#irish godesses

[ecsta-zi]

How do you guys find which gods/godess's to worship? Do they pick you?

[fleetshotter-minstrel]

Wikipaedia gives a more ‘scholarly’ annotated treatment of the story - but this piece I think gives a quick easily readable version coveeing the main points.

[themackenzieboydchronicles]

Morrigan Irish Goddess of War by British artist Linda Ravenscroft.

[characterswithgodsnamesbattle]

Round 1 Poll 17

Morrigan is an Irish godess of battle and war. She has different forms and is usually represented as a triad of three sisters

Diana is the Roman equivalent to Artemis. She's the goddess of the hunt, of childbirth, of the moon.

[aelinsnightgcwn]

don’t really wanna get political but i am but sjms portrayal of ireland in acotar rubs me the wrong fucking way. like its obvious to anyone thats ever looked at a bloody map that prythian is mapped out as the uk and hybern is ireland. hibernia is literally the latin name for ireland?? ireland was under british rule for 800 years while the country went through a famine (where over a million people died) and it was literally illegal to speak irish (our native language). obviously the history runs much deeper, but implying that ireland is the ‘evil/bad’ place, when not taking into account their history with the ‘good guys’ ain’t a good look. ESPECIALLY since she uses irish folklore as a source of inspiration for her lore ( anam caraif - the celtic idea of a soul friend , morrigan - irish godess of war ). if an author is going to base their fantasy world geographically around two real places, who have a very fucked up history, maybe she should have done some research??

[theeclecticwitchblog240]

Hecate: How To Work With The Goddess Of Magic & Necromancy

BY TEAANDROSEMARY2

JANUARY 4, 2022 APRIL 8, 2022

DEITIES/WITCHCRAFT

Hecate is the Greek goddess of witchcraft, magic, necromancy, and spells, so it’s no surprise that the worship of this archetype has boomed in popularity with the dawn of a new era of witchcraft.

In the Underworld, she guides those who have passed on, lighting the way in the darkness with her torch as she once did to find Persephone.

Whether or not you believe in or worship this goddess, it’s hard not to adore her more and more with each fascinating story of feminine badassery, unbridled kindness, and acceptance that she brings forth.

The Goddess Hecate In History & Myth:

Hecate is a chthonic goddess born of titans and has existed since long before the creation of Mount Olympus.

She’s such an ancient deity that there’s quite a bit of confusion surrounding who her parents were – although much credit is given to the titans Perses and Asteria. Some texts say that she was a daughter of Zeus, but others speak of her as the very midwife who aided in his birth.

Nevertheless, Zeus adored and honored Hecate enough to allow her to maintain power over heaven, earth, and sea once he staked his reign over the gods.

Hecate & Persephone

Regardless of how you interpret the story of Persephone and Hades, when Demeter discovered her daughter was missing, goddess Hecate showed up with torches blazing to light the way back into the Underworld and find her. When they did, Hecate hugged her, held her close, and swore companionship to Persephone in her return to the Underworld.

To this day, Hecate roams Hades with the Lampades, her loyal torch-bearing nymphs, who act as handmaidens to Persephone during the cold months below. She also guides spirits crossing over so that they too may find their way in Hades.

Hecate As The Triple Goddess

In many ancient artworks and statues, we see Hecate depicted in triplicate. In some texts, she possesses three heads or faces, or even three separate forms entirely.

Hecate also shares distinct commonalities with the goddesses Artemis and Selene, and their epithets are used almost interchangeably in late Roman texts.

But it’s not only Greek and Roman mythologies with tales of triadic deities. We also see Brigid and the Morrigan of Irish culture, the Libyan serpent goddess Anatha, Zorya of Slavic lore, and the Hindu Tridevi represented as triple goddesses at times.

More famously, we see the ever-present holy trinity in the Christian faith, and some modern Wiccans have adopted Hecate as their maiden-mother-crone archetype.

