Humans first began to settle in Ireland about 10,000 years ago. These Mesolithic hunters and gatherers brought with them animistic religious beliefs and practices. With the transition to a lifestyle that was dependent upon domesticated plants and animals about 6,000 years ago, the religion changed. Spirits which had once animated animals and places, now became gods and goddesses. With the conversion to Christianity which began about 300 CE, the old deities began to disappear, either subsumed into Christianity or suppressed by the new religion.
Today there is a renewed interest in the old religion—in the deities and rituals—practiced prior to Christianity. Our understanding of the old religions of Ireland is, however, fragmentary at best. Part of the information comes from material collected by Christian writers who sometimes interpreted the material so that it corresponded to Christian worldviews and sometimes they simply suppressed it. At times, the authors simply invented stories about the old religions to show what they felt was the superiority of Christianity. John Price Carey, Lecturer in Early and Medieval Irish at University College, Cork, writes in “Pre-Christian Religions” in the Oxford Companion to Irish History:
“Much has been lost, whether through oblivion or deliberate suppression; and in many cases, the record has been embellished and confused by the invention of clerical authors.”
In his chapter in A New History of Ireland, James Carney writes:
“It would seem probable that uncensored oral traditions of the ancient gods continued strongly among the secular poets for many centuries after Christianisation, and that the tales and traditions that we possess are but a small tip of the pagan iceberg.”
In his book An Introduction to Celtic Mythology, David Bellingham writes:
“The mythical world remained so integral a part of Celtic society that when Christianity arrived, the spoken myths could not be destroyed. Instead they were often Christianized or given Christian endings; gods became God; the Druid priests of the old religion were overcome by the Saints of the new religion.”
Another source of information about the old religions of Ireland comes from the archaeological record. This archaeological record includes sacred sites, including burials, stonework, and artifacts. Some sites are associated with pre-Christian mythology and the iconography of the art and the offerings provide some insights into the pre-Christian religious concepts.
According to the pre-Christian oral traditions, which were regarded by the Christian monks, the Tuatha Dé Danann were the mysterious god-like people of ancient Ireland and many of the stories of the ancient gods are associated with them. In the book Ireland: Legends and Folklore, Aoife Curran reports:
“Danu is usually described as the mother of the Tuatha Dé Danann and by many sources as the mother of all the gods and goddesses of the Celtic Pantheon.”
Danu is also known as Anu, Anand, Anann, Danand. The name Danu means River. There are some scholars who feel that her name was associated with the Danube in Germany where the Celts once lived.
As in other European pre-Christian pantheons, the Irish gods and goddesses exhibited many human traits and emotions, such as lust, jealousy, pride, and anger. Like humans, the gods had wars and fought great battles. Like humans, they married and had children.
Overall, our knowledge of the pre-Christian Irish deities is fragmentary. We know the names of a few and some of their characteristics. Listed below are some of the pre-Christian Irish deities.
Angus Mac Og: also known as Aengus, Oengus. Mac Og translates as Young Son. The name was given to him by his mother, Bóann, who said:
“Young is the son who was begotten at the break of day and born betwixt it and the evening.”
Angus appears in some tales to be a trickster god. Aoife Curran writes:
“Aengus is a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann and a god of love, beauty, youth and poetic inspiration; some tales tell how he even had the power to breathe life back into the dead.”
Badb: also known as Badbdh, Babdh, Badbh Catha. Badb means Crow or Raven and refers to a group of Goddesses, not a single individual. Badbh Catha means Battle Crow in reference to the crows who were often seen feasting at the battlefield. Badb is also a magick goddess.
Banba: Banba, also known as Banbha, is an Irish sovereignty goddess. Along with Ériu and Fotla, she represents the sovereignty of Ireland. The right to rule Ireland is associated with Banba. In other words, the Irish kings and chiefs had to associate themselves with Banba, Éiru, and/or Fotla in order to claim that they had the right to rule.
Bé Chuille: she is a magick goddess who can enchant the trees and the stones and the sods of the earth.
Bé Néit: Bé Néit seems to be more of a title than the name of a specific goddess. This is a title associated with several of the war goddesses.
