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Celtic Mythological Characters | 
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Topics herein: Celtic Mythological Characters (Alphabetically, BELOW grid)
Note 1: What we today call "Celtic" mythology is a combining of, (a transference of, a transfiguration of, transformation of, transition of, transmogrification of) numerous basic mythologies of numerous barbarian tribes. One of the earliest of those tribes has been, by differing ethnologists, called the Iberian, Berber, Silurian, Basque, or Euskarian race. (Take your pick!) This tribe spoke a "Hamitic" language. Another of those earliest tribes are popularly called the "Celts", who spoke an "Aryan" language. These "Celts" were made up of the Goidals (Gaels), Brythons (Britons, Bretons), Continental Gauls, Irish (or Irish Gaelic), Manx, and Scottish Gaelic. (I'm confused too!)
Note 2: Celtic words/names are a challenge to pronounce; here are a few examples:
| _Celtic Name_ | _Pronunciation_ | _Celtic Name_ | _Pronunciation_ |
| Annwvyn | an-NOO-vin | Cernunnos | KER-noo-nohss |
| Cian | KEE-an | Conchobar | CON-ah-khar |
| Cuchulainn | coo-HOOL-in | Gwenhwyvar | GWIN-hwee-var |
| Lludd | hlooth | Lugh | loo |
| Tuatha de Danu | TOO-tha day DAH-noo |
Welsh Language Pronunciation and/or Beginner's Guide: Irish Gaelic Pronunciation)
| Main Celtic Deities: (An introductory list) | |||||
| Celts: | |||||
| Dagda | Math | Magog | Dwyn | Ogma | Belinus |
| Esos | Teutates | Taranis | Mabon | Borvo | Epona |
| Beli | Govannon | Diancecht | Lludd | Gwydion | Amaethon |
| Lleu | Dylan | Ler | Llyr | Bran | Manannan |
| Dana | Morrigan | Brigit | Blathnat | Arianrod | Blodeuwedd |
| Creirwy | Keridwen | ||||
| Wales: | |||||
| Gwydion | Aranrhod | Dylan | Bendigeidfran | Branwen | Manawydan |
| Pwyll | Pryderi | Caridwen | Bran | Penarddun | Branwen |
| Manawydan | Nisien | Efnisien | Belatucadros | Dewi | Govannon |
| Gwynn ap Nudd | Lleu | Llyr | Math ap Mathonwy | Modron | Rhiannon |
| Ireland: | |||||
| Balor | Bres | Elatha | Eriu | Bile | Boann |
| Nechhtan | Oengus | Banbha | Fodla | Brigit | Cliodna |
| Creidhne | Goibhniu | Luchta | In Dagda | Danu | Donn |
| Dian Cecht | Lir | Lug | Morrigan | Macha | Nemhain |
| Nuada | Ogma | Cathbadh | Conall Cernach | Conchobar | Cu Chulainn |
| Cu Roi | Deirdre | Naoise | Fedelma | Ferghus | Finn |
| Grainne | Mac Da Tho | Medb | Oisin | Partholon | |
| Britain: | |||||
| Belatucadrus | Cocidius | Condatis | Tyne | Coventina | Cuda |
| Mogons | Nodens | Sulis | Vitiris | ||
| Gaul: | |||||
| Rosmerta | Nantosuelta | Sucellus | Abnoba | Andraste | Belenus |
| Borvo | Cernunnos | Damona | Epona | Esus | Nehalennia |
| Ogmios | Sirona | Taranis | Teutates | Lugus | |
| The Irish sagas: | |
| The Mythological Cycle: Deals with the pagan Celtic gods/supernatural beings. | |
| The Ulster Cycle: Deals with the exploits of the warrior caste of pre-Christian Ireland. | |
| The Historical Cycle: Deals with the activities of "historical" figures. | |
| The Fenian Cycle: Deals with the tales of Finn Mac Cumaill and his band of followers, the Fianna. | |
Celtic Mythological Characters (including Britain, Ireland, Gaul, Wales, Scotland)
Abarta
(Irish) "Doer of Deeds". Mischievous god of the Tuata de Danann.
Abnoba
(Gaul) Goddess of the hunt (similar to the Roman Diana)
Achall
In Irish legend, Achall was a loving sister who died of sorrow when her brother was killed in battle.
Achtan
The Irish heroine who bore Cormac, the king.
Achtland
In Celtic legend, this mortal queen could not be satisfied with human men, so she took a giant as her spouse.
Adsagsona
Celtic goddess of the underworld and of magic.
Aebh
Wife of Lêr.
Aed
Son of Lêr.
