the people. Caesar noted that the Celts regarded themselves as having descended from one central universal father. The gods, in fact, were ancient heroes, ancestors of the people, rather than their creators. In the lives of these “immortals” the lives of the ordinary people and the essence of their religious beliefs were mirrored. The gods and goddesses were subject to all the natural virtues and vices and were, therefore, totally human.

There are no hard-and-fast rules between gods and mortals—mortals can wound gods, and gods can die. J. A. MacCulloch [The Religion of the Ancient Celts, 1911, reprinted by Constable, London, 1991] put forward the following comparative table of possible cognates, which I have amended slightly for accuracy:

 

IRELAND

BRITAIN

GAUL

—

Anextiomarus

Anextiomarus

Anu

Anna

Anoniredi

Badb

—

Bodua

Bíle

Beli, Belinus

Belenos

Brigit

Brigantia

Brigantu

Bran

Bran

Brennus

Buanann

—

Buanu

Cumal

Camulos

Camulos

The Dagda

Cerunnos

Dispater

Dana

Don

—

—

Epona

Epona

Gobhniu

Gofannon

—

—

Grannos

Grannos

Lir

Llyr

—

Lugh

Lleu

Lugos

—

Mabon

Maponos

Manannán

Manawydan

—

—

Matres

Matres

Nemed

—

Nemetona

Nét

—

Neton

Nuada

Nudd/Nodons

—

Ogma

—

Ogmios

—

Silvanus

Silvanus

—

Taran

Taranis

—

Totatis/Tutatis

Teutates

This table can be improved on by more recent discoveries. For example, Ogma can also be identified in Britain as Ogmia.