MACLEOD'S WELSH MYTHOLOGY PAGE



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WELSH DEITIES


CHILDREN OF DON
One of the rival dynasties of Welsh mythology, and equated with the Tuatha de Danaan of Ireland, the Children of Don includes Gwydion, a warrior magician, and Aranrhod, sky goddess and symbol of fertility. Their sons were Dylan, associated with the sea, and Lleu Llaw Gyffes.

CHILDREN OF LLYR
Bendigeidfran, Branwen and Manawydan, who appear in the story of 'Branwen Daughter of Llyr.

AMAETHON
The Welsh god of agriculture.

ARIANRHOD
Celtic earth goddess. She is the daughter and/or wife of Don, sister of Gwydion.

BRAN
Bran ("raven"), son of Llyr and Penarddun, and brother of Branwen and the sea god Manawydan, and half brother Nisien and Efnisien. He is a hero god and perhaps also the god of poetry and the underworld.

BRANWEN
Branwen is the Celtic goddess of love and beauty, also worshipped in 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. After the death of her brother Bran, due to a war caused by her husband, Branwen died of a broken heart. She corresponds with Aphrodite and Venus.

BELATU-CADROS(Belatucadros)
The Celtic god of war and of the destruction of enemies. His name means fair shining one. The Romans equated him with their god Mars.

CARIDWEN
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, and some believe that her cult dates to the Neolithic era. Originally a corn goddess.

DEWI
An old Welsh god. The official emblem of Wales, a red dragon, is derived from the Great Red Serpent that once represented the god Dewi.

DYLAN
Welsh sea god, brother of Lleu.

GWYDION
Welsh warrior and magician god. By his sister Arianrhod he fatherd Lleu and Dylan.

LLUE
Brother of Dylan, son of Arianrhod and Gwydion. Hero god who corresponds with the Irish Lugh. His festival, teh Lugnasad, was held on the first day of August.

PWYLL
Prince of Dyfed (southwest Wales) who marries the Goddess Rhiannon and has a son Pryderi.

RHIANNON
Believed to be the Welsh counterpart of Gaulish horse goddess Epona. Her son, Pryderi, succeeded his father Pwyll as the ruler of Dyfed and of the otherworld.