#lugh clan

[totoronocosmo]

Do you believe in magic?

[themodernwitchsguide]

the celtic gods

please note that sometimes history gets blended with stories created by neopagan groups, and it's above my pay grade to know what is what

the creation myth of the irish is pretty much lost to time, but as far neopagan groups are concerned, it began with a horse named Eioch emerging from sea foam. nearby a hearty tree grew which Eioch fed upon, and this tree may have been Cerunnos (not many sources exist to corroborate this). jealous of the giants (who created the earth) that were many in number, Cerunnos and Eioch procreated to create the gods

CERUNNOS: irish god of nature, life, and fertility. associated with horned animals

the clan of Tuatha De Danann

DANU/ANU/ANANN: the matriarch of Tuatha de Danann (literally meaning "the people of the goddess Danu"), she is the irish goddess of regeneration, wisdom (since the Tuatha de Danann themselves were crafty), and sovereignty

THE DAGDA: son of Elatha (a Fomorian king) and possibly Ethniu, a triple god and one chief of Tuatha de Danann, god of life and death, the seasons, magic, and agriculture

BRIGID: daughter of Dagd, irish goddess of healing, fire/metalworking, and poetry

AENGUS/OENGUS: son of Dagd, irish god of love, beauty, summer, youth, and inspiration

MIDIR: son of the Dagd, although his name may mean "judge," some stories say he crafted the rivers and lakes

ERNMAS: her name refers to death by weapons

THE MORRIGAN: daughter of Ernmas, a triple goddess and the other chief of Tuatha de Danann, irish goddess of war, death, prophecy and ravens. her aspects are often considered Badb, Macha, and Nemain/Anand/Eea

ERIU: sometimes considered a daughter of Ernmas, goddess of Ireland (Ireland is derived from her name) and sovereignty

BRES: son of Eriu and Elatha (of the Fomorians), he was an unpopular king of Tuatha de Danann since he often gave preferential treatment to the Fomorians

BANBA: sometimes considered a daughter of Ernmas, goddess of Ireland

FODLA: sometimes considered a daughter of Ernmas, goddess of Ireland

LUGH/LUGUS: son of Ethniu (of the Fomorians) and Cian (of Tuatha de Danann), irish god of nobility, warriors, crafts, oaths, justice and sometimes light or the sun. he kills Balor at the battle of Mag Tuired

NUADA: the first king of Tuatha de Danann, irish god of fairness, justice, and honesty

OGMA: son of Elatha (of the Fomorians), irish god of language, eloquence, and learning

DIAN CECHT: irish god of healing and medicine, Tuatha de Danann's healer. father of Cian and grandfather of Lugh

GOIBNIU: irish god of craft, metalsmith for the Tuatha de Danann

the clan of the Fomorians, who fought to take over Ireland,

DOMNU: irish goddess of the abyss, or deep sea. patron goddess of the Fomorians

INDECH: irish son of Domnu, sometimes king of the Fomorians, other times just a warrior

BALOR: a giant cyclops that is usually considered the chief of the Fomorians. it is his death, at the hands of his grandson Lugh, that creates a time of peace and prosperity in Ireland

CAITLIN/CETHLENN: wife of Balor, a prophet

ELATHA/EALADHA: a king of the Fomorians, son of Balor and Caitlin, perhaps a god of the sun

ETHNIU: daughter of Balor and by some sources, irish goddess of the North Star

gods associated with the underworld,

ARAWN: welsh god of hunting, magic, and lord of the Annwn (afterlife). represents honor and fairness

CERRIDWEN: welsh goddess of the underworld, a shapeshifting witch and prophet

MANANNAN/MANAWYDAN: welsh god of the sea and guardian of the underworld

and the rest,

MATH AP MATHONWY: brother of Don, god of magic, sorcery and enchantment. created Blodeuwedd for a man, and turned her into an owl when she became unfaithful

BELI: welsh god of fire, death, and darkness

DON: welsh equivalent of Danu, the mother goddess. there is another welsh god by this name who is considered the god of the dead

GOVANNON: son of Beli and Don, welsh god of blacksmithing and crafts

GILVAETHWY: son of Beli and Don, god of agriculture and ploughing

GWYDYON: son of Beli and Don, welsh god of war, magic, illusion, poetry, and music

AMATHON: son of Beli and Don, welsh god of agriculture

NUDD/LLUDD: son of Beli and Don, welsh god of healing

GWYNN AP NUDD: son of Nudd, king of the fair folk, associated with the Annwn

CREIDDYLAD/CORDELIA: daughter of Lludd, welsh goddess of flowers and desire

ARIANRHOD: virgin goddess of the moon, reincarnation, the sky, and fertility. tricked into jumping over the magic wand of Math, which made her give birth to Dylan and Lleu. she refused to claim Lleu as her son and laid three curses upon him

