Taranis was the Celtic God of thunder. He was associated with good humor and fun, though as with all Gods he could bring the wrath of God upon the people if angered. In some instances, he was a Sun God, thus the wheel in the accompanying graphic.
Tag: celtic myths (page 3 of 3)
Belanus, as can be seen in the accompanying image, was associated with the sun. He was a powerful, revered God thought to assist warriors in battle. Battle was of course a warrior’s “shining” moment and Belanus was thought to help insure that the warrior would indeed shine in battle.
Cernunnos is generally thought to be a God of fertility. Thus, he was called upon to bless weddings and to ensure plentiful harvests. He is typically depicted with other animals because he was thought to be a shape shifter and often appearing in the form of a snake or a stag.
People wear jewelry with his image these days as a link to those days or because they find the image pleasing. Although Cernunnos is generally viewed as a universal God revered by all Celts these days, some scholars believe that Cernunnos was a relatively local deity of consequence in a limited area (see Balmires book “Glamoury” for more detail on this point).
The Triple Goddess is/was helpful in material matters, nurturing, and faith.
The Triple Goddess also can be associated with life stages (maiden, mother, grandmother) or with the waxing, full and waning phases of the moon. These phases correspond with the planting/growth, fertility/procreation and reaping/harvest stages of the agricultural cycle.
More detailed information on the “Triple Goddess” can be found by following this link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Goddess_(Neopaganism).
This entry concerns Dagda and Dagda’s Harp. Dagda was one of the first Gods to settle in Ireland. He was part of the Tuatha de Danaan who had to fight the Firbolgs and the Formorians. Their story and others can be found in “The Book of Invasions”edited by R. A. Stewart Macalister.
When the Tuatha de Danann arrived in Ireland, they brought certain magical gifts. These gifts included the coronation stone, Lugh’s spear , the Nuada’s sword, Dagda’s cauldron, which could be used to restore life, and, Dagda’s Harp. This myth concerns Dagda, his harpist, and the Harp.
The Dagda, the chief god at this time, was known as the Good God. His Harp was made of oak and covered in rich decorations including a double-headed fish with jeweled eyes. The Harp, however, was battle scared because Dagda always took it into battle with him. In fact, he took it everywhere with him. He and his harper, Uaithne, were the only ones who could play it.
Unfortunately, after the second Battle of Mag Tuiread, Dagda discovered that his harp and his harper, had been captured by the Formorians. Angered as only Gods can be, he and his son, Aengus Og, set out to reclaim the Harp.
As they neared the Formorian camp, they could hear the sounds of the victory celebration. Bres, the Formorian king, was hosting a great feast. When they peered into the great hall, they saw the Harp hanging on the wall. At this, Dagda’s anger was so great he marched directly into the hall and used this chant to call his Harp to him:
Come Daurdabla, apple-sweet murmurer
Come, Coir-cethair-chuir, four-angled frame of harmony,
Come summer, come winter,
Out of the mouths of harps and bags and pipes!
The chant worked and the Harp streaked across the hall to him, killing all in its path. The festivities ended abruptly. Dagda immediately began to play the Three Noble Strains of Ireland that were inherent in his harp. The first of these, the goltrai (strain of weeping) caused every the Formorians to mourn and lament their defeat. He followed this with the geantrai (the strain of merriment) so the Formorians, who had so recently been mourning fell to laughter like puppets on a string. The Dagda ended his medley with the suantrai (sleep-strain) whereupon the Formorian warriors fell into a deep, deep sleep. At that point it was child’s play for the Dagda, Aengus Og, and Uaithne to take the harp and leave the enemy camp.
Commentary
This myth illustrates, the Celts believed music had/has the power to enchant. Music could be used to control emotion, take the listener to imaginary places or help one to forget. As such, music is an integral part of the Otherworld to the Celts.
Appropriate music anticipates the entry of every hero. Harp music is/was particularly magical. As in the myth of “Dagda’s Harp”, a harp was often played by gods and is the favored accompaniment when reciting old tales. Its range lends itself well to such uses. Not surprisingly then, every bard of old was a skilled harpist. Given this history, it is understandable why the harp is one of the prominent symbols of Ireland.
The Tuatha De’ Danann are a basic part of Irish/Celtic lore. This race of divine beings was thought to comprise the fifth invasion of Ireland (according the the Book of Invasions…if one strictly adheres to the tenets of that book there were seven invasions but two were really part of one invasion so I decided to ignore those).
All these Gods and Goddesses were thought to have sprung from Danu. Danu sprang forth from the tree of life in the form of a river and gave form to various other Devine beings. There are also those who believe that Danu is not the Goddess referred to because Danu was not an Irish Goddess. These scholars suggest that Danann has to do with great artistic ability…thus a Goddess of great artistic ability. Regardless, this race of Devine beings, which were eventually displaced by others but never totally vanquished, had various powers and influences. We will a few of these Devine beings briefly. For a more detailed discussion of these issues, see Steve Blamires book “Magic of the Celtic Otherworld”. There are many Gods and Goddesses in this group so I’ll restrict my comments to just a few (more extensive coverage of the group can be found in “Celtic Myths” by Miranda Jane Green).
There were three craft Gods: Goibhniu, a smithy; Luchta, a wright; and Creidhne, a goldsmith. Together they made magical weapons used to defend the gods. Their weapons always flew true and straight and always killed.
One of these Gods was Lugh. He was God of light and associated with the long days of summer. A summer festival, Lughnasad, was held in his honor each year (still is). Lugh’s role was of considerable consequence. He was a Warrior God and helped the Twatha De’ Danann immensely in times of conflict. In fact, Lugh assumed leadership of the Tuatha De’ Danann because Nuadu, the original leader, grew tired of constant conflict and withdrew. During his tenure, Nuadu lost an arm in battle and had to relinquish power until a new silver arm was constructed. After reassuming his leadership role, the conflict continued and he finally turned the job over to Lugh, the shining one.
Myths are narratives passed down from one generation to another. In general, they are associated with religious and mystical practice. Most often myths are used to relate beliefs about things that are beyond the ability of the rational mind to grasp or the senses to perceive. Myths are used to convey beliefs about the supernatural, the concept of the origin of humankind, the nature of the otherworld, the relationship between the natural and the supernatural. The origins of most myths are difficult to pin down but can usually be followed through written and archaeological evidence to get some sense of the circumstances of their emergence.
The accompanying image is of “Greenman” a myth about keeping his role in keeping the forest in balance.
