The Celtic Goddesses
Arianhod
Arianrhod ("silver wheel", thus, the moon), is one of the descendants of Don. She had two brothers, Gilfaethwy and Gwydion the sister of Math ap Mathonwy, whose quality was that he required a virgin's lap to place his feet in, unless he was at war. When this virgin was raped, Math asked for a replacement, and Arianrhod volunteered. But when she stepped over his rod, she immediately gave birth to two children: a young boy and a blob. (This is likely because the word morwyn may mean either 'virgin' or 'free young woman', but it also indicates her divine status.)
The boychild was named Dylan; he was a sea-being who returned to the waves. The blob was snatched up by Arianrhod's brother Gwydion, who hid it in a chest until it grew into a baby. Arainrhod imposed three geases upon this boy: he would have no name unless she named him, he would bear no arms unless she armed him, and he would have no human woman to wife. Thus, Arianrhod denied him the three essential passages to manhood. Nevertheless, Gwydion raised the nameless boy, and one day Arianrhod spied a young boy killing a wren with a single flung stone. She called out that he was a bright lion with a sure hand, and thus he took that name: Llew Llaw Gyffes. Later, Gwydion faked an alarm, and tricked her into arming the boy.
Airmed
A goddess of the Tuatha de Danaan of Ireland. She was the goddess of witchcraft and herb lore.
Andraste
(Britain) Andraste is a warrior goddess, the goddess of victory
Adsagsona
Celtic goddess of the underworld and of magic.
Anu
One of the ancestor goddesses of Ireland. Some mythographers claim she is the same goddess as Aine, others say Danu.
Ardwinna
A Celtic goddess of the forests.
Artio
Celtic goddess of wildlife, who was usually depicted in the form of a bear.
Badb
One of the three war goddesses known collectively as the Morrigan. She was depicted in the form of a raven with a crimson (bloody) mouth.
Brighid
"Fiery Arrow or Power," is a Celtic three-fold goddess, the daughter of The Dagda, and the wife of Bres. Known by many names, Brighid's three aspects are (1) Fire of Inspiration as patroness of poetry, (2) Fire of the Hearth, as patroness of healing and fertility, and (3) Fire of the Forge, as patroness of smithcraft and martial arts. She is mother to the craftsmen. Sons of Tuireann: Creidhne, Luchtaine and Giobhniu.
Excalibur, King Arthur's sword, was forged by the Lady of the Lake, a figure sometimes associated with Brighid because of her fire and forgery aspect. Like the Arthurian Avalon, or "Isle of Apples," Brigid possessed an apple orchard in the Otherworld to which bees traveled to obtain it's magickal nectar.
Brigid, which means "one who exaults herself," is Goddess of the Sacred Flame of Kildare (derived from "Cill Dara," which means "church of the oak") and often is considered to be the White Maiden aspect of the Triple Goddess. She was Christianized as the "foster-mother" of Jesus Christ, and called St. Brigit, the daughter of the Druid Dougal the Brown. She sometimes also is associated with the Romano-Celtic goddess Aquae-Sulis in Bathe.
Brighid's festival is Imbolc, celebrated on or around February 1 when she ushers Spring to the land after The Cailleach's Winter reign. This mid-Winter feast commences as the ewes begin to lactate and is the start of the new agricultural cycle. During this time Brigid personifies a bride, virgin or maiden aspect and is the protectoress of women in childbirth. Imbolc also is known as Oimelc, Brigid, Candlemas, or even in America as Groundhog Day.
As the foundation for the American Groundhog Day, Brigid's snake comes out of its mound in which it hibernates and its behavior is said to determine the length of the remaining Winter.
Gailleach, or White Lady, drank from the ancient Well of Youth at dawn. In that instant, she was transformed into her Maiden aspect, the young goddess called Brigid. Wells were considered to be sacred because they arose from oimbelc (literally "in the belly"), or womb of Mother Earth.
Because of her Fire of Inspiration and her connection to the apple and oak trees, Brighid often is considered the patroness of the Druids.
Carlin
(Scotland) She was the spirit of the eve of Samhain (Halloween), the night the year turned to winter, and the ghosts of the dead roamed the world of the living.
Carman
(Irish) A destructive witch, she was the goddess of evil magic. She had three equally destructive sons: Dub ("darkness"), Dother ("evil"), and Dian ("violence"). The Tuatha de Danaan, the deities ruled by the goddess Danu, fought against Carman with their most powerful weapons. Finally the sorceress Bechuille, was able to undo Carman's curses. Her sons were destroyed and Carman put in chains, where she died of grief. See now.....that's what you get for being nasty!
Cerridwen
(Wales) Cerridwen is the goddess of dark prophetic powers. She is the keeper of the cauldron of the underworld, in which inspiration and divine knowledge are brewed.
Damona
(Gaul) Goddess of fertility and healing; her name means "divine cow".
Dana (Danu)
(Celtic) The goddess from whom Tuatha Dé Danann (The People of Dana) were descended. She was the daughter of the god Dagda (the Good), and had three sons, who had only one son between them, Ecne (Knowledge). She was another of the three war goddesses known collectively as the Morrigan.
Ethne
(Irish) An ancient Irish goddess that subsisted on the milk from a sacred cow from India.
Finchoem
(Irish) Finchoem was one of those goddesses of mythology that conceived in an "unusual" way. She swallowed a worm from a magic well, hoping she would bear a hero. She did; his name was Conall, a prominent stalwart in Irish heroic legend.
Medb
(Irish) Queen of Connacht, her name means "she who intoxicates". A goddess of war. Where the Morrigan use magic in battle, Medb wields a weapon herself. The sight of Medb blinds enemies, and she runs faster than the fastest horse.
Mor
(Irish) Celtic goddess of the sea and sun. She is identified with the setting sun and is depicted as sitting on a throne.
Morgen (Morgana)
(Britain) Celtic goddess of the sea, fate, death and rebirth. (Sea-sprites in Brittany are still called "morgans"). She was a great healer and shapeshifter. Supposedly King Arthur resides with her in Avalon as he heals. She evolved into the wicked Morgan Le Fay, an evil sorceress, in later versions of the King Arthur legend.
Morrigan
(Irish) High Queen and goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann. She was a trinity; Macha, Badb, and Neman (Nemain or Nemhain), all three bloodthirsty and feared by the enemies of the Tuatha Dé Danann. As Macha she was goddess of war and fertility who could take the shape of a crow or a raven. As Badb (Nechtan) she was the water-god whose sacred well was a source of knowledge. As Neman she was the goddess of war and battle.
The Morrigan is a goddess of battle, strife, and fertility. Her name translates as either "Great Queen" or "Phantom Queen," and both epithets are entirely appropriate for her. The Morrigan appears as both a single goddess and a trio of goddesses. The other deities who form the trio are Badb ("Crow"), and either Macha (also connotes "Crow") or Nemain ("Frenzy"). The Morrigan frequently appears in the ornithological guise of a hooded crow. She is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann ("Tribe of the goddess Danu") and she helped defeat the Firbolg at the First Battle of Mag Tuireadh and the Fomorians at the Second Battle of Mag Tuireadh.
The Greek and Roman Goddesses
