Timeless Myths
Return to the Celtic Mythology home page Return to the Timeless Myths home page Otherworld: information about Celtic gods and goddesses Warrior Society: information about Celtic heroes, rulers and bards Celtic Cycles: tales of Irish and Welsh myths

British Deities

All of the British deities listed here come from Romano-Celtic pantheon. The deities found here belong to the period when Britain was a province of Rome Empire. Like the page on the Gallic Deities, these Celtic deities were sometimes adopted by the Romans, who lived in the region between first and fourth century AD.

Sometimes Roman (and Greek) writers described Celtic deities by given them Roman names, sometimes with their Gallic names, and at other times with just the Roman names. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Apollo, Hercules and Minerva were the most common Roman names used, when applying to Celtic deities. And in the Celtic pantheon, it was Mercury that usually the highest in the order of heirarchy, not Jupiter. Jupiter was also sometimes below in ranking to Mars as well.

 
Agroná
Alaisiagae
Andrasta
Arnemetia
Belatucadnos
Brigantia see also Gallic Deities
Britannia
Cocidius
Coventina
 
Maponus
Nemetona
Nodons      
Ocelus
Sulis
 
Camulos, see Gallic Deities
Cernunnos, see Gallic Deities
genius cucullatus
Lugus, see Gallic Deities
Matres, see Gallic Deities
Rosmerta, see Gallic Deities
Taranis, see Gallic Deities

Related pages:
      Welsh Deities
      Gallic Deities
      Roman Deities






Agroná
 

Agroná was the British goddess of battle and slaughter. The Welsh god Aeron had derive his name from her.

 
Related Information
Name
Agroná, Agrona.

Related Articles
Aeron.

Back



Alaisiagae
 

Alaisiagae was the minor British goddess, who was identified in homesteads in Northumberland in a shrine to Mars.

   

Back



Andrasta
 

Andrasta (Andraste) was the Romano-Celtic goddess of war. Her name means the "Invincible One". Andrasta was a patron goddess of the Iceni tribe. It was said that Boudicca, the British warrior queen prayed to Andrasta, before going into battle the against her Roman foes. It is believed that the goddess received human sacrifices.

She was also probably linked with the more peaceful Gallic goddess named Andarta.

   

Back



Arnemetia
 

Arnemetia was a Romano-Celtic water goddess. Not much is known about Arnemetia, since there are very little inscriptions.

   

Back



Belatucadnos
 

Belatucadnos was the British god of war. Belatucadnos was probably equated with Cernunnos, because he was similarly depicted with stag-like antlers or horns.

The Romans identified Belatucadnos with the Roman god of war, Mars.

 
Related Information
Name
Cernunnos? (Gallic).
Mars (Roman).

Related Articles
Cernunnos, Mars.

Back



Brigantia
 

Brigantia was the tribal goddess of the Brigantes, the British Celts living in the large region named after her, in northern England. The Romans identified Brigantia with Minverva (Athena).

Brigantia was a popular goddess, where she was worshipped and called Brigindo in Gaul (France), and Brigit in Ireland.

Brigantia was the goddess of war, healing and water. Brigantia was also goddess of fertility and prosperity.

 
Related Information
Name
"High One" or "Queen".

Brigantia (British).
Brigindo, Brigandu (Gallic).
Brigit, Brigid, Brighid, Brid, Bridget (Irish).

Minerva (Roman).

Related Articles
Brigindo, Brigit.

Minerva.

Back



Britannia
 

A tutelary goddess. A Romano-Celtic goddess who was often associated with the Roman goddess Minerva (Athena). During the reign of Claudius Caesar, the Romans conquered Britain in AD 43, they named the new province after the goddess, Britannia.

   

Back



Cocidius
 

Cocidius was a Celtic-British goddess of hunting. Stone relief was found in Risingham, Yorkshire.

   

Back



Coventina
 

A tutelary goddess of the river and spring. The river was named after Coventina and was also worshipped by the Romans.