Aeifé (Aife)
Third wife of Lêr. She is the evil stepmother of Aedh, Conn, Fiachra, and Finnguala, who transforms them into talking swans when her anger overcomes her. Her deed is discovered; she is transformed into a vulture, and made to stay eternally in the winds.
Aeron
(Wales) God of war.
Æs Sídhe
Means "the folk of the mounds", the fairies.
Ailill
(Irish) Brother of Eochaidh, who was married to Etain former goddess wife to Midir who had been changed into a human because of her jealousy. Ailill was deeply in love with his brother's wife and slowly wasting away because it was unrequited. In order to save his life Etain promised to sleep with him, but this never came to fruition because Ailill fell into an enchanted sleep.
Ainé
1. Queen of the fairies. Other fairy queens were Aoibhinn, Cliodna, and Aynia.
2. Irish goddess of love and fertility. Daughter of Eogabail.
Airmed
A goddess of the Tuatha de Danaan of Ireland. She was the goddess of witchcraft and herb lore.
Alator
A war god worshipped in Britain.
Amaethon
(Britain) God of agriculture. Name means "laborer" or "ploughman".
Andraste
(Britain) Andraste is a warrior goddess, the goddess of victory.
Angus (Mac Oc)
Gaelic god of youth and god of love and beauty. He had a magical harp of gold whose music was so sweet that no one could hear and not follow it.
Annwn
(Britain) The otherworld, an idyllic land of peace and plenty. It was ruled by Arawn, owner of a pack of hounds (the "hounds of hell") that were believed to hunt at night for human souls.
Anu
One of the ancestor goddesses of Ireland. Some mythographers claim she is the same goddess as Aine, others say Danu.
Aoifa
(Irish) Warrior princess, sister of Scathach (teacher to Cuchulainn in the arts of war). Aoifa became Cuchulainn's lover and bore him a son, Conlai, who fate decreed would be killed by his father.
Aonghus
(Irish) Son of the god Dagda and the water goddess Boann. He was the Irish love god.
Ardwinna
A Celtic goddess of the forests.
Arianrhod
(Wales) The goddess of the moon. A magician goddess, who like Artemis lived in orgiastic maidenhood surrounded entirely by women, although it is also said she lived a wanton life, mating with mermen. She was the most powerful of the children of the mother goddess Don. Her palace is the Corona Borealis.
Arnamentia
(Britain) Goddess of spring water.
Artio
Celtic goddess of wildlife, who was usually depicted in the form of a bear.
Badb
(Ireland) One of the three war goddesses known collectively as the Morrigan. She was depicted in the form of a raven with a crimson (bloody) mouth.
Balor
(Ireland) One-eyed god of death. One of the Fomorii. His one eye destroyed whoever he looked upon and his eyelid was so huge and heavy it had to be held up by four servants.
Banba (Banbha)
Irish earth goddess, she was part of the triad that included Eriu and Folta (Fodla).
Bebhionn
An Irish underworld goddess and a patron of pleasure.
Bedwyr
(Wales) A one-handed warrior who later became known as Sir Bedivere of King Arthur's court.
Belatucadros
(Britain) God of war and of the destruction. His name means "fair shining one". The Romans equated him with their god Mars.
Belenus (Belenos): Bel or Beli to the Welsh; Bile to the Irish.
(Gaul) God of healing and light, and referred to as "The Shining One". He is in charge of the welfare of sheep and cattle. His wife is the goddess Belisama. They can be compared with Apollo and Minerva.
Beli Mawr
(Wales) Welsh ancestor deity.
Belisama
Goddess of light and fire, the forge and of crafts. She is the wife of the god Belenus.
Bheara
(Ireland/Scotland) [Also Cailleach Bheur {see Cailleach below} or Cally Berry] She controlled the weather. When a handsome young man was kind to her, she changed herself from an ugly old hag into a beautiful young woman and rewarded him with her favors. She is also considered to be the "White Lady" and the wife of Manannan the Sea God; you can see her in the sunlight sparkling on the water.
Bilé
Gaelic god of the underworld from whom sprang the first men, and considered by some to be the father of the gods.
Blathnat
Wife of King Cu Roi. She fell in love with Cuchulainn and betrayed her husband by showing Cuchulainn how to penetrate her husband's castle. In the ensuing battle Cuchulainn killed Cu Roi and abducted Blathnat and Cu Roi's bard, Fer Cherdne. When they stopped for the night on a cliff top, Fer Cherdne revenged his king by grabbing Blathnat and jumping off the cliff to their deaths.