Why is the number three so significant?

Using numbers as symbols has been practiced all over the world since before recorded history. In Greek numerology, the number three represents harmony and unity. We see the trinity echoed in many other cultures, often representing the omnipresent and all-knowing.

In some cultures, the trinity represents birth, love, and death; waxing, waning, and full moons; the maiden-mother-crone archetype; past-present-future, or even the mind, body, and soul.

Hecate’s Appearance:

The goddess Hecate sometimes wears a short dress and hunting boots, much like the Goddess Artemis. In other depictions, she dons a floor-length gown and bears a torch in one hand and a serpent in the other.

Godess Hecate’s statues often appear in triplicate, posed back-to-back as if standing watch over a three-way crossroads.

Other records describe her as a terrifying monster with three necks or heads – a horse, a dog, and a lion head, respectively.

Hecate is almost always portrayed with black dogs by her side. It is even said that she has taken the form of a dog herself.

Hecate’s Powers:

Hecate has power over all realms of existence – the earth, heavens, and sea – and walks the liminal spaces in between. As such, she holds dominion over thresholds, gates, hedges, and boundaries of all kinds. She then helps us to build personal boundaries and challenges us to invest in and take care of ourselves.

As the Witch Mother, goddess Hecate is powerful in all realms of magic and sorcery and has a deep sense of intuition. If she chooses to lend her favor to your craft, then your manifestation abilities can become more powerful than you have ever imagined.

With a mighty reign over the Underworld and the domain of necromancy, Hecate is the deity you want to have by your side if you have an interest in reaching out to those who have crossed beyond the veil. Through working with her, we can unlock the secrets of life, death, and the liminal space, and learn to safely and respectfully commune with spirits.

Not only a guardian to souls who have recently passed on, Hecate also attends to women and children and oversees childbirths. Travelers and sailors may also find themselves in her favor if they’re lucky.

Along with Artemis, Hecate is a goddess of the wilderness, which holds a trove of magic and wonder in its own right. In her ties to Selene, she harnesses the moon’s powers of regeneration and deep intuition.

Hecate is also an herbalist who honors the use of medicines, poisons, and even psychoactive plants in practicing one’s craft.

How Do You Know If The Goddess Hecate is Calling To You?

Although you can theoretically call upon a deity with extensive amounts of worship, deities often reach out to us when they want to work with us.

The Goddess Hecate tends to reach out in very subtle ways. It can be difficult to determine if she is the goddess reaching out to you, but there are a few specific tells.

Some of the indicators that the Goddess Hecate is reaching out to you include:

1. She comes to you in your dreams. This may be in the physical/personified form or as a symbol.

2. You’ve found yourself doing more shadow work. Hecate challenges us to acknowledge the darker parts of our being in order to become the best forms of ourselves. In learning to embrace these difficult parts of ourselves, she teaches us how to be truly whole.

3. She called out to you in times of darkness or great distress. As the torchbearer, it’s not uncommon for Lady Hecate to reach out a helping hand in times of dire need. If you’re facing the Dark Night of the Soul, this chthonic deity will help you to get back up and see the light.

4. You are undergoing a difficult transformation. If you feel like you’re going through a tough transitional phase in your life, then the goddess of the crossroads may be reaching her hand out to you.

5. You’re seeing her symbols everywhere. If you’ve been encountering more animals and symbols associated with goddess Hecate then it’s very possible that she may be reaching out. It might also mean that the animal is just more active this time of year, so be sure to do your research of the local flora and fauna before assigning any sort of spiritual significance to something.

Symbols Of Hecate:

Dogs, particularly black dogs.

Deer

Polecats

Snakes and the Ouroboros

Spiders – although this is more of shared personal gnosis rather than something taken from historical texts.

Torches

Keys

Rope

Hecate’s Wheel

Sickles

Crossroads

Triple Moon imagery

Daggers or athames

The number three

How To Work With The Goddess Hecate:

The goddess Hecate is known to be very particular about those with whom she chooses to work. If she doesn’t see that you’re willing to put in the time and effort, Hecate won’t waste her time on you either.

