I love mythology. I’m not picky about where it comes from either. I love Greek myths, stories of the gods and goddesses of ancient Rome, Native American legends, even stories from the outback of Australia. But some of my favorites come from my own ethnic heritage: the Celts. Scotland. Ireland. Wales. Each has its unique set of stories, but I love them all.
Some of my favorite epic fantasy has its roots in the Celtic pantheon. Did you read Susan Cooper’s “The Dark Is Rising” series when you were a kid? How about “The Chronicles of Prydain” by Lloyd Alexander? Who knew an assistant pig keeper would be such an engaging hero?
So, in tribute to my Celtic roots, here are a few of the prominent gods and goddesses of the Welsh pantheon:
1. Arianrhod ~ goddess whose name means “silver wheel” (i.e., the moon)
2. Blodeuwedd ~ a maiden of flowers created to be the wife of Lleu Llaw Gyffes
3. Branwen ~ the daughter of Llyr
4. Dewi ~ god who was represented by the Red Dragon, which has become the emblem of Wales
5. Don ~ mother goddess; the Welsh equivalent of the Irish Danu
6. Gwynn ap Nudd ~ god of the Underworld
7. Lleu Llaw Gyffes ~ god who is the Welsh equivalent of the Irish Lugh
8. Llyr ~ god of the sea
9. Math ap Mathonwy ~ god of sorcery
10. Pryderi ~ son of Pwyll and Rhiannon
11. Pwyll ~ he was the Prince of Dyfed and a hero in the Mabinogion
12. Rhiannon ~ the wife of Pwyll
13. Taliesin ~ a renowned bard whose name means “shining brow”
Don’t the names just make you want to go write a story? They certainly inspire me…so I think I’ll toddle off and write about a dragon-shifter named Brandubh.
Happy imagining!
