Lea en español a

The Celts divided their people by clans and by social classes. Nobles, kings and chiefs were “high on the social totem-poll.” They belonged to warrior societies, who were followers of aristocrats. The Druids and the Bards, who were men of learning, made up the other classes.

Celtic myths were written in the eleventh century AD. There sources, mostly oral customs, were extremely old. These myths come to us essentially from Ireland and Wales . They also derive from Scotland , Cornwall , and Brittany (in France ). The fictional history of Ireland can be divided into three periods

            The first, the Mythological Cycle, is the settlement of early Celtic people on Ireland , particularly the Tuatha de Danann and the Milesians. The Mythological Cycle is so called because it represents the remains of the pagan mythology of pre-Christian Ireland .

The second, the Ulaid Cycle dealt with the regions of Conchobor of Ulaid and Midb of Connacht. This Cycle is a large body of literature centering on the original heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster .

The third, the Fenian Cycle, supposed to have set in a more peaceful time at the reign of Cormac the Airt. The Fenian Cycle is a body of literature centering on the exploits of the mythic hero Fionn mac Cumhaill and his warriors the Fianna Eireann.

The earlier Irish did not divide their myths and literature into cycles. These cycles were interpretations of modern scholars. The uses of cycles in Irish literature were just a convenient mean of dividing into periods for the Irish myths. All the romances and sagas of the three cycles were added into each of main manuscript, without any logical orders.

According to the Book of Invasions there were four earlier inhabitants of Ireland before the Tuatha De Danann(the ancient Celtic gods and goddesses.) First were Cessair and her crowd. The second wasthe Race of Parthelon. Next was the race of Nemed. Finally was the Fir Bolgs.

Danu is known as the mother of the Tuatha De Danann. Their most prized possessions included the charmed spearor Lugh, the magical cauldron of Dagda, the enchanted sword of Nuada, and the stone of destny.

Angus: the Celtic god of dreams

Anpao: the Celtic god of death

Arwn: the Celtic god of death. He was the leader of Annwyn (the underworld)

Arianhrod: was known as “high fruitful mother”

Badb/Andraste: the Celtic goddess of war.

Boann: the Celtic goddess of rivers

Bodb: the Celtic god of war.

Brigit: the Celtic goddess of wisdom.

Caber: the Celtic god of speed and bards

Cermunnos: the Celtic god of the hunt, the harvest, and fertility.

Conor: was actually an Irish king who was deified.

Cuthbadth: was a mortal who was deified.

Dagda: the ruler of Celtic gods.  He was the Celtic god of magic, wisdom, and heaven.

Danu: was mother earth.

Lug: the Celtic god of the sun.

Midir: the god of Annwyn.

Morrigan: Goddess of war and death.

Nemain: The Celtic goddess of war.

Nuada/Nuadha: king of the Celtic gods.

Oghma: the Celtic god of labor

Rhiannon: the Celtic goddess of horses

Taranis: the Celtic god of storms

The location of these gods was a dominion called Avalon (rather like Mt. Olympus to the Greeks.) Avalon was wildly associated to the Tara hill in Ireland and to the underworld of Annwyn including other small faerie worlds. As a group these places were called the Otherworld.

Fairies played a vital role in Celtic mythology. We have all seen fairies on TV or have read about then in books. Most of the time we see little winged woman in the woods. The Celts actually believed that fairies were human sized and did not have wings.

The Celts, in a desperate attempt to preserve their already fading oral traditions from the Romans during the dark ages, turned the God Artaius and Goddess Gwengwyvar into the historical King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. That way they could keep part of their religion alive durring the rule or the Romams.