Celtic Mythology

[RavenWing]

Right!

*follows pawnman into the pub*

[barddas]

Geeez, sorry guys. I'll pry the brain for other stories....

[RavenWing]

Oh, that's ok!

[pawnman]

I'm trying to get through that book of mythology, but between work and school I don't have lots of free time...OK, OK, maybe I'd get more reading done if I could put down Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven for ten minutes at a go. Anyway, there's some good stories in there, divided by Island (stories from Ireland, stories from Scotland, etc...) I really reccomend the book. I don't have a real scholarly background to judge this guys work, but from an entertainment aspect it's great. The title and author are in my siggy.

[Lady Elaine Knox]

Here's some gods and goddesses of Celtic mythology:
Belatucadrus/ fair shining one
Cocidius/hunter, equal to Roman god Mars
Condatis/ god of 2 bodies of water in Tyne Tees part of Northern Britian
Coventina/ goddess of healing
Cuda/ mother goddess
Latis/goddess of water and beer ( horray beer!)
Matres Domesticae/ 3 mothers combined of the homeland
Mogons/god of Northern Britian, great one
Nodens/ god of healing
Sulis/ goddess of healing over hot springs in Aquae Sulis (Bath)
Gods of Gaul:
Abnoba/goddess of the hunt
Andraste/goddess of victory
Belenus/god of light
Borvo/god of healing
Cernunnos/ god of fertility and animals," the horned one"
Damona/goddess of fertility and healing "divine cow"
Epona/goddess of horses
Esus/god of war
Nantosuelta/goddess of nature
Nehalennia/goddess of the sea
Ogmios/god of knowledge
Sucellus/god of forest " good striker" a hammer god
Taranis/ the thunderer
...so many more...but alas...that comes later

[Keltic]

Just out of interest, where did you see that Nehalennia was a Celtic goddess? I have seen this once in the notes of a company offering porcelain jewellery. I searched far and wide and found reference of her as a germanic goddess. Information can also be found at the following website: http://www.anglo-saxon.demon.co.uk/goddess...ses/nehalennia/

[Lady Elaine Knox]

..just some inside sources in Edinburgh..my husband's great uncle is somewhat of a Celtic scholar and did extensive research on gods/goddesses of Gaul and Celtic lore. LOL..he's the old man at the pub that at first annoys you to death then ya realize he knows what he speaks of. I still don't know where he got the info from..he refuses to tell me yet. Says he'll write it down to passed to me in his will. Od man but quite smart on history of the Celts.

[barddas]

 
Lugh -
The God Lugh is the God of Light or the harvest, His festival, on August 1st, is called Lughnasadh. He is reputed to be the divine father of Cú Chúlainn whom he conceived with Dechtire when he carried her away to his palace beneath Brugh na Boinne.
The god Lugh is worshipped in Irish Tradition as a deity of the sun. This connection with the sun may explain his name (it means "shining one"), and it also may account for the attributes that he displays: he is handsome, perpetually youthful, and has a tremendous energy and vitality. This energy manifests itself especially in the number of skills he has mastered. In fact, there was a tale that related Lugh's myriad abilities at arts and crafts.
He was known as Ildánach which means master of all arts and crafts. As told in the Battle of Magh Tuiredh, Lugh travelled to Tara, then the palace of the King Nuada, and arrived during a tremendous feast for the royal court. Lugh was greeted at the door by the keeper of the gate, and was immediately asked what talent he had - for it was a tradition there that only those who had a special or unique ability could enter the palace. The god offered his reply: "I am a wright". In response, the gate keeper said: "We already have a wright. Your services are not needed here". Still, Lugh, not to be so easily dismissed, continued: "I am a smith". Again, the guard retorted that the court had a smith that was quite adequate; but the god was not to be dissuaded. In short order, he noted that he was also a champion, a harper, a hero, a poet, an historian, a sorcerer, and a craftsman. To this list, the gate keeper merely nodded his head, and stated matter of factly that all of these various trades were represented in the court by other members of the Tuatha de Danaan. "Ah, but you do have an individual who possesses all of these skills simultaneously?", was Lugh's clever and inspired reply. The guard was forced to admit his defeat, and so Lugh was allowed to enter and join the festivities

[Shadows]

One must stop and look at the similarities between the Germanic, Norse and Celtic deities... all the foundations for these gods took place way before written history and the simularities, at least to me, point to a common ground somewhere in the past .

[barddas]

I will agree with that. Just with invasions on the Islands ( IE - Ireland, Britain, and the other small islands....) You can see it in the art work, and building structures as well. The Vikings had come to the Isles for many, many years. And eventually merged with the native peoples and the influences can be seen ....It would only seem right that eventually that religions would meld too.

Look at Rome. They stole/borrowed their gods from the Greeks....

[barddas]

Some might find this site of interest..

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/MA/CELTS.HTM

[Shadows]

That is very close to my point !!
Now if only we could unravel the mysteries around the Druids..me thinks they be the shamans of the time...

[barddas]

I will agree with that too. But I believe their roll in society was a bit different than that of the Native American Shamanism.

[barddas]

I believe that they had a very large influence on the people of the time. Whether it be fear, law, respect whatever. But they obviously were held high regaurd, and a large influence on the culture. Other wise Rome would not have had them slaughtered, and the groves destoyed. If they were not a "leader" type....

[Shadows]

I will not argue your point! Shamanisim goes well beyond the Native Americans, the earliest shammans are of the far east. I think that the power and control over the common man was what caused the demise of these great teachers! It all can be pointed at fear of the unknown and the desire to destroy a culture that was greater then the one that was trying to conquer!