These are the most famous characters from Celtic Mythology. For the sake of everyone's sanity, pronunciation guides will be provided for the names. However, remember they are only rough guides, and pronunciations can vary depending on whether the name is in Old Irish, Modern Irish or an Anglicisation, and they can vary depending on the speaker's canúint, their dialect of Irish.
The other thing to remember is that the Celtic peoples were never ones for centralised authority, even of their own, so Celtic myth is highly local and far from the relative tidiness and neat family trees of Greek or Roman myth. Add to that that the pre-Christian Celts did not leave written records, so the myth was written down by Christian Celts, then filtered again through both amateur antiquarians and occult weirdos in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries, many of whom had their own highly idiosyncratic ideas about what the myths really were. It all adds up to a huge case of Depending on the Writer.
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Irish
Mythological Cycle
Tuatha De Danann (Too-ha Day Dan-an):
Aengus Og
Aengus Og (AYNG-gus Oag)
- Angst Coma: In 'The Dream of Aengus'. A beautiful woman comes to see him every night in his dreams and plays the harp to him, but he cannot touch her. He goes into a wasting sickness until his parents find the girl in real life.
- Declaration of Protection: He does this a few times. For his foster-son Diarmuid in 'Diarmuid and Grainne's flight' foster-daughter in 'The House of the Two Pails', and for his foster-father's wife Etain in the 'The Wooing of Etain'.
- Dual Wielding: Wields the swords "Great Fury" and "Little Fury" as well as the spears "Red Spear" and "Yellow Spear", which he eventually gifted to his foster-son Diarmuid.
- Exact Words: He tricked the Dagda out of ownership of Bru na Boinne (Newgrange) by claiming that he wanted to stay for "a day and a night." But Irish has no indefinite articles, so it translates simply to "for day and night," which also means "day and night" in the permanent sense.
- Good Parents: He has many foster-children (some of which are the other gods), and loves all of them very deeply.
- Heroic Bastard: Born as the result of the Dagda getting it on with another guy's wife, but is probably one of the best members of the Tuatha De Danann.
- Invisibility Cloak: Literally had a cloak of invisibility, which he loaned to Diarmuid during the hero's time fleeing from the other Fianna.
- Meaningful Name: He is called "Aengus Og" (young Aengus) because the Dagda froze the sun in the sky for nine months so he would be conceived and born on the same day. He is sometimes referred to simply by his title, the Mac Og ("the Young Son").
- Outliving One's Offspring: A very deep and jarring instance in 'The House of the Two Pails.' Aengus is unable to help his depressed foster-daughter Enya in spite of his immense efforts to do so, and when she discovers her conversion to Christianity means that she can no longer live with the pagan gods, he watches her die of grief.
- Pretty Boy: Fitting for a god of love.
- The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: He's the Dagda's son, and noted to be a Hot God even among the other gods.
Boann
Boann (Boh-ann)
- Making a Splash: Presides over a river with all the creatures in it.
- Water Is Womanly: She's a river goddess.
Bodb Derg
Bodb Derg (BOH-v D-AR-ug)
Like his father, he was also said to have many children, especially daughters. Among them was Sadhbh (Sive), Finn Mac Cumhaill's wife and greatest love, and Aeb, the mother of the children of Lir.
- Animal Theme Naming: The first part of his name, Bodb, means "crow." This gives him a similar theme to his presumed mother, The Morrigan.
- Cain and Abel: The Abel to his brother Midir's Cain. When The Dagda stepped down as high king of the gods, his eldest son Bodb Derg was chosen to be his successor. While most of the Tuatha De Danann accepted this, two did not. One of those two was Bodb's brother Midir, who raised an army and went to war. What followed was a civil war among the gods, with the various factions of Tuatha De Danann and Daoine Sidhe taking one side or the other. Eventually Bodb Derg brought the Fionn Mac Cumhaill and his Fianna warriors to aid in the battle. While the exact conclusion to the war is unknown, it was said to have been highly destructive and seems to have ended with Midir defeated, but most likely alive.
- The Cavalry: In the battle of Ventry, just as it seems that the Fianna are about to be defeated by the King of the World and his armies, Bodb Derg arrives leading an army of Tuatha De Danann that turns the tide in the Fianna's favor and helps them finally achieve victory.
- Colorful Theme Naming: The second part of his name, Derg, means red. Since red is associated with the daoine sidhe, it's rather fitting.
- The Good King: Was seen as a wise and noble leader, much like a second Nuada. For example, when Lir is displeased that he wasn't chosen as the new high king of the gods and threatened rebellion, rather than go to war, Bodb Derg found a more peaceful solution and forbid his followers from attempting to punish Lir. Instead, Bodb offered his daughter Aeb, in marriage to Lir, who accepted and the two were Happily Married.
- Magic Knight: Had a great command of magic, but was also a warrior, as seen when he led the Tuatha De Danann to aid Finn Mac Cumhaill in battle.
- Magic Staff: A powerful magic practitioner like his father, he had a staff which he used to turn his grandchildren's Wicked Stepmother into an air demon.
- Papa Wolf: Or rather Grandpapa wolf. When he found out his grandchildren's Wicked Stepmother turned them into swans, he transformed her into an air demon as punishment.
- Top God: Is chosen to be the High King of the Gods after his father The Dagda retires. Much to the chagrin of Elder god Lir and Bodb's brother Midir.
Bres
Bres (Bresh)
- Beauty Is Bad: He is known as "Bres the Beautiful", but he is a silver-tongued, treacherous tyrant.
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Bres' closest relationship in the text is with his mother, Eriu, who goes with him to meet his father and patch things up.
- Face–Heel Turn: In the story of the first Cath Maige Tuired, Bres is a wise ambassador, loyal to his half-brothers and Nuada. However, as soon as the throneis vacant do to Nuada's maiming he manipulates his way into being chosen as king of the gods, then enslaves his own kin and people to the Fomorians.
- Geis: Had one where he had to drink whatever was offered him as long as it was milked. This led to his death when Lugh filled a herd of wooden cows with a red poison and gave it to Bres to drink. Since Bres could not refuse, he drank it all and died.
- Karma Houdini Warranty: After escaping capture after his ousting, aligning himself with the Tuatha De Danann's greatest enemy and starting a war that ended in countless dead (including Nuada) Bres is finally captured after the second Cath Maige Tuired. In a later story, he is forced/tricked by Lugh into drinking poison (which might have contained
sewage) and dies. - Sacred Hospitality: Defied by Bres, who not only refused to feed and shelter the Tuatha De properly during his stint as king, but puts a number of them to servant work and humiliates them as well.
- Villain: Exit, Stage Left: When he is overthrown and Nuada restored to kingship, Bres manages to evade capture and aligns himself with Balor, king of the Fomorians.
Brighid
Brighid (BRIJ-id, or BREEJ)
- Combo Platter Powers: A major goddess presiding over healing, poetry, and smithwork. Fire is often added to the mix, though it's debated.
- Composite Character:
- Brigid is often associated with fire. According to Gerald of Wales there was a temple where her "sacred flame" was constantly tended to by priestesses, and this idea was seized on by Celtic Revivalists of the Nineteenth Century like WB Yeats and many neo-pagans. Modern scholars think this was probably just the result of Roman or Christian scholars equating her with Hestia/Vesta.
- There is a long-running debate over the extent to which she and St Brigid of Kildare have been merged. The goddess may have been euhemerised into a saint that never really existed (unlike Patrick, there is no firm evidence for Brigid), or the mythos of the goddess may have been grafted onto the saint as she passed into legend. Some even suggest that Brigid of Kildare might have been a priestess of Brigid the goddess, who converted her community to Christianity.
- According
to the other Wiki, Brigid ("exalted one") could have been just a title applied to different deities as according to old texts Brigid as a goddess of poets and wisdom had two sisters: Brigid the healer and Brigid the smith, explaining also in such way why she's considered a triple goddess.
- Continuity Snarl: We know that Brighid is in charge of healing, poetry, and smiths. We don't know much else about her—or we don't know who knows much else about her, because everyone's arguing over who gets her in the first place.
- The Heart: She was so beloved that much of her mythology stuck around in the form of St Brigid.
- One-Woman Wail: When her son, Ruadan, is killed in Cath Maige Tuired, she invents keening.
- Overshadowed by Awesome: Compared to other gods and especially the Morrigan, she gets rather little mention in myth. Similar to Hestia of Greek mythology, it's probably because she's the sane/boring goddess of the home.
Cliodhna
Cliodhna (Clee-ahv-nah)
- Love Goddess: Was this before getting drowned.
- Our Banshees Are Louder: Their queen, as well as formerly one of the Celtic gods before her (un)death.
Crom Cruach
Crom Cruach
- Greater-Scope Villain: Outside of the story where he battles St. Patrick, Crom Cruach is often a background figure behind malevolent groups or individuals, such as the Laignach Faelad or Tigernmas, a mad king of the Milesians who performed mass sacrifices in Crom's name. Even the Fomorians appear to have a nebulous tie to him.
- Human Sacrifice: Associated with this. High King Tigernmas was especially known to perform massive sacrifices for him.
- Heel–Face Turn: Depending on if you believe "Crom Dubh" and "Crom Cruach" are the same. In a couple of much later folklore stories, Crom Dubh redeems himself and makes nice with Patrick.
- Savage Wolves: A tribe of werewolf mercenaries called the Laignach Faelad (lay-nack fay-lad) worship him as their god. Unlike most werewolves in Irish myth, who are usually benevolent, the Laignach Faelad are vicious bloodthirsty monsters who are not paid for mercenary work in gold, but in human flesh.
The Dagda
The Dagda (DAG-duh)
The father-figure of the Tuatha de Danaan. Another deity with a title for a name, "the Dagda" means "the good god" when literally translated. He was one of the first High Kings of Ireland, the god of music and poetry, and known for a magic cauldron that could feed any number of people without a problem.
- Abdicate the Throne: Sometime after the Tuatha De Danann leave the mortal world for Tir Na Nog, he eventually steps down as their high king. While many come forth to try to take his place, his eldest son Bodb Derg is ultimately chosen as the new high king.
- Acrofatic: Is said to be swift on his feet despite his weight.
- Balloon Belly: Is said to have gained one after completing Fomorian chief Indech's challenge to eat a whole giant pit full of food. He eventually slept it off.
- Big Eater: If you have a cauldron that can feed hundreds of people, you probably like eating.
- Big Fun: Like the Laughing Buddha. Some religions like to make their father gods stoic, loving figures or chisled handsome beasts. We got the comical, singing, dancing Dirty Old Man with his ass hanging out of his trousers. And he is awesome for it.
- Big Beautiful Man: He's overweight, yet he is still described as attractive, even beautiful, nonetheless.
- The Big Guy: Doughy he may be, but he's basically Irish Thor.
- Blue-and-Orange Morality: In "How the Dagda Got His Magic Staff," sees NOTHING wrong with killing three men for what he wants. Also, in The Intoxication of the Ulstermen, it's mentioned that he keeps nine men around him and reanimates them and kills them in a sequence. Like a twisted xylophone.
- Cain and Abel: Along with Ogma, he's described as a brother of Bres, which doesn't stop Bres from sentencing him to death for murder at one point in his reign. (In other myths such as The First Battle of Magh Tuireadh, the brothers are shown to be close, though.)
- Carry a Big Stick: The lorg mor, a big club/staff (likely a shillelagh). The club end could kill nine men with a single strike.
- God Couple: Is married to The Morrigan. His connection to life and death and The Morrigan's ties to death have led some to compare them to Hades and Persephone with the genders reversed.
- Healing Shiv:The handle end of the lorg mor, his club, could return the dead to life and health.
- Instrument of Murder: His magical harp, Uaithne. Not only its music alone could kill, it supposedly came flying to Dagda's hands every time he called it smashing all the people and things it found in its way.
- Kavorka Man: Not conventionally attractive, and can be rather comical, but that doesn't seem to hurt his ability to charm the ladies.
- Magic Music: He was such a skilled musician that he could make people cry, cheer, and sometimes kill them from sheer awesome. Having a magical harp specifically for that purpose didn't hurt.
- Mundane Made Awesome: One of his stories basically consists of him one-upping the Fomoirians when they dare him to eat a large amount of porridge.
- Nice Guy: While his name "The good god" might have more to do with how great he is in power (he's usually said to be one of, if not the most powerful god in the pantheon) rather than being a moral distinction, he's still a rather jovial, generous, and kind figure who easily earns the "good" in moral sense too.
- Outdoor Bath Peeping: Meets the the Morrigan as she's washing herself in a river. The two of them arrive at an "amicable arrangement" after some negotiating.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Can come off as a silly fellow at times, but is a force of nature, wise, smart as a whip, a powerful sorcerer, and a mighty warrior. He seems to use his often silly demeanor to his advantage, letting his enemies believe he's just some half-wit bumpkin only to wind up playing them like a fiddle the entire time.
- Opposites Attract: The Dagda is a big, loveable goofball (though still wise and badass) and his wife is The Morrigan, who has a very fearsome and terrifying reputation. Perhaps she likes a man who can make her laugh?
