Andraste (Andarta [Gaulish]) The Briton war-goddess invoked by the Iceni Queen Boudicca when she revolted against the Romans. Her name most likely means "unconqerable," or possibly "victory." Arawn Welsh god of the Annwn, the Otherworld, a paradise of peace and plenty. When Amaethon stole from him, it led to the Cad Goddeu. Later, the Dyfed chieftain Pwyll and he changed places, Pwyll agreeing to kill Arawn's rival, Hafgan. Arawn leads a pack of wild, white hounds with red-tipped ears. He is considered a powerful protector of dangerous places. Balor Balor was the one-eyed Fomorii god of death and king, often called the Irish cyclops. Husband of Cethlenn and son of Buarainech, a look from his one eye could kill, and the eyelid had to be held up by four servants. It was prophesied that he would be slain by his own grandson. Despite his tactics to avoid this, Balor was killed by the sun-god Lugh in the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh. Lugh was son to Balor's daughter, Ethlinn, and the Danann Cian. Bel (Belenus, Belanos [Gaul], Beli [Briton & Cymru]) The Celtic god of light and healing, "Bel" means "shining one," or in Irish Gaelic, the name "bile" translates to "sacred tree." It is thought that the waters of Danu, the Irish All-Mother goddess, fed the oak and produced their son, The Dagda. As the Welsh Beli, he is the father of Arianhrod by Don. Brigid (Breo Saighead, Brid, Brighid [Eriu], Brigindo, Brigandu [Gaul], Brigan, Brigantia, Brigantis [Briton], Bride [Alba]) Breo Saighead, or the "Fiery Arrow or Power," is a Celtic three-fold goddess, the daughter of The Dagdha, and the wife of Bres. Known by many names, Brighid's three aspects are (1) Fire of Inspiration as patroness of poetry, (2) Fire of the Hearth, as patroness of healing and fertility, and (3) Fire of the Forge, as patroness of smithcraft and martial arts. She is mother to the craftsmen Sons of Tuireann: Creidhne, Luchtaine and Giobhniu. Excalibur, King Arthur's sword, was forged by the Lady of the Lake, a figure sometimes associated with Brighid because of her fire and forgery aspect. Like the Arthurian Avalon, or "Isle of Apples," Brigid possessed an apple orchard in the Otherworld to which bees traveled to obtain it's magickal nectar. Cerridwen Cerridwen is the Welsh Goddess of Nature, associated with the Sacred Cauldron of Wisdom that allowed Taliesin to become enlightened. This cauldron of the Underworld is where inspiration and divine knowledge are brewed. When she discovered that Gwion had tasted of her cauldron, she chased him through a variety of shape changes until at last she caught and consummed him as a grain of wheat. Gwion was reborn to Cerridwen as the Druid Taliesin. Cliodhna Cliodhna is the Irish Otherworld goddess of beauty. It is said her three magickal birds can sing the sleep and cure them. At one point she fled to Glandore to live with her the mortal lover, Ciabhan. One day on the shore near Cork, after Ciabhan had gone hunting, Mannann Mac Lir, the sea-god, put Cliodhna into a magickal sleep and sent wave to carry her home. Creidhne Demigod of metalworking, Creidhne is the goldsmith of the Tuatha de Dannan and the brother of Giobhniu, the smith god, and Luchtar, the carpenter. During the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh, when the Dannans defeated the Fomorii, the three brothers were on the battlefield repairing spears with magickal speed, specifically forgin weapons for Lugh. Dian Cecht Irish god of healing and physician of the Tuatha de Danaan, the Druid Dian Cecht made the silver hand of Nuadha Airgetlamh. He was the father of Miach, who he slew, and grandfather of Lugh. With his daughter, Airmid, he had charge of a spring whose waters restored the dying gods to life. He also is credited with a sixth-century Brehon Law tract on the practice of medicine. Donn The Irish god of death, Donn's name means "dark one." His home, the House of Donn, was thought to be an assembly point on the journey to the Otherworld. Gwynn ap Nudd Master of the Wild Hunt, Gwynn ap Nudd rode the night in a flowing grey cloak upon a pale horse following his Hounds called Cwn Annwn who would seek out and collect souls. He lives at Glastonbury Tor. Mac Cecht Mac Cecht was the Irish god of eloquence, the son of Ogma, and was married to Fodla, one of the aspects of the triple Soveriegnty goddess. After the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh, he and his two brothers could not decide how to split the land between them, so they consulted a stranger named Ith. Suspecting Ith had designs of his own on the island, they killed him, and provoked the invastion of the sons of Milesius. Medb Medb is the queen-goddess of Connacht who is a humanized war aspect of the sovereignty-goddess. She took nine consorts and through ritual union made them kings. The Morrigna (Cathobodua [Gaul]) As Mor Righ Anu, her name means "great queen," and she is the destroyer aspect of the All-Mother Danu. In her triple form she is called The Morrigna, and sometimes appears as the battle-furies Badbh Catha, Nemhain and Morrighan. These aspects combine destruction, sexuality and prophecy. (#10, Green, pg. 76) They appeared in numerous animal forms, such as carrion birds, or as one aspect of the ultimate three-fold goddess: crone, maiden or mother. She also sometimes is erroneously linked to Macha. One of the Tuatha de Danaan who helped in both battles of Mag Tuireadh, The Morrighna's aspects have the ability to influence the outcome of conflict by inspiring fear or courage. As Badbh Catha, whose name means "battle-crow," Nuadha Airgetlamh (Nudd [Cymru], Llud Llawereint and Nodens [Briton]) Also known as Nuadha Airgetlamh, "Nuadha of the Silver Hand," he is the Irish god of healing, the Sun, youth, beauty, poetry, and writing. Nuadha possesses the invincible Sword of Nuadha (or Findias), one of the great treasures of the Tuatha de Danaan brought to Ireland upon their invasion of the island. Taranis (Taran [Cymru], cognate to Etherun & Etirun [Briton]) His name means "thunder," and the word "taran" is still used as the Welsh word for this phenonmenon. Known all over the Celtic world, even the Romans equated this god with Jupiter. He usually is depicted with his solar symbol, the wheel. Green in her Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend, suggests that the thunder aspect of Taranis implies "battle and a fertility role as a rain-god." Tiernon (Tigernonos [Gaulish]) A god whose name means "great king," he often is the consort of Rhiannon or Rigantona. He is a herdsman with supernatural powers and deep wisdom.