#ceridwen rivers

[kingsmakers]

Demelza Dayne in Gardens of Misery

PART IV

The Dance of the Dragons has begun, and as Lady of Casterly Rock, Demelza's voice is a pivotal one. With envoys sent from both Rhaenyra and Alicent, she faces a predicament: choose between the women she has known since they were girls. An impossible choice, with impossible odds. Yet Demelza's daughters, the Dornish Diamonds, have always had wills of their own. A fateful choice ends in tragedy, and so Demelza feels the sting of grieving a child as she is forced to bury one of her beloved daughters. More than grief, she feels rage. As Demelza's fury threatens to turn the tide, her surviving daughters are left reeling. Elyana Sand, a prisoner within the walls of King's Landing, forced to play the game with her increasingly dangerous lover, Aemond Targaryen. Ceridwen Rivers, travelling to Dragonstone and kneeling before Grey Ghost to earn the mantle of the Red Rider. If there is a power stronger than a mother's love, it is a mother's grief...as Rhaenyra knows, as Demelza finds out, as Alicent will soon learn.

Tag list: @juliaswickcrs @thatmagickjuju @starcrossedjedis @darkwolf76 @akabluekat @drbobbimorse @mystic-scripture @iron-parkr @asirensrage @rhaenyraslaena @arrthurpendragon @hiddenqveendom @far-shores @emilykaldwen @themaradwrites

[evermore-grimoire]

The Evermore Grimoire: Celtic Mythology

Ceridwen was the goddess of rebirth, transformation and inspiration in Celtic Mythology. She was also a powerful Welsh sorceress who had a great cauldron (The Awen) of poetic inspiration, which was one of her main symbols, that she used to create potions, including the ability to imbue wisdom, beauty, and prophecy. In one story a potion mixture had to be boiled for a year and a day. She set Morda, a blind man, to tend the fire beneath the cauldron, while Gwion Bach, a young boy, stirred the concoction. The first three drops of liquid from this potion gave wisdom; the rest was a fatal poison. Three hot drops spilled onto Gwion's thumb as he stirred, burning him. He instinctively put his thumb in his mouth, and gained the wisdom and knowledge Ceridwen had intended for her son. Realising that Ceridwen would be angry, Gwion fled. She chased him. Using the powers of the potion he transformed into a hare. She became a greyhound. He became a fish and jumped into a river. She transformed into an otter. He turned into a bird; she became a hawk. Finally, he turned into a single grain of corn. Ceridwen then became a hen and being a goddess (or enchantress, depending on the version of the tale), she found and ate him without trouble. But because of the potion he was not destroyed. When Ceridwen became pregnant, she knew it was Gwion and resolved to kill the child when he was born. However, when he was born, he was so beautiful that she could not do it. So Ceridwen threw him in the ocean instead, sewing him inside a leather-skin bag. The child did not die, but was rescued on a Welsh shore (near Aberdyfi) by a prince named Elffin ap Gwyddno; the reborn infant grew to become the legendary bard Taliesin.

artwork by Irenhorrors gif by kitchen ghosts

[florence-end]

Hi there! Can i request a cassian x fem reader where reader is insecure about her looks and compares herself to all the women around her like Mor, Feyre and Nesta, and cassian comforts her? ❤️

Absolutely!! I love soft Cassian, he’s such a sweetie.

The streets were already busy with Friday night revellers making their way between bars and restaurants, and spilling out of clubs to get some fresh air. You were supposed to meet your friends hours ago but had got held up at work, meaning you had to race straight here. Luckily you had a change of clothes in your office but you hadn’t had time to refresh your hair and makeup before you left.

The bouncer on the door at Rita’s of course recognised you immediately as Cassian’s mate and let you in without a fuss. You made your way to the back of the club to the booth that the inner circle preferred to occupy on nights like these, but found it empty save for a few jackets and empty glasses.

Perusing the crowd for any familiar sets of wings, you found your group of friends in the centre of the dance floor. Rhys was twirling Feyre around in circles, Azriel leading Mor in something of a jig, and Cassian laughing with Nesta as they moved to the upbeat music. They all looked so perfect and carefree, clothes immaculate and skin glowing. The three girls had obviously had some help with their hair from Nuala and Ceridwen as the intricate braids made them look almost ethereal.

Suddenly you didn’t want to be there anymore. You felt bland and dull, and couldn’t imagine yourself fitting into such a perfectly balanced group of beautiful fae. Before they could notice you, you turned and strode quickly for the door, emerging back out onto the street. The only thing you hadn’t accounted for were Azriel’s shadows. They had clocked you as soon as you entered the club, always quite attuned to you given Azriel’s love for his brother, and by extension you. As soon as you left, Azriel pulled Cassian off the dance floor and whispered the direction you had gone in as well as what his shadows had deduced about your emotions. Upset and embarrassment being the main two.

Cassian wasted no time in running down the street, searching through the crowds for sight or scent of you. As he stood a head above everyone else, it didn’t take long to spot you sitting on a bench looking out across the river.

“Was my dancing really that bad that you didn’t want to say hello?” he asked teasingly as he sat down beside you.

You didn’t look at him, although you could feel his eyes on the side of your face. “What are you doing out here? You should be at Rita’s with your friends,” you ignored his question, trying to keep your voice light in the hope that he wouldn’t ask any questions you didn’t want to answer.

“Our friends are perfectly capable of having a good time without me. Besides, I haven’t seen you all day. Why did you leave?” he reached out for your hand as he spoke, accepting that you weren’t going to look at him but you might allow his touch.

“Everyone looked so glamorous and I didn’t fit in. I didn’t want to embarrass you, and you all had dancing partners so I figured I would just head home,” you mumbled while playing with his large calloused hand.

“What do you mean you didn’t fit in? You’d be the most beautiful person in that room if you showed up in a ratty old nightgown. And you know I save all my best dancing for you. You’re not upset that I was dancing with Nesta are you?” Cassian continued to probe.

“No of course not. I love Nesta and the others. I guess I just feel a bit insecure sometimes when I remember how cauldron blessed they are with their beautiful faces and elegant bodies and perfect hair. It’s hard not to compare myself,” you finally confessed.

“I find it hard not to compare everyone to you too,” Cassian began, causing you to look up at him in alarm. “No one matches up to how kind and funny you are, how intelligent, the perfect curves of your body and every feature of your face that makes you you. Honestly sometimes I tune everyone else out altogether while I’m waiting for you to arrive and brighten my day. Yes my friends are lovely are in their own ways but it’s you that I always want to see walking through those doors.”

You’re too choked up to respond and instead lean in to meet his lips with yours in a slow, sensual kiss. You barely register Cassian picking you up underneath your thighs and shooting up into the sky towards the house of wind where he can ravish you to his hearts content.

