Personages, Holidays, Concepts, and 'Denominations'.
[Note: As Celtic custom places night before day,
all dates begin at sunset on the previous day. For example Samhain,
November 1st, starts at dusk on
Celtic spirituality, be it pagan or Christian, has had a strong
tradition of intellectual rigour and academic excellence. The druids
were the historians, lawyers, philosophers, and theologians of
the people, while the monks that followed served some of the same
roles, both at home and in keeping the light of Western learning
bright through the Dark Ages. Celtic Spirituality has always had
a strong love of precedent and scholarship, and is no stranger
to strongly held opinions and debate.
Those with the aptitude and opportunity for higher
learning are encouraged to pursue it, but the real goals of Celtic
Spirituality are courage, excellence, truth, generosity, piety,
a prayerful attitude, and the desire for a deep, reverent, and
practical participation with life. Learning is just one more arena
wherein to practice our virtues.
Celtic Spirituality seeks to gain a deeper understanding
of the divine, nature, and the self to further our full participation
in the world. Academia and intellectual rigour is not an end in
itself but a means toward these deeper goals. Of course, academic
learning is an unending and interactive process, not an end in
Aengus Mac Og:
'Unique-Vigour', ‘Son of the Young’, (but the latter
is actually a corruption of Maccan, which is in turn derived from
Maquonos, ‘Divine Youth’).
He is the god of youth, music, healing, hunting
(esp. the boar hunt), war, vitality, love, (esp. illicit love),
transformation, imprisonment and liberation, and is associated
with white birds, especially swans. He is the child of Dagda,
the fire god, and Bóann,
a water goddess, and so embodies the Mystery of the Fire in the
Water, and the union of opposites generally.
His name is cognate to the Welsh Mabon, and the
Continental Maponos. Maponos is associated with healing, water
sources, music, dogs and horses. The Romans identified him with
(a non-solar) Apollo.
Just as there is a great deal of overlap between
Aengus’s mother Bóann and Lugh’s
mother Ethniu, with Bóann occasionally
being called Ethniu, there
seems to be a certain amount of conflation between Aengus and Lugh.
This is seen in Brugh na Boyne, the residence of Aengus, being
attributed to Lugh in
the story of CuChullainn’s conception, and in the names of
several later heroes who have both Lugh and
Maccan as portions of their own names; Saint Lugaid Maccan, ‘Fire
of Lúgh’, ‘Divine Son’ is a prime example.
Áine Clí: 'Radiant
Brightness'. She is the goddess of the sun, presides over love
and fertility, and is Sovereignty for the Eoganacht dynasty of
Munster. She is remembered as a fairy queen in Munster. As the
daughter of Manannán, she
is said to return to her fathers house each night as the sun sets
in the West. She is also called Áine i nErindain and Ériu Ain,
showing the great overlap between her person and that of Ériu.
Anam Chara: ‘Soul
Friend’. In early Irish monasticism, the anam chara
was a fellow monk, nun, or priest who formed a personal relationship
with another individual, listened to their private confessions,
provided them with spiritual advice, and finally performed last
rites upon their death. The concept spread quickly through the
Celtic world, and later even secular people might have a particular
monk, nun, or priest to be an anam chara for them as well.
In nineteenth century Scotland, anam chara was
also used to refer to one who recites the death prayers over the
dying and the dead. This meaning is obviously an organic extension
of the primary meaning given above.
Though some have proposed ancient pagan origins
for anam chara, citing its resemblance to the Hindu Acharya; it
is more likely emerged from a purely Christian context, anam chara
being a direct translation of ‘psykhikos philos’. This
of course does not preclude its usage in a modern pagan context,
for individuals and traditions which find value in the practice.
Measure of Seeds'. The daughter of Dian Cécht, the divine physician,
she is the goddess of herbs, herbalism, and healing with plants.
Fire'. May 1st. One of the four
major holidays in the Celtic year, it celebrates the beginning
of summer, growth, fertility (and by extension, love),
purification by fire, and the Mystery of the fire in the water.
Like Samhain, this is a traditional
time for bonfires and is considered a liminal time.
Bíle: 'Great Tree' or
'Ancestor'. This god is the Worldtree and also the ancestor of
the first humans. Viewed as the Great Father in many traditions,
some also see him, pantheistically, as an Immanent divinity. This
god is not personified in human form, usually being represented
by a tree or a pillar.
The word 'bíle' is also used to refer to a sacred tree, especially
a tree that has religio-political connotations for a particular
tribal group and their leader.
Bóann:'White cow'. She
is the goddess who freed the waters from Nechtan's well, which
created the river that bears her name, the Boyne river. She is
a goddess of flowing water and inspiration who presides over motherhood,
fertility of women, livestock, and the land. Her husband is Nechtan,
an aspect of Nuada, and she is the
mother of Aengus by Dagda.
Her names include Breg, Meng, Meabal (alt. name for Breg), and
the epithet Drumchla Dilenn, 'the Roof of the Ocean'. She is also
given the name Ethniu, who may be
the celestial version of this same goddess. Bóann's sister Bé Binn,
'Sweet Woman', is the goddess of childbirth and midwifery.
Brí: This word has the
concrete meanings of height and eminence, and the abstract meanings
of energy, power, vigour, worth, meaning, and importance. For example,
its use in 'brí focail' means, 'the meaning of a word'.
Bríga: 'That which Rises'.
A more archaic form of brí (above), usually used today to signify
magico-religious energy, much like the Kundalini in Hindu tradition.
Bricht, a spell, is a manifestation of that energy.
One' or 'Sacred Utterance'. This much beloved goddess was worshipped
throughout the Celtic world and eventually, either came to be seen
as a Christian saint, or was syncretized with a saint of the same
In Irish tradition, Brighid is a daughter of the Dagda.
