The Celts were a people who lived all over Europe, including Germany, Spain, France, England, and Ireland. They had their own language and their own mythologies and legends. Today, most of Celtic lore comes from Ireland. The Irish Cycles include 4 major time periods from the time of the ancient gods to the last kings of Ireland. Celtic mythology is also rich in stories of giants and little people. The main gods/goddesses of the Irish Celts are the following:
Dagda - Leader of the Gods
The Morrigan - A Triple Battle Goddess
Lugh/Lug- Ancient God King
Brigid - Dagda's Daughter
Epona - Goddess of Horses
Nuada - Ancient God King
Goibniu - Smith of the Gods
Mananna Mac Lir- God of the Sea
Dian Cecht - God of Medicine
Other Celtic people such as the Welsh and the Gaels, have their own names for their gods/goddesses. Gaelic people used a script called Ogham to record their myths. The Irish didn't have many of their myths recorded until after the arrival of Christianity. Druids known as Bards would sing the history of ancient Ireland from generation to generation. This is how they preserved their history.
By Rita Jean Moran (www.thelibrarykids.com)
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Bards,_Ovates_and_Druids
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Druids,_in_the_early_morning_glow_of_the_sun.jpg (creative commons licensed by Andrew Dunn)
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