[theatrum-tenebrarum]

'The Oldest Game' - the myth and folklore of the battle between Morpheus and Lucifer in 'The Sandman' on Netflix (a folklorist chimes in)

Lucifer and Morpheus in a 'wizard's duel', 'The Sandman' episode 4 'A Hope in Hell'

The memorable, grandiose scene in which Dream and the Morning Star face-off in a battle of cosmic scale is no mere magic of visual effects – it is a shamanic, shape-shifting dance of transformation which has its roots in myth and folklore.

It is a continuous chase in which its participants take on different shapes with one goal in mind: to overpower one another. In this form the mythical chase found its expression in the so-called 'wizard's duel', which we find in various European fairy tales and now before our eyes - as the Morning Star once again takes on the skin of the Serpent, poisoning the hunter-donning Morpheus in a visually stunning cosmic play.

Where does the transformation chase come from?

The Carmina Gadelica, a compendium of folkloric texts gathered in Scotland by the folklorist Alexander Carmichael in the 19th century, mentions a magical spell, or rather an occult power by the name of 'fith-fath' which can make one transform into something else or render them invisible. It is said that these transformations might have even occurred involuntarily. The Carmina Gadelica accentuates the importance of these spells to hunters, travelers and warriors, so that they could stay invisible and unrecognizable to animals and possible enemies.

The Mabinogion, a compilation of the earliest Celtic tales (first published in 1840), tells the story of Ceridwen, an enchantress of Welsh myth who had made a 'Cauldron of Inspiration'. The reason for making this magical cauldron is to help her disfigured son Morfran (Morvran ab Tegid) gain knowledge of the mysteries and the things to come. In this way, Ceridwen thought she could give her son a chance to prove himself to the world. As the year-long process of brewing a magical brew in the cauldron had begun, she employed a youth by the name of Gwion Bach to keep watch of the brew and to stir it as needed. One day, three drops of the brew fell out of the cauldron and found themselves on Gwion's finger. Feeling drawn to the liquid's power, he licked them off and instantly absorbed the mystical knowledge of all there is to come. Therefore, he knew this one thing as well – he must run, run from the wrath of Ceridwen, as this power was not his to have.

The sorceress sees him and begins the chase. Gwion, now having the power of transformation, turned into a hare trying to evade her. Ceridwen is now a lithe greyhound and there is no way for the hare to escape. Gwion runs towards a river and turning into a fish, escapes into the quick waters. A hungry and angry otter is the next form of Ceridwen, as she is hunting the fish. Gwion, swimming for his life, dons the wings of a bird in order to fly out of the water. The sorceress keeps up and turns herself into a hawk, a deadly bird of prey, ready to finish the shamanic, deadly chase. However, Gwion manages to outsmart her by becoming a grain of wheat on the floor of a barn, blending into the surroundings and becoming unnoticable. That is when Ceridwen becomes a black hen and finding the grains, eats Gwion in the process. It is this Gwion, now imbued with the magical powers of the Cauldron of Inspiration, who later gets 'born again' and becomes the mythical poet Taliesin.

One whose knowledge transgresses time and space, as this knowledge is beyond them both. Shapeshifting is a primordial memory, an ancient form of magic so deeply ingrained into our cultural muscle that it is continually expressing itself. Masked dances of old, ritual plays, the theatre and the movies – all a part of the same magical urge to transform, to move to another state of existence.

- Heidi (@theatrum-tenebrarum)

„I am a serpent. Horse-biting, poison-toothed.“ (Lucifer as a serpent in the transformation chase)

"I am a bird of prey. Snake-devouring, talons-ripping.“ (Morpheus as a bird of prey in the transformation chase, outsmarting Lucifer)

„I am a universe. All things encompassing, all life embracing.“ (Morpheus as a universe in the transformation chase)

„I am anti-life. The Beast of Judgement. The dark at the end of everything.“ (Lucifer, whose grand shadow looms in the background, is now anti-life, extinguishing the Life of a Universe)

Heidi (@theatrum-tenebrarum)

[vic-the-bookdragon]

Ceridwen and Fionnuala in Celtic Mythology.

Also spelled as Cerridwen, Cerrydwen, or Kerrydwen and Nuala.

Disclaimer : In this post I don't claim anything about the legends as canon in the books. I just wanted to express my thoughts on why I think Cerridwen and Nuala's names and their friendship with Elain might not be a coincidence based on the mythology behind their names. SJM loves using mythology in her novels and there might be a reason she chose those names. Again, I repeat : Nothing is canon when it comes to the twins. We know virtually nothing about them This is just my opinion and a way for me to order my thoughts.

Let's start with Cerridwen :

According to Celtic and Welsh lore she was a powerful enchantress/sorceress/white witch and a wise mother, who had the powers of poetic wisdom, prophecy and inspiration (collectively called the Awen) respectively. She is also known as the keeper of the Cauldron, in which she makes potions (for other people) and draws the power of the Awen.

She's also known as : White Crafty One, the White Sow, Great Mother, the Dark Moon Goddess, the Goddess of Inspiration and Death, the Grain Goddess, and the Goddess of Nature. And she's associated with : creation, ruling the realms of inspiration, magic, death, regeneration, fertility and knowledge.

Legend : She was married to Tegid Foel, had two children - twins, a beautiful daughter, named Crearwy and a son, named Morfran (or Afaggdu), who was described as horrendous-looking and stupid.

In order to help her son, Ceridwen decided to brew a potion in her Cauldron that would make him beautiful and wise. When all the ingredients where ready she ordered the servent boy, Gwion Bach, who was in her employ, to stir the potion. The potion needed stirring for a year and a day and, after it was done, only three drops were enough to grant the drinker the potion's abilities. The remaining potion would be poisonous.

The boy, Gwion, accidently splashed the potion, while stirring it, on his finger. It burned him and, to ease the pain, he put his finger in his mouth and that resulted in him drinking the three magical drops, making him beautiful and full of knowledge and wisdom, instead of Morfran. Knowing that Ceridwen would be beyond furious, the boy fled.

When Ceridwen learned what had happened, she decided to hunt the boy, and thus a chase of shapeshifting begun.

Gwion had turned into a hare when he run away, and Cerridwen turned into a dog. Then the boy turned into a fish and jumped into the river, and Ceridwen changed into an otter an followed him. After that, Gwion transformed himself into a bird, and Ceridwen transformed into a hawk. Lasty, the servant turned into a grain of cron and the enchantress changed into a hen and swallowed the grain of corn, which resulted in her getting pregnant. The baby was Gwion...

