Myth & Folklore
The Cailleach vs Brigid: Winter and Spring in Gaelic Tradition
The Cailleach and Brigid mark winter and spring in Gaelic tradition, but the idea that they are one goddess is modern.
Section
Category: <span>Myth & Folklore</span>
Celtic legend, gods, heroes and spirit beings — each story traced to the tradition it belongs to, the text it was first written down in, and its date.
Myth & Folklore
The Celtic Otherworld: Annwn, Tír na nÓg and Mag Mell
The Celtic Otherworld compared: the Welsh Annwn and the Irish Tír na nÓg, Mag Mell and the sídhe, and why it is…
Spirit Beings
Cwn Annwn: The Spectral Hounds of Welsh Myth
The Cwn Annwn are the white, red-eared hounds of Annwn in Welsh myth - the pack of Arawn in the Mabinogi and…
Spirit Beings
The Brownie: The Household Spirit of Scottish Folklore
In brownie folklore a household spirit does the chores by night - until it is offered clothes or payment, and vanishes.
Celtic Legends
Sovereignty Goddesses: Ériu, Banba and Fódla
The sovereignty goddess of Ireland is embodied by Ériu, Banba and Fódla, who name the land itself.
Celtic Legends
The Fomorians: The Ancient Enemies of Irish Myth, Honestly Sourced
The Fomorians honestly sourced: who they were in Irish myth, what the texts actually say, and how much of the "sea demons"…
Myth & Folklore
The Green Man: Medieval Carving and Modern Myth
The Green Man carvings are genuinely medieval, but the name and the ancient pagan god reading date only to 1939.
Celtic Legends
Gwyn ap Nudd, Lord of Annwn and the Welsh Wild Hunt
Gwyn ap Nudd, lord of Annwn and king of the Tylwyth Teg, leads the Cŵn Annwn in the Welsh Wild Hunt, from…
Spirit Beings
Redcap: The Murderous Goblin of the Borders in Folklore
Redcap folklore describes a murderous goblin of ruined Border towers who dyes his cap in the blood of victims - recorded by…
Spirit Beings
The Nuckelavee: Orkney’s Monster from the Sea
The nuckelavee is Orkney's skinless horse-and-rider sea demon, held off only by fresh water - the honest, sourced account.