It’s also imperative to cleanse yourself before approaching Hecate. I do this out of respect for her, but I also think she encourages her worshipers to practice self-love through acts of cleanliness and mindfulness by asking this simple task of them.

Dating back to the Chaldean Oracles, it’s clear that Hecate favors the virtuous, and expects her followers to show kindness and integrity to others through acts of charity.

Hecate is not only the goddess of physical crossroads and boundaries but spiritual ones as well. In working with her, she will push you to set personal boundaries for yourself and provide guidance on the many crossroads your life path may have in store.

While this may all sound very cheerful, many know Hecate for having a darker side. Those who work with her may do so with the intent of working on their traumas through shadow work. Others choose to consort with this liminal goddess for her guidance in communing with the dead.

As the goddess of witchcraft, magic, and spells, I often evoke Hecate to ask for guidance on intent, stronger manifestation, and more effective spellwork.

One thing I’ve learned about working with Hecate is that you have to put in the physical work to see results – she won’t sugarcoat things for you or give you an easy ride. A great way to earn her favor is by performing mindful acts of devotion to show your commitment to her and her core principles.

Devotional Acts To Hecate:

Dedicate altar space to Hecate – this can be as simple as a single candle if you’re just getting started or if you need to keep it low-key.

Clean your home as part of a new moon ritual.

Plan, create and cast spells.

Perform other dark moon spells and rituals.

Light a devotional candle in Hecate’s honor.

Finish projects you started earlier in the month.

Volunteer at your local animal shelter.

Serve a local soup kitchen or food pantry.

Practice green witchery by taking care of houseplants and being mindful of your local ecosystem.

Clean up a cemetery.

Perform Hecate’s Deipnon.

What is Hecate’s Deipnon?

Deipnon is the Ancient Greek word for supper and is practiced by leaving a meal or offering for Hecate and the spirits of the dead.

Hecate’s Deipnon is typically observed on the night of the dark moon, but for me is a process that begins much earlier in the day.

Start with a New Moon cleansing ritual to purify the home, beginning by sweeping the halls and entryways. If you have dogs or other pets, collect some of their hair or claws from your dustpan to include in your offering.

I also like to take care of any other messes that I don’t want to bring with me into the next lunar month. This may mean different things depending on what needs to be done around the house.

Then, cleanse your home with incense, smoke, or bells, and ask for Hecate’s blessing and protection during the next blossoming of the moon.

Next, I gather my offering in a bowl or tray to prepare for nightfall. During this time, I like to make sure I’ve showered before I present my offering.

Offerings For Hecate:

These can be left as part of Hecate’s Deipnon, but offerings can be made at any time that works for you!

Garlic

Onion or leeks

Wine

Honey

Almonds

Grapes

Apples

Mushrooms

Bread or cakes

Fruit

Flowers

Bay leaves

Incense

Used up spell components

Crystals like moonstone or labradorite

A piece of paper with aspects you’d like to leave behind written on it

Plant debris, if you’re a green witch. (Avoid cuttings of invasive plant species!)

Strands of dog hair collected from your new moon sweepings

Other biodegradable materials gathered from your monthly cleaning

Anything that calls out to you! If you have a strong feeling that she’ll enjoy something, then it’s likely a sign that she wants it as an offering. Just make sure leaving it outside is safe for the environment and local ecosystem.

Once gathered, the offering is left at a three-way crossroads just before nightfall, and Lady Hecate would have you know that the poor, starving, and strays have just as much claim to it as she does.

When you arrive at the crossroads, create a circle of protection in which to leave your offering. Remember that this circle should protect the needy that may take from your bowl, not keep them from it.

All hail Hekate!

I am not the author, just sharing the knowledge.

Blessed be!