Ceridwen wanted to kill the baby after it was born, but decided otherwise. She, instead, she threw him into the sea. The baby, then was discovered by Prince Elffin, who decided to keep him, because it was very smart. It could speak, recite prophesy and make predictions/prophesies. The baby, named Taliesin, changed Elffin's luck.

What Ceridwen and her Cauldron symbolize : Adapting and transforming according to the situation depending on what is required, as seen in the legend with the shapeshifting, equates to the cycle of death and rebirth and the changing of seasons. The Cauldron is a symbolism to transformation, magic, new beginnings, wisdom, creative inspiration and endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth. In the legend of Bran the Blessed the Cauldron could resurrect the dead. She is also associated with the dark moon in the lunar cycle and the Triple Goddess, being linked to the Crone (due to her wisdom) and the Mother (due to her representation of life, birth, and rebirth).

It might just be a coincidence and I could most certainly be wrong, but the choice of name and the pairing with Elain doesn't seem like a coincidence to me, when I look at the legend behind Cerridwen's name. If we assume that Sarah did it intentionally, then some things align with what we know about Elain and what we guess might happen.

We know (based on how her character arc has gone so far) that her story will be about choices, perceptions and transformation from what others believe her to be to who she really is and another side of her.

From the Feysand bonus chapter :

Rhys asked, "Have you ever seen Elain act like that before?" "No." I chewed on my bottom lip. Rhys's gaze tracked the movement. "I mean, she's been brave when she had to be, but she's never been confrontational." "Maybe she was never given a chance to be that way." I whipped my head toward him. "You think I stifle her?" Rhys held up his hands. "Not you alone." He surveyed the study as he thought. "But I wonder if everyone has spend so long assuming Elain is sweet and innocent that she felt she had to be that way or else she'd disappoint you all." He sighed toward the ceiling. "With time and safety, perhaps we'll a new side of her emerge." "That sounds dangerously close to what Nesta said about Elain finally becoming interesting." "Sometimes Nesta isn't wrong." I glowered at Rhys. "You think Elain's boring?" "I think she's kind, and I'll take kindness over nastiness any day. But I also think we haven't yet seen all she has to offer." A corner of his mouth tagged upward. "Don't forget that gardening often results in something pretty, but it involves getting one's hands dirty along the way." "And torn up by thorns," I mused...

There's the chance that Elain's change/tranformation might not only be about her personality, but her physicality too.

There's this scene :

Mor opened her mouth, laughter dancing on her face, but Elain asked, "Could you have done it? Decided to take a male form?" The question cut through the laughter, an arrow fired between us Amren studied my sister, Elain's cheeks red from our unfiltered talk at the table. "Yes," she said simply. "Before, in other form, I was neither. I simply was." "Then why did you pick this body?" Elain asked, the faelight of the chandelier catching in the ripples of her golden-brown braid. Elain asked, "And once you were in this body, you couldn't change?" Amren'd eyes narrowed slightly. I straightened, glancing between them. [...] Elain, to my surprise, held Amren's gaze. Amren said after a moment, "Are you asking out of curiosity for my past, or your own future?"

At first, I thought maybe Elain wanted to find a way to become human again and that's why she asked Amren these questions. But, we've also been told that the Cauldron also gave her powers, plural. We still don't know the extent of them, so it might be possible that Elain can shapeshift into something/someone.

Add to that the fact that Elain is associated with light and spring and rebirth and the choice of names Sarah made for one her friends makes theorizing and speculating about it all the more interesting.

I also think there might a correlation with Ceridwen in the legend brewing potions and Elain asking the twins to teach her to bake/cook.

Life and death and rebirth Sun and moon and dark Rot and bloom and bones

Let's move on to Fionnuala :

*I'll keep this short*

The story of The Children of Lir revolves around Fionnula, Aodh, Conn and Fiachra (two sets of twins) who were cursed by their stepmother, Aoife, because she was jealous of them.

She took then to swim in Loch Dairbhreach, and when they were playing she cast a spell on them with a Druid's magic wand and turned them into "beautiful swans with feathers white as snow". Aoife had let them keep their human voices and "gave them the gift to sing the beautiful music of the Sidhe, which would be the most beautiful, peaceful music ever to be heard. The songs would calm the most troubled heart."

The children had to spend 900 years as swans until the curse could be lifted. 300 hundred years they would spend on Loch Dairbhreach, another 300 years on Sruth na Maoile and the last 300 years at at Irrus Domnann and Inis Gluaire.

Now to the part that stood out to me the most...

"The sentence would be lifted when they heard the first bells of Christianity and when a Man from the North lay with a Woman from the South"

There are more details that might be interesting about what happened to Aoife, but I won't mention them here.

Eventually, the bells of Christianity rang and the Man from the North and the Woman of the South had come together, so Fionnuala and her siblings where free at last. They died after they were baptized and it is said that they were reunited with their father and mother.

First things first, the name Nuala derives from the name Fionnuala. That being said, the legend of The Children of Lir bears a few similarities with Koschei, the curse put on Vassa, his confinement to the lake and the girls he imprisons.

Now, in the legend, one of the stipulations for the curse to be lifted was that "a man from the north" must lay with a "woman from the south".

The Night Court and Illyria are both located north. The human lands are located in the south.

Two women from the south have already come together and lain with two men of the north, Feyre/Rhysand and Cassian/Nesta.

What if SJM took inspiration from that, but instead of one man and one woman, she turned it to three brothers and three sisters? (It's pretty clear that the number 3 holds significance in the books)

And lastly, Cerridwen and Nuala in the books.

We literally know nothing about them, except 3 things :

They are half-wraiths.

They were trained by Azriel.

Their power is shadow manipulation.

What more there it to them? Where did they come from? Who are their parents? What is their story? Will Sarah pull from the real Nuala and Ceridwen's stories and turn it into something unique? Perhaps, they have another sister that is trapped in Koschei's lake?

I'm stating again that all this is just pure speculation.

[mask131]

Green spring: Ceridwen

CERIDWEN

Category: Welsh legends

Ceridwen (or Cerridwen depending on how you write it), is one of the famous female figures of Welsh legends, and that despite her appearing in only one story, told times and times again… The story of Taliesin.

Ceridwen was a powerful sorceress who lived in the north of Wales, in the region of Penllyn, near the Bala Lake. She was the wife of Tegi Foel (Tacitus the Bald), and together they had two children. One a daughter called Creirwy, who was renowned for her great beauty. The other was a son, called Morfran (“sea crow”) and who was extremely hideous, the complete opposite of his sister. (In alternate versions of the story, Morfran isn’t actually the “ugly child” of Ceridwen – it is rather a second son, called Afagddu, “utter darkness”, but he seems to have been a late invention).