- Papa Wolf: He's not a being you want to cross, overall Nice Guy or not, as the poor fool who murdered his son Aed learned the hard way. He cursed the killer to carry Aed's body on his shoulders wherever he went, unable to rest for even a moment, until he found the perfect stones and location to build a tomb for Aed, and built it all by himself. All while Dagda battered him with storms. By the time Aed's killer put the last stone in place, he immediately dropped dead from the labor and physical abuse.
- Really Gets Around: Noticing a theme? Notably, he slept with the Morrigan in exchange for her help in fighting the Fomorians (though in that case, she is his wife to begin with). In the same text, he slept with a Fomorian girl as well.
- Summon to Hand: His harp comes when he calls it.
- Supreme Chef: After his retirement as "High King of the Gods" he pops up again ( in disguise of course ) in the High King of Ireland's kitchen as his personal chef. Proving he loves making food as much as he loves eating it.
- Team Dad: Is a father figure to many of the Tuatha De Danaan. Even the ones that aren't his biological kids. One of his titles is even "All Father."
- Top God: Unlike a lot of other mythologies, the title of King of the gods (or High King of the gods, in this case) is a rotating position, but of the gods who have held the position, he held it the longest. As a result, if the king of the Irish gods being portrayed isn't Nuada, it's usually The Dagda. Though he did eventually retire and his eldest son Bodb Derg was made the new king of the gods.
- Warrior Poet: He can use Magic Music with his harp, and can bust nine heads in one hit with Lorg Mor.
Danu
Danu
- Earth Mother: Is said to be the mother of the gods, and has certain natural landmarks are named for her or her anatomy (such as a pair of hills called her breasts).
- I Have Many Names: She is also sometimes called Anu.
- Mother Goddess: Mother and founder of the Tuatha De Danann. Specific children include The Dagda, Ogma and Nuada.
- Rule of Three: She is sometimes conflated with The Morrigan and Brigid as a triplicate goddess.
Dian Cecht
Dian Cecht
- Badass Transplant: He was the one who forged a sliver arm for Nuada after it was cut off in battle, effectively giving him the epithet Airgetlám (literally "of the Silver Arm").
- Dr. Jerk: A noticeable theme in works he appears in, ESPECIALLY Cath Maige Tuired.
- Healer God: God of Medicine and father of Airmid and Miach .
- Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: In case his treatment of Miach didn't hammer it in, in one of the Dindshenchas tales, he kills the Morrigan's son, Meich.
- Offing the Offspring: Killed his son Miach when Miach was able to grow flesh over Nuada's silver arm, proving that Miach was the better physician. Only barely restrains himself from doing the same to his daughter, Airmed, only scattering the herbs that she had gathered so that no one knows all their properties.
- Pride: It's often stated that he can't stand being one-upped in medicine.
Donn
Irish god of death. Often confused with Eber Donn, a Milesian prince with a similar name who died on Donn's sacred islet. Donn the god is the son of Dagda and the ancestor of the modern Irish people. He is portrayed as a phantom horseman who rides through the sky and gathers the souls of the dead to his realm of Tech Duinn, where they either remain forever or until they are reborn.
He is also associated with storms and shipwrecks. It is often said that as he rides his horse through the sky, storms and rain followed him.
A small island now known as Bull Rock is associated with him and believed to be a portal to his realm. So too is a hill in County Limerick.
- Blow That Horn: Donn is said to possess a horn that, when blown, gathers souls to him. He apparently blows it at the end of Samhain to call the wandering souls back to Tech Duinn.
- Blow You Away: As stated below, he could summon storms and rain.
- Cool Horse: Rode a phantom horse that could gallop through the sky.
- Dark Is Not Evil: His name means "Dark"/"Dark one" but is merely a caretaker of souls he considers his children.
- Expy: A lot of his imagery as a horseman galloping through the sky and collecting the souls is very similar to Odin from Norse mythology. The fact that Limerick, where he is heavily tied to, was settled by Vikings probably had a hand in it.
- Everything's Deader with Zombies: While it's ambiguous if they are revenant zombies or closer to some form of wraith, one story describes three red-cloaked horsemen who are servants of Donn who say that "Though we are alive, we are dead." They appear to a traveling king to foretell the death of him and many of his allies.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: He didn't like trespassers on his sacred land, but preferred to simply warn people away first rather than punishing them outright the way many Otherworld folk might.
- Shock and Awe: In addition to being a psychopomp, he was also a god of storms and shipwrecks.
- Soul Power: Is a god of the dead, and collected dead, which he could gather by blowing his horn. It was said he used this horn to call the souls of the dead back to the Otherworld at the end of Samhain.
Eriu
Eriu (AIR-ou)
Éiru (or Éire) is a goddess of the Earth and the matron goddess of Ireland. Ériu was the daughter of Fiachna mac Delbaeth and Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the mythical race of people who inhabited Ireland before the Celts. Her husband was thought to be Mac Gréine (‘Son of the Sun’), who was the son of Oghma and grandson to the Dagda. Eriu’s son Bres was also known as Bres Mac Elatha, the result of her affair with Elatha, a king of the Fomoire.
- Patron Saint: She is the namesake of Ireland and a modernized variation of her name (Éire) is both a autonym and poetic name for the country.
- Rule of Three: She (like many gods in the Celtic pantheon) is apart of a triumvirate of goddesses with her sisters Banba and Fódla.
- Helicopter Parents: Absolutely DEVOTED to her son, Bres in Cath Maige Tuired, giving him land for his kingship and supporting him even after he's removed from the kingship.
Lugh Lamhfhada
Lugh Lámhfhada (LOO lauv-oddah)
The Ace of the gods, associated with the sun (according to Victorian archaeologists, anyways), fertility, and liberating Ireland from the monster Balor. Not much is known past that, but he did have a fling with his hot midwife when she helped his wife give birth safely—the midwife in turn had Cuchulainn, Ireland's greatest hero, and the rest is (alleged) history.
- The Ace: Of course. He got into the Tuatha de Danaan solely because while they had masters of all fields, none were a master in all fields like him.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: In some stories, though not all, that shining exterior hides something much, much darker.
- Combo Platter Powers: Comes with the territory of being an ace.
- Handsome Lech: Described as handsome and not only has four wives, but also one or two mistresses.
- God of Light: Historically was understood to be a sun god due to his name's etymology (controversially related to other Indo-European words for "light" or "white"). He is however now thought to be associated with lightning flashes.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Causes his downfall, when one of his wives cheats on him with the Dagda's son, Cermait, causing him to kill Cermait. Cermait's sons in turn kill Lugh, drowning him in Loch Lugborta.
- Jack of All Trades: This is the reason he's allowed into the Tuatha Dé Danann, despite being half-Formorian — he makes the point that, while the gods may already have one person with each important skill, they don't yet have a person who can do everything.
- Light Is Good: God of the light in general, and fertility. Getting any "evil" vibes from that? Even if he is not the Sun god as previously thought, a role that might actually belong to his foe, Balor of the Evil Eye, he still represents the light of the thunder flashes.
- Pretty Boy: A common trend in Celtic mythology.
- Really Gets Around: Has four wives along with a few mistresses, and nobody minds.
- Red Baron: Has two epithets, Lú Lámhfhada (Lugh of the Long Arm) and Lú Samhildánach (Loo sawil-daunach), Lugh the Skilled-in-everything.
- Shock and Awe: A popular interpretation is that he is actually some sort of thunder god, with his name more or less meaning "lightning flash".
- Smart People Play Chess: Lugh didn't just play chess—he invented it (or its Celtic precursor, fidchell, rather.)
- The Chessmaster: Absolutely ruthless in pursuit of his aims, as shown in Oidheadh Chloinne Tuireann.
- Unexplained Recovery: Twice:
- There's a story where he's murdered by Cermait's sons as revenge for killing their father. However centuries later he is alive enough to father his son Cu Chulainn. Speaking of which...
- One version of how he impregnated Cu Chulainn's mother has her accidentally eating Lugh while he is swimming in her drink. However despite never being described escaping her stomach, he still shows up fine years later to rescue an injured Cu Chulainn and reveal his divine parentage.
- Warrior Poet: Literally a warrior and a poet. The Irish love the trope's version as well.
The Morrigan
The Morrígan (MORE-ree-gun)
The Badb
The most infamous Celtic goddess, her name (Mór-Ríoghain) means "great/phantom queen." Due to the fragmented nature of Celtic mythology, she is associated with several related figures—Nemain (a spirit-woman or goddess who personifies the frenzied havoc of war), Macha (either a goddess or one of The Fair Folk, forced to run a race while pregnant and ended up giving birth after winning), and Badb, another warrior-goddess. There have even been attempts to link her to Morgan le Fay of Arthurian legend, even though that's the Welsh tradition and completely different. Nobody's really sure of anything with her, aside from the facts that 1) she is a war-goddess, and 2) nobody's sure of anything with her. Tellingly, she is one of the few deities who wasn't Brought Down to Normal and didn't get her Serial Numbers Filed Off.
- And Show It to You: After she finds out the Fomorian general Indech tried to humiliate her husband Dagda, Morrigan swears to carve the heart out of Indech's chest. Sure enough, during the battle of Mag Tuired, as Indech is dying from his Mutual Kill with Ogma and calling for help, his last moments are of Morrigan pouncing on him and cutting his heart of his chest.
- Blood Knight: Unusual in that she's a bloodthirsty female deity, and uses her wits to cause bloodbaths instead of solve them. She draws a marked parallel with Kali in that respect; the pattern is also similar to Enyo, goddess of destruction in Greek Mythology, who did the same thing.
- The Chessmaster: If you want to completely ruin someone (even if they don't deserve it), you've got to be smart.
- Color-Coded for Your Convenience: Modern artists portray her dressed in black with black hair, and her clothes were frequently red—red was the ancient Celtic color of death.
- Creepy Crows: An Older Than Print example - The Morrígan was associated with both crows and the deluge of corpses left on a battlefield. Crows' tendencies to feast on a battlefield's corpses matched a belief that she would gather the souls of the dead after a battle in "the Morrígan's harvest". It was a crow landing on Cú Chulainn's shoulder while he tied himself to a stone with his own guts than signified to his enemies that was surely now dead. Inversely though, a crow appearing over a battlefield could be an inspiring omen to some of its warriors.
- Cryptic Conversation: Many unfortunates piss her off because they can't understand what the hell she's saying.
- A Dog Named "Dog": Badb took the form of a crow, and her name meant...crow.
- Dark Action Girl: Doesn't get much darker and action-y than her. Though morally she's usually more of a very dark antihero than a villain.
- Dark Is Not Evil: For all that she makes people wet themselves, she is still Chaotic Good, and she will generously reward people who pass her tests.
- Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Her most iconic look is as a woman with dark, often black, hair as part of her ties to crows and ravens. She can also be rather scary, which is where eerie comes in. And she's Irish, so fair skin is to be expected.
- Femme Fatale: With her ability in Shapeshifting, there's probably little doubt she could appear as a very beautiful woman whenever she wanted to, allowing her to be one of these, and she was believed to have possibly outright caused warriors to be killed in battle - don't anger her if you meet her, or she'll be sure to make you regret it.
- Flanderization: For some reason, Goths view her as a misunderstood and regal persona rather than the badass, ill-tempered, insanely vengeful figure she is in myth.
- This has also come from the opposite direction of her being imagined as a sort of evil proto-Satan/Demon and/or sadistic psychopath. While it's hard to argue that she's not bloodthirsty she also does reward people who pass her tests, does not only represent death but also fertility (with some theories that she represents the cycle of life itself), most of her kills were other warriors who already fighting on the battlefield, and you usually have to do something directly against her to actually piss her off (though she could be somewhat arbitary at times).
- God Save Us from the Queen!: On one hand, she's an amazon who has no problem trading sex for little things like lifelong glory and prosperity. On the other hand, if you piss her off she will fuck your shit up. She won't just kill you—first she'll ruin everything you stand for as you watch helplessly (but not quite enough to send you over the Despair Event Horizon), and then she'll make absolutely sure your death is long, agonizing, and pointless.
- The High Queen: On a good day.
- Kick the Dog: Some of her punishments are this, especially if the victim doesn't really have it coming.
- In a pretty obscure myth, she was on the receiving end when her son Mechi was killed as a boy. There were three serpents living in his heart that were prophesied to destroy Ireland when he was full-grown.
- Naked First Impression: The Morrigan is said to have been washing herself in a river before the Dagda meets her.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: When someone's name literally means "phantom queen," you'd best tread carefully around her.
- Opposites Attract: She's the wife of the Dagda whose overall demeanor seems to be the opposite of hers, and while she's more connected to death, he's more connected to life.
- Pet the Dog: When she rewards someone. She also offered Cu Chulainn immortality but he turned it down.
- Portent of Doom: The Morrigan is inclined to make these to people. She was said to appear before those fated to die in an imminent battle as washing their bloodstained clothing or armor.
- Really Gets Around: Her fertility aspect is overshadowed in modern times by her violent tendencies, but very obvious in the myths. For example, the Dagda slept with her on the condition that she would provide help for a battle against the Fomorians.