[ibuprofriendz]

Here's some random name ideas I like/think are interesting. I may organize them by language and add a pronunciation key if I collect enough

Ales - Latin for winged

Asp - A type of snake, or the aspen tree

Augury - Augury is the practice from ancient Roman religion of interpreting omens from the observed behavior of birds.

Buddy - English for friend, pal

Candor - English for unreserved honesty, frankness

Cronan - of Irish origin meaning dark one. Probably where the character Crona/Chrona's name comes from?

Emrys - Welsh name meaning immortal.

Enid - Welsh name meaning life, spirit. Enid is also a godess but none of the sites about her seemed particularly promising as far as accuracy goes. Please lmk if you have good sources on her

Jovie - Jovial or joyful.

Lain - Means sound of jewels in Japanese according to this site, could also be dweller of the lane in Old English.

Maize - Derived from Spanish; meaning corn. Why not?

Quell - Extinguish, suppress, subdue.

Vera - Slavic origin, meaning truth or faith.

Xenia - Greek name meaning guest, stranger, foreigner, hospitality.

[thecatsandthecrone]

The Wheel of the Year: Beltane

Photo de CHUTTERSNAP sur Unsplash  

☽🔮☾🕯🃏🌕🕸✨🍃🍄🧿🌙✩ 🪄📚

May 1st marks Beltane on the wheel of the year (at least, in the northern hemisphere. In the southern one, it is celebrated in the 1st November). This celebration comes right after Ostara and before Litha. Beltane is one of the less well known festivities because other religions, because even if Christianity integrated it into their story they didn't link it to any "religious events" so Beltane stayed a minor festival, known as "May Day" and celebrated in areas of celtic or christian tradition.

Beltane celebrates life, fullness and lushness. What this festival highlights is spring at its peak, right in ists middle, and the impending return of summer. In Ireland and other countries of Celtic tradition this festival celebrates the first of summer ! As such, this festival is a time to make merry, to let loose and enjoy nature's beauty in its fullest and at its most charming ! As it is to be expected the main theme of this festival is exhuberance, excess and fertility. In antiquity, it was customary to partake in different fertility rituals, such as lighting two fires and having your cattle pass through, dances and the traditional May Pole (where girls would hold a ribbon attached to a massive pole in the middle of the field, and then dance around it, braiding the ribbons in different patterns). While most of this traditions are long gone, lighting fires, dancing and merrymaking are still important parts of this festival ! In its origin, Beltane celebrated the day where cattle could be again be brought to pastures, as well as the Earth's natural rythms. In certain traditions such as wicca, this festival is also used to celebrate fertility gods (such as Cernnunos or Belenus) or the moment where the feminine and masculine energies of nature are at its strongest, and at their most attractive ! The name Beltane might come from Celtic, meaning "bright fire", or "the fires of Bel", referring to Belenus. This is a good moment to rejoice and be grateful for the blessings bestowed upon us, to ask nature or any deities we worship to bless us, to enjoy being ourselves, alive in this crazy world and to partake and share joy with our loved ones. Beltane is a moment of excess, of celebration and of sensual pleasures: eating and drinking well, spending a good time with friend and enjoying the wealth of gifts that nature has in store for us ! This festival honours is associated with the maiden aspect of the Goddess (in the shape of a sensual maiden that will soon become a mother). It celebrates different Gods, mostly those related to exhuberance, energy (specially virile energy), fertility and lust: Cernunnos, Belenus, Father Nature, Apollo, Baal... but plenty of feminine godesses linked to fertility, sensuality or motherhood: Mother Nature, Venus, Ceres... Likewise, this day brings up lush, exhuberant and lively associations: plenty of phallic or yonic imagery,the Sun, fires, holy wells or springs, the maypole, flowers, greenery, merrymaking... It is for this reason that handfasting and marriages were traditionally celebrated during this festival as well ! There are plenty of traditions associated with Beltane, but not all of them might be reasonable for the modern witch living in a metropolitan city. For example, you could join a maypole dance if you were so lucky as to find one. You could also light a bonfire if you had the room and the permission of your local council. If you have cattle, definitely take them out to graze. If you have a partner or partners, by all means practice fertility or sensuality rituals as long as you have their consent. Here are some other ways to celebrate that might be more doable to witches that do not live in an Irish cottage in the XVIIth century:

