddess Anu, while others contend that she is an aspect of Brigid.
Donn:
Irish counterpart of the Gauls Dis Pater. Donn sends storms and wrecks ships, but also protects cattle and crops.
Epona:
Horse goddess usually portrayed as riding a mare, sometimes with a foal.
Lug /Lugh/ Lleu:
A sun and hero God, young, strong, master of all arts, skills and craft. One day Lug arrived at the court of the Dagda and demanded to be admitted to the company of the Gods. The gatekeeper asked him what he could do and for every skill or art Lug named, the gatekeeper replied that there was already one among them who had mastered it. Lug at last pointed out that they had no one who had mastered them all, and so gained a place among the deities.
Macha:
"Crow" The third of the triad of war Goddesses known as the Morrigan. Like many other Celtic Goddesses, Macha was threefold - athlete, queen and warrior- called Macha, wife of Nemed; Macha, wife of Cruchchu; and Macha the Red to distinguish the exploits of the Goddess' different aspects.
Morrigan, The:
There was a trinity of Goddesses of war and death in ancient Ireland, and scholars argue about which one was the preeminet figure. Was Morrigan a form of Badb, or the other way around? Was Nemain the same as, or different from, Macha? Was the overall name Morrigan, with the component parts being Macha, Badb and Nemain; or was there no overall name, with Macha being a completely different Goddess? The only thing that distinguished Morrigan from the otheres was her association with magic; she sang runes and cast charms before battles to strengthen her favorites.
Nemain:
Her name means "venomous one". She was one of the powereful battle goddesses of ancient Ireland and was related to the crow Goddess Morrigan.
Nuadhu / Nud/ Nodens/ Lud:
Nuadhu of the silver arm - God of healing and water; his name suggests "wealth-bringer" and "cloud maker". At the first battle of Moytura, Nuadhu lost an arm and Dian Cecht replaced it with a new one made out of silver. Because of this, Nuadhu was obliged to turn over leadership of Tuatha de' Dannann.
Ogmios / Ogma:
"Sun Face" A hero God like Hercules, a God of eloquence, language and genius. Generally protrayed as an old man dressed in a lion skin.