DYLAN: welsh god of the sea and waves

LLEU: welsh hero, often attributed the same powers as Gwydion

AERON: welsh god of battle, slaughter, and fate

LLYR: welsh equivalent of Lir, god of the sea

MANAWYDDAN: son of Llyr, welsh god of the sea

BRAN: son of Llyr, welsh god of prophecy, war, and kingship

BRANWEN: daughter of Llyr, welsh goddess of love, beauty, and marriage

MODRON/MATRONA: mother of Mabon, welsh goddess of motherhood

MABON: welsh god of eternal youth, hunting, love, and the autumnal equinox

TALIESIN: welsh god of bards and poetry/music

MERLIN/MYRRDIN: welsh god of magic, gifted with prophecy and wisdom

RHIANNON: welsh equivalent of Epona, goddess of horses, motherhood, and strength

PRYDERI: son of Pwyll and Rhiannon, hero who's story is told in the Mabinogi

BLODEUWEDD: welsh goddess of flowers and emotions, protector of women

AINS/AINE: irish goddess of summer, fertility, and crops, Queen of the Faeries

EPONA: gaelic goddess of horses and fertility

BORVO/BORMO: gaelic god of hot springs

BELENUS: irish god of the sun, fire, healing, and fertility. celebrated during Beltainne

CAILLEACH/SCOTIA: irish goddess of the winds and winter, patron of animals

DRUANTIA: gaelic goddess of trees, fertility and passion, seen as Queen of the Druids

ESUS/AISUS: gaelic god of vegetation

FAND: irish goddess of the sea

FIONN MAC CUMHAILL: irish god of the woodlands, leader of the Fianna hunters

MAEVE/MEDB: irish goddess of sovereignty, intoxication, seduction

SCATHACH SCATA: irish warrior goddess, teacher, prophet, and sorceress

SUCELLOS: gaelic god of good fortune, wine, an agriculture, equivalent to the Dagd

TAILTIU: irish goddess of the earth, vigor, strength, and endurance. foster mother of Lugh

TARANIS: gaelic god of thunder and storms, associated with wheels

TEUTATES/ALBORIX/CATURIX: gaelic god of the tribe, protector of the people

[wodania]

I’d like to introduce you all to my new best friend: Chief Rónán, who i am going to give ridiculously expansive lore. He was born of a selkie woman and the god Lugh. Cú Chulainn is his half brother. His coming was predicted by ancient fairy prophecy. He is a saviour for seal kind and is the father of Clan MacRón, or the Sons of The Seal. His middle name is Phoque because it’s funny.

[eternalstarlights]

Happily Ever After Verse

This is an au where Regulus survive the Holy War. Before the end of the Holy War, when Regulus and Connor finally became a couple, he promised her that after the war he would retire as a saint and dedicated and devoted his life to Connor and the Lugh clan.

After the Holy War, he remained the Leo saint for two years, helping Shion to rebuild the Sanctuary and recruit more saints and training. He is also known as the strongest gold saint in his generation just like his father was once known as. After the two years when the Sanctuary was more stable than before, he told Shion of his situation and asked to retire which Shion allowed him to. (The situation is different from his father who chose to continue being as the Leo saint even after leaving the Sanctuary.) Regulus was no longer the Leo saint and the Leo cloth stayed back in the Leo temple.

He returned to Ireland to stay with Connor. For a few years, he would studied the history and rituals of the Lugh clan and also learned more about magic and how to use it better. He isn’t as good in magic as Connor and still prefer to use his cosmos instead. He did all of this so he could better support Connor and the Lugh clan. Their bond with each other also became deeper as they spend more time together.

After the few years, Regulus finally marry Connor and changed his name to Regulus Lugh. Even though he wasn’t a saint anymore, the Lugh clan still had an alliance with the Sanctuary and Regulus still felt connected to the Sanctuary. He would try to help the Sanctuary as much as he could. He would visit the Sanctuary to help them (like in business trips) or to visit his old friends often. Sometimes, he would bring his children along so they would see and learn more about the Sanctuary that their father grew up in and also meet his old friends.

When Regulus grew older and became an adult, he looked exactly like Sisyphus. His height also grew to 186cm. (He is no longer short yay)

After the war and even after he marries Connor, he has PTSD (but it isn’t very serious).

[tricksterscorvid]

31 and 46 for the writing asks, please? Thank you!

Do you start with the characters or the plot when writing?

Honestly it entierly depends on what it is that I am writing, the current fic I am OBSESSED with working on is insane to say the least and started with a small plot-bunny and grew from there into the monstrosity that it has become.

But two of my original writing things started with character creation over the plot.

--

How would you describe your style? (Character/emotion/action-driven, ect.)