Blodeuedd
Her name means "born of flowers". She was conjured up from the blossoms of broom, meadowsweet, and oak by Math and Gwydion to be Lleu's wife (his mother, Arianrhod, had decreed that he should marry no mortal woman). When she proved an unfaithful wife she was turned into an owl by Gwydion.
Boann
(Irish) Boann is the goddess of rivers and fertility. She was the mother of Aonghus, the god of love.
Bobd the Red
A son of Dagda and king of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
Boibhniu
Celtic god of smiths.
Bors
A king of Gaul.
Borvo
(Gaul) God of healing.
Brân
(Britain) Called Bendigeidfran by the Welsh. God of the underworld. Brother of Branwen.
Branwen
Welsh love goddess.
Bres
(Gaelic) God of fertility and agriculture; one of the first kings of the Tuatha De Danaan.
Bride
Scotland's version of the Celtic Irish Brigid.
Brigandu
Celtic France version of the Celtic Irish Brigid.
Brigantia
Celtic Briton version of the Celtic Irish Brigid.
Brighid (Brigit)
(Gaelic) Brighid was the goddess of fertility, therapy, metalworking, and poetic inspiration. She is the wife of Bres. She is known as Caridwen (Cerridwen) in Wales. There are three sisters by the name of Brigit in Irish myth (daughters of In Dagda) who are the patron-goddesses of learning (poetry), healing and smithcraft.
Bronach
An Irish goddess of cliffs.
Caer
An Irish swan maiden with whom Ængus (god of poetry) fell in love. He became a swan also.
Cailleach
An ancient goddess of the pre-Celtic peoples of Ireland. She controlled the seasons and the weather; she was the goddess of earth and sky, moon and sun.
Cailte
(Irish) Fenian warrior/poet, credited with killing Lir, the sea god, in battle.
Cairbré
A son of Cormac.
Cairpré
A bard of the Tuatha Dé Danann and a son of Ogma.
Calatin
(Irish) Deformed druid sorcerer, who with his sons battled Cuchulainn. Calatin and his sons were missing their left hands and right feet, but with their poisoned spears narrowly missed defeating Cuchulainn.
Camulus
(Celtic Gaul) God of the sky and of war. He wielded an invincible sword.
Canola
(Irish) According to the myth she was the inventor of the Irish harp. She had a disagreement with a lover, and so she left his bed to wander the night. Hearing beautiful music, she stopped and sat down; soon she fell asleep in the open air. Wakening to daylight, Canola discovered the music had been made by the wind, blowing through the rotted sinews clinging to the skeleton of a whale. Inspired by the sight and remembering its magical sound, she built the first harp.
Caradawc
Caradawc of the Strong Arms was a son of Brân.
Carlin
(Scotland) She was the spirit of the eve of Samhain (Halloween), the night the year turned to winter, and the ghosts of the dead roamed the world of the living.
Carman
(Irish) A destructive witch, she was the goddess of evil magic. She had three equally destructive sons: Dub ("darkness"), Dother ("evil"), and Dian ("violence"). The Tuatha de Danaan, the deities ruled by the goddess Danu, fought against Carman with their most powerful weapons. Finally the sorceress Bechuille, was able to undo Carman's curses. Her sons were destroyed and Carman put in chains, where she died of grief.
Cartimandua
(Britain) A legendary warrior queen who waged war against the Roman Empire, she was the leader of the Brigantes, descendants of the goddess Brigantia.
Cathbad
(Irish) Druid seer. Prophesied that the beautiful Deirdre would bring destruction to Ulster, and that Cuchulainn would have a short life. He had three daughters; Dechtire (the mother of Cuchulainn), Elbha (the mother of Naoise), and Findchaem (the mother of Conall Cearnach).
Cathubodva
Gaulish war goddess.
Ceibhfhionn
(Ireland) Goddess of inspiration.
Cenn Cruaich
(Gaelic) The heaven-god (akin to Zeus).
Cernunnos
(Gaul) Cernunnos was the god of the underworld and of animals. The horned (reindeer horns) god of virility, he is accompanied by a ram-headed serpent and a stag. He was often depicted holding a bag of money, possibly signifying he was considered a god of fertility also.
Cerridwen
(Wales) Cerridwen is the goddess of dark prophetic powers. She is the keeper of the cauldron of the underworld, in which inspiration and divine knowledge are brewed.
Cessair
(Irish) A great magician, she became the first queen of Ireland. She and her band of female followers inhabited the land after the Great Flood.
Cethé
Son of Diancecht.
Cethlenn
Wife to Balor.
Cethlion
(Irish) Prophetess of the Formorians who warned of their impending doom at the hands of the Tuatha de Danaan.