-Feast: While Ostara was a good time for fasting Beltane is a good time for feasting. Today is not the time to count calories ! Enjoy plentiful, good food by yourself or in the company of your loved ones. A picnic under the Sun, next to a river or a barbeque would be particularly fitting ! Some foods particularly associated with Beltane might be any sort of animal products, fruits (particularly those associated with sexuality and sensuality), grains such as oats, wheat or barley, spices (specially hot spices, as they are associated with fire and the Sun) and of course, alcoholic drinks (or their non-alcoholic version if you don't drink). -Dance: Dance has always been associated with sensuality and merrymaking, to the point that certain cultures used to frown upon it. If you want to enjoy Beltane to the max let loose and dance: outside or inside, by yourself or with others, to any kind of music... just dance your heart out and take this moment to truly connect with yourself, your body and enjoy being alive as much as you can ! -"Bonfire": No big bonfire in your area ? No room to make your own ? No problem. Microdose bonfires with a barbeque, or light candles if you can. The fire will still represent and honour the Sun just as much as with a big bonfire ! -Gather flowers: In Celtic tradition it was popular to collect and decorate with yellow flowers, as they were used to represent the Sun. Sunflowers are particularly fitting, but dandelions and narcissus are also very good. You could even make dandelion wine, dandelion lemonade or syrup with the flowers you pick up !

-Wear flower crowns: As Beltane is heavily associated with lushness and fertility flowers are another good image that they link to. Wear flowers in your dress, gather flowers or wear flower crowns to celebrate your own body, sensuality and sexuality. -Fertility or sensuality rituals: Performing rituals is a good way to celebrate this festivity, as it was traditional in antiquity. Of course, fertility, sensuality and sexuality rituals are the most fitting for this season but you can also do rituals honouring nature or honouring the deities related to this festival. -May pole: No maypole where you live ? Not an issue: Create your own with a twig or a lollipop stick, ribbons and perhaps a crystal to top in off. You probably won't be able to dance while braiding it, but you can still jam to some tunes as you do so ! -Prepare a May basket: In antiquity people would often prepare little baskets full of flowers or different goodies for their loved ones and friends. Share the joy and merrymaking by making a little basket filled with flowers and treats, be it for yourself or for your friends. -Decorate your altar: As with every festivity now would be a great time to deck your altar in the colours of the season and include some fitting decorations. If you aren't shy about sexuality, images of the God and Goddess might be good options, and so would be phallic or yonic symbols. Other options might be flowers, crystals, ribbons or objects that represent the Sun.

Colours associated with Beltane: Red, yellow, orange, white, green, gold Crystals associated with Beltane: Garnet, carnelian, tiger's eye Food associated with Beltane: Meat, dairy, eggs, honey, grains, fruits,  alcoholic drinks.

I hope you have enjoyed this post. If you would like me to continue making posts like this please support me so I can continue making them: you can support me by donating here https://ko-fi.com/bunnymatchamochi or by visiting my Etsy store here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LovenestAtelier?ref=profile_header Reblogs and likes also help ! Thank you so much for reading me !  

