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Celtic paganism, as practised by the ancient Celts, is a descendant of Proto-Celtic paganism, itself derived from Proto-Indo-European paganism.Many deities in Celtic mythologies have cognates in other Indo-European mythologies, such as Celtic Brigantia with Roman Aurora, Vedic Ushas, and Norse Aurvandill; Welsh Arianrhod with Greek Selene, Baltic Mėnuo, and Slavic Myesyats; and Irish Danu ...
The Irish were previously pagans who had many gods, venerated their ancestors and believed in an Otherworld. Their four yearly festivals – Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasa – continued to be celebrated into modern times. The Gaels have a strong oral tradition, traditionally maintained by shanachies.
Irish gods are divided into four main groups. [14] Group one encompasses the older gods of Gaul and Britain. The second group is the main focus of much of the mythology and surrounds the native Irish gods with their homes in burial mounds. The third group are the gods that dwell in the sea and the fourth group includes stories of the Otherworld ...
The 2nd-century Alexandrian Greek writer Ptolemy, one of the most important geographers, mathematicians and astronomers in the ancient world, refers to Ireland in two of his works. In the astronomical treatise known as the Almagest he gives the latitudes of an island he calls Mikra Brettania (Μικρὰ Βρεττανία) or "Little Britain ...
The Celtic god Sucellus. Though the Celtic world at its height covered much of western and central Europe, it was not politically unified, nor was there any substantial central source of cultural influence or homogeneity; as a result, there was a great deal of variation in local practices of Celtic religion (although certain motifs, for example, the god Lugh, appear to have diffused throughout ...
The supernatural race called the Tuatha Dé Danann are believed to represent the main Celtic gods of Ireland. Their traditional rivals are the Fomóire, whom they defeat in the Battle of Mag Tuired. [199] Barry Cunliffe says the underlying structure in Irish myth was a dualism between the male tribal god and the female goddess of the land. [188]
Celtic reconstructionism (CR) or Celtic reconstructionist paganism is a polytheistic reconstructionist approach to ancient Celtic religion, emphasizing historical accuracy over eclecticism such as is found in most forms of Celtic neopaganism.
It consists of tales and poems about the god-like Tuatha Dé Danann, who are based on Ireland's pagan deities, [1] and other mythical races such as the Fomorians and the Fir Bolg. [2] It is one of the four main story 'cycles' of early Irish myth and legend , along with the Ulster Cycle , the Fianna Cycle and the Cycles of the Kings . [ 3 ]