Bilé: Bilé is an Irish god whose name means “tree.” He appears to have been an ancestor god.
Boann: also known as Agda, Boand, Boind, Bovinda, Rigan. Boann is an Irish cattle and river goddess associated with the River Boyne. Her name means “White Cow.” According to the oral traditions, she was the daughter of Delbáeth of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Boann created the River Boyne at the magic Well of Segais (Well of Wisdom). In her battle with the magic powers of the well, Boann was drowned and the River Boyne was created. Aoife Curran reports:
“The five streams of wisdom that flowed forth from the well are five senses: taste, smell, feeling, sight and hearing.”
Brian: Brian means “Strong One” and, with his brothers Iuchar and Iucharba, makes weapons. He has an ability to transform people into animal shapes with his druid rod, an indication that he is also a magician.
Brigit: Brigit is an Irish goddess whose name comes from the root brig, and means “High One,” or “Exalted One.” Brigit is the patron of a variety of crafts, including brewing, dyeing, smithing, weaving, medicine, poetry, and seership. Her feast day is Imbolc (February 1). In fact, the old Irish name for February is Mí na Féile Bride” or “The Month of the Festival of Brigit.” Wells are often associated with Brigit.
In the Christian conquest of Ireland, Brigit became Saint Brigid. In his chapter in Ancient Gods, Ben Gazur writes:
“If there was a real person called Brigid, its seems that aspects of the Celtic goddess were grafted on to her story. This process, known as syncretism, would have helped make the Christian faith more acceptable to the pagans of Ireland, by offering them continuity of worship and a familiar figure.”
Búanann: also known as Búan. Búanann appears to be another war goddess. Her name means “The Lasting One.”
Cailleach: also known Caillagh ny Gromagh, Cailleach Beara, Cailleach Bheur. She is described as forming the landscape by dropping stones out of her apron. This shows that she was an earth goddess. Her powers include the protection of animals, control of the weather, and an association with the seasons. This goddess is also found in Scotland and the Isle of Man.
Carman:“She of the Weaving Beam” is another goddess of magick.
Clídna: also known as Clíodna, Clíona. Clídna is an Irish otherworld goddess. She is associated with water and thus has healing qualities. She has three magickal singing birds: one is blue with a red head; one is red with a green head; and one is speckled with a gold head. The songs from these birds lulls people to sleep and heals them.
Creidhne: This is a craft god who makes the rivets for spears, hilts for swords, and bosses for shields. He takes only three actions to make these things.
Daghda: also known as Dagda, Eochaid Olathair, Ruadh Rofhessa. Daghda, whose name means the “Good God,” is a fertility god. He is also said to control the weather and give good crops. He is also a god of wizardry. Daghda has a cauldron from which nobody ever goes away hungry. He is renowned for his love of porridge.
Daghda also had a harp whose music would inspire warriors in battle and take away their weariness after battle.
Dian Cecht: Dian Cecht, whose name means “Swift/Powerful Judge,” is a god of healing.
Donn: Donn, whose name means “Lord” or “The Dark One,” is an Irish death god. He is associated with red as the color of death and with three red horsemen riding red horses.
Ériu: also known as Eri. Ériu, whose name means “Earth or Soil,” is associated with Ireland’s sovereignty. She is also associated with the crow.
Ernmas: Ernmas, whose name means “Iron Death,” is often described as a mysterious goddess. Some sources describe her as a magick goddess and suggest that she is a witch. Other sources suggest that she is an earth goddess.
Étaín: also known as Étaín Echraide. She is another Irish sovereignty goddess. An early text of the Mythological Cycle, written about 1106, tells of her romantic involvement with Aengus and Midir of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
Fea: Fea is an Irish war goddess whose name can be translated as “Death” or as “That Which Causes Death.”
Fedelm: Fedelm is a prophetic goddess.
Fergus: also known as Ro-ech. Fergus, whose name means “Strong or Vigorous Man,” is a horse god. He is often described as having very large genitals. According to the stories it takes seven women to satisfy him sexually. His sacred number appears to be seven.
Flidais: Flidais is an Irish goddess associated with deer and cattle. She is sometimes described as riding a chariot pulled by deer.