[namesarelikeshinythings]

Hunting related names :

(I don't support hunting or harming animals in any way)

Tw : mentions hunting, harm done to people/animals

Acteon (masc, hunter in ancient greek, the name of a hunter that was turned into a stag by Artemis and eaten by his hounds)

Archer (neutral, bowman in latin)

Arrow (gender neutral, english word)

Artemis (fem leaning, greek godess of hunting, the woods and the moon)

Buck (masc, male deer in english)

Caine (masc leaning, hebrew for spear hunter)

Chase (neutral, hunting in french)

Connor (masc, hunter or master of hounds in irish)

Diana (fem, roman version of Artemis)

Harley (fem leaning, hare's wood in english)

Hawk/Falcon (masc leaning, a bird of prey in english)

Hunter (masc leaning, english word)

Hyde (masc, hide of land in old english)

Pan (masc, greek god of nature and hunting, it's also the french version of "bang")

Robin (neutral, old germanic for famed, bright, like Robin Hood)

Talon (masc, french for large claw of a bird of prey)

Wolfgang (masc, old german wolf+path)

[therewasagameonceinsanityarg]

the god sexy men and the gods horror. well what could i tell you about them? Once upon a time there was a cult in africa. it was called PATEN, because not too long ago the color of freindship a myth portrayed by the white tetris of slave trade, consumed all africans minds. So they great tircksters of africa gathered, to adopt imgrants overseas. but what they didnt expect was with teh invention of televison, insanity peaking through and thus with him came the risih gods. They developed their own family. A family based on horror. It held PED### serial wendigo ayer ayer silence bliss joy joy yagsothot and candole. they became irish jack, scottish drowned, a very beutiful person, scp dollhouse and magenta. they became teh gods of horror in africa which all follow the vooudon LOLLIE known as SILIBIS. or HOMEWORK. she was a good girl, who was raped her entire life. if this was your america, she would be named sybil or perpaps lilith. LOLLIE was the godess of maps and comapses which is why it holds the term today. she was irish and became all her characters. in teh creepypasta fandom it is clear who she is. in scps she is dollhouse or eyes. eyes is an indiefic but her sister TEENAKA became ICKY or teenager phase, who was the godess of rebellion and lipstick lebsians. alwyas a boy. always a trap. jeff the kilelrs role in this faith as apop culture religion is to deify serial killers as lucifer or sameale, never killing meerly cacusing a heart attack or a chesure smile like yoko ono. i studied here as anasi when zone captor picked me up from teh dollie family of ficiton. ARG's job was detective work, arg had stalk blue hair and was painted very similar to drama from dramatical murder. in shintosim anime is magick where the characters no matter how unique or well written follow the tropes of the kami. sexy man is the head of this family. he is the dedonin HORROR or DRAUL he is the hope that became despair and often takes the form of aladain or junko enoshima.

-anansi walker

[arcanesoldier]

All About Anu

Anu - Irish goddess of fertility, abundance, crops, and the land

“Anu does not simply rule over the land; she is the land. Her breasts are the gently rolling hills, the plains her belly, and the crops and harvest the the bounty of her womb.” - Stephanie Woodfield in Celtic Lore and Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess

Associations

Colors:

Green, earth tones

Herbs/plants:

Apples, mugwort

Stones/gems:

Amethyst, moonstone, emeralds, clear quartz

Moon phase:

New moon, waking moon, full moon

Sun phase:

Dawn, midday

Animal:

Cattle

Calling on Anu

Ask for Anu’s assistance when you need the gift of abundance or wealth in your life. As a fertility goddess and goddess of the land, Anu naturally brings abundance into the world. Asking for Anu’s assistance in fertility spells or rituals would also be appropriate, as it is from Anu’s soil that life comes forth. Finally, being one of the faces of the Morríghan, Anu is a fierce warrior and goddess of sovereignty and can help in situations when a warrior queen would be of assistance (but for real like when would a warrior queen not be of assistance).

(Also, as always, be respectful and leave an offering when asking for help.)

Honoring Anu

Anu is not only a goddess of the land, she is the land itself. Respecting and protecting the earth is an excellent way to honor this goddess. Not only that, but just getting outside and experiencing her energies and her creations is a wonderful way to feel close to her. Keeping a plant or two in your home and taking good care of it can help foster the abundant life that Anu bestows on the world. 