She is a fire goddess with many solar traits, patron of the bards,
and a goddess of poetry and inspiration. She is a goddess of healing,
smithcraft, the hearth, hospitality, protection of the home, young
children, and inexperienced warriors. Brighid is said to lean over
every cradle, and through her interest in healing and children,
she is often assumed to preside over childbirth. As well, she is
a protector of crops and livestock, especially against disease
and malicious magic. With the death of her own son at the Second
Battle of Mag Tuired, Brighid started to keen. As this was the
first time keening was ever heard, she came to preside over grief
and mourning. Brighid is intimately entwined with many everyday
aspects of life from the cradle to the grave.
Her epithets include: Banfilé 'She-Bard', Bé Legis
'Healing woman', Bé nGoibnechtae 'Smith woman', Briugu 'She who
runs a hostel', Ambue 'without cattle' (referring to her as warrior
and protectress of warriors), and Búadach 'the Victorious'.
Cognates of the name Brigid may include, depending
on which etemology is used, The Irish Bríg, the British Brigantia
(and perhaps the word Britain itself), the Gaulish Brigindo and
Brixa, and further afeild in the names of the Norse god Bragi and
the Hindu god Brihaspati. Her Gaulish counterparts were interpreted
by the Romans as Minerva, and in later periods some of her aspects
she were compared Vesta. Brigit's
Brighideach: A Brigidine Order of Flamekeepers
One of the three patron saints of Ireland along with St.
Colm Cille and St. Patrick,
a contemporary, St. Brighid belonged to a branch of the Fotharta
sept (family lineage), and was the abbess of a convent in Kildare. At
a time when Christianity was still a minority sect, she Christianized
a pagan sanctuary which became the center of her abbey. This would
not have been possible without the political clout her family rank
gave her. It is also conjectured that she was a 'priestess'of that
sanctuary before her conversion and that Brighid, 'Exalted One'
was either a title, or meant to identify her person with that of
the goddess, Brighid.
She is called 'the Mary of the Gaels'. Her feast day is
February 1st, thus coinciding with Imbolc and
should not be confused with Candlemas, which falls on the next
Information Network: St. Bridget
Bua: This word has the
meaning of advantage, merit, or talent/skill. 'Bua' is used to
refer to anything which is intrinsically a part of you and works
in your favour. The adjective 'buadach' means victorious.
One' or 'Crone'. A rich, complex, and often disturbing personage
in Celtic spirituality, the Cailleach can represent the wilds,
the land, the sea, the harvest, winter, death and the 'Outside',
as well as that which is hidden, all that is 'in-between' and the
liminal regions of nature, culture, and the cycles of life. She
is both a Sovereignty goddess and a representation of the dispossessed.
Céilí Sídhe: 'Companions
of the Sídhe' (singular Céile Sídhe) Céilí Sídhe is a tradition
of Celtic Polytheism. It is a mostly Irish tradition, which honours
the Tuatha De Danann, holds Danu to
be a Transcendant divinity and mother of the gods, and Bíle to
be an Immanent divinity and father of humanity. Céilí Sídhe emphasises
building personal relationships with the gods, both as individuals
and within the context of their tribe. Céilí Sídhe believes that
by modelling the virtues of the gods, ones connection to them is
strengthened which assists in personal development on all levels.
The tradition has a strong social interest, believing that family,
community, and social life are the arenas wherein we can most effectively
express our values. New
Tara: Céilí Sídhe
and Celtic-inspired: 'Celtic' refers *primarily* to
a particular language group, and secondarily to the culture
i.e. manners, customs, beliefs, art, music, religion, ethics,
and history of the people who spoke or speak those languages.
By this secondary definition 'Celtic' is not a watertight designation;
where the line is, in this secondary sense of the word, between
'Celtic', 'mostly Celtic', and 'Celtic-inspired' can be vague.
However, definitionally, the further one moves from the language,
the more diluted is the 'Celticity'. Of course this means
that many things are deemed 'Celtic' not through any quality
inherent in their nature, but by their mere relationship to
'Celtic' language and the cultural-linguistic context from
which they emerged.
It is because the first definition is clear, and
the second is vague and interpretative, that we seem to keep coming
back to the problem of what is Celtic, a problem which has been
solved by attributing any validity held by the second definition
to be wholly based on its relationship to the first definition.
'Celtic' music, art, and other non-verbal forms
are of course also part of this secondary definition and are may
not be dependant on language for their value and form, but it is
still by their relationship to, or emergence from, 'Celtic' speaking
cultures that they received that designation to begin with.
However, having said that Joseph Nagy has this
to say in regard to Latin literature written in Ireland during
the Early Medieval period: 'Hiberno-Latin literature does not form
a separate stream [from literature written in Irish], nor is it
reasonable to assume that it was produced by a different kind of
author for a different kind of audience." (Conversing with
Angels and Ancients, p11). I believe the same logic applies
to a good portion of Anglo-Irish literature, especially (but not
exclusively) that written by bi-lingual Irishmen. English works
which translates, exalts, explains, defends, or even expresses
the values, ethics, history, customs, religion, music, stories,
etc of the Gaels is by our primary definition not 'Celtic', but
by our secondary definition it is quite 'Celtic'.
Of course, a 'culture' can be seen as merely a
collection of memes circumstantially related by there placement
in time and space. And 'Celtic' is merely a label designating not
the content, but the relationships between those memes in a particular
instance. All such labels are arbitrary, strategic and contingent;
accepting a definition does not mean we must be blind to its exceptions,
limitations, agendas, and biases. It does, however, allow us to
communicate clearly, and escape the semantic dispute of continually
redefining 'Celtic' every time the word is used.