All in all, Ceridwen had a dreadfully ugly son, and the enchantress did not stand for this. She couldn’t make him beautiful with her powers… but she could give him a great advantage that would compensate his repulsive appearance. So, she went onto a big magical project to give her son an immense wisdom, so that his spirit would shine where his body could not. In order to do so, she took a great cauldron and brewed in it a magical potion that would give her son not only great wisdom, but also the “awen”, the inspiration of the poets and the bards, a form of eloquence and creativity that also allowed one to have some fortune-telling and soothsaying gifts. The potion had to be kept boiling for one year and one day in order to work, and to keep the fire lit and the liquid boiling, Ceridwen hired two men. One was a blind man called Morda, whose task was to feed the cauldron’s fire ; the other was a young boy named Gwion Bach (of his full name, Gwion Bach ap Gwreang), whose role was to stir the mixture without stopping. Once the potion was done, Ceridwen’s son was only to drink the first three drops of it – those were the ones filled with knowledge and talent. The rest of the potion would turn to poison once the first drops were consumed. The two employees of Ceridwen worked hard for one year and one day – but on the last day, three drops jumped out of the boiling cauldron and landed on Gwion’s thumb. The boy, burned by the hot liquid, put the thumb to his mouth – and unwittingly absorbed the potion, with all the wisdom an all the “awen” into it. Gwion, now extremely intelligent and knowledgeable, understood what he had done, and understood how angry Ceridwen would be with him – angry enough to kill him. So he decided to flee, far, far away…

And he was right to do so, because upon Ceridwen learning of the incident, she set chase to the boy – tracking him down with all her magical powers. Fortunately for Gwion, the potion also contained magical talent and knowledge, and so he could use magic to flee. To avoid Ceridwen’s fury, Gwion turned himself into a hare – but Ceridwen saw through the trick, and turned into a greyhound. Gwion in turn jumped in a river and became a fish, and Ceridwen upon seeing this turned into an otter. Gwion then fled through the sky, as a small bird – she became an hawk. Gwion’s last and final transformation was into a single grain of corn, hiding among many others in a farm or a field. But Ceridwen would not give up – she became a hen and devoured all the grains of corn, Gwion included, finally putting an end to the boy’s life.

However, she hadn’t planned something… the potion had turned Gwion powerful and magical. He was not fully killed upon being eaten by the sorceress – but rather, he reformed himself, was recreated inside of her… and Ceridwen found herself pregnant with Gwion’s reincarnation. Learning that, she decided to kill the child as soon as he was born – but after her delivery, Ceridwen was touched by the immense beauty of the babe… The baby was so beautiful she could not resolve herself to kill him herself, and rather placed him into a leather bag, sew the bag, and threw it into the sea. But the child did not die – the bag actually floated, and landed on another shore of Wales, somewhere near Aberdyfi, where the boy was rescued and adopted by a prince, Elffin ap Gwyddno. And the prince named the lost child “Taliesin”, who would become one of the most powerful and legendary bards of Welsh legends.

This is the medieval tale of Ceridwen, told times and times again. But most people agree that this tale is probably not the original one… You see, Welsh culture was, like all of the Celtic cultures of the British Isles, heavily Christianized by the Middle-Ages, and the problem is that most Celtic legends were recorded in those Christian times. So… the pagan stories tend to be refitted for a Christian lore. It happened for example with the Irish Celtic gods, who were turned into mere human sorcerers in medieval texts. And it is thought to have happened with Ceridwen – who probably was a goddess in early versions of the story, rather than an enchantress. Now, the theory as to what was Ceridwen’s original divine nature are numerous. The first theory to arise claimed that Ceridwen was a goddess of poetry, since her and her cauldron were heavily used as metaphors when it came to poetic inspiration and the poetic art. Another theory claims she was a goddess of the dawn – though with not much evidence.

Most famously, Robert Graves (yep, him again), in his invention of the “Threefold Goddess” archetype, used Ceridwen as a manifestation of this entity – claiming that Ceridwen as a manifestation of the destructive side of the Triple Goddess. This interpretation of the character became VERY famous in the neo-pagan world, due to Graves’ heavy influence other those movements – she was particularly reused by the neo-druids and by Wicca. They reinvented Ceridwen as one of the many identities and manifestations of the “Great Goddess” – she became seen as a deity of change, rebirth and transformations, keeper of the cauldron of knowledge and inspiration, as the Welsh goddess of death and fertility, and/or as the queen of all Welsh witches, and source of all magic. Some even go further and place her in a newly invented tetrad alongside other figures of Welsh and Celtic myth: in it, Ceridwen is the “guardian of the West”, queen of water and autumn, whose animal is the snake, alongside Lug (guardian of the East), Nuada (guardian of the South) and character named Fal (guardian of the North). [Don’t know who he is, couldn’t find him, maybe he was completely invented]

- - - -

If you haven’t heard of him, Taliesin is one of the great heroes of Welsh legends, and while Ceridwen pretty much disappears once he is born, he had a long and very eventful life. He was a famous poet and bard, so famous he was often called “Ben Beirdd”, “chief of bards”. It is unclear if Taliesin actually existed as a historical character or not (he is very similar in this aspect to another figure of the Welsh legends, king Arthur), but we recorded numerous legends about him, turning him into a poet-sorcerer (because bards were thought to have innate magical powers in Celtic lore, and the limit between poems and spells was very blurry).

Raised by the prince, as I said before, Taliesin, “the radiant brow”, at the age of thirteen prophesized the future death of king Maelgwn Gwynedd (the uncle of his adoptive father, and his political rival). He became one of the “five most renowned British poets”, alongside Talhaearn Tad Awen, Cian Gwenith Gwawd, Blwchfardd, and Aneirin. He had a son, named Afaon, who was a great warrior According to some he was one of the faithful companions of Bran the Blessed, the giant-king of Britain, and for others he even was the bard of the court of King Arthur.

[thewitchyattorney]

The Story of Ceridwen

The name Ceridwen comes from the Welsh – cerdd – meaning poetry or song and – wen, (a contraction of gwen) – meaning white, fair or holy. Ceridwen, according to Welsh legends and folklore, was a white witch or goddess, and is considered to be the goddess of poetry, inspiration and of the cauldron of transfiguration.

