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Celtic Goddess Names - G
Garbh
Ogh
An ancient, ageless Irish giantess whose car was drawn by elk. She fed
on venison milk and the breasts of eagles; and hunted the mountian deer
with a pack of seventy hounds named for birds. She gathered stones to
create a triple cairn for herself and 'set up her chair in a tomb of the
hill at the season of heather bloom' and then expired (Graves, 'The White
Goddess', p.192). |
Garmangabis
A goddess imported to Britain by the Suebi, Roman auxiliaries who worshipped
her at Longovicium (Lanchester, County Durham). |
Geofon
A British goddess of the ocean.
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Glaisrig
(Glaistig) A beautiful and seductive Scottish undine, hiding her goat-like
lower body under a long green dress. She lures men to dance with her,
then sucks their blood.In her benign aspect she looks after children and
the elderly, or herds cattle for farmers.
Godiva
As British legend has it, the Lady Godiva rode naked through the streets
of Coventry as a condition of her husband Leofric's tax reduction. This
may be a Christian interpration of the May Eve procession of the goddess
Goda. There are several European legends of a woman 'neither clothed nor
unclothed, neither on foot nor on horseback, neither on water nor on dry
land, neither with nor without a gift' (Graves, 'The White Goddess').
On May Day, many villages held a procession beginning with the hag Black
Annis, representing winter; followed by Godiva. She was the female complement
to the phallic Maypole.
Goewin
The Welsh footmaiden of Math, and the object of Gilfaethwy's uncontrolled
desire.
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Goleuddydd
A Welsh princess who married a prince, but remained barren. When she finally
became pregnant, she went mad and refused to live indoors. She went into
the forest and hid from everyone. When the time came for her to give birth,
she regained her sanity. She found herself in a swineherd's yard, where
she bore a son, was aptly named Culhwch ("pig"). This folktale
likely grew out of legends about an ancient sow goddess of fertility.
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Grainne
In Irish ledend, she is betrothed to Fionn MacCumhaill (Finn), but falls
in love with Diarmuid (Dermot), at their wedding feast when a sudden breeze
lifts the long bangs of the handsome Diarmuid and she sees the magical
love spot on his forehead. Any woman who sees the spot will fall hopelessly
in love with him; thus the long bangs, as he gorws weary of all the love
affairs. She slips drugs into the drinks of all the guests, and when they
are asleep, she demands that Diarmuid flee with her.
They leave together for the Wood of the Two Tents; which is so called
because for their first few nights together, Diarmuid refuses to sleep
with Grainne despite her entreaties. A gigantic monster accosts her and
Diarmuid rescues her; Grainne sarcastically remarks that at least something
was interested in touching her, and Diarmuid, humiliated, moves into her
tent. The new lovers are eventually found by Fionn and his band, but Diarmuid
gives Grainne a cape of invisibility in which to escape. So the lovers
begin traveling to stay ahead of the vengeful Fionn. Eventually, Aengus,
the god of poets, appears to Fionn to plead the lovers' cause. Fionn's
heart is touched, and Grainne and Diarmuid are allowed to return to the
company.
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Grian
The tutulary deity of Cnoc Greine, Limerick, Ireland. She has solar associations,
and is sister to Aine; her father is either Fer Í or Eogabal. She
also has some manner of association with Macha.
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Gruagach,
the
("The long-haired one") A Scottish fairy to whom the dairymaids
of Gairloch and other parts of Scotland would pour libations of milk into
a hollow stone, the Clach-ca-Gruagach. |
Gwendydd
(Gandieda or Gwendolyn) The Welsh believed her to be altermately Merlin's
sister, twin, lover, or all of the above.
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Gwenhyfar
(Guinevere, Gueneva) The consort of King Arthur. In early Welsh accounts
there were three at Arthur's court - the duagher of Cywyrd Gwent (Gawrwyrd
Ceint); the daugher of Gwythyr son of Grediawl; and the daughter of Glogfran
the Giant (Ogyrvan Gawr). The Gwenhyfar we know today is an insipid revision
of her role in the original Celtic legends - The goddess queen who held
the balance between the Old King and his Young Heroes. |
Gwenn
Teir Bronn
The Celtic goddess of motherhood.
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Gwyar
In Wales, the wife of the god of heaven.
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Gwyllion
A Welsh spirit of the mountains. She was so ill-tempered that she always
gave travelers the wrong directions.
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