He was stolen from his mother at three days, and lived in Annwn, whence he was rescued by Culhwch (and Arthur) as an adult. He was ever-young as a result of this sojourn. He assisted Culhwch in the quest for Olwen.
Culhwch's stepmother wished him to marry her daughter. When he refused, she cursed him to marry no one but Olwen, daughter of Ysbaddaden. In him is the power to make a land flourish or waste away. He enlisted the aid of Arthur to search for Olwen. When they found her, she said her father would not permit her to marry for that would cause his own death. Nonetheless, Culhwych overcame many trials and eventually married her.
Also known as: MAPONUS.
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MAC CECHT: Irish god of eloquence, son of Ogma, and husband of Folda. After the Second Battle of Mag Tuiredh, he and his two brothers could not decide how to split the land between them. The consulted a stranger, Ith, the son of Milesius. Suspecting that Ith had designs of his own on the island, they killed him, and provoked the invasion of the Milesians.
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MAC GRËINE: An Irish god who is invested with the kingly function, and who forms a triad with Mac Cuill, the warrior and Mac Cécht, the “son of the ploughshare.” The name Mac Gréine means “son of the sun.” He was husband to Eriu.
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MACHA(1): One of five aspects of the MORRIGNA, goddess of war. Macha (known as Battle) feeds on the heads of slain enemies. She rules over the cauldron of death and rebirth.
PRONUNCIATION: MAK-KHA.
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MACHA(2): Irish goddess of athletic games, festivals, and fertility. She is strongly associated with the Gualish Epona and the Welsh Rhinnon.
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MANANNAN mac LIR: The Irish god of the sea and fertility, who forecasts the weather. He is older than the Tuatha Dé Danann, yet was considered to be one of them. He is the son of Lir and his name means "Manannan Son of the Sea". His wife is Fand and he is the foster-father of many gods, including Lugh. He is the guardian of the Blessed Isles (Tir Tairngire), and the ruler of Mag Mell. Manannan has a ship that follows his command without sails; his cloak makes him invisible; his helmet is made of flames and his sword cannot be turned from its mark. He is described as riding over the sea in a chariot.
He is said to have given the last five letters of the Ogham alphabet to the druids. He could change shape at will.
His Welsh equivalent is Manawydan ap Llyr.
Also known as: BARINTHUS.
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MANAWYDAN: Manawydan ap Llyr, son of Llyr and Penarddun and brother of Bran and Branwen and half brother of Nisien and Efnisien. Manawydan was a scholar, a magician, and a peaceful man. Manawydan inherited Dyfed after Bran's death, but surrendered the kingdom to his cousin to avoid warfare.
He married Rhiannon, widow of Pwyll of Dyfed and mother of Pryderi, and went to live there. One day, all of Dyfed turned into a wasteland, and only Rhiannon, Manawydan, Pryderi, and his wife Cigfa, were spared.
Manawydan and Pryderi out hunting followed an enormous white boar into a caer, where Pryderi saw a golden bowl; when he touched it, he was enspelled. Rhiannon went after him and fell under the same spell; the caer then vanished, taking them with it. Manawydan, turning to farming, lost his crops to an army of mice which were clearly faery mice. He managed to catch one, and despite being begged by important passersby (priests in the Christianized version) threatened to hang it. Finally, Llwyd appeared and confessed to being behind all the trouble, in vengeance for Gwawl, Rhiannon's original suitor.
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MANNAN: The Manx (Isle of Man) counterpart of the Irish sea-god Manannan mac Lir. On Midsummer Eve the people used to carry green meadow grass to the top of Barule in payment of rent to Mannan-beg-mac-y-Leir. People also used to pray to him for a blessing on their boats and a good catch.
It was generally believed that Mannan was a great magician who could create an illusory fleet out of pea-shells and stick, to discourage an invasion of the island.
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MATH ap MATHONWY: The Welsh god of sorcery, brother of the goddess Don. He was the Lord of Gwynedd. Legend says that whenever Math was not at war, he must rest his feet in the lap of a virgin. He was the uncle of Gywdion. In order to help his brother, Gilvaethwy, sleep with Gowen, the woman who was Math’s footholder Gwydion stirred up a quarrel between Math and Pryderi, son of Pwyll and Rhiannon. This meant Math was away at war. When he returned and discovered the deception, Math turned his nephews into a staff and a hind for one year, into a boar and a sow for the next year, and into a pair of wolves the third. Later, Gwydion took charge of his sister Arianrhod’s son, Llew Llaw Gyffes.
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MATRONA: A river goddess of the Marne River.