Ceridwen was mother of and employer to the famous 6th century Welsh bard Taliesin. She was married to the giant Tegid Foel and lived on the shores of Bala Lake with their two children, the very beautiful daughter Crearwy and their extremely ugly and stupid son, Morfran. No magic of Ceridwen had yet been able to cure Morfran but she kept on trying and one day, she was making up once again, in her cauldron, a potion to make him both handsome and wise. Tegid Foel and Ceridwen had a servant boy, Gwion Bach, who was given the job of stirring the brew for a year and a day. According to the legend, only the first three drops of the brew were effective; the rest was poisonous. Gwion Bach started getting bored and a bit slapdash and the three first crucial drops fell onto him. He put his hand to his mouth to stop the burning and instantly he became clever, good-looking and capable of changing his shape.

He ran away, terrified of Ceridwen’s temper, and turned himself into a rabbit; but Ceridwen followed and transformed herself into a dog. So the boy changed himself into a fish and jumped into the river, swiftly followed by the otter formerly known as, Ceridwen. Gwion changed from fish to bird and Ceridwen turned her ottery self into a hawk and continued the chase. Finally, the bird became a grain of corn; the hawk became a hen – and swallowed him up.

When Ceridwen returned to her normal witchy self she discovered that she was pregnant and she knew that the baby was Gwion. She planned to kill him as soon as he was born, but the baby was far too beautiful so she just put him into a large leather bag and threw him into the sea. The bag was found in the nets of the fishers of the annual salmon catch on the Dovey River, which was presented to a thus far extremely unlucky prince, Prince Elffin. On opening the bag, Elffin discovered the baby boy – Gwion, who had been reborn as Taliesin. This foundling was something of a child prodigy, because no sooner had poor Elffin placed the baby in front of him on his saddle than Taliesin, (which means ‘how radiant his brow is’), started first speaking, then reciting, poetry and then making predictions about how Elffin would now defeat all his enemies. How could he do otherwise now he had Taliesin’s help?

Elffin’s luck changed from that moment and Taliesin, through his poems and his prophecy, became the most famous bard in Britain, inspiring the Celtic warriors against their Saxon invaders.

[hollers-and-holmes]

Halbarad's family???

This one is more a collection of shorts from various points. Here’s a chunk where he’s leaving to go fight a very grim war. They’re a tad bit dysfunctional for reasons I plan to explore, but for now please pardon the coarseness…

He would leave her with a house of wood and canvas a short walk from the well. A tilled patch of soil, the barley sown in. Seed potatoes and squash ready to join it when the frosts were gone. A shed for the sheep and goats, the lot of them heavy with young. A fence around the whole place, and neighbors on all sides. Their own people.

Not home, but it was not the first time they had pulled stakes and started over.

That morning she was inside, scrubbing the breakfast pan so hard her hair was coming loose. As he ducked through the door her pumice snapped at the force she was leaning into it and she whirled and hurled the pieces hard across the room. One struck the doorframe alongside his head but he did not flinch. He crossed to her and reached around and took the pan and set it in the basin.

He said, “Four months.”

“Or four years,” she spat into the washwater.

She fought him for a moment when he took her in his arms, but she was tiny, and he was not. Her fist struck once against the breast of his grey coat. He caught her by the wrist, and turned it up and kissed the place her veins showed through, and then she was angry no longer. She never had been, really. She sank her face into the front of his fatigues. He thumbed free her hairclasp and let it drop to the raw board floor and her hair plunged heavy and silksoft through his callused fingers.

He said again, “Four months.”

“I’ve heard that before.”

“I know.”

Last night had been for longer goodbyes. He could hear the Rangers assembling out in the yard. He tipped her face up and said, “You be careful.”

“You.”

“You don’t go into town by yourself. Take Ceridwen, or one of the boys. Not after dark. Lock the door.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“The crossbow is in the usual spot.”

“Yes.”

“Keep Halamath away from the river. You whip him if you have to. Make him mind you.”

“Yes, Ada.”

“Go to Dírhael if trouble comes. Or the Elves, doesn’t matter why, they’ll hear you. Help you.”

She grimaced.

“Thaliel.”

“Yes, alright. Yes.”

“Not alone.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“I don’t know about Eluned. She…”

“She’ll be fine. We’ll figure it out. It’s you she’s got the axe to grind with.”

“Work her bloody, I guess. Or just drown her, be done with it.”

“We’ll be fine.”

“I know.”

“You’ll be fine?”

He kissed her then, her head bent back, his hands renewing old familiar claims. She nipped him on the lip. He said against her mouth, “You stay safe, you hear me? You be here when I get back, all of you.”

“We’ll be here. Get just back.”

[x-starlight-mystic-x]

Celtic Deities

Male

Alator – God of war and protection, name means “he who nourishes the people”

Albiorix – God of protection and war, name means “king of the world”

Belenus – God of healing, name means “bright one”

Borvo – God of healing waters and minerals

Bres – God of fertility, tyrant ruler

Cernunnos – Horned god of nature, fertility, the underworld, wealth and fruit

Esus – God of strength and human sacrifice

Lenus – God of healing, associated with the Roman god Mars

Lugh – God of the sun and craftsmanship, justice and rulership

Maponus – God of music, poetry and youth

Nuada – God of healing, the sea and warfare

Female

Brigantia – Goddess of rivers and waters, poetry and crafts

Brigit – Goddess of fire, fertility, healing, cattle and poetry

Ceridwen – Goddess and sorceress, poetic wisdom, prophecy, magic and rebirth

Epona – Horse goddess, fertility and cornucopias, horses and mules

Medb – Goddess of sovereignty and motherhood

Morrigan – Goddess of war and death, fate and battle

Nehalennia – Goddess of seafarers, fertility and abundance

Nemausicae – Mother goddess, fertility and healing

Nerthus – Goddess of fertility, peace and prosperity

Saitada – Goddess of grief

[squidwen]

13. You’re given an unlimited budget to build anything you want!  What do you build and where do you build it?

How about this for all of your ocs? :3

OOOOH! Interesting one! A more platonic ask than others I've received XD

Link to ask list here

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

13. You're given an unlimited budget to build anything you want. What do you build and where do you build it?

Vane wasn't sure. He'd spent almost two decades growing plants big enough to live in, but actual buildings and facilities weren't something that had ever crossed his mind. "Well, with an unlimited budget to bui-build whatever wherever, I guess it would be greenhouse skyscrapers in industrial cities. The vegetation would ta-take all the CO2 out of the air, and make the skyline clearer and cleaner so p-people with lung conditions suffer less. H-hope that’s alright.”

Billy's face split into a wide grin. "I am but a humble bear, but if I had to choose it would be a manor house in a roche-moutonnee next to a tarn and a mountain forest filled with fir trees. I would rebuild the home I was promised miles away from any lynching little half-brothers and stepmothers. And with the change...I'd fill every room with the finest tapestries."