- Red Is Violent: Her clothing and (sometimes) hair invoke this, though she's more popularly portrayed with black hair instead, do to ravens being her sacred animal (though red is still a popular color to dress her in).
- Sadly Mythtaken: Some people compare her to Athena, when she's the exact opposite—Athena was a war goddess who dealt more with strategy, while the Morrigan positively loves carnage. She's far more comparable to the OTHER Greek war Goddesses Enyo and Eris: her association specifically with strife as well as war, and Eris herself being shown with black wings. However, unlike Eris, she isn't evil.
- Shapeshifting: Could do it, and more than just her signature crow motif! The Ulster Cycle has her appear as a young woman, an eel, a wolf, a heifer and finally an old woman.
- Sizeshifter: On the eve of the final great battle with the Fomorians, she and her husband The Dagda meet at a river to make love. Before they do the deed though, Morrigan is described becoming so large that she straddles the river, with one foot on each bank. Dagda, meanwhile, apparently stays human sized.
- Spell My Name with a "The": The Morrigan. Understandably, most people drop the "the" since it gets awkward after a while. Still she's kind of a scary lady so we wouldn't blame you for wanting to keep up the decorum regardless.
- Things That Go "Bump" in the Night: She announced her presence by screaming war-cries to wake everyone up. Whoever had the balls to check would be rewarded if they helped her out, or punished if they pissed her off.
- The Three Faces of Eve: Often depicted as a triple goddess, the individuals comprising her being Badb, Macha, and Nemain. Respectively, their domains are war, war, and frenzied warnote .
- Trauma Conga Line: One of her specialties, and the main reason she's so pants-wettingly feared.
- Unusual Euphemism: Characters often make reference to "the Morrigan's harvest" after a battle—that being the eyes, souls, or heads of the dead. After a battle, everyone still alive would clear the hell out to ensure that the Morrígan's "harvest" went peacefully.
- Woman Scorned: One of the biggest examples of Morrígan getting pissed off is the case of Cu Chulainn, who either rejected her or failed to notice her when she wanted him. This led to his end, and the raven that perched on his shoulder after his final battle to inform his enemies that he was dead is widely believed to have been Morrigan herself.
Manannan mac Lir
Manannan mac Lir
God of the sea, ruler of Mag Mell, and keeper of the magic tools the the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is said to own a boat named Scuabtuinne (literally "wave sweeper"), a sea-borne chariot drawn by the horse Enbarr (literally "water foam") and a powerful sword named ''Fragarach"" (literally "the answerer").
He is the namesake of the Isle of Man.
- Land of Faerie: He rules over the elysium-like land of Mag Mell within Tir na nog.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: Has a cloak that can apparently cause this, as seen when he shakes it in order to make Cú Culainn forget about his affair with Manannán's wife.
- Lord of the Ocean: Well, he is a sea god.
Neit
Neit (Netch)
God of War (one of many). Married to Badb and Nemain, The Morrigan's sisters. Though a member of the Tuatha De Danann, he is actually Fomorian by birth. He's said to have died in the Cath Maige Tuired, alongside his wife/wives.
- Battle Couple: Well, "battle throuple" is more accurate. He and his two wives Badb and Nemain march into battle together.
- Polyamory: He is married to the war goddesses Badb and Nemain at the same time. Adding to it, both are sisters.
- Token Heroic Orc: Though a Fomorian by birth, he essentially lives and fights as a Tuatha De Danann.
Nodens
Nodens
Temple complex at Lydney Park.
Also spelled Nodons (reconstructed from the old Nodenti or Nodonti), he was a healing god worshipped by the ancient Celts. Although no physical depiction of him has survived, votive plaques found in a shrine at Lydney Park (Gloucester) indicate his connection with dogs, a beast associated with healing symbolism in antiquity. This deity is known in only one other location, in Cockersand Moss (Lancashire). The simularities have made him equated on most inscriptions with the Roman god Mars (as a healer rather than as a warrior) and likened to Silvanus (a hunting-god). Granted, he is more famous to a modern audience in the Cthulhu Mythos as one member of the Elder Gods alongside Bast and Hypnos. Given how little is know about him, this is a huge improvement.- Animal Motifs: Dogs (the domestic variety), though whether or not he resembled a dog (or indeed, how he looked like) physical appearance-wise has remained unknown.
- An Arm and a Leg: Interestingly, a bronze arm was found amongst the artifacts at the Lydney Park temple, suggesting that the tale of losing an arm isn’t exclusive to his Irish counterpart.
- Decomposite Character: Possibly, it's theorized that he is another name/aspect of Nuada.
Nuada Airgetlam
Nuada Airgetlám (NEW-ah-duh AHRY-gedge-laum)
- Badass Transplant: Possibly the Ur-Example. After losing his arm in battle, it gets replaced by a fully-functional silver one.
- Famous Ancestor: He is the often said to be the ancestor of the great Irish hero Fionn Mac Cumhaill via a coupling with a mortal woman.
- The Good King: Was well-beloved by his fellow Tuatha De Danann, in stark contrast to the loathsome Bres. As soon as Nuada got his sliver prosthetic arm, making him eligible for kingship again, the Tuatha De Danann quickly rallied behind him to overthrow Bres and restore Nuada to the throne.
- The Hero Dies: He and his wife Macha are killed battling Balor during the Second Cath Maige Tuired.
- Heroes Prefer Swords: Is the leader of the Tuatha De Danann and his signature weapon is his sword, which depending on who you ask is either called Claíomh Solais (sword of light) or Fragarach.
- The Lancer
- Meaningful Name: Airgetlám (airgeadlámh in modern Irish) literally means 'silver hand', which is fitting since Nuada literally has a silver hand.
- Nice Guy: Pretty much as nice as they come in Irish mythology. Even after regaining his throne from an unpopular king (Bres) after he lost the arm and got a new one, he allows Lugh to lead his army after meeting the guy and deciding he was pretty swell and good enough to lead his people in battle.
- Only Sane Man: Once you take a look at everyone else's track record. He'd often make fairly reasonable requests, such as halving the territory with the Fir Bolg and, after only just having his own arm chopped off, insisting Sreng fight him with one of his arms tied behind his back. On both of those counts his negotiations were turned down.
- Top God: The first king of the gods. Lost the position, but gained it back. Then left the position to Lugh after Nuada was killed by Balor.
- War God: Some scholars like Ranko Matasovic and modern interpretations present Nuada as a god tied to warfare due to his combat prowess and status as the Tuatha De Danna's warrior king, requiring him to be strong in mind, body and soul. Traits you'd expect a warrior to have. Matasovic also suggests that the Middle Irish, for "champion", Núada may reference him as Tuatha De Danna's strongest fighter.
Ogma
Ogma (AWG-MA)
- God of Knowledge: He was the god of wisdom and eloquence, could bind people with the power of his words, and invented ogham, the druidic writing system and a sort of Celtic equivalent to runes.
- Green-Eyed Monster: He isn't so happy to stand aside for Lugh as Nuada's champion...at least at first. Eventually he and Lugh reach a truce, and he, Lugh and Dagda form a trinity known as "The Three Gods of Skill."
- Mutual Kill: With Indech of the Fomoire in the Cath Maige Tuired.
- The Smart Guy: He was the one who created the original writing system for Gaeilge (Irish) and is a god specifically identified with the concept of eloquence.
- Unexplained Recovery: Is part of a Mutual Kill with the Fomorian warchief Indech, yet is alive and well enough to participate in the quest to reclaim Dagda's harp. Which explicitly happens after said battle. Maybe his body was intact enough to be resurrected by the healing end of Dagda's staff?
- Warrior Poet: He created the Ogam alphabet and wields a massive club.
Fomorians:
Balor of the Fomorians
Balor
- Archnemesis Dad: He locked his daughter away after a prophecy that her child would destroy him. When his daughter became pregnant, Balor killed several of the resulting babies with only one of them, Lugh, surviving to return to bring him down.
- Big Bad: Of the Mythological Cycle. His death marks the final defeat of the Fomorians for good.
- Creepy Child: In one story, he shapeshifted into a one-eyed, red-haired child in order to steal a magical cow from the Tuatha De Danann.
- Cyclops: His famous "evil eye," which obliterated everything he looked at.
- Deadly Gaze: His trademark power and the source of his namesake, his eye when opened would kill everything he looked at.
- Evil Overlord: Was a tyrannical warlord during his life. Folklore variations sometimes have him taking advantage of young women by invoking his rights as a lord, stealing cattle, and enacting high taxes on the population.
- Certain scholars have theorized that Tolkien might have drawn on Balor as a source of inspiration for Sauron. Yes, THAT Sauron.
- Eye Beams: How his "evil eye" worked, blasting and possibly poisoning everything it hit. Balor was said to have gained this power as a young Fomorian when he looked into a cauldron being used by three Fomorian crones. The fumes got in his eye and from that day forward he had his signature power.
- Hero Killer: Kills Nuada Silver Arm during the second Cath Maige Tuired (Battle of the Plain of Pillars) and Nuada's wife Macha (The Morrigan's sister).
- Large and in Charge: He's described as a giant who towers over his enemies.
- Light Is Not Good: The modern consensus is that he's some bizarre symbolism for the harsh summer sun in contrast to the storms brought about by Lugh. His possible Wlesh counterpart, Gronw, even has the epithet "the radiant", implying that light is a feature of this character who is pretty consistently villainous.
- Power Limiter: Wore an eyepatch to prevent his powers from obliterating his own armies. He removed it during combat and when Lugh hit his eye with a slingshot (killing him in the process), it fell through his skull onto the ground and started burning his Fomorian allies, causing their defeat.
- Unholy Matrimony: Seems to be, at the very least, on good terms with his wife, Cethlenn of the Crooked Teeth. In the medieval text, they have 12 sons, as well as Ethniu, and in The Tragic Death of the Sons of Tuireann, she's the one who warns him of Lugh's identity.
- Screw Destiny: He heard about the prophecy of his descendants slaying him, he decided to kill them all. However, in true ironic fashion one of them survived and eventually got Balor killed.
Elatha
El-ah-a
Another Fomorian chieftain, the father of Bres the Beautiful via the goddess Eriu. Elatha is unique among the Fomorians because, much like his son, he was angelically handsome rather than monstrous like most of his kin. Also unlike them, he was known for being noble and good humored. However, despite his good qualities he still fought on the side of the Fomorians in the second Cath Maige Tuired.
- Anti-Villain: Has at least some code of honor, if his initial refusal to support Bres' illegal attempt to retake the Tuatha De Danann throne is anything to go by, and is said to be noble and good humored. However, at the end of the day he is still a Fomorian and when called upon by Balor, fights for them.
- The Casanova: Seemed to get a lot of mileage out of his good looks, and used them to seduce many women, including at least two goddesses.
- Noble Demon: Unlike the treacherous Indech, or the cruel Balor, Elatha was known for being noble and good humored.
- Loved I Not Honor More: Had a love affair with Eriu, but it did not last. Despite her protests, he ultimately left her to return to his people.
- Sole Survivor: Of the major Fomorian kings said to fight in the Cath Maige Tuired (Balor, Indech, Elatha and Tethra), he's the only one not killed.
Tethra
Tethra (teh-rah)
One of the Fomorian chieftains under Balor. He wields the talking sword Orna. He is killed in the Second Cath Maige Tuired by an unspecified combatant and his sword is recovered by Ogma- Animal Theme Naming: Translated, his name means something akin to "Sea Crow" or "Scald Crow", tying him to both the sea, and war/death.
- Living Weapon: His sword Orna is even able to speak when drawn from its sheath. Considering it mostly talks about its own deeds, it's apparently a narcissist.
- Making a Splash: Seems to have a strong tie to the sea. One or two writers even seem to have confused him with Manannan Mac Lir (which is ironic, since the two are on opposite sides of the war.)
The Ulster Cycle
King Conchobhar mac Nessa
King Conchobar mac Nessa (KOH-na-hu-er)
- A Child Shall Lead Them: Became king of Ulster at age seven, although his mother Ness served as the power behind the throne for the early years of his reign.
- The Chosen One: Conchobor was born as the product of Cathbad's prophesy delivered to Ness, foretelling that a boy conceived at that very hour would become a king. Cathbad wound up as the father simply because he was the closest guy on hand.
- Droit du Seigneur: Conchobar was so beloved by his people that the men of Ulster obliged him to sleep with their wives on the night of their marriage so as to have him as the first in their family. The only exception was Cu Chulainn, who made it very, very clear that he was not to touch Emer, so Conchobor decided to interpret his obligation as literally as possible.
- The Good King: Most of the time, as he wasn't immune to the occasional massive screw-up or two (such as his handling of Deirdre).
- Heroic Bastard: Ness was between husbands (her first husband, Fachtna Fáthach, having been slain by Eochu Feidlech some time before) when she conceived Cathbad, not that anyone was terribly concerned with this.