Cian
A son of Diancecht.
Cliodna
(Gaelic) Goddess of beauty and the otherworld.
Clûd
Goddess of the river Clyde.
Cocidius
(Britain) God associated sometimes with forests and hunting (linked with the Roman god Silvanus), sometimes with war (equated with Mars).
Conairé
Conairé the Great; high king of Ireland.
Conall Cernach
(Irish) Powerful warrior; his name means "strong and victorious".
Conchobar
Conchobar's intended bride, Deidre, eloped with Noisi. Conchobar killed Noisi and his brothers and Deidre died of sorrow.
Condatis
(Britain) God who personified the waters, sometimes considered a war god.
Conlai (Connla)
Son of Cuchulainn and the warrior princess Aoifa. He was left with his mother when Cuchulainn returned home. Many years later he was killed by his father, who didn't recognize him after all that time, when he, Conlai, challenged the local heroes to combat.
Coranians
A mythical tribe of dwarfs.
Corb
An Iberian god.
Cormac
Known as "the Magnificent". Descendant of Conn "the Hundred Fighter". His reputation was akin to that of Solomon.
Corra
(Scotland) Goddess of prophecy.
Coventina
(Britain) Goddess who personified a holy spring that had healing powers.
Creidhne
Creidhne was the god of metal working. One of the trio of craft-gods of the Tuatha De Danaan, as were Goibhniu and Luchta.
Cu Chulainn
A hero akin to Heracles or Theseus, born with the strength of a man and a burning rage to conquer all in his path. His famous exploits are described in Táin Bó Cuailgne [The Cattle Raid of Cuailgne (or Cooley)].
Cuchulainn's mother was Dechtire, the daughter of the druid Cathbad. The sun god Lugh impregnated Dechtire who bore him a son, Setanta. One day, arriving at the gate of the house of the Culann, he was attacked by the ferocious guard dog and only saved himself by dashing out its brains on one of the gate's pillars. Culann had now lost a faithful guardian, so Setanta offered to take the hound's place until a replacement was found. When Culann declined his offer, it was decided that henceforth Setanta would be known as Cuchulainn ("the Hound of Culann").
Even though Cathbad warned that anyone going to battle for the first time on a certain day was destined for a short life, Cuchulainn could not wait to deal with Ulster's enemies and he soon took up arms against three warriors named Foill, Fannell and Tuachell, as well as their followers, all of whom he killed.
He fell in love with Emer, the daughter of Fogall. Cuchulainn asked for Emer's hand but Fogall, who was against the marriage, said that Cuchulainn had yet to establish his reputation as a warrior and suggested that he should go and learn from the Scottish champion Domhall, who told Cuchulainn that his best trainer-in-arms would be Scathach, a warrior-princess in the Land of Shadows. So he travelled there and served Scathach. She taught him his famous battle leap. Scathach warned him, without success, not to challenge her sister Aoifa. But Cuchulainn did, and bested Aoifa by cunning. Afterwards she became his mistress, conceiving Conlai.
Cuchulainn finally returned to Fogall's castle and claimed Emer, but only after a heated battle with Fogall and his warriors, during which Fogall leapt to his death escaping the hero.
His last campaign, was a single-handed defense of Ulster against the invading army of Queen Medb. The main reason for this cattle raid was a famous brown bull which was kept in Cuailgne. He conducted a successful single-handed defense for a while but was eventually overcome in spite of aid from his divine father, Lugh. Cuchulainn suffered a terrible stomach wound that even Lugh could not heal. Finally, Cuchulainn tied himself to an upright stone in order to fight till his last breath.
Cuda
(Britain) Mother goddess.
Cu Roi
(Irish) A sorcerer who transforms himself into various guises.
Dagda (Cian)
The god who was the supreme head of the People of Dana. (The equivalent of Cronus.) Dagda possesses a bottomless cauldron of plenty and rules the seasons with the music of his oaken harp. With his mighty club Dagda can slay nine men with a single blow, and with its small end he can bring them back to life. He was father to Brigit, Angus, Mider, Ogma, and Bobd the Red.
Dairé of Cualgne
Owner of the Brown Bull.
Damona
(Gaul) Goddess of cattle and of fertility and healing; her name means "divine cow".
Dana (Danu)
The goddess from whom Tuatha Dé Danann (The People of Dana) were descended. She was the daughter of the god Dagda (the Good), and had three sons, who had only one son between them, Ecne (Knowledge). She was another of the three war goddesses known collectively as the Morrigan.