"Simple," said Ceridwen, not looking up from her notebooks. "I want to build a functioning portal to take me back home safe and sound. Whether or not I would like it to be a two-way portal is another matter. If so, I would want it built in Ramshackle so I could come and go as I please. If not, then I don't care where it's built. It...depends on whether or not I’ll miss the people here more than I’m terrified of magic.”

"CHAIR LIFTS!" Basil bolted upright off his tail. "I would have a chair lift built on every staircase in the world, my dear. Do you have any clue how agonising it is being a naga? Living in a world built around bipedal folksss? Oh? You thought I would have the chair lifts built for the elderly? Well, they would certainly benefit. I wouldn't discriminate and not let them use them. But stairs and tails don't go hand in hand."

Seth sneered. “What a ridiculous question! You really ought to announce yourself when someone is working. I almost poked myself with my needle.” Sighing, he set down his darning and thought seriously on the matter. “If I could build anything anywhere it would be a submarine that turned into a water-tight caravan. The world may be 70% ocean, but the remaining 30% is so diverse and full of inspiration for clothing lines I hope to create one day.”

“Ain’t much I want that I ain’t already crafted,” said Jonah, wiping the oil from his overalls. “But, it I had an unlimited budget and space, I guess it would be a town in one big building. Back home, you gotta drive everywhere. If you want bread, a new shirt, a doctor, you’d better get behind a wheel. I want something, ‘bout the size of a mall, where you can just go downstairs or up a corridor and it’s there. Every need satisfied. There’d be a cinema, a baker, a mechanic, a vet, a butcher, a drycleaner, swimming pool, a gym, a sweet shop, a farm...” and on and on until you eventually backed out the door. 

Tallis opened his mouth with each new idea that came to mind, but no sound came out. He kept having one better than the last. “Well, I’ve always wanted a theatre...no, wait- I think instead I would build a factory that makes parachutes for eggs. Yes! That’s the one! Did I mention I’m adopted? Fell out of the nest as an egg and if it hadn’t been for that river I would have been breakfast for the meercats. That thought...never leaves me.” His eyes went wide. “I want every parent to rest assured if their egg is unlucky enough to roll away, it won’t smash because a parachute will float them safely to the ground. Then I can expand into more niche markets! Like, training wings for fledglings, or taloned boots in case their actual talons break during a hunt or something.” (Azul is lowkey listening somewhere XD)

[cryptishh]

Prompt: Bubbling Cauldron

Decided to go with the mythology of my home, Cymru. Mainly the story of Ceridwen and Taliesin. (Tali-es-in, not Tali-sin.)

I'm going to do a read more to just write the story because I love it too much to avoid it.

💀 COMMISSIONS ARE OPEN! 💀

So Ceridwen is a Goddess of poetry, inspiration and transformation.

She lived with her husband, Tegid Foel by Llyn Tegid (aka, Bala Lake). They had two children. The oldest, a beautiful girl named Crearwy. (Her name has two other spellings, Creirwy and Creidwy.) She was known to be the most beautiful girl in the land. Their youngest, a boy named Afagddu (Or Morfran) He was seen as ugly and unintelligent. (Poor sod)

Ceridwen, worried about her son and wanting the best for him, prayed to the Arwen (basically, the source of inspiration and knowledge) and created a potion to help him at least become smart.

She hired a blind man named Morda and a young boy named Gwion Bach to help her make the potion. (Some sites don't mention Morda so I'm assuming there are version where she disguised herself as a blind man?? idk) Gwion was tasked to stir the potion non-stop for a whole year whilst Morda was to keep the fire burning.

The potion itself had strict rules, it took a year to make and only the first three drops of the potion would grant the person all knowledge and powers of Arwen.

Depending on where you read, Gwion Bach either got bored/irritated about working all year and not getting any of the potion and took the first three drops; or he stirred the potion too much by mistake and it splashed on his hand and scolded him, causing him to lick it off. Either way, he drank the potion first.

Knowing that Ceridwen would be down right pissed at finding this out, Gwion Bach ran. When Ceridwen found out, she began to chase him.

Gwion Bach gained the power of shape shifting from the potion, so he turned into a rabbit to get a headstart, Ceridwen turned into a greyhound to catch up. Gwion jumped in a river and became a fish, so Ceridwen turned into an otter. Gwion transformed into a wren, so Ceridwen changed to a hawk. When Gwion was cornered, he hid in a pile of corn seeds, so Ceridwen turned into a hen, pecking and eating each seed until she ate Gwion in rage.

Not long after, Ceridwen found out she was pregnant, who she knew was Gwion reborn. She vowed to kill the baby when he was born but found herself not able to when she gave birth to a handsome baby boy. Instead, she cast him out to sea Moses style.

He was eventually found by a prince named Elffin who raised him with the name Taliesin. Taliesin would grow up to become the greatest bard in all the land.

[kingsmakers]

Gardens of Misery: Chapter 15

Read it here: AO3

Demelza Dayne finds herself at the centre of a conflict between the two women she cares about most, her best friends Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower. In the midst of brewing turmoil, and men of the court scheming to gain her favour, Demelza finds herself playing a dangerous game of survival, both in court and home in Dorne.

Demelza had made her assumptions, when Jacaerys had first been born. She never voiced them aloud, yet now, she came dangerously close to doing so. Rhaenyra’s eyes sharpened at her words, and Demelza was certain she would have heard such insinuations about her sons’ parentage already. “I take it you’ve spoken with the Queen, then.” Her voice was cold. Demelza handed Joffrey back to his mother, troubled by the defensiveness of Rhaenyra’s tone. She had lied her way out of situations when she’d been a girl, as evidenced by her denial of pre-marital sex despite Demelza knowing the truth. Now as a woman, she lied again, protected by the blind love of a father who would not see her reputation tarnished.

Forever tag: @juliaswickcrs @thatmagickjuju @starcrossedjedis @darkwolf76 @akabluekat @drbobbimorse @mystic-scripture @iron-parkr @asirensrage @rhaenyraslaena @arrthurpendragon @hiddenqveendom @far-shores @emilykaldwen @themaradwrites

[imaginyimagines]

Your OCs Call Signs Would Be...