Perhaps the newest form of Celtic-inspired spirituality to emerge,
it is still very uncertain what form this spirituality will take
or how much actual Celtic material will be incorporated into the
Celtic Christianity: Rooted
in the works of Eriugena, Pelagius, and the Early Celtic Churches,
Celtic Christianity distinguishes itself from many other streams
of Christianity in its value of relationship over institution
(as found in the use of the "anamcara" or soul friend),
a Creation theology that views nature as God's 'other book', a
respect for each person as a reflection of Creation, and promotes
a personal and experiential relationship with God and the world. Iona,
Wicca: Wicca emerged from Ceremonial magic in the
1940's and 50's and, with the addition of some British folk
ways and popular witch lore. It was intended to be a faith
honouring the 'Horned God' and the 'Moon Goddess' through secret
and magical rites. While there was a certain amount of Celtic
inspiration to the project from the very beginning, it rapidly
developed to reflect the memberships interests in neo-Classical
and Egyptian material. Thus while Wicca remained primarily
an English and Anglo-American faith, it also reflected an eclectic
inspiration as even the most conservative groups, called covens,
drew god and goddess names from around the world and used them
to express Wiccan concepts. In the last decade some Wiccans
have become more aware of the idea that deities come with a
certain cultural context and are trying to be more respectful
of that context when honouring the gods, this new-found respectfulness
has resulted in some groups focusing their worship on the gods
of a single culture.
Celtic-inspired Wicca would describe any group
or Tradition which has chosen to make the Celtic gods their exclusive,
or primary, focus of worship.
Wicca has been, and still is, a fairly pervasive
element in Western alternative spirituality. Although many individuals
and groups do not self-identify as Wiccan, they are still recognizable
as being Wiccan-derived by their usage of ‘witch’, ‘coven’,
‘sabbat’, ‘blessed be’, ‘the rede’,
‘three fold law’, pentagrams, Ceremonialist elements,
and viewing divinity as a dyad of one ‘God’ and one
Any tradition, denomination, or body of spiritual practice which
is primarily derived from, or inspired by, the polytheistic beliefs
and practices which existed in Celtic culture before Christianity,
and survived (though not unaltered) in Celtic folk ways. Though
'pagan' is usually assumed to simply mean 'polytheist', a growing
number of people are uncomfortable with the term, because it is
technically describes one by what one is not, i.e. not a Christian,
Muslim, or Jew, a designation which is both negative in tone and
not always true.
This is form of Celtic Paganism which values historical precedent
and cultural specificity over innovation and eclecticism. As the
name implies, many of the beliefs and structures that have been
lost are being constructed again, which brings a great deal of
diversity to both belief and practice. In the current political
trend, Celtic Reconstructionists often resemble Celtic Traditionalists,
who have a very nationalist stance toward Celtic cultures. This
stance is atypical of the reconstructionist movements in general,
but common among Celtic and Slavic Recons, whose source cultures
still exist, but are under considerable socio-political stress. Imbas
This is a path which aspires to live life by embracing living Celtic
cultures and their current traditions. Celtic traditionalists believe
that true Celtic spirituality is inseparable from Celtic cultures.
Therefore the only authority, source and guide to living a Celtic
spirituality is attested tradition, such as Celtic story, poetry,
music, and custom, which can only be truly communicated through
Celtic languages by tradition-bearers. Celtic Traditionalism is
also vigourously political in its views. Celtic
Elements: Popularized by Paracelcus; the view that
the universe is comprised of four, and possibly five, elements
( respectively Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Ether) entered
Ceremonial Magick from Alchemy, and the from Ceremonial Magick
into popular forms of paganism and the New Age movement. While
this view has found a home in many Celtic-inspired forms of
spirituality, it is not a part of any indigenous Celtic spiritualities.
Thus the presence of these elements in a tradition indicates
a large non-Celtic influence. Furthermore, critics of this
Ceremonialist elemental system have often pointed out the limiting
sexist agenda implicit, or sometimes explicit, in the system.
The indigenous Celtic view of 'elements' is expressed
by the concept of dúile.
Paganism: Based on centuries of popular practice in
Celtic counties and using traditional folkways as its primary
model, Christo-Celtic Paganism combines Celtic Christian and indigenous Celtic material
in its spirituality.
There is a strong overlap between Christo-Celtic Paganism and Celtic Traditionalism, but the former tends
to have a more magical element and a far less politicized view
of their spiritual practice. Christo-Celtic Paganism also tends
to be practiced individually, rather than in groups, as any need
for community worship is, from a Christo-Celtic Pagan point of
view, adequately fulfilled by participation in either (Celtic)
Christian or other (Celtic) Pagan services.
Those who would criticize Christo-Celtic Paganism,
or any Christo-syncretic practice, as 'un-Christian' based on a
few of the Ten Commandment of the Hebrew Bible are doing so in
error. This is because such an argument, while likely legitimate
in a Hebrew context, fails to account for the New Covenant, through
Christ, with Christians, found in Matthew 19:17-19 and Mark 10:17-23
(New Revised Standard Version). Prohibitions against idolatry and
honouring other gods are conspicuously absent from the list of
things Christ asks of his followers.
One of the dúile,
stones are the bones of the world, and our bones are made from
them. In one's character, stone is associated with endurance and
steadfastness, but also potentially grudgingness and covetousness.
(St.) Colm Cille:
One of the three patron saints of Ireland along with St.
Brighid and St. Patrick,
St. Colm Cille, otherwise known as St. Columba, was born into an
Irish royal clan and trained as a priest. He travelled throughout
Ireland preaching and teaching. He founded several monasteries
including those at Derry (546 C.E.) and Durrow (556 C.E.).
According to various legends Columba was condemned
by a Synod in 561 C.E. for either his part in a dispute over the
ownership of a copy of a Gospel, which resulted in the deaths of
many in the battle of Cooldrevne; or because of his difficulties
in separating the political interests of both himself and his family
from his religious calling. As a result, he was exiled from his
beloved Ireland, along with twelve others. He eventually made
his way to Iona, where he established a monastic community in 563
His feast day is June 9th.
Association for Irish Studies
Celtic Arts Association
of T Celtic Society
'The Good God'. Dagda is the god of fire and High Druid of the
gods. He controls the ordered changing of the seasons and presides
over both fatherhood and the fertility of men, livestock, and the
land. Wise and generous, he is the provider of both spiritual
and material wealth and sustenance.
He is the father of many other gods, including Aengus, Brighid, Ériu, Mider, and Oghma.
During the kingship of Bres and the triumph of the Fomor, he was
forced to serve as a mason.
