Handout

Amairgin

The poet of the Fir Bolg who sang the song, "I am ..."

Athenaeus

fl. 200 AD. "He who would be a chieftan, let him be a bridge" "Athenaeus was the author of a compendium of after-dinner stories and memorabilia called theDeipnosophistae. He is one of a significant few about whom something is known. The fame of those who retained connections with their origins was important for the atmosphere and reputation of said towns."
--http://www.touregypt.net/who/athenaeu.htm

bardoi

Greek: bardoi; Irish: bard; Welsh: bardd. Song, poem, prophetic poem, songs of praise with lyre.

Banbha

Banbha, Fodhla, Ériu -- sovereinty goddesses, personifications of Ireland.

Belenus

Associated with Apollo: drives away disease, healing, preventative medicine. 'bright, shining, gleaming'. Mostly the Southern part of Gaul with a few traces in Britain. Irish feast of beltaine.

Borvo, Bormo

Associated with Apollo: drives away disease, healing, preventative medicine. Irish. berbhir: boil; hot springs. Bero, Bourbon in France.

Bres

Son of Elatha mac Delbaith (Fomoire) and Ériu (Tuatha Dé Danann)

Brigantia

Associated with Minerva. Goddess of the Brigantii (the high ones, or those living on the hill). Brig 'hill, prominence'. Irish: Brigid, daughter of Dagda of the Tuatha Dé Danann, patron of poets, smiths, and doctrs.; Sanskrit: Brihat; Welsh: benin 'king'

Cessair

Daughter of Bith 'world', son of Noah. Accompanied by 3 men and three companies of women in the 1st invasion of Ireland. All die in flood except Fintan.

Dagda

'the good god'. Echu Ollaithir. Ruadrofessa 'the great red one who knows everything'. Leader of the Tuatha Dé Danann Fixes contracts, called to witness oaths.

Diodorus Siculus

Greek, d. 21 BC.
--http://titan.iwu.edu/~kmayer/writings/diodorus.html

Dis Pater

?Donn (cf. Dumacha; Tech Duinn). The god of the underworld from whome the Celtic Gauls say they are descended.

Donn

Similar associations as Dis Pater. In the Lebor Gabala, Donn, chief of the Gaels, songs of Míl, drowned and is buried in Tech Duinn 'House of Donn'. Later traditions associate Tech Duinn with an island of the SW coast of Ireland.

druidai

Greek: druidai; Latin: druides; Irish: druí, p. druid; Welsh: derwydd. Knowlede of oak, great knowledge. drus 'oak'; *wid- 'know'

Ériu

Banbha, Fodhla, Ériu -- sovereinty goddesses, personifications of Ireland. Ériu (Tuatha Dé Danann) and Elatha mac Delbaith (Fomoire) ->Bres

Esus

Associated with Mercury, inventor of arts, guide for roads, journies, acc. of money, trade/commerce. Agricultural deity of the Essuvi, associated with the bull and portraied with one.
--http://www.pantheon.org/mythica/articles/e/esus.html

Fintan

Son on Bochna 'ocean'

Fodla

Banbha, Fodhla, Ériu -- sovereinty goddesses, personifications of Ireland.

Grannus

Associated with Apollo: drives away disease, healing, preventative medicine. To warm, Irish grian: sun.

Lia Fáil

One of the 4 treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the stone of Fál that screams out when a rightful king steps on it.

Lugus

Associated with Mercury, inventor of arts, guide for roads, journies, acc. of money, trade/commerce. Gaulish. Irish: Lugh, son of Cian son of Diancecht. lugu-dunam >Leon, Layo, Lydon

Macha

Associated with Nemhain 'Frenzy' (cf. the Moríghan). 1st Macha married to Nemhedh in Lebor Gábala. 2nd Macha ruled over Ireland. The 3rd Macha was an otherworldly woman related to the horse-goddess concept of the Celts. She arrives one day in Crunnchu's house but he's not supposed to tell anyone. Unfortunately, later on he blabs to the king about how fast she is, and she's forced to race the king's horses while in labor. She gives birth to twins (hence the name Ulaid Macha) and curses the Ulaid to the pains of childbirth for 9 generations.

Maponos

Associated with Apollo: drives away disease, healing, preventative medicine. Welsh for divine son (map = son). Welsh: Mabon (son of Modron in Culhwch and Olwen). Mabon son of Mellt 'lightning'

Mediolanum

Latin: 'middle of the plain'. A site within and often older than an oppidum. Perhaps for religous gathering.

Moccus

Associated with Mercury, inventor of arts, guide for roads, journies, acc. of money, trade/commerce. Swine, boar, pig.

Neimhedh 'sacred'

Descended from Aithech. Cf. Gaulish nemeton 'sacred place or clearing'. Married to Macha. Part of 3rd invasion of Ireland. More land shaping and harassment by Fomoire. Dies of plague in Ard Nemhedh and his people are oppressed. Eventually batle at Conann's tower. The 3 surviving chieftains divide the land between them. Later leave: Semeon to Greece, Fergus and son to Britan to Britain, Bethach to northern island of world/Greece.

Ogmios

Associated with Hercules. In the 2nd battle of the Cath Maige Tuired, he is the strong man, warrior. Gaulish: Ogmios; Irish: Ogma. Cf. Ogam, system of writing in Ireland, 4AD, depicted as having the power of constraint in Irish literature. Ogmios, associated with Hercules, but also eloquence and wisdom. Depicted as ol, followed by a band of men bound by a chain throuh their ears pulled by his tongue. Lucian (Greek, 2AD) mentions.

Oppidum

Latin: 'town (other than Rome); fortified wood'. Cult site area often containing an older mediolanum. Could be a marketplace, or an entire village or town.

Partholon

Descended from Aithech 'churl', son of Magon, son of Jappheth, son of Noah. Part of the 2nd invasion of Ireland. Shaping of the land, many 1sts. Harrassed by the chthonic Fomoire. All died of plague on Beltaine except Tuan.

Posidonius

Greek ethnographer (135 BC - 51 BC) http://www-groups.dcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Posidonius.html
--http://www.pantheon.org/mythica/articles/e/esus.html

Sirona

Associated with Apollo: drives away disease, healing, preventative medicine. Goddess 'divine star'.

Strabo

63 BC - 21 AD, Roman writer, whoreGeographika

Teutates

Associated with Mars in Britain. 'Father of the tribe / people'. Cf. Dagda 'the good god' = ollathir 'great father'

Taranis

Taranos: associated with Mars. ?Taranis 'thunder'. Taranus, Taranucus: assocaited with Jupiter.

Teach Duinn

Donn, associated with Dis Pater, Dumacha. In the Lebor Gabala, Donn, chief of the Gaels, songs of Míl, drowned and is buried in Tech Duinn 'House of Donn'. Later traditions associate Tech Duinn with an island of the SW coast of Ireland.

Túath

Irish: tribe, Latin: tribus, Welsh: tud -- 'country, people'. Organizational unit of the Celts. The túath lived in a pagus, and a group of túath was a civitas.