AN – Great Goddess, the original deity of the Arya, name was the root of the

Appendix B : Other Celtic Goddesses and their relation to Elen

An examination of other goddesses in the Celtic pantheon reveals both similarities
and differences with Elen

The two main deities of the Celts to be considered will be Ana and Ceridwen, other
minor deities are also briefly examined.

1. AN – Great Goddess, the original deity of the Arya, name was the root of the
Celtic words for brightness, fire, glow, splendour, glory and divine.

A female archetype of radiant energy and power. A lifeforce bearer.

Variants: Ana/Anna, Ane/Aine, Ani/Anni, Ano/Anno, Anu/Annu, Ina/Inna,
Ona/Onna, Anon/Annon, Anan/Annan etc

Originally a Goidelic (later Britonic) deity remembered in surviving myths as:

Anu, an Irish goddess of ‘plenty’. In Kerry two mountains are called the ‘Paps of Anu’.

Aine, an Irish goddess of lunar, solar and terrestrial energy. Later represented as a sorceress,
Queen of Faerie, and a Lady of the Lake. She was associated with Munster.

Also Danu, D’Anu, The Goddess? Mother (Madron) of the Irish deities the Tuatha De Dannan
("People of the Goddess Danu", or "Tribe of Danu"). Cattle associations.
Also closely associated with flowing water and rivers. The Wife/Mother of Dagda.

Later also called Dan, Dann or Don elsewhere (and associated with. Don River, Danube River,
Denmark, etc.)

Possibly related to the Roman Diana, from Di Ana, a deity of ‘light’ associated
with the Sun, Moon and Open Sky. She was also a fecundity and fertility deity
associated with the wild places in nature. Later she was seen as a bestower of
sovereignty. Christianised as St Anne, the mother of Mary.

She had several epithets and aspects which became the deities of various tribes:

Rhiannon (Rhi Annon, Ri Ana, and Rigatona or Rigat Ona (Gaulish) or Rigat Ana)

The ‘Divine Regent’, Or ‘Great Queen’ Welsh goddess, consort of Pwyll (lord of underworld)
and Manawydan (lord of sea). Regarded as a Welsh Persephone.

Also called the ‘Great Mare’, the White Horse of the Moon. Also has Solar aspect.

In Celtic lore she was the bestower of sovereignty onto the king.

Epona (Gaulish Epo Ona, or British Epo Ana)

The ‘Divine Horse’ an aspect of Rhiannon, later a goddess of horses and horsemen.
Adopted by the Romano-British cavalry and passed back to Rome as horse goddess.

The Horse symbolised dynamic motion and flowing energy.

She was represented as a woman riding on a white horse, with foals, dogs or birds following her.
Sometimes she fed horses or foals out of her basket filled with fruits, corn and especially apples.

Edain (Etain, Et Aine, Et Ana)

Obscure Celtic horse goddess.

Boann (Irish Boi, Boand, Boanna, Bo Anna)

"She of the white cattle". Goddess of fertility. Represented by the sacred white cow.
Wife of the water god Nechtan (Neptune) Consort of Dagda (identifying her with Danu).
She was also the deity of the river Boyne. ‘Divine Cow’.

Damona (Dam Ona, Dam Ana)

Minor Gaulish goddess known as the "Divine Cow".

Shannon (Irish Sha Annon, Sha Ana)

A River goddess with many names, originally goddess of the Shannon river, later generalised.
Also associated with springs and wells. Keeper of Well of Knowledge.

Coventina (Scottish Covent Ina, Covent Ana)

Goddess of water and springs. She was personified by a holy spring that had healing powers.

Arduinna (Gaulish Ardu Inna, Artu Inna, Artu Ana).

An Artemis/Diana-like figure, the tutelary Goddess of the Ardennes Forest region.
She seems to be a particular protectress of wild boars, and is imaged as riding upon one at least once.
Often associated with the Roman Diana. Also cave bear association.

Linking her with Andarta (Gaulish An d Arta?) An obscure continental bear goddess known from inscriptions
in Berne and in the south of France. Apparently a deity of the Vocontii tribe, and perhaps a counterpart of
Artio (Gaulish ‘She Bear’ goddess of Helvetii tribe of Swiss Alps) . She may also have a connection with Andrasta.

Adopted by Merovingian Franks.

Andraste (British Andrasta, An d Rasta?)

Iceni Moon Goddess connected with the hare, divination, fertility, war, death, and sacred lands (sanctuaries or sacred woods and forests).

Cliodna (Cliod Na or Cliod Ana)

Maiden aspect of the ‘Dark Goddess’. Name means "Shapely One" or ‘Being of Divine Form’. Faerie Queen associated with beauty,
shape shifting, apples, and birds.