Dagda's names include Eochaid Ollathair,
'Horse-lord All-father'; Aedh Abrat, 'Fire of the Brow'; and Ruad
Rofessa, 'Red-One of Perfect Knowledge/Wisdom'. His name, Aedh,
is cognate to the Hindu god Agni; derived from the same root, both
names mean fire, and both gods personify the priestly function.
Contrary to the opinion recently put forward by some New Age authors,
Dagda is not a green god or forest god, as evidenced by all of
his red and fiery names.
Dáir na Coille:
Celebrated on December 31st in some
traditions, and the on the night of the first visible crescent
after Mid-winter in others, Dáir na Coille, means the 'embuement
of the woods'. It celebrates the arrival of all the new souls of
every kind of life which will be born in the coming year. They
arrive from the Otherworld on the west wind and are hidden in the
trees. For this reason, small gifts, tokens, and food offerings
are tied among the branches of trees; both sacred or special trees,
and those which happen to grow nearest your home. This is done
both as a blessing to the new souls, and to court their blessings
Dán: This word means fate
or destiny, art, talent/gift, poetry, and boldness; as in Aes Dána
'people of talent', which refers to poets and artisans.
Danu: 'Flowing One'.
The Great Mother. This goddess is the ancestress of the gods, and
it is from her that the Tuatha
De Danann take their name. She is the Celestial Mother.
Many rivers across Europe are named for her. Goddesses with cognate
names are found in Russia and India. The Rig Vedas calls their
Danu, 'the Waters of Heaven'. In Celtic tradition this goddess
is not personified in human form, but represented either by a earthly
river or its celestial counterpart, the Milky Way, which in Irish
is called, Bealach na Bó Finne, 'The Way of the White Cow'.
In the Céilí Sídhe Tradition,
Danu, Anu, and Domnu are considered to be the three faces
of Danu Trimathair, the 'Triple Mother', who represents the Source
of all things; a Transcendent goddess
contrasted to the Immanent god, Bíle.
Just as Danu is the Celestial Mother, represented by the night
sky or the Milky Way; Anu 'The Abundant One' is the Terrestrial
Mother, represented by the land; and Domnu 'The Abyss' is the Oceanic
Mother, represented by the sea.
Many schools of thought hold that Danu is derived
from don, 'earth', and conflate Danu and Anu, making the
second a derivative of the first. However, this view is countered
by the watery nature of Danu's Vedic cognate and the many European
rivers named for her.
Dian Cécht: 'Swiftness
of Power'. Physician of the gods, and patron of all medical and
Cerbaill (c.545-568 CE) Leader of the southern Uí Néill
and last pagan high king of Ireland. He was the last to celebrate
the feis Temrach. Legends surrounding his death say he was
tricked into breaking his geasa, then his house was set on
fire. In an attempt to escape the flames he jumped into a vat
of ale only to have a flaming roof beam land on his head. His
triple death by burning, drowning, and impact trauma is symbolically
significant and is found in the fateful/sacrificial deaths
of other kings as well. His druid was named Bec Mac Dé.
Dogma: Theological term.
In its original, non-negative meaning, dogma is a collection of clearly
defined beliefs resulting from the agreement between people over
well thought out and discussed theological issues. As muddled thinking
is no more appropriate to religion than it is to any other area
of life, dogma is a valuable expression of religion, with no pejorative
connotation in it technical use. Dogma is a category, not the content
of that category, and is not synonymous with 'prosthelatizing'
or 'closed minded' which describes the content of some dogmas but
not the content of others.
Donn: 'Dark One'. Donn
is the god of the dead, who hosts the deceased in his house, Tech
Duinn, between one life and the next. He also keeps the shades
of all who have gone before even after their spirits have left
to take up new forms. He also presides over the fertility of livestock
and the land. His name is cognate to the Continental god Donnotaurus,
which is perhaps a divine figure similar to the bull of Ulster,
Donn Cuailnge. Interestingly, the English name for Tech Duinn,
as represented by the small island located off the southwest tip
of Ireland, is not a translation of the Irish, but rather is called
Druid (1): 'Strong
The priestly caste of Iron Age Celtic culture, often compared to
the Roman Flamines and the Hindu Brahmin. Their primary role, from
which they derived their authority, was officiating at the sacrifice.
They were also the official diviners and culture bearers, and held
supreme authority in both judicial and legislative matters, as
well as education. It took nineteen years of adult training to
become a druid; in addition to magico-religious material, the curriculum
include astronomy, natural science, medicine, history, politics,
law, ethics, and philosophy.
Even though in a modern Irish cultural context, the
word druid simply means 'wizard' or 'magician', when used, untranslated,
in a modern English cultural context it implies the ancient meaning
of the word 'druid'. For this reason, most conservative modern
traditions do not refer to themselves as druids, as it is a position
which requires a specific social context and social recognition
which no longer exists. To describe a druid in modern terms, he
or she would need to be publicly and officially acknowledged as
a lawyer, medical doctor, Ph.D. theologian, and priest, possessing
a vast repertoire of memorized historical and religious verse,
and wielding strong diplomatic and political influence in both
religious and secular milieus.
Druid (2): Modern
druidry arose out of Masonry in English speaking parts of Britain.
Originally, it was Celtic-inspired in name only, owing much to
Neo-Classical, Biblical, Masonic, and Theosophical sources. In
the later half of the twentieth century this druidry was deeply
impacted by the rise of nature spirituality, the re-emergence of
Ceremonial magick, and the new religion of Wicca, which continues
to have a huge influence on druidry.
While some modern druid organizations are beginning
to take a more Celtic Reconstructionist stance,
many others are only marginally inspired by Celtic culture; thus
there is currently a great diversity of traditions using the name
druid: there are Indo-European inspired druids, Vedic inspired
druids, Norse druids, and furthest afield 'Shinto druids', as well
as many more druids who reject any cultural context whatsoever. Many
people have taken up the 'druid' label, under the impression that
'nature worship' and veneration of trees are the only requirement
to consider oneself a druid. This last group draws heavily on both
New Age and Faery Faith material.