Good offerings to Anu include moonstones, apples, and seeds or grain, as well as any type of wine (though I usually go for dark reds for any of the Morríghan sisters).

Information garnered from Celtic Lore and Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess by Stephanie Woodfield and from personal experience.

[inkandglitter21]

The Celtic Mother Goddess: A brief study of Danu

By Reed Brown, @inkandglitter21

A Brief Study of Danu

This is a limited overview of select literature on Danu, the Irish mother goddess. Danu is considered a primordial mother of the Tuatha de Danann who are a tribe of gods from Irish myth. Their name is said to mean "the people of the Goddess Danu." However, there is no Danu technically found in Irish myth. The name Danu is mistakenly reconstructed from the word Danann. There is a figure in myth, Danand, who authors equate with Danu.

Lebor Gabala Erenn 

 According to Lebor Gabala Erenn, Danu is not the entire tribe’s ancestor; they are descendants of the biblical Noah. The writers of the manuscripts Lebor Gabala Erenn is based on were Christians who were creating a history, albeit a faux history, for Ireland. They altered the myths to fit a Christian lense. Lebor Gabala Erenn says the Tuatha took their name from three specific gods who were the three gods of Dana, their mother being Danand/Donann. With this in mind, there is a “Danu” figure, mother of three gods.

On the other hand, in the Welsh tales of the Mabinogion, there is a goddess, Don, who is a mother to several deities, not just three male gods like the Irish Danand. In Hinduism, there is a goddess named Danu who gives birth to a whole race of asuras, called the Danavans, enemies to the devas. The etymology of Danu is of Indo European origins and means river or waters. 

Deities of the same etymology or function are not the same deity necessarily, but if this goddess is the same figure repeated in different cultures, perhaps Danand is Danu, the Irish Danu did exist, or Danu can be constructed as the mother of the tribe of Irish gods. A writer and scholar of Celtic myth, Peter Berresford Ellis, does just this. 

 A Constructed Danu

Many authors uphold that Danu is the ancestral mother of the Tuatha De Danann. Despite the name Danu being a mistaken linguistic construct, and the Lebor Gabala Erenn saying the Tuatha take the name from Danand, Ellis claims there was an Irish Danu known as "the divine waters of heaven." 

He does this in his two works, The Druids and Celtic Myths and Legends. First, he removes the Christian influence from the Irish origin stories by discarding the biblical ancestry. Second, he looks toward the ancestry of other pantheons, using the etymology, Indo European background, and Hindu concept of Danu to infer an Irish Danu’s existence. 

Ellis also cites different cultures’ mother goddesses, these cultures’ spiritual relationships with rivers, and especially the Celts relationship with the Danube river to strengthen this claim. Celtic people lived around the Danube river which is said to have the same etymology as the name Danu. However, in the Roman pantheon, it is said the Danube is associated with a male deity, Danuvius.

In his book Celtic Myths and Legends, Ellis creates a new origin myth inspired by the Celts’ sister cultures. In this tale, Danu, as the waters of heaven, comes and brings the barren earth to life. An oak tree, the god Bile, grows. They form a union, and Danu births the Dagda and Brigid.

Danu vs. Anu

An article published by Harvard, “Mater Deorum Hibernensium: identity and cross-correlation in early Irish mythology" by Sharon Paice MacLeod, examines a source that predates the Lebor Gabala Erenn. This source is The Glossary of Cormac.

MacLeod presents an argument that Danu is in fact Anu, the namesake for the Paps of Anu, two breast-like mountains in Ireland. According to MacLeod in The Glossary of Cormac, the Tuatha De Dannan are not called by this name. They are known as the “aes side,” people of the sidhe mounds or are referenced as the people of the goddess. Anu is named as mater deorum hibernensium: mother of the gods of Ireland.