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MEDB(1): Sovereignty/war goddess.
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MEDB(2): The queen of Connuacht. She took nine consorts and through ritual union made them kings. Her name means “she who intoxicates,” which is most likely a reference to the cup of sovereignty she would have given to a king. Her first husband was the Ulster champion Fergus. Second was Conchobar, but the marriage was short-lived as it would have signified a unification of Ireland. Cochobar then raped Medb, only to die when all the kings of Ireland went against him as a result of the Battle of the Boyne. Her third husband was Ailill.
Medb did not only fight for the supremecy of Connacht, but relished in war and destruction, even using her daughter Finnebair to this end. She is noted mostly during her marriage to Ailill and their fight with Ulster and CuChulainn. She died at the hand of her nephew Furbaidhe who used his sling-shot and a piece of hard cheese as revenge for the murder of his mother Clothra.
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MENW: Son of Teirwaedd; a shape shifter.
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MIDIR: The Irish ruler of Mag Mor, one of the many parts of the Underworld. His castle is called Falga (it is on the Isle of Man). He is a son of the Dagda and possible Danu.
When he was hit by a twig from a hazel tree and lost one of his eyes, the healer god Dian Cecht placed the healed eye back in its socket.
He was married to Fuamnach but took Etain(1) as a second wife. Fuamnach became angry and turned Etain(1) into a butterfly which eventually fell into a cup of wine and was drank by the wife of Etar, a champion of Conchobhar. She was reborn as Etain(2). Eventually Midir found her married to High King Eochaidh and returned her to the Otherworld, but Eochaidh forced Midir to give her up and she returned to live with the king.
Also known as: MIDER.
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MM: Goddess of thought of the independent people of northern England. She never appeared alone, but always followed after her impetuous husband Aywell, providing caution to his flashes of uncontrolled energy.
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MODRON: A Welsh mother goddess, daughter of Avalloc and mother of MABON, derived from the Celtic goddess Matrona. She is believed to be the prototype of Morgan from the Arthurian Legend.
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MOG RUITH: A one-eyed Irish god of the sun who travels the sky in a shining bronze chariot, or flies through the sky like a bird.
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MOGONS: A north British god whose name means "Great One."
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MORRIGAN: The MORRIGAN is a goddess of battle, strife, and fertility. Her name translates as either "Great Queen" or "Phantom Queen." The Morrigan appears as both a single goddess and part of five goddesses refered to as the Morrigna. Her mother was Ernmas. The other deities who form the MORRIGNA are: Badb (Fury), Fea (Hateful), Macha (Battle) and Nemon (Venomous). The Morrigan frequently appears as a hooded crow. She is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann. She helped defeat the Firbolg at the First Battle of Mag Tuireadh and the Fomorians at the Second Battle of Mag Tuireadh.
In the Second Battle of Mag Tuireadh she said she would go and destroy Indech son of De Domnann and “deprive him of the blood of his heart and kidneys of his valor.” She gave two handfuls of this blood to the De Danann. When Indech later appeared in the battle, he was already doomed.
There is evidence that the concept of a raven goddess of battle was not limited to the Irish Celts. An inscription found in France which reads Cathubodva, 'Battle Raven', shows that a similar concept was at work among the Gaulish Celts.
The Washer at the Ford is another guise of the Morrigan. The Washer is usually washing the clothes of men about to die in battle. In effect she chooses who will die.
An Old English poem, "Exodus," refers to ravens as choosers of the slain.
The Morrigan and Cu Chulainn:
She appeared to the hero Cu Chulainn and offered him her love. He failed to recognize her and rejected her. She told him she would hinder him when he was in battle. When Cu Chulainn was eventually killed, she settled on his shoulder in the form of a crow. Hi s misfortune was caused by not recognizing the feminine power of sovereignty that she offered to him.
She appeared to him on at least four occasions, and each time he failed to recognize her.
1. She appeared to him and declared love for him.
2. After he wounded her, she appeared as an old hag and he gave his blessings to her, causing her to be healed.
3. On his way to his final battle, he saw the Washer at the Ford, who declared she was washing the clothes and arms of CC Chulainn, who would soon be dead.
4. When he was forced by three hags (the Morrigna in her triple aspect) to break a taboo of eating dogflesh.
Also know as: MEDBH and MORRIGU.
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MORRIGNA: The 5 fold aspect of the war goddess that is represented by Badb, Fea, Macha, Morrigan and Nemon.
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MURIGEN: A minor lake goddess, possibly another form of the Morrigan.
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MORRIGAN