- Mother Makes You King: When the previous king, Fergus mac Roich, married Conchobor's mother, Ness, she gave him one condition: allow her seven-year-old son to serve as a Puppet King for a year so that his future children could boast a royal lineage. Fergus agreed to her terms, and Ness immediately set about making Conchobor a Universally Beloved Leader (as much by bribery as by good rulership) so that, when the time came for Fergus to reclaim his kingship, the people of Ulster told him to stuff it.
- Offered the Crown: As Fergus's brideprice for his marriage to Ness.
- Really Gets Around: Had sex with just about every woman in Ulster.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something
- Warrior Prince: One of Ulster's greater warriors, though his people were reluctant to allow him into battle lest he be killed.
- What the Hell, Hero?: While otherwise well-regarded, his execution of the sons of Uisliu in retaliation for Naoise's elopment with Deirdre angers Fergus, Dubthach, and Conchobar's own son, Cormac, so greatly that the three of them immediately defect Connacht and begin waging war on Ulster.
- His biggest out character moment (and most evil one) is when it's revealed he raped Queen Madb in retaliation for her murdering his pregnant wife. Although this only happens in some versions of the story.
Cathbad
Cathbad (KAW-vaw)
- Court Mage: Served as Conchobar's primary adviser
- Druid: Perhaps the most famous one.
- Outliving One's Offspring: By all accounts, Cathbad appears to have not only outlived his son, Conchobar, but all five of his grandsons (Cu Chulainn, Conall Cernach, and the three sons of Uisliu)
- Seers: The deliverer of a number of prophecies, from Conchobor's birth to the tragedy brought on by Deirdre.
Fergus mac Roich
Fergus mac Roich (FUR-gus mack ROWSH)
- Abdicate the Throne: Didn't seem to care very much about losing kingship to Conchobar, and even serves under him without complaint until the death of his son
- The Exile: Fled Ulster after the death of his son and the three sons of Uisliu.
- Friendly Enemy: To his foster-son, Cu Chulainn, during the The Cattle Raid of Cooley, which causes Medb a lot of headaches.
- Large and in Charge: Described as a rather large man
- The Mistress: Or the male equivalent thereof to Medb. This eventually led to his death, when Ailill finally let his jealousy get the better of him and tricked the blind Lugaid Dalléces into killing him.
- Never My Fault: Is very quick to attribute everything that went wrong in the The Cattle Raid of Cooley to Medb, despite his own tendency to constantly undermine her.
- Treacherous Advisor: Fergus was anything but a reliable guide to Medb during the The Cattle Raid of Cooley.
- Turncoat: Defected to Connacht out of outrage against Conchobar.
- Wave Motion Sword: Caladbolg, a BFS said to be capable of slicing off the tops of mountains and slaying entire armies with a single stroke. Etymologically, it is an exact cognate of Caledfwlch, the Welsh name for the sword Excalibur.
Cu Chulainn
Cu Chulainn (KOO KULL-lin)
"Cúchulainn was an unstoppable warrior hero in Irish legend who was renowned throughout the British Isles for his unmatched prowess in combat, his superhuman deeds, his Justin Timberlake-like good looks and his infamous "Warp Spasm" - a violent bloodthirsty berserker rage which caused his face to contort into hideous positions, made his hair to stand up on end, and prompted one of his eyes to bulge out of his head." (From his Badass of the Week page.)
More or less The Hero of the Ulster Cycle and possibly the most famous hero in all of Irish mythology. Son of Lugh the Long Handed and Conchobor's half-sister, Deichtine, Cú Chulainn was Ulster's greatest champion. He was said to be unparalleled in all aspects, be it in wisdom, strength, agility, or the tendency to transform into a hideous, Lovecraftian monstrosity and go on killing sprees.
- Absurdly Youthful Father: Cú Chulainn references the slaying of his son in the The Cattle Raid of Cooley. Connla was seven at the time of his death, which means Cú Chulainn was at most ten years old when he sired him.
- The Ace: Boy, if there ever was one...
- Affectionate Nickname: Along with "Little Hound" mentioned below, Cú Chulainn has been bestowed the pet name "Cucuc" by his charioteer and close friend, Laeg.
- Angst Coma: "The Wasting Sickness of Cú Chulainn" is an entire story about his year-long illness.
- Berserk Button: Do not threaten the province of Ulster if you want to live. You'll get a Gae Bolg to the torso.
- The Berserker: After warp-spasming. In this state, his already-respectable body count usually skyrocketed, including the unlucky allies that were caught in the melee.
- Blood Knight: The type that lives for dueling, not bloodbaths. In a twist, he always challenges people to duels because that's the surest way to prevent bloodbaths (Cú Chulainn being The Chosen One and all.)
- Bullying a Dragon: Conchobar's 150 boy warriors learned it the hard way.
- Burning with Anger: Cú Chulainn was hot-tempered in a very literal sense.And the snow melted for thirty feet all around him, because of the intensity of the warrior's heat and the warmth of Cú Chulainn's body. And the gilla remained a good distance from him for he could not endure to remain near him because of the might of his rage and the warrior's fury and the heat of his body.
- The Chosen One (Because Destiny Says So)
- Cool Car: His Sickle Chariot was decked out with scythes on the rails and wheel hubs, spikes on the wheel rims and the horses' armor, and "heroic spikes" at the front. It cut bloody swathes through an army, kicked up a spray of flagstone-sized boulders, and left furrows "big enough to provide a fort and fortress" in its tracks.
- Creepy Good: His Warp Spams were, to say the least, unsettling to behold, but he's still counted as a hero.
- Died Standing Up: The reason he tied himself to a rock after being mortally wounded was so he could stall for time and make his enemies still think he was alive. It worked until a raven landed on his shoulder after he actually died.
- Divine Parentage: He's the son of Lugh the Long-Handed, which is responsible for a lot of his badassery. The rest is being The Chosen One.
- Does Not Know His Own Strength: One of his earlier trysts went a bit awry when he accidentally broke a woman's fingers while having sex with her. This did not end well. He also had a bit of trouble taking up arms due to the fact that he shattered just about every spear, sword, or shield Conchobar gave him, as well as seventeen chariots.
- Don't Wake the Sleeper: Once as a child, when someone was once sent to wake him, Cú Chulainn struck the man in the face so hard that he shattered his skull and killed him. Understandably, nobody dared to wake him up ever again.
- Engagement Challenge: For Emer, whom he ends up Happily Married to.
- Expecting Someone Taller: Being a slight, smooth-faced Pretty Boy teenager, Cú Chulainn is a constant target of this in the The Cattle Raid of Cooley. To quote Medb in one retelling of the tale:That? That is the whelp? You mean to tell me this girlish boy is the devastator of my army? I don't believe you. I refuse to believe you. I have better warriors than that in slave collars!
- Full-Potential Upgrade: Not just his weapon, but his chariot too.
- Genius Bruiser: Cú Chulainn may be incredibly strong and powerful and an amazingly skilled warrior, but he's also extremely intelligent and cunning, and in fact, judging by his love life, it would seem that he actually values intelligence and good wits far more than he does good looks or skill at combat.
- Heroic BSoD: Several, his most severe being after Emir confronts him and Fand leaves him. Conchobar eventually had to order the druids to wipe the incident from his mind to get him back to his senses.
- High-Pressure Blood: Entering a warp spasm caused him to spray clouds of it from his body.
- Horrifying Hero: While in a warp spasm.
- Hot-Blooded
- Hulking Out: His ríastrad or warp spasm. Nightmarish disfigurations aside, the Táin says that Cú Chulainn's body "swelled like a bladder full of breath" until he was "as vast as a Fomorian giant" and strong enough to casually kill, at the very least, 100-500 men with a single blow. Another story, Fled Bricriu (Bricriu's Feast), says that the warp spasm "stretched him until a warrior's foot could fit between his ribs" and made him strong enough to lift an entire castle easily.
- Humanoid Abomination: Even when in human form, he is described in the Táin as having multi-colored hair, four multicolored dimples in each cheek, seven pupils in each eye, and seven clawed fingers and toes on each hand/foot. He also has blood ties to the Fomorians. Then there's his Warp spasm...
- In a Single Bound: His "Salmon Leap" allowed him to clear fortresses, waterfalls, and miles-long bridges in a single bound.
- Jumped at the Call: Upon hearing a prophecy from his mentor that anyone who took up arms that day shall win glory, he rushes off to take a weapon. Unfortunately for him, this causes him to miss the "doomed to die young" part.
- Just a Kid: It wasn't uncommon for Cú Chulainn to be underestimated because of his age.
- Kid Hero: Cú Chulainn's exploits start from as early as age five, and his most famous one (the Tain) occurred when he was only seventeen.
- Ladykiller in Love: Cú Chulainn sleeps with dozens of women and yet was Happily Married to Emer. This is one of the very few mythologies that distinguish his active libido from his genuine love for Emer. Emer is perfectly fine with it because she doesn't feel threatened at all by the other women and knows that it's purely sex.
- Law of Inverse Fertility: Short life aside, he and Emer constantly lamented that they couldn't conceive a child despite both of them trying quite a lot. Out of his many dalliances with different women, he only has ONE son.
- Lovecraftian Superpower: The warp spasm. Alongside the horrifyingly lavish descriptions of his transformation, it made him strong enough to casually kill thousands of armed men with a single blow from his sling.
- Mangst: He accidentally killed his only son.
- Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex: One of his earlier trysts went a bit awry when he accidentally broke a woman's fingers while having sex with her.
- Muggle Foster Parents: The ancient Irish practiced fosterage as a means of strengthening political ties, and, thanks the the prestige that came with raising the son of a god, nearly half of Ulster jumped at the opportunity to foster him, and Cú Chulainn effectively raised by committee. Foster parents include (but are not limited to) Fergus, Conchobor, Sualtam, Finchoem, Sencha, Blai, Amergin, and Scathach.
- Offing the Offspring: He ends up killing his bastard son, Connla, in a duel. Granted, he didn't even know he had a son until it was too late, since Connla was under orders to never give out his name to people he challenged. Once he realizes, he's pretty miserable about it.
- One-Man Army: The The Cattle Raid of Cooley is less Connacht vs. Ulster and more Connacht vs. one incredibly badass teenager. His ríastrad/warp-spasm takes this to absurd levels.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Although his real name was Sétanta, he was referred to as Cú Chulainn (Culann's Hound) for the rest of his life after receiving the moniker.
- Perma-Shave: Cu Chulainn was frequently described as beardless, and even implied to be outright incapable of growing facial hair, which frequently left many opponents to dismiss him as a mere child.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Was decapitating hardened warriors by the age of seven, and had a small stature even in adulthood.
- Power Limiter: Cú Chulainn wore twenty-seven armored tunics bound as tightly as possible with ropes and belts "so that his sense might not become deranged" when he entered his warp-spasm. Considering that his previous spasms lead him to attacking Conchobar's troops, and that his charioteer Laeg and Ulster's men are unharmed during his subsequent assault, it seems to have worked.
- Pretty Boy: Well-known for this, at least when he's not in Warp Spasm mode.
- Really Gets Around: Still had an oddly difficult time getting a son though, who he would ironically kill while he was unaware he had a son.
- Rule of Seven: Seven fingers on each hand, seven toes on each foot, and seven jeweled pupils in each eye. According to the Mertowney Mountain Interviews, some versions of the story even describe his signature spear, the Gáe Bolg, as having seven stacked heads with seven barbs each.
- Secret Test of Character: He gives one to Emer by testing her wits with riddles, and she passes with flying colors by testing him with her own riddles. This is primarily what he saw in her.
- Smart People Play Chess: Often shown playing fidchell—a chess-like board game invented by Lugh—with Laeg in his spare time.
- So Beautiful, It's a Curse: Cu Chulainn is listed in "The Courting of Emer" as having exactly three faults: "That he was too young and smooth-faced, so that young men who did not know him would be laughing at him, that he was too daring, and that he was too beautiful." Of course, this was less of a problem for him than for every other man in Ulster, who unanimously decided to get him hitched before he bedded half the populace. It didn't work.
- Spiky Hair: Not normally, but during his Warp Spasm his hair unnaturally spikes upwards. If the passage describing it is anything to go by, it's not just aesthetical:"if a royal apple tree with all its kingly fruit were shaken above him, scarce an apple would reach the ground but each would be spiked on a bristle of his hair as it stood up on his scalp with rage."
- Strong Family Resemblance: One of the more consistent details of ríastrad/warp-spasm is that it causes one eye to swell horribly; Cu; Chulainn's paternal great-grandfather, Balor of the Evil Eye, was a Fomorian king whose epynonymous eye was described in a similar manner.
- Suffer the Slings: One of Cú Chulainn's signature weapons and listed as one of the twenty-seven feats taught to him by Scáthach, he was so skilled that he could half a flock of birds with one stone and leave the remaining birds alive but unconscious. His warp-spasm is described as casually killing hundreds, if not thousands of men with a single shot of his sling (called the "thunder feat").
- Superpowered Evil Side: The ríastrad/Warp Spasm. It turned him into a massively-muscled, horrifically disfigured, Fomorian-esque giant that could destroy a battlefield with a single sweep of its arm, but could not distinguish friend from foe and killed anyone in its reach.