Of course, these various paths are much different than those defined
by the original meaning for the word 'druid' and many other streams
of Celtic and Celtic-inspired spirituality often strongly contest
their usage of the word. Druidry and ADF
Dúile: 'element, a thing
created'. Throughout the Indo-European world, creation is depicted
as an act of sacrifice, wherein a being is disassembled and the
world made from its parts.
The Irish creation myth is lost, but this story is well reflect
in the Norse and Hindu creation myths. Conversely we do have some
Christo-Celtic material that depicts the creation of humanity in
a way which reverses the initial sacrifice, i.e. Various parts
of the world are brought together to make 'Adam'. For example,
just as the sea was formed from the blood of some primordial sacrifice,
our blood is made from the sea; emphasizing that we are a reflection
of the universe, the universe is a reflection of us, and both humanity
and the world has been made in the image of the Divine. See Cloch
(Stone), Gaeth (Wind), Gealach
(Moon), Grian (Sun), Muir
(Sea), Neamh (Heavens/Sky), Nel
(Cloud), Talamh (Earth), Uaine
Ériu: 'Noble/High One'.
A daughter of the Dagda, this goddess
is Sovereignty, and a personification of Ireland itself. It is
from her name that Éire, 'Ireland' is derived. She is most likely
a sun goddess, a fact made most evident from her epithet Ériu Ain.
She is also given celestial connotations because her sisters Fotla
and Banba, 'Under-Earth' and 'White Inundation' respectively,
have obvious terrestrial and oceanic significances. Thus the realms
of Sky and Land and Sea are represented in the patron goddess Ireland.
Ethniu: 'Seed'. Daughter
of Balor, a King of the Fomoir, she is the mother of Lugh by
Cian 'Enduring', son of Dian Cécht.
She was locked away in a tower of glass, whose base is supposedly
on Tory Island (north of Ireland) and whose pinicle is the North
Star. Concurrently, or alternatively, Ethniu is the north star,
while her nine hundred handmaidens are, or are represented by,
the circum-polar stars. She seems to be the celestial aspect of
the goddess Bóann . For some traditions,
she represents the silence and stillness from which all else extends
and around which all else revolves.
Eventide: The spring
equinox, celebrated around March 21st. Most
of its spring festivities were gathered up by Lady Day, celebrated
on March 25th, or by Easter. The
'Lady' in Lady Day is the Virgin Mary and celebrates the conception
of Christ, nine months before Christmas. However there are also
folk ways which call it the Cailleach's
birthday, and is the day each year when she regains her youth.
loose collection of beliefs inspired by, but not emergent from,
Celtic and English folkways concerning the sídhe, fairies, and
spirits of nature, and ghosts. It was seems to have emerged out
of Spiritualism in England during the Victorian and Edwardian periods,
and bears many traces of theosophy. For the most part its adherents
are Christian, or at lease nominally so, and the faery faith itself
seems to be more about a spiritual approach to nature than a religion
Fand: 'Charming, Graceful'
or possibly 'Tears'.
Daughter of Flidais and wife of Manannán;
in the paradise of Tír na nOg, she fulfills similar functions to Bóann.
In our world she is goddess of love, and also of the pain associated
with love and loss. Her name is cognate to that of the Roman goddess
Venus, and the Norse divine tribe Vanir, both of whom had fertility
as primary aspect of their influence.
Fintan: 'White Ancient
One'. This patron of poetry and history is portrayed as the oldest
being in the world, having existed in many forms. He joined the
Tuatha De by marrying Eblinn, Lugh's sister, and is eventually
depicted as converting to Christianity.
Intimately linked with divine feminine generative force and the
power of fate, Sovereignty is always embodied by a goddess. The
power of Sovereignty is associated with Áine, Ériu, Brighid,
the Cailleach, Meadhbh Temrach
(i.e. Tara), and of course Morrigan.
In other regions of the Celtic world, goddesses
like Rigantona, Brigantia, Rosmerta, and Epona uphold this function.
Throughout the Indo-European world, horse symbolism and chalice
symbolism are usually related to Sovereignty, and Meadhbh's name
finds a cognate in the Hindu, Madhavi, a princess, who was sequentially,
the consort of several kings.
Fírinne flatha, 'truth of a sovereign' is the truth
and other ritual actions by which a king maintains right relationship
with the sovereignty goddess.
Flidais: 'Wild One'
or perhaps 'Wild Deer'. Goddess of the wilderness and wild beasts,
Flidais is generally not well disposed to human society. Some texts
say Adammair 'Stag' is her mate, while other texts say her mate
is Net, the hunter aspect of Nuada.
Her daughters are Bé Chuille, 'Sorrowful Woman', and Bé Téite,
'Wanton Woman' and Dianan (an obvious late borrowing from the Latin
Diana). Her other daughter, Fand, has
a more sociable demeanor. Flidais is originally associated with
the Co. Mayo region.
'Nether-demons', later assumed to mean 'Under-sea'. Just as the
Jutons are the adversaries of the Norse Aesir, and the Asura are
the adversaries of the Hindu Devas, the Fomoir are the adversaries
of the Tuatha De Danann.
They are the Fir Domnann, tracing their lineage to the goddess
Domnu, 'the Abyss'. The Fomoir represent darkness, chaos, destruction,
and a more primordial state of being. Not all of them are 'evil'
or 'monstrous', and some have intermarried with the Tuath De. Most
notable among the more noble beings in the Fomoirian lineage are Ethniu,
mother of Lugh, and Elathan,
who scolded his half-fomorian son (by Ériu)
Bres for reigning in a very un-kingly manner over the Tuatha De
when he had the chance. Most Fomoir resemble giants and ogres and
nursery 'boogey', and act in much the same manner.
One of the dúile, wind is
the breath of the world, and our breath is made from it. In one's
character, wind is associated with vigour and creativity, but also
potentially with volatility, capriciousness, and fickleness.