The Morrigan (Irish and Welsh Morrigana, or Mor Rig Ana)

Name derived from Celtic Mawr "great " + Rig "queen" + Ana “divine one”, giving

Divine Great Queen . A goddess associated with Fertility, Energy, Shapeshifting, Water, Magic,
Death and War. Wife of Dagda and Nuada (i.e. Danu).

Mor also sometimes translated as ‘phantom’ giving ‘Divine Phantom Queen’ etc
A name in keeping with her sinister associations as sorceress and seducer, as well as
destructive tendencies. Generally considered to be the ‘darkside’ of Ana, her death and disruption aspect.

Had three aspects: Badb (the Raven or Crow), Macha (the Horse or Cow) and Neman (or Nem An,
the Frenzied Divine One, sometimes referred to as simply Anu). These were perhaps the dark aspects of Branwen,
Epona/Boann and Anu respectively.

Closely related to Scottish goddess Scatbach (the Shadowy One).

2. CERIDWEN (aka Kerridwen, Cerridwyn, Ceridwyn, Ceri Dwyn)

‘The White Grain’ or ‘White One’. Grave’s ‘The White Goddess’.

Welsh initiatory goddess. Deity of Knowledge and Wisdom.

Later an Enchantress and Mistress of Fate or ‘Karma’.

Set Taboos and Prohibitions. Patron of Druidic Mystery School.

Initially probably a fertility goddess associated with sprouting seeds,

and so has close associations with Britonic Bride. Like her also linked

to inspiration and psychic energy. Owner of Cauldron of Inspiration.

Some think dates to Neolithic times others regard as Belgic origin.

Shrine allegedly first thing at St Paul’s / Artemis site.

3. Minor Goddesses

Albina (British)

The totemic goddess of Albion. The ‘White Goddess’. Preceltic?

Ceridwen connections.

Maree (Scottish)

A Goddess of northern Britain associated with wells, trees, and certain standing stones.
Inasmuch as there is a similar mother-Goddess with the same name in Minoan culture,
it has been suggested that there is a remote connection. Probably Preceltic.

Banbha, Fotla and Eriu (Irish)

A triplicity of Goddesses who are patronesses of all Ireland (see Eriu and Fotla).
Banbha derives from the same root as "sow", or "pig and may be pre Celtic.

Branwen (Welsh)

Celtic Goddess of love called Venus of the Northern Sea. Her name means White Raven.

Aobh (Abnoba)

Goddess of the hunt. Forest and River Goddess. Dianic.

Belisama (British)

Goddess of light and fire, the forge and crafts. The wife of Belenus.

A Bride analog.

Rosemerta (Latin name, original unknown)

Continental Celtic goddess of Fire, Fertility and Abundance

In myth resented marriage, and also associated with Death.

Arianrhod (Welsh name for Ariadne, literally meaning ‘silverwheel’)

Goddess of Moon and Stars, whose home was Caer Arianrhod, an ever
spinning castle (or prison) associated with the Corona Borealis.

Also associated with Night, and with the star Polaris, she was a goddess
of Death and Rebirth. She was also regarded as a daughter of Don (Danu)
but only appears in the Mabinogion. A very late period deity.

Almost certainly an adaptation of the Hellenic deity Ariadne, who was also
associated with the Corona in late myth. But she shares many features with
Ceridwen and so was probably merged with her.

Said to be connected with time and karma. Considered a goddess of re-incarnation,
she is also associated with having power over childbirth, the moon, fertility, and fate.
All probably due to her ‘stellar associations’.

Maeve (Also Medb, Queen Maeve)

Celtic (Irish) Queen of Connacht who personifies the heights of feminine power.
She was no doubt once a powerful Goddess who merged with a later historical figure.
Her name means "intoxicated woman" and she was known for her long golden hair fiery
temperament and iron will. Of the many legends surrounding her the most famous is
the Cattle Raid of Cooley. In this myth her coveting of a famous Ulster bull began a
war with Ulster. As an archetypal sovereign her aging husband the ineffectual King
Ailill seems as if he would be replaced by Cuchulain who resists the sacrificial role
and battles her instead. She wins the battle and Cuchulain's blood is spilled on earth
in the manner of all sacrificial Gods. Her sexual images are also strong and she often
boasted that she could sexually exhaust thirty men each night. As evidence of her
feminine power battles would pause while she menstruated. Ancient peoples believed
this time to be the peak of a woman's power. Maeve was not only a powerful leader
but also an expert warrior huntress and horsewoman.