I thought it would be cool to see what my original character’s call signs would be if they had to select one, since I love Top Gun: Maverick far too much. (Since I have SO many characters, I will break it up a bit. This is strictly wrestling edition) 

Sabrina ‘Rina’ McMahon: Pixie or Mama Bear - She is a fiery sprite and famously an extremely protective motherly character  Here’s what she looks like! (art by SidTheKid on DeviantART)  Aesthetic board by @nightmareantagonist

Arwen Juliet ‘AJ’ McMahon-Harter: Lens or Paparazzi -Loves cameras and taking photos

Thomas ‘Thom’ McMahon-Harter: River - Since he’s easy going like a lazy river 

Presley Andrews: Moxie - Play off her attitude and her husband’s ring name is Jon Moxley  Here’s what she looks like! (art by @xjordynary) Aesthetic board by @nightmareantagonist

Priscilla Good: Johnny - As in Johnny B. Good 

Odette LeFay: Mirage - Play off of a character name of hers Here’s what she looks like! (art by @ss-trashboat) Aesthetic board by @nightmareantagonist

Anika Tanner: Jasmine - Her ring name, inspired by the Disney Princess  Here’s what she looks like! (art by @ss-trashboat)

Willow Lewis: Mjolnir - Thor’s hammer, she is an extremely powerful person and has a background in bodybuilding  Here’s what she looks like! (art by @ss-trashboat)

Mya Hughes: Diamond - Part of her ring name Here’s what she looks like! (art by @ss-trashboat)

Tessa Schuyler: Nightmare - Part of her ring name  Here’s what she looks like! (art by @ss-trashboat)

Shirin McLane: Siren - Her ring name Here’s what she looks like! (art by @ss-trashboat)

Antonia Herrera-Bautista: Ember - She is a fiery Mexican woman, but something not traditional sounding  Here’s what she looks like! (art by @ss-trashboat)

Rebekah Funk: Hardcore -  Granddaughter of the hardcore legend, Terry Funk

Allison Adkisson: Sin - Part of her ring name, she spells her name Allysin 

Caroline Rhodes: Dot - Her father is Dusty Rhodes, who infamously wore polka dots in the WWE. 

Brianna Elaine ‘Laney’ Lunde: Enforcer - Her father is the legendary wrestler Arn Anderson 

Bianca Morrison:  27 - This character is partially named after Jim Morrison of The Doors, a member of the infamous 27 Club 

Adelia ‘Dee’ DeRossett: Dee - It’s already her nickname, derived from Adelia  Aesthetic board by @nightmareantagonist

Theadora ‘Thea’ Thibodaux: TNT - She has a very fiery temperament, can explode

 Roderick Weston:  Reese - Variant of his ring name which is Rhys 

Clara Ross: Pin-up - Play on her personal style 

Ruby-Sarah Oswin: Sisi - Nickname derived from Sarah; also inspired by Empress Elizabeth ‘Sisi’ of Austria. 

Talia Chapman: Moon - Her middle name is Mahina, meaning moon or our moon in Hawaiian 

Ceridwen Lysander: Mimi - Nickname derived from her middle name of Mirah. 

[sanctificetur]

cassian thenardier is arriving home for holiday from his soldier training. it had been a long arduous journey… he was meeting his cousin, eponine, at the airport in montfermeil. eponine is holding up a sign that has ‘ cassian 🥰 ‘ scrawled on it, and waves, smiling upon seeing him. ‘ bonjour, cassian! ‘

they hug, cassian relieved to be reunited with the one he loves, wincing a little due to his metal aligned hands. his hands hurt quite a lot. she notices, and her eyes widen, tugging her mask down slightly to see, ‘ what happened to your hands, cass?! ‘ remembering cass didn’t mention his hands during their letter writing.

they were at the river seine, the eiffel tower nearby. the water was shining a beautiful light green, as they walk through the river. cass looks at the river, reminiscencing about his time at hunter valley missionary. his voice is steadily growing stronger, yet tremors a little due to the volatile experience he endured… as he cleans his hands in the water, during their walk, sawdust and splinters being the reason he had to amputate to have metal aligning it ( due to his training practice and once at a battle that had turned unprecedentedly violent when called in as a young recruit ).

yet despite the long painful journey of the sweet hereafter, he had found his way back to eponine… he nods at hearing eponine ask if he would stay with her — thinking at first she meant just physically before he went back to war and then sees her peering closer to him in concern, noting the haunted look in his eyes. ‘ I’ll stay. ‘

it was quite peaceful walking through the river with ‘Nine, they talking a little what they’ve been up to. she notices a beautiful building as she passes by ; a golden intricate flower window.

eponine saying she spent time with her friend ceridwen in the forest, eating cookies and cream ice-cream in which the crushed cookie powder — ceri uses as kohl make-up.

cass is interested about that, saying ‘i climbed trees, a bit more at ease due to my metal hands. ‘ as the metal was like a crystallised staircase to continuing on up the tree.

eponine knows cassian still feels very haunted during his difficult trip of life and then death to the sweet hereafter, having seen a lot in this time, yet knows he’s still her cousin, her family ( despite the malignancy swirling within of darkness ) and she understands of him going at his own steady pace of being back here at home.

[rayonfrozenwings]

Elain Market Gardener/Researcher/Explorer Headcanon

Elain can do so much more with her Gardening knowledge. We know that she wanted to visit the continent to see the flowers there, that she can grow almost everything in her garden and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. She can easily learn recipes and people enjoy her food. She is a capable reader and follower of instructions. During her time in the human world she was seen to be intelligent and a worthy match for any lord.

So using these things and inspiration from a picture - I give you Elain the Market Gardener/Researcher/Explorer who is just trying to rebuild the earth one plant at a time.

❀

- After the destruction of the War with Hybern, the lands are still recovering. The people of Prythian are most concerned with food but Elain is slowly finding in her travels that other plants are being destroyed to make crops and feed the people.

- She then Makes it her mission to research and preserve all the plants she can - even the ones people don't love.

- This research and gathering of plants takes her around Prythian, But she quickly learns that she cannot take them all back with her to the Night Court due to climate differences as they don't survive very long there.

- So she she gathers other like minded people and finds ways to set up nurseries and gardens in each Court.

- Her "little research job" quickly expands to managing other people and collaborating with them to learn as much as they can about all the plants - magical or otherwise.

- Lucien introduces her to his friend Nuan, whose knowledge quickly comes in handy.

- Nuan becomes her chief science officer making sure that temperatures are kept even and experimenting with ways to create new climates in other courts allowing cross-breeding between vastly different plants.

- Nuan remains based in Dawn. Close to the Night Court but also surrounded by other like minded tinkering people.

- Nuan and Elain become close friends, working together for the betterment of all of Prythian. They have their own team of people that Source the plants, others that save them, and then ones with knowledge slowly realise that this is a good thing happening.

- It takes time for the sprites and forest dwelling lesser fae to trust the high fae walking through their lands but once they start seeing the high fae saving plants from being destroyed they start to open up and share knowledge.

❀

- Elain still loves to get her fingers dirty, to feel one with the soil, so each garden that she travels to has a small plot of land just for her.

- She plants her favourite varieties in each of these small gardens located around Prythian. She always feels at home in each place as long as she gets to spend time in her garden.