Fotla: Also known as Fodla. Fotla is a sovereignty goddess.
Goibniu: also known as Goibhniu. Goibniu is an Irish smith god whose spears never miss and always take a life when they hit.
Iuchar: The month of July is named for Iuchar.
Iucharba: also known as Iuchairba. The meaning of this name is unknown, but he is associated with his brother Iuchar.
Kymideu Kymeinvoll: Kymideau Kymeinvoll means “Pregnant in Battle.” She is portrayed as an un-killable hideous giant woman. She has a cauldron of rebirth which means that she can produce full-grown warriors from conception in six weeks.
Lir: Lir is an Irish sea god. His name means “The Sea.”
Luchta: also known as Luchtaine, Lucraidh. Luchta is the maker of spear shafts and shields. He required only three chippings to make a complete spear shaft. The meaning of his name is unknown.
Lugh: also known as Lugh Lamfada. Lugh, whose name means “Shining One,” was worshipped from the first to the tenth century C.E. He is the god of all crafts. It is said that he described himself as a builder, a smith, a harper, a champion, a warrior, a poet, a historian, a sorcerer, a physician, a cupbearer, and a brazier. In his book The Ancient Celts, archaeologist Barry Cunliffe writes:
“In Ireland Lugh (whose associated descriptions means ‘skilled in many arts together’) conquered the evil creatures of the other world and was celebrated at the harvest feast of Lugnasad held in August.”
The Spear of Lugh ensured that no battle was ever won against whoever held it in their hand. The Christians assimilated and canonized Lugh as Saint Lughaidh.
Macha: also known as Macha Mongruad. Macha means “Pasture,” or “Plain,” or “Field” which suggests that she was an earth goddess, possibly a horse goddess. She is also a war goddess and a champion of the power of women. In the stories she demonstrates her superiority to boastful men when challenged. Macha is a triple goddess who is described as having three different depictions.
Manannán Maclir: Manannán is an Irish sea and magick god. He is the son of Lir. He carries a magickal bag made from the skin of a crane in which he carries his treasured possessions. He rules over the Blessed Isles of the Otherworld—Tír na mBean (the land of women), Tír fo Thonn (the land beneath the wave), Tír Tairnigir (the land of promise), Tír na nOg (the land of youth), Emhain Abhlach (The Plain of Apples), and Magh Mell (an afterlife paradise).
Medb: Mebd means “Drunk Woman or Intoxicating One.” She is a warrior queen whose name is pronounced Maeve. She is a great warrior with an insatiable sexual appetite, sleeping with thirty men per day.
Midir: Midir is an Irish otherworld god. He is described as being very beautiful.
Morrígan: Morrígan can be translated as “Great Queen,” “Terrible Queen,” “Fairy Queen,” “Queen of Death,” “Sea Queen,” or “Witch Queen.” She is an earth goddess, water goddess, and queen of battle. She has a shape-shifting ability and the power of prophecy.
Nechtan: also known as Nechtain. Nechtan is an Irish water god. His name may be translated as “The Pure One.” His well was situated under nine hazel trees (which is associated with wisdom) and the nuts fell into the well where they were eaten by the salmon of wisdom.
Néit: also known as Net. Néit is an Irish battle god.
Nemain: also known as Nemon. Nemain is an Irish warrior goddess whose name means “Frenzy, Panic, or Venomous.”
Nuada: Nuada has an invincible sword and is considered the king of the gods.
Ogma: also known as Oghma, Ogmia. Ogma is the Irish god of poetry and eloquence. He is the creator of the Ogham script.
Scáthach: Scáthach is an Irish war goddess whose name means “Shadowy One.” She also has ability for prophesy.
Sionna: The River Shannon is named after this Irish river goddess. The name Sionna means “Fox.”
Religion 101/102
This series looks at various topics relating to religion in a very broad sense. Religion 102 is an essay which is an expansion of an earlier essay. More from this series:
Religion 101: Beliefs and Creeds
Religion 101: Freethought and women's rights
Religion 101: Women and marriage under ancient Irish Brehon law
Religion 102: Rites of Passage