Her sacred spring was at Brocolitia (Carrawburgh), a Roman fort on the Hadrian's wall. Here, votive offerings were made to the goddess at her springs. Usually money, pins and pearls were thrown into the well. Over 13,000 Roman coins were found in the well.

Coventina was also popular in Aquae Sulis, a town which now called Bath. She was worshipped in Bath along with two othe British goddesses: Sulis and Nemetona.

A monumental carving and bas relief were found, with her name associated with three nymphs, who were holding vessels of steaming water.

 

Coventina

Coventina
Stone relief, 2nd-3rd century AD
Museum of Antiquities, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Back



Maponus
 

Maponus (Maponos) was the Roman-Celtic god of music and poetry. Maponus had been identified with the god Apollo, who was also god of music. Maponus had also been equated with the Irish god, Angus Og or Mac Oc, the son of Dagda. However, Maponus was frequently appeared as the divine youth, and was possibly more closely related to the Welsh Mabon, the divine youth.

His cult were mainly found in Britain, and was the tutelary god of the Brigantes tribe. Though there are also some evidences that he was worshipped in Gaul (France), known through some inscriptions.

 
Related Information
Name
Maponus, Maponos.

Related Articles
Angus Og, Apollo.

Back



Nemetona
 

Nemetona was the goddess of the grove or sacred grove.

Nemetona was usually associated with healing springs, like Coventina and Sulis. Nemetona was popular in the city of Bath, known as Aquae Sulis in Roman period, where several images can be found of her. Her divine consort was the British Mars. Usually, she was seen seated like a queen holding a sceptre. Around her were three hooded figures and a ram.

Some people associated Nemetona with Nemain, one of the Irish triple goddess of war, known as the Morrigans, though Nemetona had never exhibited warlike tendency.

 
Related Information
Name
Nemetona (British).

Nemain (Irish).

Related Articles
Coventina, Sulis, Nemain (Morrigan).

Back



Nodons
 

Nodons was a British (Romano-Celtic) god of healing. Nodons was associated with the Irish god, Nuada Airgedlámh ("Nuada of the Silver Hand"), and the Welsh god, Lludd Llaw Ereint (Nudd).

There was a great temple of Nodons established at Lydney on the River Severn, in Gloustershire, in AD 365. Nodons was said to come into the temple and heal the sicks.

The dogs were sacred to Nodons.

 
Related Information
Name
Nodons, Nodens, Nudens (Briton).

Nuada Argetlam (Irish).

Lludd, Nudd (Welsh).
Lludd Llaw Ereint – "Lludd Silver Hand".

Related Articles
See also Nuada or Nudd (Lludd).

Back



Ocelus
 

Ocelus was a Romano-Celtic god of healing. Ocelus was usually associated with the Roman god, Mars (Ares).

   

Back



Sulis
 

Goddess of healing springs. Sulis is actually a Latin name for the British goddess. The Romans identified her as the Gaulish Minerva, where she was known as Sulis Minerva.

Her city was named after her as Aquae Sulis, which is modern Bath. Because of the hot spring, the Romans had built a Roman bath in this town. She was one of several goddesses worshipped at Bath. The other two goddesses were Coventina and Nemetona.

The worship of Sulis had spread all the way to Hesse in Germany.

 
Related Information
Name
Sulis, Sul.

Related Articles
Coventina, Nemetona, Minerva.

Back









This page belongs to Timeless Myths.


Timeless Myths


www.timelessmyths.com



See Copyright Notices for permitted use.


For feedback, questions, or just to say "hello",
contact can made through the Contact page.
No mailing list or spamming, please.



Home  |  Celtic Mythology  |  Otherworld  |  Warrior Society  |  Celtic Cycles

What's New?  |  About  |  Bibliography  |  Fact & Figures  |  Genealogy  |  FAQs  |  Links  |  Copyright  |  Donation  |  Contact  |  Back