- These small gardens become her home, each a reflection of a different part of herself. She doesn't always invite people to see her gardens and often will have another garden for the public to see.

- The secret gardens allow her to continue her own research without anyone else.

- She has Nuala and Ceridwen often visiting her and while they probably know of the secret gardens they have never asked her about them and Elain likes this about them. They know when she does and doesn't want to talk.

❀

- The Spring Court was the first Court she went to. To help the farmers and the local populace but also to make sure that things grew without growing wild. Spring seemed to grow without any help from her so a taming was needed. A pruning of thorns and roses to let smaller, slower growing plants thrive. She had some of the Inner Circle at her disposal for the exercise and even the Band of Exiles helped her. Vassa's fire powers were helpful in that she could burn invasive plants and the ash could be used to fertilise the fields.

- On her way home she did the royal tour - a slow trip through the safer courts of Summer, Winter, Dawn and Day. They quickly moved through the middle not wanting to stop but Elain made sketches of the vines and night blooming flowers from the carriage.

- In each court she realised how many things she had yet to explore and discover. The beauty that was present in every place and how abundant life was.

- The first thing she realised was that her knowledge was lacking. Each court was a whole new place and experience.

- When she arrived in the Day court instead of heading to the hanging gardens by the river she quickly moved into the library with her sister. Nesta left her alone in the halls filled with botany books and went in search of her own book choices.

- The research was just the start but she was determined to use her new found purpose to help the people of prythian in the way she best knew how.

❀

- Over time this developed into greenhouses - plants for sale and user guides for how to take care of them.

- Elain becomes a household name, knowing how to grow anything and everything and. She receives fan mail - Her fans write to her to ask "how do I stop plant X from dying?", if she doesn't know then her team jumps into action and she learns it.

- They develop quarterly publications that talk about the best plants to grow in the court and season and tips for making more exotic plants grow in new climates. Elain loves collecting flowers for Feyre to paint and placing her art on the cover.

- Helion and Rhysand spent time developing a printing press for mass production, and while it is still a minority of Fae that will read the pamphlet, reading it being brought to the masses through Gardening.

- Her teams under Nuan have found medicinal properties for plants and the Dawn court now grows most of the medicinal plants making them more accessible.

- Elain found a sapling for an Ash tree on an excursion, and while she knows this can easily kill Fae she had to preserve the species. So in the middle there is a secret grove known only to her, where ash trees grow.

❀

[x-x-just-a-little-witchyy-x-x]

Celtic Deities

Alator - The Celtic god Alator was associated with Mars, the Roman war god. His name is said to mean "he who nourishes the people". Albiorix - The Celtic god Albiorix was associated with Mars as Mars Albiorix. Albiorix is the "king of the world." Belenus - Belenus is a Celtic god of healing, worshiped from Italy to Britain. The worship of Belenus was linked with the healing aspect of Apollo. The etymology of Beltaine may be connected with Belenus. Belenus is also written: Bel, Belenos, Belinos, Belinu, Bellinus, and Belus. Borvo - Borvo (Bormanus, Bormo) was a Gallic god of healing springs whom the Romans associated with Apollo. He is depicted with helmet and shield. Bres - Bres was a Celtic fertility god, the son of the Fomorian prince Elatha and the goddess Eriu. Bres married the goddess Brigid. Bres was a tyrannical ruler, which proved his undoing. In exchange for his life, Bres taught agriculture and made Ireland fertile. Brigantia - British goddess connected with river and water cults, equated with Minerva, by the Romans and possibly linked with the goddess Brigit. Brigit - Brigit is the Celtic goddess of fire, healing, fertility, poetry, cattle, and patroness of smiths. Brigit is also known as Brighid or Brigantia and in Christianity is known as St. Brigit or Brigid. She is compared with the Roman goddesses Minerva and Vesta. Ceridwen - Ceridwen is a Celtic shape-shifting goddess of poetic inspiration. She keeps a cauldron of wisdom. She is the mother of Taliesin. Cernunnos - Cernunnos is a horned god associated with fertility, nature, fruit, grain, the underworld, and wealth, and especially associated with horned animals like the bull, stag, and a ram-headed serpent. Cernunnos is born at the winter solstice and dies at the summer solstice. Julius Caesar associated Cernunnos with the Roman Underworld god Dis Pater.

Epona - Epona is a Celtic horse goddess associated with fertility, a cornucopia, horses, asses, mules, and oxen who accompanied the soul on its final journey. Uniquely for the Celtic goddesses, the Romans adopted her and erected a temple to her in Rome.

Esus - Esus (Hesus) was a Gallic god named along with Taranis and Teutates. Esus is linked with Mercury and Mars and rituals with human sacrifice. He may have been a woodcutter.

Latobius - Latobius was a Celtic god worshipped in Austria. Latobius was a god of mountains and sky equated with the Roman Mars and Jupiter.

Lenus - Lenus was a Celtic healing god sometimes equated with the Celtic god Iovantucarus and the Roman god Mars who in this Celtic version was a healing god.

Lugh - Lugh is a god of craftsmanship or a solar deity, also known as Lamfhada. As leader of theT uatha De Danann, Lugh defeated the Fomorians at the Second Battle of Magh.

Maponus - Maponus was a Celtic god of music and poetry in Britain and France, sometimes associated with Apollo.

Medb - Medb (or Meadhbh, Méadhbh, Maeve, Maev, Meave, and Maive), goddess of Connacht and Leinster. She had many husbands and figured in the Tain Bo Cuailgne (Cattle Raid of Cooley). She may have been a mother goddess or historical.

Morrigan – Morrigan is a Celtic goddess of war who hovered over the battlefield as a crow or raven. She has been equated with Medh. Badb, Macha, and Nemain may have been aspects of her or she was part of a trinity of war goddesses, with Badb and Macha. The hero Cu Chulainn rejected her because he failed to recognize her. When he died, Morrigan sat on his shoulder as a crow. She is usually referred to as "the Morrigan".

Nehalennia - Nehalennia was a Celtic goddess of seafarers, fertility, and abundance.

Nemausicae - Nemausicae was a Celtic mother goddess of fertility and healing.

Nerthus - Nerthus was a Germanic fertility goddess mentioned in Tacitus' Germania.

Nuada - Nuada (Nudd or Ludd) is the Celtic god of healing and much more. He had an invincible sword that would cut his enemies in half. He lost his hand in battle which meant that he was no longer eligible to rule as king until his brother made him a silver replacement. He was killed by the god of death Balor.

Saitada - Saitada was a Celtic goddess from the Tyne Valley in England whose name may mean "goddess of grief."

Information found on: https://www.thoughtco.com/celtic-gods-and-goddesses-117625