The Gods and Goddesses
(Quick reference of the Celtic Gods and Goddesses that begin with the letter A)
Abarta
Location: Ireland.
Description: A God of the Tuatha De Danann. "Performer of feats."
Rules Over: Understanding the destructive nature of jealousy, teamwork.
Accasbel
Location: Ireland.
Description: A Partholan who is credited with making the first tavern (pub) in Ireland. Most likely was an early God of wine or meade.
Rules Over: Mabon vine harvest, Beltane's blessing of the meade.
Achtland
Description: Goddess queen who no mortal man could sexually satisfy, so she took a giant from the faery realm as her mate.
Rules Over: Sex magick.
Addanc
Other Names: Affanc.
Location: Wales.
Description: Primordial Giant/God who created and rode the crest of the flood near his home on the Lake of Waves. Was once a deity worshipped by the people of the lake region but who is now reduced to faery or evil demi-god. In modern times the word Addanc is used to describe any evil fresh water-dwelling faery of Wales.
Rules Over: Erasing an event/person/etc from your mind, erasing unwanted thoughts so you can have a fresh start.
Adsullata
Location: Britain.
Description: Goddess of hot springs who came to Brittany from Celtic Gaul. A minor sun Goddess in her own right before the time when the Cels relegated the majority of their sun images to male deities and their moon images to female ones.
Rules Over: Purification, solar magick.
Aerten
Other Names: Aerfen, Aeron.
Location: Wales, Cornish.
Description: Goddess of Fate who presided over the outcome of war between several Celtic clans. She had a shrine at Glyndyfrdwy on the banks of the River Dee, where legend has it that three human sacrifices had to be made every three years to ensure success in future battles. Her symbol was the double-bladed axe.
Rules Over: Peace, overcoming enemies.
Aesun
Location: Ireland.
Description: Early Irish God whose name means "to be." Most likely part of a lost creation myth. Aesun was also known by the Persians and Umbria and Scandinavia.
Aeval
Other Names: Aebhel.
Location: Ireland.
Description: Goddess who in popular legend is a faery, who held a midnight court to hear the debate on whether the men of her province were keeping their women sexually satisfied or not. She commanded that the men bow to the women's sexual wishes.
Rules Over: Lust, sex magick, wisdom in making judgement.
Agrona
Location: Wales.
Description: Slaughter goddess often equated with the Morrigu.
Rules Over: War, slaughter.
Aibell
Location: Ireland.
Description: Goddess of Munster whose legends were almost lost until she was 'demoted' to a faery queen. She had in her possession a magickal harp which did her bidding, but which human ears could not hear or else the eavesdropper would soon die. She was associated with stones and leaves.
Rules Over: Protection, music, earth magick, ecological magick.
Aibheaog
Location: Ireland.
Description: Fire goddess who had a magick well that contained mighty healing powers, especially effective against toothache so long as the petitioner left a small white stone at the well to represent the decayed tooth. She is associated with wells and the number 5.
Rules Over: Healing, Midsummer well rituals.
Aife
Other Names: Aoife.
Location: Ireland, Scotland.
Description: Goddess and queen of the Isle of Shadow. She ran a school for warriors, but her school was less successful than her sister, Scathach's, school. Aife was not vulnerable to magick, and commanded a legion of fierce horsewomen. She stole an alphabet of knowledge from the deities to give to humankind. For that infraction, she was transformed into a crane by the elder deities. Supposedly, she was accidentally killed by hunters but yet others say she still haunts the countryside in this form today. She is associated with the three fold law and the crane.
Rules Over: Protection, general knowledge, teaching, pathworking, lessons of the threefold law.
Aimend
Location: Ireland, Scotland.
Description: Minor Sun Goddess who is thought to be the daughter of the king of the region known as Corco Loidhe.
Aine of Knockaine
Location: Ireland.
Description: Moon Goddess who was connected with the Summer Solstice.
Rules Over: Crops and cattle.
Airmid
Location: Ireland.
Description: Goddess of medicine and all healing arts to the Tuatha De Danann. She was looked upon as a magician and herbalist of great reputation. She was also a craftswoman who, with her brother, helped create the famed silver hand of Nuada.
Rules Over: Magick, healing, learning, herbalism, understanding family loyalty, inspiration to craftspeople.
Albion
Description: Son of a forgotten Sea God who may have been part of a lost creation myth. Was once said to rule the Celtic world. His name became the poetic name for Britain.
Alisanos
Description: Gaulish God of stones about whom very little is known. Probably a deity of the standing stones of Brittany.
Rules Over: Fertility.
Almha
Location: Ireland.