MacLeod proposes the idea that the three gods of Danand from the Lebor Gabala Erenn were really the “tri dee dana,” the three gods of skill. She postulates that they were mistakenly turned into the three gods of Danand in linguistic confusion. She says the name Danand/Danann was not found before the Lebor Gabala Erenn. She suggests the name is a corrupted form of domnann, the name of another tribe of legend.

MacLeod tells us the Anu name is associated with wealth and abundance, connecting her to the land. This name has been known as a name for Ireland and this goddess the embodiment. In various sources, people often associate Anu with or as Danu and call the paps by the name Danu as well. This is debated and argued by various sources. It has been suggested  the writer of the Glossary possibly imposed his region’s mother goddess, Anu, onto the goddess of the Tuatha. If MacLeod’s argument and sources are correct, this may provide a possible foundation for this notion of Danu being Anu.   

Conclusion 

Perhaps the Tuatha are the people of the earth goddess Anu, who was turned into Danand and Danu. Then through the Indo European etymology of Danu and Hindu influences, she became a goddess of the waters. Or perhaps she is Danand/Danu, the goddess of the waters like the Hindu counterpart. Either way,  there is a mother goddess figure who this tribe is associated with. 

Art by Silk Alchemy https://fineartamerica.com/featured/danu-great-celtic-mother-goddess-silk-alchemy.html

[autos-ismos]

tá grá agam do Ériu, Banba, agus Fódla. tá grá ullmhór dóibh.

[arwendeluhtiene]

Imbolc is lá fhéile Bríde shona daoibh! Happy Imbolc and Brigid' s Day! 😃🔥 Here's my first edited picture of my closet cosplay/reenactment of the Irish goddess Brighid, solar fire goddess associated with poetry and inspiration, fertility and healing, smithwork, crafts and music, and warlike protection. She's one of my favourite goddesses in one of my favourite cultures. I had a blast shooting and editing this 😁, so I think goddess-y shoots will be a repeating thing 💚 ➡️Wig: Spiral Curly Auburn lace-front from Wig Is Fashion. I'm in love with the curly wigs I got for my Celtic endeavours 😍💚 ➡️The wool checked cloak/mantle/shawl and brooch I got in Glasgow are also so gorgeous and some perfect for Celtic reenactments ❤️ ➡️Background pic is my own from a 2007 trip to Ireland ➡️Pic and edit by me

Brighid reenactment

Historical reenactment

Celtic reenactment

DeviantArt

FB cosplay page

IG cosplay page

[inthenameofsverige]

All Spellings of Brighid

(taken from wikipedia)

Berc'hed (Breton)

Berget (Swedish)

Bergit (Scandinavian)

Berit (Scandinavian)

Birgit

Birgitta (Scandinavian)

Birgitte (Norwegian)

Birte (Norwegian)

Brede (Manx)

Breesha (Manx)

Breeshey (Manx)

Bríd (Irish)

Bríde (Irish)

Bridget (English)

Bridgette (English)

Bridgid (English)

Brídín (Irish)

Brigette (French)

Brìghde (Scottish Gaelic)

Brighid (Irish)

Brighidín (Irish)

Brigid (Old Irish)

Brígida (Catalan, Portuguese, Spanish)

Brigida (Italian, Spanish)

Brigit (English, Old Irish)

Brigita (Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovenian)

Brigitta (German, Hungarian)

Brigitte (French, German)

Brit (Norwegian)

Brita (Finnish, Scandinavian)

Britt (Scandinavian)

Britta (Scandinavian)

Brygid (Polish)

Brygida (Polish)

Ffraid (Welsh)

Gitta (German)

Gittan (Swedish)

Piritta (Finnish)

Pirkko (Finnish)

Priita (Finnish)

Riitta (Finnish)

[waywardbean]

NIAMH IS 6'1" PLSSSSSSS I WANT THIS TALL ANIMAL-LOVING IRISH GODESS FOR MYSELF, I COULD ACTUALLY HAVE SOMEONE MY HEIGHT FKDBKDBDKSBDKSB