Arianrhod
(ah-ree-AHN-rhohd)

Picture: Susan Boulet

The picture was scanned and sent to me by Cecilia Örning, thx and be blessed for this.

>>Badb is the Irish (Celtic) Goddess of war. She often assumes the form of a raven or carrion-crow (her favorite disguise) and is then referred to as Badb Catha, meaning "battle raven". Not only did she take part in battles themselves, she also influenced their outcome by causing confusion among the warriors with her magic. The battle-field is often called 'land of Badb'. She formed part of a triad of war-goddesses with Macha (Nemain) and the Morrigan. >>(Encyclopedia Mystica online)

>>Blodeuwedd was created out of flowers by Gwydion to wed Llew Llaw Gyffes. She betrayed Llew, either because she had no soul, being non-human, or because she resented being his chattel, or because the triplet of one woman and two men must play itself out in Welsh myth, and Llew Llaw Gyffes must die. At any rate, she fell in love with Goronwy and, wishing to be rid of Llew, she tricked out of him the clearly supernatural and ritual manner in which only he could be killed: neither by day nor night, indoors nor out of doors, riding nor walking, clothed nor naked, nor by any weapon lawfully made. She asked him to explain this, and he did: he could be killed only if it were twilight, wrapped in a fish net, with one foot on a cauldron and the other on a goat, and if the weapon had been forged during sacred hours when such work was forbidden. Blodeuwedd convinced him to demonstrate how impossible such a position was to achieve by chance, and when he was in it, het lover Goronwy leapt out and struck. Llew was transformed into an eagle and eventually restored to human form, after which he killed Goronwy. Blodeuwedd was transformed into an owl, to haunt the night in loneliness and sorrow, shunned by all other birds. >> (Encyclopedia Mystica online)

Boann is a Goddess of bounty and fertility, whose totem is the sacred white cow. She was the wife of Nechtan, a water deity. The father of her son Angus was Dagda. To hide their union from Nechtan, Boann & the Dagda caused the sun to stand still for nine months, so that Angus was conceived and born on the same day.

Her name means "White Breasted" or "White Cow." The ancient Welsh worshipped Her as the daughter of Sea, and as Goddess of the Moon and Love.

>>Branwen ("white raven") a daughter of Llyr and Penarddun, and sister of Bran, and Manawydan, and half-sister of Nisien and Efnisien. Matholwch of Ireland sued for her hand, and gave horses to Bran. Efnisien mutilated the horses, nearly precipitating warfare, but Matholwch was appeased by the gift of a cauldron that could resurrect the dead. Branwen wed him, and went to Ireland, where she bore him a son, Gwern. But the Irish began to complain about their foreign queen, and she was banished to the kitchen, where she was a slave and boxed on the ears by the butcher daily. This lasted three years, during which Branwen trained a starling to speak and sent it to Wales, where it told Bran of her plight, and he sailed to rescue her.

Matholwch was terrified at the sight of a forest approaching Ireland across the sea: no one could make it out, until he called for Branwen, who explained it as Bran's navy, and Bran himself wading through the water. He sued for peace, they built a house big enough for Bran, and Matholwch agreed to settle the kingdom on Gwern. Some Irish lords objected, and hid themselves in flour bags to attack the Welsh. But Efnisien, scenting Irish treachery, cast them into the fire, and then cast Gwern himself in (avoiding the geas against shedding kinsmen's blood thereby). A war broke out, and the Irish replenished themselves through the cauldron. Efnisien, repenting, sacrificed himself by feigning death and being thrown into the cauldron, which he then broke, dying in the process. Only seven Welshmen survived, and Bran was fatally wounded. His head, which remained alive and talking, was returned to Wales and buried, and soon afterwards Branwen sailed to Aber Alaw and died. She is one of the three "matriarchs of Britain", along with (probably) Rhiannon and Arianrhod.

The Celtic goddess of love and beauty. Also of Manx and Wales. She is the sister of Bran the Blessed and Manannan mac Lir, daughter of Lir, and wife of the Irish king Matholwch. She is similar to the Greek goddess Aphrodite and the Roman goddess Venus. After the death of her brother Bran, due to a war caused by Matholwch, Branwen died of a broken heart. >>(Encyclopedia Mystica online)

Brigit/Brigid

See her informationsite and shrine here.

Cailleach is referred to as the "Mother of All" in parts of Scotland. Also known as Scotia, she is depicted as an old hag with the teeth of a wild bear and boar's tusks. She is believed to be a great sorceress.

One superstition regarding Calliach is that the farmer who is last to harvest his grain would be the person to "look after" Caileach for the rest of the year, until the next harvest. The first farmer who finishes harvesting would make a corn-dolly from the grain he has harvested. He would, then, pass it on to the next farmer who finishes. It would keep going until the corn-dolly ends up with the last farmer. That last farmer would be obligated to watch the "old woman".

She is also known to have created the earth.

"With her hammer she alternately splinters mountains, prevents the growth of grass, or raises storms. Numerous wild animals follow her..." -- Encyclopedia of the Occult, 1920 Another name for her is Skadi. >>(Encyclopedia Mystica online)

Cerridwen
(keh-RID-wen).

Moon and grain goddess who possesses the great cauldron of knowledge. Sacred to Cerridwin: cauldron; vervain; dark moon.

Mother of Taliesen, greatest and wisest of all the bards, therefore she is patron of poets. Caridwen corresponds with Brigit. She is connected with wolves, & some believe that her cult dates to the Neolithic era. Originally a corn goddess.

Habondia, the ancient Celtic Goddess of hearth, home, fertility
and the harvest, who was of old bonded with Cernunnos.  Her worshippers were
gradually absorbed into the folds of Brigid worship, and she has been muchly
forgotten, who at one time was sacred to every Celtic home.

In ancient Ireland, a king was ritually wed to this Goddess (in the person of Her Priestess) to legitimize Her reign. She was considered a Triune Goddess who oversaw sovereignty, war, sexuality and intoxication.

Morgan, Morrigan, Morrigu, Morrighan,
Morgana le Fay

See her shrine at the top.

Nanna

Rhiannon
(rhee-AHN-nohn)

used with kind permisson of the artist

ROSMERTA- Gaul- All celtic tribes
A Celtic goddess of fertility and wealth, whose cult was widely spread in Gaul. She is the wife of the god Esus, but also of the Gaulish Mercury. Her attributes are a cornucopia and a stick with two snakes.

She is the patron of blacksmiths and warriors alike.  She teaches unto her children
martial arts, discipline, how to work iron and steel, magick, the ways of
the seer, and the way of the sword, spear, and bow.  She is the Goddess in
her destroyer aspect.  Her name means "She Who Strikes Fear" or "The Shadowy
One".

(Picture is  here: http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/pe/images/k151732.jpg)