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.
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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. |
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Alaisiagae | ||
Alaisiagae was the minor British goddess, who was identified in homesteads in Northumberland in a shrine to Mars. |
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. |
Arnemetia | ||
Arnemetia was a Romano-Celtic water goddess. Not much is known about Arnemetia, since there are very little inscriptions. |
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. |
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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. |
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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. |
Cocidius | ||
Cocidius was a Celtic-British goddess of hunting. Stone relief was found in Risingham, Yorkshire. |
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 |
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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Ocelus | ||
Ocelus was a Romano-Celtic god of healing. Ocelus was usually associated with the Roman god, Mars (Ares). |
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. |
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First Created (British Deities): 13/05/2000.
Last Modified: 27/10/07.