Irish Deities Collection Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Brigid is the goddess of fire, healing, agriculture, prophecy and poetry. It's said that she was much loved by poets, and she is considered to be a wise sage. She may be a Celtic triple goddess, as it's sometimes said that she has two sisters, Brigid the healer and Brigid the smith. Brigid is also a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann (often translated as "People of the Goddess Danu"), a race of gods who inhabited Ireland before the arrival of the ancestors of the island arrived there. She is the daughter of Dagda, the wife of Bres and the mother of Ruadán.

Cernunnos, also known as the Horned One, is a powerful Celtic deity who is the 'lord of wild things'. He is usually shown with antlers, and is often seated in a cross-legged position. He's closely associated with stags, dogs, bulls and horned serpents, and is almost always shown wearing a torc, a metal band which signified one's status in Celtic society. He is sometimes also shown holding a bag of coins and a cornucopia.

Dagda is sometimes known as the 'good god'. He's the god of the earth and the leader of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is portrayed as a father-figure, as well as a king and a druid, and is usually depicted as a giant bearded man who wears a hooded coat. According to Irish mythology, he had a magic staff or club which could both kill and bring life, depending on which end was used - and it's said that he could kill ten men with just one blow. Dagda is linked to fertility, agriculture and strength, along with wisdom, magic and Druidry.

Danu is known as the mother of Irish gods. She is the mother goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann - in fact, these supernatural beings take their name from Danu. That means that all members of the clan descend from Danu, but despite her importance in Irish mythology, her own origins are unclear. She is strongly associated with nature, as well as regeneration, wisdom, death, and prosperity. It's thought that she passed on her own wisdom to members of the Tuatha Dé Danann, as well as her creative and crafty talents.

Eriu is the goddess of Ireland itself. She's the goddess of fertility, abundance and sovereignty, and her name translates to "fullness", "bounty" or "abundance". She was a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and is the sister of Banba and Fodla. The trio of sisters were married to three brothers, and it's said that the three sisters asked that all of their names be given to Ireland. The name 'Ireland' is directly taken from Eriu, but Banba and Fodla are sometimes used as poetic names for the country.

Lugh is another member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and a warrior. As well as a skilled warrior, he's portrayed as a king, a saviour and a master craftsman, and stories about Lugh highlight his skilled mastery of all of his different disciplines. He's sometimes called Lamfada, which translates as "long hand" or "long arm", and is likely to relate to his skill with a spear. He is also occasionally known as Samildanach, translating to "equally skilled in many arts'", which highlights how he was a master of multiple disciplines.

Macha represents life, death and war - and it's usually said that she's one of the Celtic triple goddesses associated with Morrigan. She's also the goddess of the land, and is commonly associated with horses. As the goddess of war, legend has it that Macha would feed on the heads of her enemies after defeating them in battle. As a mother goddess, there are usually three parts associated with Macha: a maternal reproductive element, an agrarian element, and an element of sexual fertility.

Morrigan is the goddess of war. She's also sometimes known as "Morrigu", or as the "Queen of Demons" or the "Phantom Queen". Morrigan sometimes appears as a single entity and at other times is described as a trio of sisters. Morrigan foretells doom or victory in battle, and usually appears as a crow when telling the fate of wars. It's believed that her appearance as a crow would either inspire or frighten warriors, leading them to their eventual fate in battle. She is a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the wife of Dagda and the daughter of Ernmas.

Rhiannon is a symbol of fertility, but she also stands for rest, communication, and leadership. Sometimes called the goddess of the moon, it's sometimes said that her name translates to "divine queen of the fairies".

Taranis, also known as Tuireann, is the god of thunder, who is easily recognizable by his sacred wheel, which stands for how quickly a storm could catch humans out. He's also known for wielding a thunderbolt as a weapon.

Bragi, Eir, Freyr, Fulla, Idunn, Mimir, Skadi and Tyr are all Nordic gate-crashers.