- Taking You with Me: Seems to have tried for this while already dead - someone went to behead his corpse, but this caused light to burn around him after which his sword falls out of his hand to cut his beheader's hand off. The light persists until they remove Cu Chulainn's sword hand.
- Too Cool to Live: Invoked - Cu Chulainn was prophesied to be incredibly accomplished, but also very short-lived.
- Training from Hell: With Scathach, on Emer's request.
- Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Killed his first man at the age of five.
- Unstoppable Rage: When he's in a warp spasm, he will attack friend and foe alikenote
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: In one of the versions, as mentioned above, Cu Chulainn was monstrous even in human form, but it was rarely addressed at all - people instead focused on his otherwise bishie traits.
- Vague Age: As several tropes state the weirdness of his chronological age, it's pretty trippy that Cuchullain is only six to ten when his main stories happen. (Maybe being a demigod made him mature faster?) Most people bump his age up to the mid/late teens—he'd still die extremely young in his twenties, but not to a fantastical degree.
- Warrior Poet
- Warrior Prince: Was King Conchobar's nephew.
- Wise Beyond Their Years
- A Year and a Day: Cu Chulainn learned fighting skills from the female warrior Scáthach for a year and a day.
- Younger Than They Look: According to the Tain, the Wooing of Emer (in which Cú Chullain is clearly a young man) apparently happened when he was six.
Ferdiad
Ferdiad (FIR-de-ad)
Ferdiad dead in Cú Chulainn's arms
Cúchulainn’s foster brother, he was one of the fiercest warriors of Connacht and was said to possess a magical skin of horns which no point or blade could pierce. Cúchulainn and Ferdiad were close companions when they were receiving their training in arms under the warrior woman, Scáthach. Unfortunately, (as shown in the image above) he would die by Cúchulainn's hand after being sent to kill him by Medb.- Bash Brothers: With Cú Chulainn
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: Also with Cúchulainn.
- Super-Toughness: He was described as having impenetrable skin made of thorns. This would be shown to be untrue when Cú Chulainn kills him with the gae bolg.
Laeg mac Riangabar
Laeg mac Riangabar (LOYG mack REE-yan-GAHV-rah)
The "king of charioteers" as well as Cú Chulainn's personal one. Laeg is Cú Chulainn's lifelong friend, accompanying the hero on nearly every single one of his quests or battles, down to the very last one.
- Badass Driver: The Best Damn Hero of Ireland will naturally only settle for the Best Damn Charioteer in Ireland.
- No Hero to His Valet: Laeg seems to think of "Cucuc" as much a preening drama queen as he is a hero.
- Servile Snarker: Not afraid to give Cú Chulainn stick, deadly berserker or no.
- Sidekick: To Cú Chulainn
- Spiked Wheels: Drove the Sickle Chariot, which had a large scythe blade attached to each wheel.
Conall Cernach
Conall Cernach (cone-al CAR-naw)
- Always Second Best: To Cú Chulainn, though he only expressed much bitterness about it during Bricriu's Feast
- Arch-Enemy: Lifelong rival and enemy of his uncle, Cet mac Mágach of Connacht.
- Big Eater: Conall could literally eat an entire calf (and a boar, and a goat) in one sitting.
- Distinguishing Mark: Conall had a crooked neck due to an attempt on his life by Cet as an infant.
- Geas: Conall was forbidden from entering a ford with tainted water. This led to his death, as he had to cross a ford of a river miners used to clean ore when he fled for his life. Upon the violation of his geis, he was frozen in place until could catch up with and kill him.
- Heroic BSoD: Conchobor and Cu Chulainn's deaths shook him so greatly that he quickly lost the strength to even walk, and was forced to turn to Medb and Ailill to care for him.
- The Kingslayer: Queen Medb hired him to kill her husband, Ailill, which he was happy to do in order to avenge Fergus's death. He himself was chased down and killed shortly thereafter for the act.
- Offered the Crown: Was elected for kingship of Ulster after the death of Conchobar and his heir apparent, Cormac, were killed. However, Conall was too emotionally shattered to take up such duties, and instead suggested that Cúscraid should assume kingship.
- Red Baron: Known as Conall the Triumphant.
- Warrior Prince: Like Cu Chulainn, Conall was King Conchobar's nephew.
Deirdre
Deirdre (DEER-druh) of the Sorrows
- Bureaucratically Arranged Marriage: When Conchobor heard the prophesy, he figured the best solution (as opposed to infanticide, which is what the rest of Ulster was clamoring for) would be to have her raised away from men until maturity, after which she would be wed to the one man no one would have the audacity to challenge - himself.
- Driven to Suicide: After Naoise is killed, Deirdre ceases eating and sleeping for an entire year before finally leaping out of a chariot and dashing her head against a rock.
- Everyone Loves Blondes: Her gold, curled hair is mentioned to be one of the many traits that makes her so desired
- Gilded Cage: Raised in isolation upon King Conchobor's so that men would not fight over her. The only contact she had with the outside world was through her foster parents an old woman satirist.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Innocent, honest, and faithful to Naoise until the bitter end.
- The Ingenue: The result of being raised in such isolation
- So Beautiful, It's a Curse
Naoise mac Uisliu
Naoise mac Uisliu (NEE-sha mack ISH-loo)
One of the three sons of Uisliu, as well as Deirdre unfortunate lover. Naoise was pressed into running off with Deirdre when she decided she would rather not marry some old king she was unwillingly betrothed to.- Badass Family: He and his two brothers were said to be able to fend off the entirety of Ulster should they stand back to back.
- Magic Music: His music had a calming effect on cows which led them to produce 50% more milk.
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Deidre wished for a man with hair as black as a raven, skin as white as snow, and lips as red as blood. Naoise not only matched the description, but happened to live close nearby.
- Warrior Poet
- Warrior Prince: Yet another nephew of Conchobar.
Emer
Emer (Emm-er)
- Alas, Poor Yorick: When Conall Cernach came to her with Cú Chulainn's severed head (which he had recovered from Lugaid) and word of his death, Emer washed the head clean, wrapped it in silk, and then broke down crying as she clutched it to her chest.
- Betty and Veronica: In Serglige Con Culainn, Cúchulainn finds himself caught between Emer (Betty), his regal, clever Proper Lady wife of many years, and Fand (Veronica), an "otherworldly" shapeshifting warrior woman who's already married herself. Emer emerges as the winning party when Fand pulls an I Want My Beloved to Be Happy and leaves him.
- Deadpan Snarker: When Cú Chulainn bragged that he was strong enough to defend against a hundred men, she called him a little boy play-fighting with his friends.
- Embarrassing Nickname: Emer calls Ireland's Most Badass Warrior "little hound." They are always conveniently alone or out of everyone's earshot when she does it, and he was a surprisingly slight fellow for one of such fame.
- Engaging Conversation: Combined with a Secret Test of Character, since Cúchulainn deliberately invoked it. A paraphrasing of how it happened...Emer: You think you're the only one who can make up shit on the spot, little boy? Bring It.
[Insert a conversation composed entirely of riddles that nobody short of a historian-poet-linguist can understand.]
Cuchulainn: Holy fuck, marry me. - Good Adultery, Bad Adultery: Happens in an obscure poem called "The Elopement of Emer with Tuir Glesta." Cú Chulainn is allowed to sleep with every woman in Ulster, but the second that Emer has an affair and elopes with another man, her husband kills her lover and drags her back to Ireland while lamenting the untrustworthiness of women.
- Male Gaze: There's a paragraph of Cu Chulainn complimenting her looks. By saying that her big breasts are attracitve, like "she's got really nice tracts of land" from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.Cuchulainn: Fair is this plain, the plain of the noble yoke.
Cúchulainn, to Laeg: When I said, "Fair is this plain, the plain of the noble yoke," it was not the plain of Bray that I praised then, but the shape of the maiden. - My Girl Is Not a Slut: She was expected to stay loyal to Cu Chulainn while he got to sleep with practically every woman in Ulster while they were still married, though she doesn't seem to mind.
- Proper Lady: She is said to possess the six gifts of womanhood: beauty, a sweet voice, needlework, eloquence, chastity, and wisdom.
- Proverbial Wisdom: She is the wisest woman in Ireland... which means she speaks in riddles and metaphors that nobody can understand. In Cu Chulainn, she finally met her match, and during their first meeting, he also spoke to her in riddles to demonstrate it.
- Sage Love Interest: A wise female that tended to speak in riddles nobody could understand. In Cuchulainn, she finally met her match.
Queen Medb
Queen Medb (MAVE)
- Alas, Poor Villain: Consider the deeds of the Dark Action Girl in her lifetime. Then consider that she was taken down by a piece of cheese while she was taking a bath. Even Baldr would be saying "WOW, that's a sucky way to go."
- Anti-Villain: She's decent to her own subjects and does have a perfectly good reason to hate Conchobar mac Nessa. However she is still egotistical, hypocritical, and willing to get thousands killed for revenge, and is not unwilling to use family members like chess pieces.
- Arch-Enemy:
- Conchobar mac Nessa, king of Ulster. Through a marriage arranged by her father, he was her first husband and she left him later on after having one son by him. After a political assembly at Tara, he raped her. (It's probably no coincidence that she required all her following husbands to be without meanness.) She hated him so much that when a druid told her that her son Maine would kill Conchobar, she renamed all of her seven sons so she wouldn't have all her eggs in one basket. Turns out the druid was talking about a different Conchobar.
- Also Ulster, as in the land itself. She made a path through the landscape that would 'forever show her contempt' for the place. We did warn you not to get on her bad side. The legend is she is also buried upright, keeping an eye on her enemies there.
- Black Comedy: See Alas, Poor Villain above. She was killed by a piece of cheese! With a slingshot! While bathing in a lake!
- Competition Freak: Had a petty grudge against her husband just because he was richer than her due to a stud bull he possessed. She waged a war against Ulster just to steal their bull so she'd be richer than him.
- Dark Action Girl: Defeated all her siblings in combat to prove herself badass, or so she boasts to her husband as they duel with their egos across the pillows. Not an Unusual Euphemism, as it turns out. She also murdered a pregnant woman and later waged one of the most epic wars in Irish legend to steal a bull (still not an Unusual Euphemism) so she'd be more wealthy than her husband.
- Genius Bruiser: Probably, since not only did everyone worth noting inside and outside her kingdom come to her for advice since her judgement was greatly valued, but she also deserved her title of warrior queen.
- God Save Us from the Queen!: Her enemies certainly felt this way about her, but to her own subjects she was wise and fair.
- Head-Turning Beauty: She's always described as being incredibly attractive.
- Hypocrite: She has her final husband, King Ailill, killed after he cheated on her, despite the fact she took lovers herself.
- Lady of War: She is the Warrior Queen of Connacht.
- Laser-Guided Karma: She murdered her own sister, only for her nephew Furbaide to return the favor years later when he killed her with the infamous cheese.
- Manipulative Bastard: Her favourite tokens of bribery were riches and sex slaves, and even the off time she fails you can't help but admire how conniving her ploys were.
- Meaningful Name: Medb comes from the word for mead, and can be translated as "she who intoxicates", an apt description of her power to manipulate men with her sexuality.
- My Girl Is a Slut: She made it very clear that if a man wanted to marry her he had to meet the following criteria: he had to be without meanness, fear and jealousy. The last one was because she really got around. She also wasn't above trading sex for bargains with her enemies.
- Pride: It's likely one of the reasons she fell for Ailill was because he was able to match her Awesome Ego. Expect plenty of Badass Boasts to follow.
- Really Gets Around: Any time Maeve is mentioned she's then followed by a list of many husbands and/or lovers.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: She personally led her armies in her war against Ulster.
- Sex for Services: She would exchange sexual favors with friends and enemies alike. It helps she's a Sex Goddess, so her carnal attention was highly valued.
- Sex Goddess: She's infamous for her sexual prowess. She had a vast array of lovers, many warriors who were willing to kill or die just for the chance of laying with her.
- Undignified Death: She was killed by cheese! Cheese! By her nephew! And while she was bathing too. Really, there are few deaths more embarrassing than hers.
Scáthach
Scáthach (Scaw-hoch)
Scáthach (literally “The Shadowy One”) is a female warrior and a teacher of warriors.
Scáthach was the daughter of Árd-Greimne of Lethra. She lived on an island (thought to be the Isle of Skye) in a castle, the gate of which was guarded by her daughter Uathach. At this fortress Scáthach trained numerous Celtic heroes in the arts of pole vaulting (which was actually useful in the assault of forts), underwater fighting, and combat with a barbed spear of her own invention called the gáe bolg (literally "spear of mortal death"). Her best-known student was Cú Chulainn, who stayed with her for a year and learned the technique of the gae bolg.
- Action Girl: She literally forged a spear out of a sea monster's bones.
- Amazonian Beauty: Was often said to be beautiful as well as a badass, which played a part in Cu Chulainn choosing her as a teacher over other options.
- Evil Twin: In some versions, her rival, Aife, is also her twin sister.
- The Mentor: To Cu Chulainn and Ferdiad. It is through her tutelage that he goes from a great warrior to a living legend.
- Training from Hell: Her method of training, particularly with Cu Chulainn. In fact, her training was so infamously tough, that Emer's father was counting on Cu Chulainn not surviving her training.
- Violent Glaswegian: She is a warrior woman who lived in Dun Scaith, which is in Scotland. This is especially the case given the above-mentioned Training from Hell she subjected Cú Chulainn to.
Aífe
Aífe (EE-fah)
- Dark Action Girl: She is pretty badass, and Cú Chulainn only gets the better of her through trickery.
- Shmuck Bait: Poor Connla.
The Fenian Cycle
Fionn mac Cumhail
Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn mack KOO-al)
- Action Pet: His hounds, Bran and Sceolach, are actually his cousins; their mother was cursed into the form of a dog when she gave birth, resulting in the twins being Mode Locked. They grew up with the combined abilities of humans and dogs, and are sometimes said to be Monster Progenitors for the Irish Wolfhound breed.
- Bitch Slap: When a king's steward attempted to steal credit for Fionn's act of heroism and claim the latter's reward for himself, Fionn slapped him in the face. Which sent the steward's head flying off his shoulders and sailing through the air before splattering on the far wall of the king's throne room.
- Cartwright Curse: Fionn has terrible luck when it comes to women. His first wife, Sadhbh, was transformed into a deer by a jealous druid and disappeared into the woods forevermore, his second wife, Maghneis, died under unexplained circumstances, and then his fiance, Grainne, ran off with one of his men on the night of their wedding. Then he took up a lover by the name of Berach Brec, only for her to be killed my the sons of Morna after they turned against Fionn.
- Cool Sword: His signature weapon was the sword Son of Waves. It was forged by the god Len and had a signature blue scabbard. It was made to be unbreakable because Fionn was so strong, every other sword he used would break under his strength.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: It was often said that he was not one to turn his back on people in need. Under his leadership the Fianna went from an army that served the high king's interest first and foremost, to an independent organization that served anyone who came to them in need, no matter their clann or kingdom.
- Despair Event Horizon: Fionn completely dies on the inside after watching his grandson, Oscar die.As to Fionn himself, he never had peace or pleasure after that day.
- Expy: Bizarre example. Look at his description versus Taliesin below and swap out 'Salmon of Knowledge' for 'Potion of Knowledge'. You'd think thumb-based origin stories wouldn't be so common. Of course due to the age of the material there's no way to tell if Finn is Taliesin's Irish counterpart or Taliesin Finn's Welsh one. Though the fact that Fionn's stories are more widespread, appearing in Scotland and the Isle of Man as well as Ireland, Fionn is likely the original.
- Fallen Hero: From Diarmuid's elopement onward, Fionn begins to go against his former principles, particularly his oath to never seek revenge. Eventually, infighting within the Fianna breaks out, and eventually the high king turns against him.
- Famous Ancestor: He is descended from the god Nuada Airgetlam on his mother's side. In some tales, he's also related through his father's side too, as well as descended from the Fir Bolg.
- Genius Bruiser: Was a skilled warrior with Super-Strength, but also fought using his mind as much as his muscles. And he had a thumb that gave him access to all the knowledge of the universe.
- Happily Married: His marriages to Sadhbh and later Maigneis were happy ones, and when the former was lost to him and the latter passed away he went into periods of deep mourning.
- Healing Hands: An indirect version: his hands could imbue water with healing properties.
- Ideal Hero: While his actions in some later tales like The Flight of Diarmuid show him falter, at his best he is this. He's known for being brave, courteous, and selfless. He swore an oath against taking revenge, and his generosity was so great that it was said "If all the leaves were gold and the foam of the waves silver, he would give it all away." He and his Fianna were also dedicated to the protection of Ireland as a whole, not tied down to any one clan or kingdom.
- In a Single Bound: He could perform the "Salmon Leap", a super jump that allowed him to jump further and higher than humanly possible. In practice he used it for things like jumping across chasms and knocking hags out of the sky mid-flight.
- Interspecies Romance: His first wife and the mother of his son Oisin is a Tuatha De Danann, making her a minor goddess or divine spirit.
- King in the Mountain: Supposedly sleeping in a cave beneath Dublin, to awaken to defend Ireland in her hour of greatest need.
- Long-Lived: His birth happens during the reign of Conn of the 100 Battles, and he passes away (or is taken to live in The Otherworld to become a King in the Mountain) at the end of the reign of Cairbre Lifechair, Conn's great grandson making Fionn about 130-140 years-old when he passes.
- "Just So" Story: Several landscapes in Ireland, such as The Giant's Causeway, to various mountain passes and rock formations, to The Isle of Man itself were said to have been formed by Fionn during his adventures.
- Locked into Strangeness: Fionn received his signature white hair when a curse turned him into an old man. The curse was soon broken, but his hair stayed white. Thankfully, Fionn is said to have liked his new hair color.
- Nephewism: Since his father was killed before he was born, he was raised in secret by his paternal aunt Bodhmall, her husband Fiachal, and Fionn's material aunt Liath.
- Off with His Head!: Not Fionn himself, but many of his enemies, especially the supernatural ones, wind up getting decapitated by him. In one instance he didn't even use a sword, just the back of his hand.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: In a similar way to Cu Chulainn. Fionn's real name was Demna, while he named named "Fionn" (meaning "fair of hair") because of his white hair. There are also versions where he was given the name by his mentor Finn Eces/Finnegas after he tasted the Salmon of Knowledge, at least in part because the person destined to taste was supposed to be named Fionn.
- Our Giants Are Bigger: Some stories depict him as a giant rather than a normal man. These are from later folkloric versions and not the original mythology, however, where he is merely a man with the strength of a giant.
- Sent Into Hiding: As a child he had to be raised in the woods by his aunts and uncle because he was being hunted by his father's old enemies, Clan Morna, as well as Fionn's own maternal grandfather who wanted him dead. Eventually he had to leave them too when they were discovered, at which point he lived with and trained under the poet-druid Finn Eces/Finnegas.
- Super-Scream: The Dord Fiann is both the war horn of the Fianna, and the battle cry of Fionn and The Fianna. The battle cry not only bolstered the courage of Fionn and his warriors, and struck fear into the hearts of their enemies, but could scatter their opponents as effectively as a physical attack.
- Super-Speed: While still not as fast as fellow Fian Cailte, and Fionn is more notable for his Super-Strength, he is still fast. Fast enough that he accidentally killed one of his mentors, the warrior woman Luaths Lurgann, when he ran so fast while carrying her that the wind force alone killed her.
- Super-Strength: His strength was so tremendous that he was known to reshape the landscape during some of his adventures. He also needed a sword forged specifically forged for him by the gods because all other blades would break under the might of his blows.
- Warrior Poet: Yet another one. In fact, since the Fianna were supposed to be skilled performers as well as warriors, and he was the leader of the Fianna, this was a job requirement.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Fionn's fiann is appalled by Fionn's very passive aggressive Accidental Murder of Diarmuid. When Fionn confides to his son Oisin that he fears Diarmuid's children will take their revenge on him, Oisin flatly tells him he deserves it.
Oisin
Oisín (oh-SHEEN)
- The Bard: Said to be the greatest bard of his generation, even outshining The Fianna's resident bard-specialist, Daighre.
- Cool Sword: His sword Smith Of The Branches, which was forged by a Fomorian giant.
- Meaningful Name: Oisín means deer, which he was born of.
- Missing Mom: Had his mother torn away from him by the otherworld druid Fear Doirche
- No Immortal Inertia: Upon returning from Tír na nÓg to Ireland, though he somehow managed to not immediately die, and even recounted his journeys to Saint Patrick on his deathbed.
- Raised By Deer: For the first seven years of his life, though he was quick to learn language once Fionn found him.
- The Storyteller: The Fenian cycle was said to be relayed to Saint Patrick by Oisín himself.
- Survivor Guilt: Oisín outlived every single one of his comrades, which he lamented to his dying breath."My story is sorrowful. The sound of your voice is not pleasant to me. I will cry my fill, but not for God, but because Finn and the Fianna are not living."
- Super-Speed: Was said to be able to run-down a deer at full speed and wrestle it to the ground. This would put him at a running speed of roughly 40 mph.
- Warrior Poet: The greatest in Ireland, no less.
- Year Outside, Hour Inside: After the death of his son, Oscar, Oisin goes to live in Tir na nog with Niamh. After three years, Oisín gets homesick, and requests to briefly visit his homeland. Niamh reluctantly provides him a magic steed to return home, but makes him promise not to set foot on the land. Then Oisin sets forth, only to discover three hundred years have passed since his departure. The shock knocks him off the horse to the ground, and the years rapidly catch up with him.
Osgar
Osgar (AWS-ker)
Son of Oisin and Eibhir, or depending on the version, Oisin and Niamh, Oscar joined the ranks of Fionn's fiann after killing a large troop of invaders with a wooden stick.
- The Ace: Oscar was the greatest warrior of the Fianna, surpasing even his father and grandfather.
- Cool Sword: His sword, which bore the name "The Great Triumphant One." Double points in the versions where he also comes into possession of the sword Caladbolg, which famously unleashed rainbow colored ribbons of light that could cut mountains in half.
- Heroic Lineage: Son of Oisin, a great hero in his own right, who is the son of Fionn Mac Cumhaill. To take this even further, through Fionn he is the descendant of the god Nuada Airgetlam.
- Mutual Kill: Is mortally wounded while slaying High King Cairbre Lifechair in the Battle of Gabhra.
- Took a Level in Badass: When he first joined the Fianna he was clumsy and something of a poor fighter, to the point that some of the other Fianna didn't think he was was worthy of being a member. However, after saving them single-handedly from marauders with only a stick, he grew to become their greatest warrior.
- Wolverine Publicity: Tends to be retroactively inserted into a lot more tales than he should chronologically have been in, largely because he is one of the most famous and popular members of the Fianna.
Goll mac Morna
Goll mac Morna (GOAL mack MORE-nah)
One of the slayers of Fionn's father, and the previous chief of the Fianna. While they began as enemies, Goll willingly relinquished his leadership to Fionn upon defeat, and subsequently became one of his closer allies.- Eyepatch of Power: Lost his eye in battle (in some versions, while dueling Fionn's father Cumhaill) as a result, he's often portrayed wearing an eyepatch.
- Heel–Face Turn: Became one of Fionn's allies upon defeat. Goll even married Fionn's daughter Keva, and Fionn married Goll's sister. Maigneis.
- Force and Finesse: The force to Fionn's finesse. Played with, in that, while Fionn was still stronger than Goll, but preferred to rely on his skills in combat. By contrast, while not unskilled, Goll was more likely to implement brute force and his ability to endure punishment when in a fight.
- The Lancer: Acts as this to Fionn. He's Fionn's second in command. He relies on his Super-Toughness in battle and is a brutal fighter, while Fionn relies more on his skill and doesn't get excessively violent with his opponents. Goll is often the more brooding and dark-minded of the two while Fionn at his best is an Ideal Hero. Despite these differences and their occasional quarrels/brawls, they are ultimately close allies who have each other's backs when the chips are down.
- The Rival: To Fionn Mac Cumhaill. It started with him killing Fionn's father and taking leadership of the Fianna from him. Then Fionn took control of the Fianna back from Goll. The two did eventually become allies, but even then there was an on-again-off-again rivalry between them despite their friendship.
Cailte mac Roanain
Caílte mac Roanain (KYE-che mack ROW-noin)
A nephew of Fionn mac Cumhaill and a member of the fianna. He could run at remarkable speed and communicate with animals, and was a great storyteller.- Fragile Speedster: Is famous for his incredible speed.
- Cool Sword: Wields a sword with a fittingly bad ass name "The Hard Destroying One."
- Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: In some versions of Midir's war between the gods, he kills or defeats Lir, whose not only a god, but a primordial Anthropomorphic Personification of the sea.
- Speaks Fluent Animal: Can communicate with animals, which he once used to help Fionn out of a jam.
- Survivor Guilt: Besides Oisin and Fionn himself, Cailte is the only member of Finn's fiann to survive
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (DEER-mud OH DOOV-nah)
- Big Damn Heroes: Usually the one to save the ass of Fionn's personal fiann when they'd get into a bind.
- Blessed with Suck: Thanks to his love spot, Diarmuid was forced to become a fugitive for sixteen years.
- The Casanova: Both unintentionally and intentionally. While Grainne is his most famous love, he's had (and implied to have) many others. His ally Conan the Bald even sarcastically alludes to this.
- Chick Magnet: A literal superpower, one which does not go as well as one might like.
- Deadpan Snarker: Dives into it at times, usually thanks to Grainne.
- Dual Wielding: Twofold. He wields two swords, Great Fury and Little Fury, and two spears, Red Spear and Yellow Spear. All were gifts and weapons also used by his adopted father Aengus Og.
- Expy: Diarmuid mirrors Naoise in many ways, particularly in his fate.
- Geas: Along with the geis Grainne put on him to force him to run off with her, he was also fated to be killed at the hands of his half-brother-turned-wild-boar.
- Heroes Love Dogs: Very attached to his Irish wolfhound, to the point that he carried its corpse with him for an entire quest simply because he couldn't bear to part with it.
- Hot Consort: To princess Grainne.
- Interspecies Adoption: Fostered by Aenghus Óg of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
- Nice Guy: The kindest of Fionn's fiann.
- One-Man Army: Can give Cu Chulainn a run for his money - he even once slays three thousand, four hundred men in the span of seven hours.Oisin: The head of Diarmuid O’Duibhne is the head that Fionn asks of you, and were you as many in number as twenty hundred men of full strength, Diarmuid O’Duibhne would not let that head go with you.
- Red Baron: One of his more impressive titles was the Hawk of Ess Ruadh, likely for his acrobatic expertise.
- So Beautiful, It's a Curse: His beauty mark made all women who gaze upon him fall madly in love with him. This later ends up killing him because of injuries he suffered from a boar and Fionn wasn't able to heal him with the magic spring water, as Fionn's jealousy about Diarmuid stealing Grainn from him caused him to he spill the water from the magic healing spring twice, and while he didn't spill it the third time, Diarmuid succumbed to his wounds by the time Fionn returned to him.
- A Match Made in Stockholm: Diarmuid's romance with Grainne is... complicated, and seems to consider her his kidnapper as much as he does her lover.'"O Grainne, white as snow, it would have been a better choice for you to have given hatred to me.
Grainne
Grainne (GRAW-nyah)
Daughter of High King Cormac mac Airt and the World's Most Beautiful Woman. Grainne agreed to marry Fionn mac Cumhaill (unaware of the fact that Fionn was quite past his prime by then), only to run off with Fionn's most handsome underling whether he liked it or not.- It's All About Me: Grainne is not a very good person, with some serious character flaws. Many of her defining traits are her shallowness, her entitlement, selfishness and neuroses. As can be seen when she forces Diarmuid under Geis to run off with her right before her wedding, regardless of his loyalty and friendship with Fionn. Or how she drugs the entire wedding party, except Diarmuid, as part of her plan. Then she repeatedly mocks Diarmuid while they're on the run because he won't break his oath and sleep with her. Not letting up until he finally gives in.
- World's Most Beautiful Woman: Like Deirdre. Unlike Deirdre, her beauty wasn't seen as a curse. Diarmuid's, on the other hand...
Conn Cétchathach
Conn (CONE)
An Irish High King around the 3rd century A.D., friend of Fionn mac Cumhaill.- Because Destiny Says So: The Stone of Destiny at Tara roars when he steps on it, which means he's going to be King, then the god Lugh tells him how long he will reign and the names of the kings to follow him.
- Declaration of Protection: He refused to banish his second wife, even though her presence was allegedly causing famine.
- Did Not Get the Girl: She was banished anyway after Conn's son challenged her to a game of fidchell and she lost.
- Badass Army: Controlled the Fianna at the point in time when Fionn mac Cumhaill was their leader. This is a given.
- A Father to His Men: So much as he'd even go to war on behalf of them.
- The Gloves Come Off: When Mug Nuadat came back after Conn forced him and his forces to flee for Spain, not only did he defeat Conn and divide their land in two in a treaty of his own devising, but then he broke his own treaty and tried to take the rest of the land. Conn was thoroughly not amused at this point and retreated, regrouped and first defeated Nuadat's allies in the north, then marched south and killed Nuadat in a surprise night attack. If he knew what was good for him, he would've stayed in Spain.
- Happily Married: Both his marriages were good, though both ended in tragedy.
- Heartbroken Badass: Probably had a bout of this after his second wife was banished, and maybe after his first wife died.
- Heroic Spirit: Given the perseverance required for those 'Hundred Battles'.
- Hit-and-Run Tactics: Used these well in defeating Nuadat.
- Papa Wolf: to just about everyone, providing they weren't his enemies.
- Romancing the Widow: After hearing his wife had died, a fairy woman sprung up out of the blue and agreed to marry him.
- The Strategist: He had to be, given that he spent most of his 20-50 years (accounts vary) fighting rival tribes off his land, waging full-fledged war against invaders and enemies and helping those who came to him for protection.
Abhartach
Abhartach (Ah-war-tack)
The place where he is presumably buried.
Also spelled Avartagh, he is an early Irish legend, which was first collected in Patrick Weston Joyce's The Origin and History of Irish Names of Places (1870). In some modern versions of the story Abhartach rises from his grave to drink the blood of his subjects, while the chieftain who slays the revenant in some versions is named as Cathain, in others it is Fionn Mac Cumhaill (of course) The hero variously consults an early Christian saint instead of a druid, and is told that Abhartach is one of the neamh-mairbh, or walking dead, and that he can only be restrained by killing him with a sword made of yew wood, burying him upside down, surrounding his grave with thorns, and placing a large stone on top of the grave.- Evil Overlord: Was one both in his life and after dying then turning into an undead bloodsucker.
- Our Vampires Are Different: He raises every night from his grave to kill the living then drink their blood and can only be kept underground via specific methods. Possibly the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula alongside Vlad Tepes the Impaler.
- Rasputinian Death: In order to kill him in such a way that he didn't simply respawn the next night, he had to be stabbed in the heart with a sword made of Yew wood, buried upside down, his grave surrounded by thorns, and have a large, heavy stone placed over his grave for good measure.
Gaulish
Cernunnos
Cernunnos
The Cernunnos-figure depicted on the Gundestrup cauldron.
Worshipped not only in Gaul but also across the Celtic world, including the British Isles and Ireland. He's depicted with antlers, seated cross-legged and is associated with animals while usually holding or wearing a torc. Due to the lack of surviving literature, details about his name, his followers or his significance in Celtic religion are unknown, with interpretations of his role varying from seeing him as a god of animals, nature and fertility to a god of travel, commerce and bi-directionality, and a liminal deity that would be between two worlds (nature and civilization, life and death, etc).
- Beast Man: Possibly, he's been depicted both as a human with animal traits and as a humanoid deer.
- Composite Character: As per Brighid above, some have claimed Cernunnos ("Horned") is just a title applied to different deities that shared to be represented with horns.
- Horned Humanoid: Cernunnos' defining trait are the deer antlers on his head.
Esus
Esus
- Green Thumb: Was the god of trees and forests, in particular the willow.
Artio
Artio
- Bears Are Bad News: If you get on her bad side that is and she probably wasn't evil to begin with.
- Mama Bear: A literal divine example.
Teutates
Teutates
Epona
Epona
- All Girls Like Ponies: Well she is the goddess of all things equine, so this is a given.
- Cool Horse: Variation- all horses are cool because of her being their goddess.
- Fertility God: She is believed to have some associations as such, since she was portrayed with a cornucopia sometimes.
- Oddjob Gods: While her horse-caring, fertility and underworld domains aren't too strange, Epona along with other goddesses are also believed to be a symbol of sovereignty that kings would have performed rituals for unlike other cultures where that would have just been associated more intuitively with a Top God. This may have been due to being associated with fertility and thus the land, making for the sort of logic as in Fisher King.
Taranis
Taranis
- God of Thunder: He's the Celtic equivalent of Zeus/Jupiter, Thor, Perun, Indra and Marduk.
- Shock and Awe: The lightning storms were attributed to be his doing.
Belenus
Belenus
- God of Light: He's a solar, fire, warmth and light deity.
- Light Is Good: The fact he was widely worshipped should tell you he was a good guy.
Grannus
Grannus
- Odd Job Gods: The god of baths and cleanliness.
Moritasgus
Moritasgus
Viridios
Viridios
- Green Thumb: Holding an axe gives him association with trees which he presumably has domain over.
- Fertility God: Viridios was a minor god that was most likely prayed to watch over and protect forests and farms.
- Meaningful Name: His name translated means 'virile', 'mighty', 'verdant' or 'fertile'. And yes, this is where the (female) Kid Icarus character's English name is derived from.
- Plant Person: Viridios presumably has the same origin as the "Green Man" common in European mythology.
Welsh
Right, brace yourself, it's "pronouncing Welsh" time. The main sounds you'll need to get your tongue around are:- "ll", a sound which doesn't exist in English but which sounds like huffing a "tl" or "chl" sound.note
- "w" is a vowel that makes an "ooh" sound.
- "dd" is a soft "th" sound, as in "then" and "there", not "thick".
- "ae" and "au" sound like eye, more or less, while "eu" and "ei" sound like the -ay in day.
- "ch" is throaty, like in loch or chutzpah.
- As in all the other Celtic languages, a "c" is always hard. So "KER-idwen", not "SER-idwen".
First Branch: Pwyll Pendefeg Dyfed
Arawn
Arawn
The Welsh god of the dead, war, revenge and terror. He was the king of the otherworld realm of Annwn, appearing prominently in the first branch and alluded to in the fourth. Confronting Pwyll over spoils of a hunt, Arawn performs a case of Swapped Roles, ordering Pwyll to rule over Annwn for a year and a day in his place. When Pwyll proves himself to be both a good lord and an honourable man, Arawn becomes his lifelong friend and rewards him with his bride Rhiannon. Although a death god, he is depicted as a benevolent and fair deity, accompanied by hunting dogs with red-tipped ears.- Animal Lover: Associated with a lot of animals, particularly his hunting hounds. He participates in the Cad Goddeu (Battle of the Trees), when Gwydion and Amaethon steal a dog, a roebuck, and a lapwing who are precious to Arawn.
- Dark Is Not Evil: The Arawn of Welsh legend was honorable and forthright. Thanks to Adaptational Villainy in works like Lloyd Alexander's, he became to be depicted as an Evil Overlord with no redeeming qualities. Doubles as Everyone Hates Hades.
- Happily Married: To his unnamed queen, whom Pwyll chastily slept with during his time as ruler of Annwn.
- The High King: Ruler of the otherworld Annwn. Doubles as The Good King during his time posing as Pwyll as King of Dyfed.
- Pals with Jesus: Arawn remains a friend to the lords of Dyfed, including Pwyll and his son Pryderi.
- Swapped Roles: When Pwyll chases off Arawn's hounds to claim a stag, Arawn proposes trading places and rule over each other's kingdoms for a year so Pwyll can make amends. Pwyll not only rules Annwn well, but remains respectful of Arawn's wife, and defeats his rival Hafgan in singular combat. The two return to their own domains as friends.
- War God: Warfare was one of his many domains.
- The Wild Hunt: Sometimes depicted as participating in this alongside Gwyn ap Nudd, his hounds chasing after the souls of the dead, who appear as a flying geese.
Pwyll
Pwyll
- Bag of Holding: Uses this to trap Rhiannon's fiance Gwawl, beating him until he gives up his right to marry Rhiannon.
- Good Is Dumb: Pwyll is an honorable, caring man, a just king, and a seasoned warrior... Who is rather lacking in sense. He falls for the lie that Rhiannon murdered and ate their son - when he was actually misplaced by her ladies-in-waiting.
- The Good King: Rules over Dyfed and Annwn fairly and justly.
- King Incognito: What he does to assist Arawn in defeating Hafgan.
- Prenup Blowup: Pwyll and Rhiannon's intention to marry is halted by Gwawl, Rhiannon's fiance. When Gwawl crashes their wedding, Pwyll announces he will wed them in a year's time. A year later, Pwyll tricks Gwawl into clambering into a bottomless sack, beating him senseless until he forfeits his engagement.
- Sham Wedding: Arranges this in order to free Rhiannon from her arranged engagement to Gwawl.
- Swapped Roles: To absolve an offence against Arawn, Pwyll posed as the god for a year, ruling over Annwn. This proved to bring a lot of good, as Pwyll defeated Arawn's enemy Hagfan, honoured Arawn's marriage, and ruled Annwn well. As such, Arawn became his friend and sent Rhiannon to become his wife.
Rhiannon
Rhiannon
- Brought Down to Normal: Both in-story (a sidhe woman who married a human) and meta, if you believe that she was once a horse-goddess with her Serial Numbers Filed Off.
- Cool and Unusual Punishment: Carrying visitors from the courtyard to Pwyll's hall for seven years.
- Cool Horse: Rhiannon's mount when Pwyll met her. Rhiannon's punishment essentially forced her to become a Horse of a Different Color, and the vanished foal grew up with Pryderi and became his trusted mount. Some believe Rhiannon to be a goddess due to the recurring motif, even though there's no actual evidence in the Mabinogion.
- Deadpan Snarker: Yep.
- Fantastic Racism: Definitely. Strangely enough, Pryderi doesn't get much trouble despite being her son.
- Kick the Dog: She was the figurative dog who was kicked, and there were literal puppies that were killed to frame her.
- Sincerest Form of Flattery: Some Renaissance Faires have banned the name "Rhiannon" because so many people have it already. (The Fleetwood Mac song probably went a long way towards popularising it in America.)
Pryderi
Pryderi
The son of King Pwyll and the fae Rhiannon, he is the only hero to appear in all four “branches” of the epic, Mabinogi.- Badass Decay: From being one of the seven survivors of a war against the Irish to being killed by Gwydion.
- Good Is Dumb: Similar to his father, he is rash and prone to rushing into conflict.
- Half-Human Hybrid: Of a human father and a fairynote mother.
- Warrior Prince:
Second Branch: Branwen ferch Llŷr
Branwen ferch Llŷr
Branwen
- Altar Diplomacy: With Matholwch, a King of Ireland in order to end feuds between the Welsh and Irish kingdoms.
- Broken Bird: By the time the Second Branch is over, Branwen has lost her husband, her son, and three brothers, as well as thousands of people dying as a result of her misery.
- Death by Despair: She dies of a broken heart from her brother Bendigeidfran's death.
- Domestic Abuse: Is treated quite cruelly, forced into the kitchen and beaten routinely by Matholwch and his staff after Efnysien mutilates his force's horses.
- Instant Messenger Pigeon: Subverted. Branwen tames a starling to deliver a message to her brothers to rescue her.
- Love Goddess: A Celtic-Welsh one.
- Meaningful Name: Branwen can mean "White Raven".
- Riches to Rags: Branwen marries Matholwch to become Queen of Ireland, only to be thrown into the kitchens as a punishment for her half-brother Efynisien mutiliating the Irish horses.
Bendigeidfran
Bendigeidfran
- In a Single Bound: Bran steps across from Wales to Ireland in one step, acting like a human bridge for his army to get across.
- Magic Cauldron: Bran gifts Matholwch with a magic cauldron which can heal or reanimate the dead when placed in it.
- Meaningful Name: Bran's name is Welsh for "blessed crow".
- Our Giants Are Different: Both a giant and a king, who can cross between Wales and Ireland in a single bound.
- Oracular Head: Bran's head is cut off on his own orders, still alive, and acts as a magical barrier that protects England from outside invasion, such as the French. His head is buried under White Hill, believed to be the current place where the Tower of London stands, which carries its own legend that Britain will fall if the ravens there are removed, Bran being associated with crows and ravens.
Efnysien fab Euroswydd
Efnysien
The bad-tempered half brother of Bendigeidfran who disapproved of Branwen's marriage to Matholwch, the Irish king. Thus he mutilated the Matholwch's horses, starting sour relations between the two nations.- Ax-Crazy
- Heroic Sacrifice: Near the end of the Branch, he sacrifices himself by hiding with the corpses of dead Irish warriors and getting thrown into the cauldron that allowed them to resurrect the dead. He then destroys the cauldron from the inside, breaking it apart, but putting so much strain on his body that he dies in the process.
- Kill It with Fire: Unfortunately, this is how he does in Gwern.
- Knight Templar Big Brother: The day after the wedding of his half-sister Branwen and Matholwch, which he disapproves of, he spitefully mutilates all of Matholwch's horses. This is a large part of why Branwen gets treated as a slave in retaliation.
- Would Hurt a Child: He kills Gwern, Branwen's child with Matholwch.
Third Branch: Manawydan fab Llŷr
Manawydan fab Llŷr
Manawydan
A son of Llyr and one of the seven survivors of the war with the Irish in the Second Branch. He is the second husband of Rhiannon and brother to Bendigeidfran and Branwen. Cigfa ferch Gwyn Glohoyw
Cigfa
The wife of Pryderi of Dyfed. Llwyd ap Cil Coed
Llwyd
An enchanter, he was a friend of Gwawl ap Clud, who had been insulted by Pwyll in the First Branch. Llwyd decides to avenge this insult upon Pryderi, the son of Pwyll by sending the kingdom of Dyfed into ruin and decay.Fourth Branch: Math fab Mathonwy
Math fab Mathonwy
Math fab Mathonwy
The title character (though not the protagonist) of the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi and king of Gwynedd. For no logically explained reason he had to rest his feet on a virgin's lap 24/7 or else he'd die. The only exception is during warfare. Most remembered for his eccentricity and many unusual acts.- Badass Family: Great uncle of another famous folk hero, Lleu Llaw Gyffes.
- Cool and Unusual Punishment: While he is away fighting a war engineered by his nephews Gilfaethwy and Gwydion they then sneak into Math's stronghold and rape his foot-holder maiden, Goewin. In punishment, Math transforms the brothers into a different animal every year, one male and one female, until they bear three offspring together.
- Curse Escape Clause: Has to rest his feet in a virgin's lap 24/7, except when his kingdom is at war.
- Decoy Protagonist: The fourth branch is named after him, and he's the first character introduced in the story, but other than that he plays a relatively minor role, and most of the events in the story revolve around and/or is caused by his nephew Gwydion.
- Forced Transformation: He has a magic staff that can transform people into animals, and vice versa.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Led his army into battle and finished the war against Dyfed.
Gwydion
Gwydion
One of the central characters of the Fourth Branch, a devious wizard who directly or indirectly causes most of its events.- The Atoner: He instigates a war in order to get his uncle to leave the palace and allow his brother to rape Goewin, but eventually returns to the court and willingly faces Math's punishment.
- The Bard: He is described as the "best teller of tales" and often disguises himself as a bard to get himself invited into various courts—such as Pyderi's, and later Arianrhod's—and charm them with his discourse in order to trick them later.
- Brother–Sister Incest:
- Of a Gender Bender kind. Math punishes him and his brother Gilfaethwy to become a series of mating animals and produce off-springs with one another.
- There are also some implication that he is Lleu's biological father, which would mean that he has had sexual relations with his sister Arianrhod.
- Forced Transformation: Math turned him into various animals — a stag, then a boar, then a wolf — as punishment for having engineered a war and killed Pryderi so that his brother could rape Goewin.
- Magic Knight: Though he's best known as a mage, he's no slouch in combat.
- Master of Illusion: He can conjure illusions, and uses them to trick his sister into breaking the curses she placed on her son. In particular, to get around her second curse (which prevents anyone but Arianrhod from arming Lleu), he disguises himself and Lleu as visiting bards to entertain Arianrhod's stronghold, then conjures an illusion to make her believe that her fortress is being attack. He then tells Arianrhod to arm her son, which she obliges, before he makes the attacking forces disappear to reveal the ruse.
- Mister Seahorse:
- He was transformed into a sow by his uncle and gave birth to a piglet during this period.
- He also plays a role in Lleu's birth. By taking the lump of flesh Arianrhod left behind and keeping it in his a chest until it became a boy, Gwydion had, in a sense, carried the child to full term and delivered him.
- Parental Substitute: For Lleu, whom he basically raises after Arianrhod abandoned him. Gwydion helps Lleu obtain his name, his arms, and a wife, after Arianrhod cursed the boy to deprive him of all three. Later, when his nephew disappeared, Gwydion traversed the entire continent looking for him, and cursed Blodeuwedd to avenge the younger man's honor.
- Sibling Rivalry: Has an antagonistic relationship with his sister Arianrhod, who blames him for her public embarrassment in Math's court.
- Trickster God: He tricks Pryderi into giving up his prize pigs, Math into going to war and leaving Goewin unattended, and Arianrhod into naming her son and presenting him with weapons.
Arianrhod
Arianrhod
The mother of the brothers Dylan and Lleu Llaw Gyffes. In the modern day, she is often interpreted as a moon goddess, given that her name means "Silver Wheel."- Abusive Parents: Her first response upon meeting her son is to call him a shame and curse him so that he will not have a name, arms, nor a wife, which would ensure that he cannot be properly accepted in any court.
- Clean, Pretty Childbirth: Likely due to the child's birth being induced by Math's magic, her first son Dylan was immediately born as a "large boy with golden hair" with no afterbirth.
- Geas: She places three upon Lleu and a large chunk of the Fourth Branch is dedicated to Gwydion finding ways to circumvent them.
- Instant Birth: Just Add Labor!: Math tells Arianrhod to step over his magic wand to test whether she's a virgin, and she immediately gives birth to Dylan. Lleu fell from her when she runs away from the court in shame.
- Sibling Rivalry: She blames her brother Gwydion for her humiliation when she failed her virginal test in Math's court. Her putting the three geases on Lleu seems to be motivated more by a desire to spite Gwydion, who had become the boy's Parental Substitute, than any direct animosity towards her son.
- Slut-Shaming: How she felt about her humiliation at Math's court since only virgins were allowed to be his footholder and her recommendation by Gwydion forced her to take a virginal test. This plays into her antagonism towards Lleu and Gwydion.
Lleu Llaw Gyffes
Lleu
Born from a lump of flesh placed within a chest after being left behind from when Arianrhod ran from Math after giving birth to Dylan ail Don. He is a warrior and magician, who ascended to the throne of Gwynedd.- The Ace: Just like his Irish counterpart, Lugh Lámhfhada, he was skilled in the arts of war and magic. His name even means "Lleu of the Skillful Hand".
- Ambiguously Absent Parent: His mother was a candidate to become Math's virgin foot-holder, but she failed Math's virginity test and spontaneously gave birth to Lleu and Dylan, and the issue of the boys' paternity is never addressed.note
- Animorphism: After Gronw impales him with a spear, Lleu transforms into an eagle and flies away instead of dying. He remains stuck in the eagle form, until his uncle eventually finds him and turns him back into a human.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: He was cursed three times by his mother, deceived by his wife and almost murdered by her lover, then spends an indefinite amount of time stuck as an eagle while his flesh rots away due to his injuries. However, after his uncle cures him, he manages to deal justice to his former rival, and is rewarded the throne of Gwynedd after his great-uncle's passing.
- Geas: Had three tynghedau placed on him by his own mother. (Tynged, of course, being the Welsh equivalent of a geis) They were: that only she could give him a name (he tricks her into doing so), that only she could ever arm him (he tricks her into doing so, yet again) and that he could never marry a human woman. For the last, his uncle Gwydion and great uncle Math make him a wife, Blodeuwedd, from flowers.
- Nigh-Invulnerable: When Blodeuwedd and Gronw conspire to murder him. Blodeuwedd learns that Lleu cannot be killed day or night, indoors or outdoors, riding or walking, not clothed and not naked, nor by any unchristened weapon.
- Satellite Character: Despite being one of the major heroes of the story, his role in the story is merely an extension to his uncle's exploits. When his mother cursed him, it is Gwydion who reacts angrily on his behalf and schemes to get around the curse. Even his wife has a more proactive role than him—when she plots with her lover to kill him, Lleu simply does everything she tells him to, and almost getting himself killed, before his uncle found and healed him.
Blodeuwedd
Blodeuwedd
- Artificial Human: Her legend asserts that she was made from oak, broom and meadowsweet.
- Curse Escape Clause: She was made to be this for Lleu. Since his mother cursed him to never find "a wife from any race that in the world", Gwydion and Math decide to invent a woman made of flowers for Lleu to marry.
- Fate Worse than Death: Gwydion turns her into an owl, believing this to be a worse punishment for her than simply killing her.
- Forced Transformation: After he catches up with her, Gwydion turns her into an owl, proclaiming;"You will not dare to show your face ever again in the light of day ever again, and that will be because of enmity between you and all other birds. It will be in their nature to harass you and despise you wherever they find you. And you will not lose your name - that will always be "Bloddeuwedd"."
- Love at First Sight: Gronw Pebyr, the lord of Penllyn, comes passing by Ardudwy while Lleu was away to visit Math, and Blodeuwedd decides to invite him over out of feudal respect. Upon meeting the man, "there was not an emotion within her that wasn't filled with love for him."
- World's Most Beautiful Woman: Blodeuwedd is described as "the fairest and most beautiful maiden anyone has ever seen".
Llefelys
Llefelys
A king of Francenote and brother of Lludd. He married into kingship and assists Lludd with the three plagues. Beli Mawr
Beli
The husband of the goddess Don, the daughter of Mathonwy. Beli was the father of five sons and two daughters: Amathon, Lludd, Govannon, Gwydyon, Gilvaethwy, Aranrhod and Penarddun.Hanes Taliesin
Ceridwen
Ceridwen
Taliesin
Taliesin
- Back to the Womb: After being devoured by Cerridwen, he somehow ended up being absorbed into her womb and being reborn as her son.
- The Bard: One of the most famous in Welsh mythology.
- Canon Welding: Occasionally he's mentioned in Arthurian mythology as Arthur's bard.
- Literal Transformative Experience: After all the transformation, the lowly, unambitious Gwion Bach starts a new life as Taliesin, a brilliant young man who eventually became a legendary bard and prophet - in some versions of the story, even a protege of Merlin and a member of King Arthur's court.
- Pretty Boy: His name means "shining brow." And, you know, being so beautiful that Cerridwen instantly stopped being mad at him.
Breuddwyd Macsen Wledig
Breuddwyd Rhonabwy
Breton
Ankou
Ankou
- Chess with Death: In one of their legends, the Ankou was initially an arrogant and cruel prince who met Death during a hunting trip and challenged him to see who could kill a black stag first. Death won the contest and the prince was cursed to roam the earth as a spirit for all eternity.
- Dem Bones
- First-Born Son: In a local legend in Brittany, he is said to have been the first child of Adam and Eve.
- Reincarnation: In another one of their potential origin myths, he is the first dead person of the year, charged with collecting others' souls before he can go to the afterlife.