One of the dúile, the moon which moves
the tide is the heart of the world, and our heart which moves our
blood is made from it. In one's character, moon is associated with
grace, amiability, and emotional awareness, and potentially with
inconstancy, dramatics, and hyper-sensitivity.
Blacksmith of the gods, Goibniu also brews the beer of invulnerability,
and is sometimes credited with hosting the feast of immortality
for the Tuatha De. He is invoked in smith work, for health, and
for protection against metal weapons. His brothers are Luchtaine,
the wright and carpenter, and Credne, the bronze and gold smith.
His name is cognate to the Welsh smith god, Gofannon,
and the Christian Irish St Gobnet, as well as the Irish folk hero
Grian (Sun): One
of the dúile, the sun is the face of
the world, and our face is made from it. In one's character, sun
is associated with beauty, liveliness and honour, but also potentially
with arrogance and combativeness.
on the Autumn Equinox, which usually falls around the September
21st, and is celebrated with the
various harvest home rites and games. The last sheaf, becomes 'the
Cailleach' which is taken in until
the next spring's plowing. Much of this days symbolism is movable
to correspond with the activities of the harvests or placed on
September 29th, Michaelmas.
Imbas: 'Divine Inspiration'
A special talent for prophetic knowledge and clairsentience which
is accrued through special training and ritual activity. This special
ecstatic illumination is often compared to similar phenomena in
shamanic cultures. Not to be confused with regular inspiration.
Imbolc: 'To purify
oneself'. Celebrated on February 1st,
this holiday was associated with the lactation of the ewes and
the coming birth of new lambs, this day celebrates the newly emerging
generative power of the goddess. The goddess Brighid presides
over this holiday and is honoured as the bringer of light into
the darkness and fire into the cold, thus midwifing the changes
which are occurring at this time of year. This day received Christian
sanctification when they made it St.
Brighid's Day. In popular pagan thought, Imbolc is often
confused with Candlemas, a Christian celebration for the purification
of Mary, celebrated on February 2nd.
term. That which embodies the whole of all possible existence and
knowledge, the entire universe or created being; the Divine as
totality of created existence. In a Celtic pagan context Bíle may
be seen as an Immanent diety, while in the Christian trinity, the
Holy Spirit represents the Immanent. See also Local, Locative,
Local Classes (all 6 languages):
On-line lessons for Goidelic (q-Celtic)
On-line lessons for Brythonic (p-Celtic)
Local: Theological term.
That which has existence within the Immanent. Any being which is
not Immanent or Transcendent is Local, in that their are places
where the being is not present. Humans, plants, animals, most
deities and all things with perceived individual existence are
Local. For example a god of fire is present only where there is
fire, or in presence of his worshipers, or where he chooses to
manifest himself in some way; he is not simply everywhere, but
present somewhere (or multiple somewheres) and absent from places
where he is not present ;).
In a Celtic pagan context most of the gods are local, while in
the Christian trinity, Christ is a local deity. See also Immanent, Locative,
and Transcendent. Local is often
used to mean Locative, but as described above, Local has a more
abstract and wider reaching definition.
term. That which exists in a particular geographic space. The spirit
of a particular stream, mountain, or town, or genius loci, is a
locative spirit. See also Immanent, Local,
Lugh: ‘Oath’ (with
a punning relationship to 'Lightning'). This god is born to Ethniu in
her tower of glass, then fostered by Manannán and Tailtiu before
arriving at the royal seat of Tara to lead the Tuatha De to victory
in the Second Battle of Mag Tuired, where he defeats his grandfather,
Balor of the Baleful Eye.
His epithets include: MacEthlenn, 'Son of Ethniu';
Maicnia, 'Young Warrior'; Samildanach, 'Equally Skilled in All
Arts'; Lamhfada, 'of the Long Hand'; Lonnbeimnech, 'Fierce striker';
Lethsuanach, 'Half-Cloaked'; and Scal, 'Phantom/Apparition'.
Lugh represents the union of opposites and the
victory of law over dissolution and chaos. He presides over communication,
commerce, mercantile endeavours (buying, selling, trading, travelling,
and moving persons or resources across 'borders'), oaths, and social
contracts. Furthermore he is a god of the harvest, protection,
healing, victory, success, skill in any endeavour, shoes, journeys,
doorways, borders, games, especially Fidchell/Chess, ball sports,
especially hurling, and by historical extension, hockey, and horse
He is also strongly associated with Sovereignty. Lugh is a 'friendly'
god, a fact attested to by his pan-Celtic appeal; he was worshipped
throughout the Celtic world and was popular among all classes of
people from kings to shoemakers to farmers. The fact that he is
often depicted in triplicate, or simply described by the plural
form of his name, would also indicate he can be many places at
once, or assist in multiple endeavours. Thus this god is intimately
entwined with many aspects of public and private life.
His name is cognate to the Welsh Llew, and the
Continental Lugus, as well as the Spanish Lugo or Lugoues (plural).
The Romans interpreted him as Mercury, and his is probably the
model from which the Germanic Odin/Wodan developed in the 1st century
BCE. The Church re-sanctified many of his sites in France and the
British Isles by attributing them to St Michael, another defender
against the powers of Chaos. New Tara Lugh Shrine, Cró
'The gathering of Lugh',
Celebrated on August 1st, this holiday
coincides with the weaning of the lambs born at Imbolc,
and the shearing of the sheep. It is also the time of first harvest.
This day celebrates the protective power of the god Lugh,
who presides over this holiday and is honoured as guardian of the
wild and cultivated crops. Lughnasadh was celebrated with market
fairs and games, offerings to the god on hill tops, and horse races
through water. Just as Brighid tempers
the winter elements at Imbolc, Lugh tempers
the heat of summer at this, the hottest time of the year. Thunderstorms
on this day are considered a good omen. Like Bealtaine and Samhain,
Lughnasadh is traditionally celebrated with bonfires.
Lughnasadh is also associated with the Fir Bolg
queen and goddess, Tailtiu, 'Great
Land', and the foster-mother of Lugh.
