Celtic Gods and Goddess

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Celtic Gods and Goddess
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Belenus Apollo Belenus

• God of agriculture
• Associated with the healing power of the sun (and
  so comparable to Apollo)
• Beltane was a festival in his honor on May 1
  where great bonfires were used to re-warm the
  earth

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Cernunnos (Kur-noo-nohs)

• The horned one - has stag antlers
• Lord of the beasts
• God of fertility and abundance
• Found on ancient Paleolithic cave paintings
• Shape shifter (could turn into a snake or a wolf)

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Epona

• Horse goddess
• Father mated with a horse (hated women)
• The Romans held a festival in her honor on
  December 18th. She is the only Celtic deity to
  be accorded this honor by the Romans
• Often shown riding side saddle or standing
  between two ponies
• It is possible that Epona was really the horse
  and that the person pictured to the right is just
  a rider.

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Nantosuelta

• wandering river
• Probably a fertility goddess (water heavily
  associated with childbirth)
• Patron of hearth and home
• Consort of Sucellus
• Usually seen carrying a basket of apples

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Sucellus

• King of the gods
• Fertility god
• Name means good striker (if youre dying, hell
  come and end your suffering by hitting you with
  his hammer)
• Usually shown carrying a long handled hammer
  which he uses to wake up the plants for
  springtime and a pot o potatoes (spuds, taters)

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Taranis

• Thunder god
• Rides the sky in a chariot wheels make thunder
  and lightning comes from the sparks of his
  horses hooves
• A war god as well
• Had human sacrifices made to him

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IrishCeltic Gods and Goddess
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• These gods were worshipped by the Irish and
  written down at a later time. Since the Romans
  did not take Ireland, their mythology was able to
  continued unabated long after Europes was
  squashed. They are mostly known as the
  TUATHA-DE-DANANN

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• The Tuatha eventually get beaten by the current
  race of Celts and they become fairies and the
  little people

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Brigid

• exalted one
• Fertility and war goddess
• Her tasks are healing, fire, blacksmiths,
  poetry, wisdom, and protecting flocks
• Her feast day was Feb. 2nd and called Candlemas
• She was borrowed by Christian missionaries and
  made into St. Bridet (she prayed for ugliness to
  help her stay pure)

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Daghda

• Known as the good god
• father of the gods not so muchlike Zeus, but
  fat, kind, and a bit unmannered
• Wears a tunic way too short for him
• Has a magic club that he uses to kill with one
  end and heal with the other
• God of magic, wisdom, and life and death
• A provider (he has a never empty cauldron)
• He secured Irelands protection by holding hands
  with Morrigan

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Danu

• Mother of Daghda and entire race of the Tuatha
• Possiblity even the daughter of Daghda (dont
  ask me how)
• Finds places for the gods to go when they were
  defeated

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Lugh (loo)

• Shining God
• Related to both the Tuatha and the Fomorians
  (rival giants)
• His evil grandfather threw him into the sea, but
  he was saved and raised by a sea god
• Has a sword that cuts through anything and a
  spear that guarantees victory
• Father of Cu Chulainn
• His name became leprechaun

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Morrigan (more-ree-an)

• The Phantom Queen
• Goddess of horses and war
• Shape shifter (can turn into animals) when in
  raven form, death is nearby
• Stands near rivers and washes corpses (sometimes
  known as washer of the ford)
• Cu Chulainn rejects her advances

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Nuada

• Supreme king of the Irish Celts
• Loses his arm in battle and must give up his
  kingship (no deformities allowed in kings)
• Makes a silver arm to regain throne
• Eventually loses courage and gives throne to Lugh