Dechtere (Dechtiré)
(Irish) The mother of Cuchulain. There are a number of versions of his birth, of which two follow: one, Dechtere accidentally swallowed a mayfly while drinking a cup of wine, became pregnant from this event, and bore Cuchulain; two, She was impregnated by the god Lugh with his own soul, and vomited him into life as Cuchulain, thereby remaining a virgin.
Deidre
Deidre was the beautiful intended bride of Conchobar. She ran off with Noísi (Naoise), and died of sorrow when Conchobar killed him and his brothers.
Derbforgaille
Daughter of the king of Lochlann left as a tribute to the Fomorii and rescued by Cuchulainn. She fell in love with him, and decided to follow him. To do this she turned herself into a swan. The hungry Cuchulainn spotted the swan and shot it down with his slingshot. She returned to human form and Cuchulainn sucked out the stone so she would heal. But now they were linked by blood and forbidden to marry.
Dewi
(Wales) The Red Dragon god. The emblem of Wales.
Dia Griene
(Scotland) The daughter of the sun in ancient Scotland. She appears in a folktale in which, held captive in the Land of the Big Women, she is freed by the Cailleach, disguised as a fox, and a helpful young bumbler named Brian.
Diancecht
(Irish) Diancecht is the god of healing. He killed the giant serpent that was destroying cattle throughout the land. He also killed his own son whose skill in healing endangered his father's reputation. He is the one who fashioned a fully functional arm of silver for Nuada.
Dil
(Ireland) Goddess of cattle.
Domnu
Mother goddess of the Fomors.
Dön
(There are two differing versions of Celtic Mythology with one of them probably based on the Welsh people's tales.)
1. Don, the mother goddess; the Welsh equivalent of the Irish Danu (Dana). She was wife to Beli, god of death. They had many children, including Amaethon, Arianrhod, Gilvaethwy, Govannon, Gwydion, and Nudd.
2. According to the predominant story, Dön was the leader of one of the two warring families of gods. His children were the powers of light, the other family's children were the powers of darkness.
Donn
(Ireland) God of the dead. His name means "the dark one".
Druantia
Goddess of fir trees.
Dubh
An Irish druidess. Her husband Enna became involved with another woman. She drowned that woman. Her husband drowned her. Where he drowned her became known as Dubhlinn (Dubh's pool); now known as Dublin.
Dylan
(Wales) A sea god, son of Arianrhod and Gwydion. Upon his birth he dove into the sea and immediately could swim as well as any fish. He was later killed by his uncle Govannon.
Eadon
(Ireland) Goddess of poetry.
Elathan
A king of the Fomors.
Elen
(Wales) In the Mabinogian, the Welsh mythic epic, this heroine appears as the world's first highway engineer. When her land was threatened, she magically built highways across the country so that her soldiers could gather and defend it.
Ellylion
The Welsh elves.
Emer
(Irish) An exceptionally beautiful, and intelligent, woman who knew it! Before she would allow the hero Cuchulain to sleep with her she demanded a number of heroic tasks be successfully completed, reasoning that her superior endowments warranted it.
Epona
The horse goddess. Usually portrayed as riding a mare, sometimes with a foal.
Erc
A king of the Fir Bolgs at Tara.
Eremon
First king of Ireland.
Eri
(Irish) The mother of Bres.
Eriu
(Irish) The goddess for whom Ireland is named. In Gaelic Ireland is rendered as Erin, which means the "land of Eriu".
Esus
(Gaul) God equated with either Roman deity Mars or Mercury. Human sacrifices to Esus were hanged and skewered with a sword. Esus is usually pictured as a woodcutter. His sacred animal was the bull.
Etain
(Irish) An early sun goddess of ancient Ireland and wife to Mider.
Etan
Wife of Ogma.
Ethne
(Irish) An ancient Irish goddess that subsisted on the milk from a sacred cow from India.
Ethniu
Daughter of Balor.
Continued alphabetically on page 2.
The Arthurian Saga Origins: It is generally accepted that the main characters in the King Arthur legends were based upon older Celtic mythological (?) characters. The following shows the possible kinship.
| Original Celtic Character | King Arthur Derivative (See King Arthur) | |
|---|---|---|
| Artaius (A Celtic god) | Arthur (King of Britain) | |
| Gwenhwyvar (wife of Artaius) | Guinevere | |
| Peredur | Percival | |
| Myrddin (a Celtic bard) | Merlin | |
| Gwalchmai (nephew of Artaius) | Gawain | |
| Medrawt (nephew of Artaius) | Mordred | |
| Gwalchaved (nephew of Artaius) | Galahad | |
| Kai: could go nine days under water, could make himself as tall as a tree. |
Kay |
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