To honour both her and her accomplishments, Lugh instituted
a fair at Teltown.
He also instituted fairs for Carman, Naas, and
several other goddeses.
'Little One of (the Isle of) Man' 'Son of the Sea'. The best magician
of the Tuatha De, Manannán is the husband of Fand,
and the father of Áine. He is also
the foster-father and primary instructor of Lugh.
He is the ruler of Tir na nOg, the 'Land of the Young' and home
of the blessed dead. He has power over the sea, borders, divisions,
and liminal spaces. Manannán's cloak divides the seen from the
unseen. He presides over navigation and all careers associated
with the ocean, the marketplace, or movement across borders.
The Manx call him Manann Beg Mac y Lheir 'Little
Son of the Sea' and Manann Mac Bar 'Son of the Crest', while the
Welsh call him Manawydan fab Llyr. It has also been conjectured
by some that the name is cognate to the Norse Manu and the Hindu
Manu, but that is quite uncertain.
One of the four Christian Arch-angels, he is often depicted slaying
a dragon or defeating a devil. Michael's churches are often found
on capes, headlands, hilltops, or special wells, usually with some
associated legend of that being the place where Michael saved the
community from a giant or some other Fomoir-like monster.
Many of the high places dedicated to him on the Continent were
formerly dedicated to Mercury in Romano-Celtic times. St. Michael
is the obvious Christian syncretization of the god Lugh,
though some of the Scottish sea-prayers to him seem to suggest Manannán.
His feast day is September 29th,
Mider: 'the Judge or
mediator'. A son of Dagda, patron
of the legal and other arbitrating professions. A main character
in 'The Wooing of Etain'.
on the summer solstice, which occurs around the June 21st,
most of this days symbolism has been moved to June 25th,
St John's Day. Regardless of the timing , Mid-summer is a traditional
bonfire night, and festivities are often accompanied with offerings
to St John, Manannán , or Áine,
depending on local tradition.
on the Winter solstice, which occurs around December 21st,
most of this days symbolism has been moved to December 25th,
Christmas. The primary themes are usually the powers of darkness
abroad in the world, a goddess representing generative force held
in seclusion, and the birth of a Child of Promise, like Christ
or Lugh or the Maponos.
Queen' or 'Queen of Spirits'. Primary Sovereignty (Flaitheas)
goddess of the Tuatha De, she also presides over Fate, prophecy,
death-omens, battle, battle-fury, kingship, magic and fertility.
In later literature her fertility aspect was overshadowed by her
more warlike pursuits. She is often triplified with Macha, 'Enclosure',
and Babddh, 'Raven'. This second aspect is herself triplified as
Babhdh, 'Raven'; Fea, 'Panic'; and Nemain, 'Frenzy/Fury'. These
however represent her most terrifying aspects. As Sovereignty,
Morrigan is an upholder of divine and social order. She is depicted
as the wife of Nuada, while her more
violent aspects are considered the wives of Net, the most war-like
aspect of Nuada. Morrigan
also chooses to consort with Dagda before
the Second Battle of Mag Tuired.
Muir (Sea): One
of the dúile, sea is the blood of the
world, and our blood is made from it. In one's character, sea is
associated with depth and wisdom but also potentially with changability
One of the dúile, the round dome of
the sky is the skull of the world, and our head is made from it.
In one's character, sky is associated with leadership qualities,
generousness and expansiveness, and a practical intelligence, but
also potentially with excessive ambition for power and lack of
consideration for others.
Nel (Cloud): One
of the dúile, the billowy and electrical
clouds in the sky are the brains of the world, and our brain is
made from them. In one's character, cloud is associated with intelligence,
but also with light or foolish behaviour, and potentially with
volatility and wrathfulness.
take hold / acquire’ (with a punning relationship to 'Cloud
Maker' and to ‘nod / agree’). Nuada is the god of weather,
and High King of the gods. When the Tuatha De arrived in Ireland,
he lost his hand in a battle against the Fir Bolg, and had a silver
hand constructed for him by Dian
Cécht. His blemish made him ineligible for the kinship,
and Bres, 'the Beautiful', took his place. This began a period
of oppression for the gods, until Miach, Dian
Cécht's son, restored Nuada's hand, precipitating
the Second Battle of Mag Tuired. With the help of LughLugh,
the battle was won and the Fomoir driven out.
Before his career as king, Nuada was a champion
and bore the name Finn Fal, 'White One of Fal', and when he was
a prophet he bore the name Irél Fáith. With the name Nuada he also
bears the epithets, Argetlámh 'of the Silver Hand', Daglamh 'of
the Good Hand', and Fullon 'the Beautiful'
As Nuada Necht 'clean, pure' (or 'of snow'?) he
is in charge of rain and snow. As Nechtan, 'child of the waters',
he is called the husband of Bóann,
and presides over rivers and the sea, while in the aspect of Net,
'catcher' he presides over forests, hunting and fishing. Thus the
names Nuada, Nechtan, and Net represent the celestial, oceanic,
and terrestrial aspects of this god as sovereign over Sky, and
Sea and Land.
His name is cognate to the Welsh Nudd or Lludd
Lawereint, the British Nodons (whom the Romans equated with Mars,
Neptune, and Silvanus), and the Romano-Celtic Mars Noadatus. The
name Nechtan is cognate to the Roman Neptune and the Hindu Apam
Nuada, with his various names, presides over clouds,
weather, forest, springs, rivers, the sea, r ulership, politics,
justice, war, hunting/fishing, healing, prophecy, and abundance.
Ogam: A cipher, usually
written on grave stones or border markers.
Oghma: 'Of cuts?' Oghma
is the god of strength and eloquence, and both Chief Bard and Champion
of the Tuatha De. He presides over all feats of strength, wrestling
and other forms of unarmed combat, eloquence, writing, rhetoric,
diplomacy and satire.
During the kingship of Bres, and the triumph of the Fomor, he was
forced to serve as a woodcutter and gatherer of firewood. His epithets
include Cermait, 'Honey-Tongues', Grianecht, 'Sunny-Face', and
Trenfher 'Strong Man'. Oghma's name is cognate to that of the
Continental god, Ogmios, who the Romans identified with Hercules.