Description: Basically all her myths are lost to us today. What is known about her is that she was a Goddess of the Tuatha De Danann and that a hill in southern Ireland was named for her.
Ambisagrus
Other Names: Bussumarus.
Location: Britain.
Description: Originally from Gaul, where his Celtic identity was lost during the Roman takeover where he took all the characteristics of the Roman God Jupiter. Weather deity who controlled the rain, wind, hail and fog.
Rules Over: Weather magick, leadership.
Ancasta
Description: A Goddess who survives only in her name through an inscription on a stone in Hampshire. It is a possibility she is related to Andraste.
Andraste
Location: Britain.
Description: War Goddess who was evoked on the eve of the battle to bring favor, and possibly ritual sacrifices were given to her. Queen Boadicea of the Iceni offered sacrifices to Andraste in a sacred grove before fighting the Romans on her many campaigns against them.
Rules Over: Overcoming enemies.
Angus Mac Og
Other Names: Angus of the Brugh, Oengus of the Bruig, Angus Mac Oc, Aengus MacOg.
Location: Ireland.
Description: One of the Tuatha De Dannan who had a golden harp that could create incredibly sweet music. He had a brugh (fairy palace) on the banks of the Boyne.
Rules Over: Youth, love, music magick, protection of lovers, dream work, creativity and beauty.
Anu
Other Names: Anann, Dana, Dana-Ana, Catana.
Location: Ireland.
Description: Mother Earth, Great Goddess, Greatest of all Goddesses. Another aspect of the Morrigu. The fertility Goddess, sometimes she formed a trinity with Badb and Macha. Her priestesses comforted and taught the dying. Fires were lit for her on Midsummer. Guardian of cattle and health.
Rules Over: Fertility, prosperity, comfort, health, cattle.
Arawn
Other Names: Arawyn, Arrawn, Arawen.
Location: Wales.
Description: King of Hell, God of Annwn. Ruled the underground kingdom of the dead.
Rules Over: Revenge, terror, war, spirit contact, picking magickal names, strengthening friendships, reincarnation.
Ard Greimme
Location: Ireland, Scotland.
Description: Father of the famed warrioress sister Aife and Scathach. Once a Sun God.
Rules Over: Fire magick.
Ardwinna
Other Names: Dea Arduinna.
Location: Britain.
Description: Woodland and animal Goddess who haunted the forests of Ardennes riding a wild boar. She commanded a fine for any animal killed on her land, yet asked for animal sacrifices on her feast day.
Rules over: Animals, familiars, woodlands.
Ariadne
Description: The only Greek Goddess known to have been worshipped in Celtic Gaul. Her name is derived from the word arachnid. Ariadne spun the universe from the primordial darkness like a spider spins her web, a theme with echoes in the creation myths of many other cultures. She is thought to be very 'unceltic' and to have been brought with the Celts on their long journey across the European continent. She is associated with spider web, sulphur, thread, yarn.
Rules Over: Protection, magick, manifestation, time.
Arianrhod
Location: Wales.
Description: Keeper of the circling Silver Wheel of Stars, a symbol of time and karma. Mother aspect of the Triple Goddess. Honored at the Full Moon.
Rules Over: Beauty, fertility, reincarnation.
Arnamentia
Description: Goddess of spring waters who was once a minor solar deity.
Rules Over: Healing and purification.
Artaius
Description: God of sheep and cattle herders from Celtic Gaul. Later, the Romans identified him with Mercury.
Rules Over: Sheep, cattle.
King Arthur
Location: Wales, Cornwall.
Description: Most likely based on a seventh-century king named Artorius who led the fight to drive the Saxons from Britain, and later his legend was merged with that of a now-forgotten father/sacrificial God. Because of the strength of his legends, some consider him a God (even if only archtypically), father figure, warrior, leader, sacrificial king, protector and defender of justice and mercy. Son of King Uther Pendragon and Igraine, the Duchess of Cornwall. Taught and protected by the magician/Druid Merlin, married Guinevere, and was mortally wounded in battle by his son Modred (Morgan LeFay's child). Arthur's body was carried to Avalon to sleep and await the time when he is needed. He is a sacrificial God/king in the purest sense. The oldest legends surrounding him are found in The Black Book of Caermarthen.
Rules Over: Nearly anything is said to be able to be helped by King Arthur.
Artio
Description: Bear Goddess whose shrine once stood in what is now Berne, Switzerland. She is usually depicted as being surrounded by full baskets and animals. Goddess of fertility and wildlife. She is associated with the bear, claws and teeth, geode stones.
Rules Over: Fertility, animals, strength, courage.
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