The ancient Celts has thriving mythology comprised of hundreds of vivid stories. It is filled with dynamic elements like adventure, valor, romance, and sorcery to form some of Europe’s most enticing tales. A slew of these marvelous tales is about the Celtic sea gods. But who are they exactly? Get to know the mighty sea deities on the list below.
Lir
Believed as the primary god of the oceans, Lir’s name is a personification of the sea. In early genealogies, he was also known as Allód, and he is the same person as the Welsh mythological figure Llyr.
He is the head of one of two divine families that are at odds with each other. The Children of Lir represented the forces of darkness, who were continuously at war with the Children of Don, who embodied the forces of light.
Manannán mac Lir
One of The Children of Lir is Manannán mac Lir. To provide a formal link, the Irish surname ‘mac Lir’ was attached to his name. This meant that he was the ‘son of the sea.’
Manannán, being the supernatural king of the mysterious Otherworld and a resident of an island, was naturally thought to have distinctive ties to the waters. He was regarded as a powerful warlord who rode his chariot across the sea’s expanse.
Tethra
Tethra is considered the oldest sea deity, reigning over the dead in Mag Mell. This gives him a link to Manannán. He got the throne after being slain in the Second Battle of Mag Tuiredh.
After the fight, the god Ogma took his sword, Orna, which recalled the things it had done. Later on, Tethra became famous for his cattle, which are interpreted as either stars or fish. The sea itself is sometimes called The Plains of Tethra.
Donn
Mainly considered a god of the dead, Donn’s name translates to ‘the dark one.’ According to Christian legend, his island served as a type of antechamber to hell, with souls lingering in a sort of anti-Purgatory.
Donn is also notorious as a sinister sea god. Legends say that he was the cause of shipwrecks and other marine tragedies. Folklore also states that he still exists in the modern era as a phantom horseman.
Lí Ban
Lí Ban is defined as a ‘paragon of women.’ She initially emerged as a sea bird, then an unearthly woman who infected Cú Chulainn with an eponymous disease. She was called the water goddess.
Her name is also used by another mythical persona, a woman who turned into a mermaid. It was said that in 558 A.D., the mermaid was caught in a fishnet. She was then baptized with a new identity, Muirgen or sea-born.
Nechtan
Nechtan is connected to Nechtan’s Well, or the Well of Wisdom, a spring that marks the origin of the River Boyne. His wife Boann is also the goddess of the said river.
However, Nechtan is still a speculative sea deity. His name may be related to Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, but Nechtan is not like typical Celtic sea gods.
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