Ortha: A 'prayer' or
a 'spell'. The fact that the same word can hold both these meaning depicts
the tight relationship between magic and religion, and the belief
in the efficacy of prayer.
Pantheism and Panentheism:
Theological terms. The Encyclopaedia Britannica states, “ Both
'pantheism' and 'panentheism' are terms of recent origin, coined
to describe certain views of the relationship between God and the
world that are different from that of traditional Theism. As reflected
in the prefix "pan-" (Greek pas, "all"), both
of the terms stress the all-embracing inclusiveness of God, as
compared with his separateness as emphasized in many versions of
Theism. On the other hand, pantheism and panentheism, since they
stress the theme of Immanence—i.e., of the indwelling presence
of God—are themselves versions of Theism conceived in its broadest
meaning. Pantheism stresses the identity between God and the world,
panentheism (Greek en, "in") that the world is included
in God but that God is more than the world.
The adjective "pantheist" was introduced
by the Irish Deist John Toland in the book Socinianism Truly Stated
(1705). The noun "pantheism" was first used in 1709 by
one of Toland's opponents.
The term "panentheism" appeared much
later, [coined by Karl Krause] in 1828. Although the terms are
recent, they have been applied retrospectively to alternative views
of the divine being as found in the entire philosophical traditions
of both East and West.
One of the three patron saints of Ireland along with St.
Brighid, a contemporary, and St.
Colm Cille, St. Patrick, who lived in the 5th
century CE, was a run away slave who returned to Ireland as an
Evangelist and eventually established his see near Armagh. His
feast day is March 17th.
year’ (pl. Ráithí or Ráitheanna). This
word can mean a season or three month period, but also refers to
the festivals which divide the Celtic year. There are actually
two overlapping sets of ráithenna giving us eight ‘quarters’ in
all. Each ráithe is viewed primarily in relation to the
other ráithenna within its own set, rather than to the ráithenna
of the combined sets.
refers to Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine,
refers to either the Solstices and Equinoxes or the Christian holidays
of Christmas, Lady Day, Feast of St. John, and Michaelmas.
In English Neo-Pagan usage, the meaning of quarter-day
and cross-quarter day is usually reversed, reflecting a cultural
perspective inspired by worldviews from outside a Celtic context;
this would not be the case for traditions and denominations which
take their lead specifically from Celtic culture worldview.
word was first used in fourteenth century ‘witch trials’ by
the prosecution to refer to nocturnal gatherings honouring the
devil. The word does not actually originate with the (non-Satanic)
folk practitioners, or from others who could be considered ‘witches’,
but originates with the prosecutions fundamental belief in the
existence of devil-worship. This fundamental belief caused a perceptual
conflation of folk practice with Judaism, which was also being
persecuted at the time, an agglomeration later referred to as the
Satanic Sabbat Schema. Of course, the perceived relationships between
Judaism and European folk practices, as well as the assumptions
that either was diabolical, were not real, but rested solely in
the minds of the prosecution. The prosecution appropriated the
word from the Hebrew ‘Sabbath’, and then applied it
to every gathering they assumed to be diabolical.
With the writings of Margaret Murray in the early
twentieth century, ‘sabbat’ lost its sinister and diabolical
overtones, to become a nocturnal gathering of those practicing
supposed ancient pagan survivals who were willfully misunderstood
by earlier authorities. This was perfect for Gardner and the emerging
modern witchcraft movement. The word is now used by Wiccans to
designate their eight major holy days and has become increasing
positive over the last century. Individually, the Sabbats bear
names of Irish, German/Old English, and Christian origin, and are
often highly creative and variable in their content. The similarity
between the Wiccan Sabbats and the Irish Celtic Ráitheanna
(either Christian or Pagan), varies from non-existent to very similar
depending on the nature and focus of the tradition in question.
See also Ráithe.
End', November 1st. One of the four
major holidays in the Celtic year, it celebrates Celtic New Year,
the beginning of winter and the Feast of the Dead. Bonfires are
a traditional part of this time, as is feasting and divination.
This is the most liminal of times in the Celtic year, and the time
when the way between this world and the Otherworld is most easily
traversed. This holiday, which was often considered to be three
nights long, was re-sanctified by the Church as all-Hallow's Eve,
All Saint's Day, and All Souls Day.
Land’, The Irish cognate of the roman Telus. A Fir Bolg queen
and the foster-mother of Lugh. She
instituted agriculture and died clearing the land that would become
Co. Meath. Lugh instituted
funerary games at Teltown, held on Lughnasadh,
to honour both her and her accomplishments.
One of the dúile, earth is the flesh
of the world, and our flesh is made from it. In one's character
earth is associated with generosity, practicality, sensibility,
steadfastness, and often nurturing traits, but also potentially
with slothfulness, heaviness and languidity.
Theological term. That which is beyond the limits of all possible
existence and knowledge, surpassing the universe or created being.
The Divine as uncreated Source of all. In a Celtic pagan context
Danu may be seen as a Transcendent deity, while in the Christian
trinity, the Father in heaven represents the Transcendent. See
also Immanent, Local,
Tuatha De Danann:
'Tribe of the Goddess Danu'. The
tribe of the gods, which can be very loosely equated to the Norse
Aesir, Greek Olympians, or Hindu Devas. They trace their lineage
to the goddess Danu, 'the
Flowing One', and most represent light, law, creative or generative
force, and culture in harmony with the elements. There are both
nature gods and culture gods in their numbers. However, just as
not all Fomoir are 'bad',
not all of the Tuatha De are well disposed to humanity.
Uaine (Plant Life):
One of the dúile, plant life grows
from the earth as hair grows from the flesh, and our own hair is
made from it. In one's character this dúile is
associated with practical creativity, beauty, and nurturance, but
also potentially with 'martyr-like' behaviour, and a tendency to
alternating periods of sociability and withdrawal.