Celtic Mythology Flashcards
Aife
Mother of Connla; sister of Scathach (Cu Chulainn’s trainer)
Angus mac Og
Son of Dagda and Boanda; tricks Elcmar out of hish kingdom and rescues Etain the butterfly
Animism
All things (pants, inanimate objects, natural phenomena) have a life force; supernatural power organizes the material universe
Arawn
King of the underworld (kind of the same person as Pwyll); he and Pwyll trade places and Pwyll kills his enemy Hatgan for him (but it takes a year) and then they switch back
Balor
The best-know Fomoire
Bachlach
peasant giant that Cu Chulainn fights in beheading competitions
Badb
War goddess; crow that sits on the shoulder of someone who is going to die; one of the triplets of Macha and one of the triplets of Morrigan; also a Cailleach (ugly old hag) that has sex with the young men to confer kingship; be find
Banshee
Washer at the Ford; Morrigan; tells anyone who has sex with her who is going to die in the war
be find
The beautiful young bride that the Cailleach turns into, that confers kingship through giving of ale; Badb
Beltaine
Planting of the crops (spring); when missing things come back from the Underworld, purification of land/livestock before planting, summer fires are lit and the Wicker Man is burned
cailleach
The ugly old hag that confers kingship (Badb, be find)
Cath Mag Tuired (Second Battle of Mag Tuired)
battle between Lugh and Balor where Balor is defeated and the Fomoire have to teach the Tuatha how to farm (Fomoire are in charge of agriculture so they can’t be killed off)
Cauldron
Have magical properties–can be never-emptying, regenerative, bring things back to life; the Celtic are buried in cauldrons
Champion’s portion
The largest piece of meat–can be won in the triangle/beheading contest
Conchobar
Cu Chulainn’s father
Connla
Cu Chulainn’s son; he can’t refuse a fight or say his name (his geissa), so he ends up being killed by Cu Chulainn at the border of Ulaid
Cu Chulainn
Celtic hero; goes through riastrad, beheading contests with bachlach, ends up being killed by Lugaid mac Con Roi/Medb’s trained children because he has to eat dog meat
Cu Roi
Killed by Cu Chulainn in a fight for his wife (Blathlaith) as a salmon hiding in the river; father to Lugaid mac Cu Ron
Dagda
giant, producer god; always has a club and has the cauldron that never ends; hieros gamos on new year with Morrigan; gets advice in 2nd battle of Mag Tuired after he has sex with the Fomoire’s daugter
Del Chliss
Cu Chulainn’s weapon that he throws from between his toes and never misses its target
Dian Cecht
Makes the silver arm for Nuadu after he loses his arm; associated with WARRIOR and regeneration, magic, and technology (father to Mioch who he kills and then gets 365 plants out of)
Druid
The judges of the Celtic society–they maintained law, myths, spiritual traditions, and were in charge of the education system
Emain Macha
A land in Ireland?
Epona
The horse rider goddess of warfare; continental goddess
Eriu
Goddess of Ireland; had the country named after her after helping the Milesians take over the Tuatha de Dannan; triplet
Etain
The most beautiful women in Ireland and the object of affection throughout the Wooing of Etain; ultimately has a daughter and granddaughter (triplets like Matronae)
Ferdiad
Cu Chulainn’s foster brother who has impenetrable skin (the perfect match for Cu Chulainn’s spear that can penetrate anything); they fight and he is killed by Cu Chulainn
fili
Poet in Celtic society
Fir Bholg
The 4th wave in the Invasion of Ireland; came on Lughnasad with king Eochaid mac Eierc–a great king who brought peace and prosperity; ultimately defeated by the Tuatha de Danann
Flyting
Shaming done by Celtic society to get warriors ready for a fight; similar to the glam dicenn
Fomhoire
Celtic enemy; one-eyed, one-armed, one-legged monsters who can curse you with their evil eye; Balor was the most famous; control agriculture and fertility so they couldn’t be destroyed (could cause famine and plague)