🍀 Celtic Mythology & the Druidic Mysteries
Celtic mythology encompasses the pre-Christian beliefs of the Celtic peoples across Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Britain, Gaul, and beyond (~1200 BCE - 400 CE). Central to Celtic spirituality were the Druids - priest-philosophers who preserved oral traditions, performed rituals in sacred groves, and mediated between worlds. The Tuatha Dé Danann (People of the Goddess Danu) were the divine race who shaped Irish cosmology.
Explore Celtic Mythology
Dive deep into specific areas of Celtic tradition:
⚡ The Tuatha Dé Danann
Explore the gods and goddesses of Celtic Ireland - the divine race who dwell in the Otherworld.
- The Dagda - The Good God
- Brigid - Fire & Poetry
- Lugh - The Many-Skilled
- View All Deities →
🌀 Cosmology & Realms
Understand the structure of Celtic reality - the Three Realms, the Otherworld, and the boundaries between.
🌿 Sacred Herbalism
Learn about the sacred plants of the Celts - oak, mistletoe, vervain, and the wisdom of the green world.
Coming soon...
🔥 Rituals & Festivals
Discover the sacred calendar - Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh - and the rituals that connect worlds.
Coming soon...
🎓 The Druidic Path
Follow the 20-year journey from Ollaire to Arch-Druid - the training, practices, and mysteries of the ancient Druids.
Coming soon...
⚔️ Heroes & Legends
Meet the legendary heroes - Cú Chulainn, Fionn mac Cumhaill, and the great champions of Celtic myth.
Coming soon...
The Tuatha Dé Danann & Celtic Deities
The divine race who ruled Ireland before the arrival of the Milesians (humans).
Major Deities
🌊 The Dagda
King of Tuatha Dé Danann. Owns magic cauldron (never empty), club (kills with one end, revives with other), harp that controls seasons.
Symbols: Cauldron, club, harp
Domains: Abundance, protection, magic, time
🔥 Brigid
Goddess of Fire & Poetry
Triple goddess: fire of hearth, fire of forge, fire of inspiration. Healing, smithcraft, poetry. Later Christianized as St. Brigid.
Symbols: Eternal flame, Brigid's cross, sacred wells
Festival: Imbolc (Feb 1)
☀️ Lugh
The Many-Skilled, Shining One
Master of all arts. Sun god, warrior, craftsman. Killed Balor with sling stone. Leader of Tuatha Dé Danann in battle.
Symbols: Spear, sling, raven
Festival: Lughnasadh (Aug 1)
🌿 Danu
Mother Goddess
Primordial mother of Tuatha Dé Danann. Earth mother, fertility, sovereignty. River goddess (Danube named for her).
Symbols: Rivers, hills, earth
Manifestation: The land itself
⚔️ The Morrigan
Phantom Queen, Goddess of War
Triple goddess (Badb, Macha, Nemain). Battle fury, prophecy, fate. Shape-shifter (often crow/raven). Appears before battles.
Symbols: Crow, raven, eel, wolf
Domains: War, fate, death, sovereignty
🌳 Cernunnos
Lord of animals, nature, fertility, underworld. Cross-legged figure with antlers. Holds torque and serpent.
Symbols: Antlers, torque, serpent, animals
Depiction: Gundestrup Cauldron
Key Texts & Sources
- Lebor Gabála Érenn - "Book of Invasions" (Irish mythology compilation)
- The Mabinogion - Welsh mythological cycles
- Ulster Cycle - Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley), Cú Chulainn tales
- Fenian Cycle - Fionn mac Cumhaill and the Fianna
- Mythological Cycle - Tuatha Dé Danann stories
- Classical Sources - Julius Caesar (Gallic Wars), Pliny, Strabo on Druids
- Medieval Irish Texts - Dinnshenchas (place-name lore), Brehon Laws
- Welsh Triads - Poetic mnemonics preserving lore
Cross-Cultural Parallels
Celtic deities share archetypal patterns with gods from other traditions. Explore these connections: