Celtic Goddesses

In Celtic Myth the Goddess has three major aspects: the maiden, the mother and the crone. These three represent the three stages in life of a woman. Blodeuwedd is the flower maiden, Arianrhod represents the mother and The Morrigu at last is the crone. These three aspects of the Celtic  goddess may have different names in different regions and regional legends. For example, Morrigan also takes the mother role at times.

Blodeuwedd

Blodeuwedd is the flower maiden, the aspect of the Goddess that represents the maiden. Blodeuwedd means `Flower Face´. According to the myths she was made by Gwydion and his uncle Math to be Lleu´s wife. They took the blossoms of the oak, then the blossoms of the broom and of the meadow-sweet, and produced from them a maiden, the fairest and most graceful that man ever saw. Blodeuwedd fell in love with another man than Lleu however and managed to change him into an eagle. Gwydion and Math took revenge however and after healing Lleu, chased down Blodeuwedd and changed her into an owl. In old tales this chase took place across the night sky, and the Milky Way is the trace that's left of it.

Arianrhod

Arianrhod is the mother aspect of the triple Goddess. The names of the aspects change per myth however. Arianrhod means Silver Circle (Arian meaning `silver´, and Rhod meaning `wheel´ or `disc´). She was Gwydions wife, and mother to both a sun god and a god of darkness. In the later Arthurian Legends her place is taken by Morgause, Arthurs sister.

Morrigu

The Morrigu (or Morrigan) represents the Crone aspect of the Goddess. She was a Celtic War Goddess who delighted in setting men at war. She fought in battles herself, and at times hovered like a crow over the warring men. She was represented as fully armed, carrying two spears in her hand, and wherever there was war, she was there. Her battle cry is said to be louder than that of a thousand men. She had a sort of Love-Hate relationship with Cuchulain, who refused her. Afterwards she fought with him and attacked him in three different forms. Cuchulain wounded her, and later she came back to him in the guise of an old woman to have him heal her wounds, for only he could do so. After that she became his friend and helped him.


This page has been blessed times.