Well this is going to require me to actually lay out the basics of a few things I have been working on, either with a partner or on my own compleatly, because I don't usually pay attention to my style?

Black Rose: Original story, a possibly orphaned young woman learning that the killer is still alive and discovered that they had not compleatly eradicated this family.

Cantara Chaos: Orignal story, Deities in the flesh join guilds and basically cause chaos in the world while trying to keep the fact that they are Deities and their special abilities definatly are normal like their fellow guild members.

Ride or Die: Orignal story, full of dark tones and a /lot/ of smut. A woman in an abusive relationship with another woman is rescued by a guy that is a member of the local motorcycle gang, there is some awkwardness between them at first, but they happy together for a while before the ex hires a friend thats in a less-than-legal profession to kidnap the one they lost and theres more dark tones before she is saved again.

Shadow and Fire: Fanfic, one Hell of a fanfic, let me just take D.Gray-man and smash it together with My Hero Academia and sprinkle a heavy amount of Irish Mythros. Lugh and Morrigan are reborn into twins, their parents know but do not want their children in danger despite the fact that the reason they were born was to face off against the reborn Balor, the search for the Spear of Luin and the sword Fragarach lead them to join those of The Black Order and learning to wield their abilities and their respective weapons before a devistating fight between the twins forcing them apart for a while, one being rescued by the Clan of Noah and nursed back to health[I know how it sounds shhh] while the other nurses their own wounds thinking that their twin hates them, they end up looking for their other half and find them in Japan attending UA….

Inheritance: Fanfic, Voltron but Mythological creatures. Galrans are Merpeople and Alteans are Harpies. The rest are various other types of Mythological creatures.

The rest of the things I am unsure if I am allowed to share yet as my writing buddy is the head on those <3 I… hope this answers those questions o^o

[howlscreamfanfic]

The Ancient Five, Chief of Clans 

Clan O’Brien - Donough O’Brien: Taoiseach, Leader of Ireland, Master of Magic, Descendent of Dagda

Clan O’Connor - Maireg O’Connor: Master of Knowledge & Intelligence, Leader of County Roscommon & Connacht Province, Decendent of Ogma (eloquence, language, and writing)

Clan O’Grady - Aedan O’Grady: Master of Sea & Land, Leader of County Clare & Munster Province, Descendent of Manannán mac Lir

Clan O’Neill - Turlough O’Neill: Master of War, Leader of County Antrim & Ulster Province, Descendent of Morrigan (war, death, prophecy, and sovereignty)

Clan Kavanagh - Duncan Kavanagh: Master of Coin, Leader of County Wexford & Leinster Province, Descendent of Lugh

[judgetoast-blog]

Black Emperor Campaign Diary vol 8 & 9

Session 8:

The Party splits, Cindergrip the goliath berserker, Atreyu the minotaur, and Jacob Ironsides the construct, and Squawk the kobold are all sent north, looking for the tomb.

As they travel north they cross the main road leading out to the coast and encounter the bulk of the army, for some reason marching east across the continent to reach the coast. The party camps among the troops and strikes up a friendly conversation with them. They break bread and share booze with the troops and learn that they are being moved to the coast to look for some kind of weapon and that most of the troops aren't happy about this.

The following morning the party leaves the army behind at the waystation and continues north. Along the roads they see a armored figure falling from the sky. Shortly after they are almost run down by a horse fleeing in terror. They fail to stop the horse but find they are able to locate the body, a minotaur knight of the famed clan Beryn. As they discuss the dead minotaur they are attacked by a flight of Wyverns, coming to claim the meal they killed. After a struggle the PCs kill one of the Wyverns but send the rest fleeing as Ilanth channels the power of her god to turn the beasts.

After the battle with the Wyverns the party decides to take the armor and equipment of the minotaur with them, Atrayu intends to return them to the clan later, as it is the right thing to do. They continue the journey north and arrive in a village called Groveton. 

Session 9:

The trio arrived in the village of Groveton, a small farming village that is more orchards than houses. They stop only briefly, resupplying and continuing into the pine barrens before sending Jacob, Illanth, and Atreyu into the mountains. 

In the pine barrens the party encounters strange mounted warriors. Green of armor and skin. Their proportions strange and elongated, their bodies and horses all one piece. The party attempts to communicate with these men of the pines and ultimately brokers a deal with them. these immortal warriors will have their curse removed by the druids, as long as they serve the party in their campaign. When the deal is struck they send the men of the pines to the druids to help them mop up the remaining gibberlings.

While moving through the pines the party hears the sounds of distant voices crying out the word “Doom” drawing closer. The party picks up their pace but the calls only draw closer still. Realizing they could die tired or fight the threat the party agrees to make its stand. They are confronted by strange and powerfully built twisted reflections of Kenku, creatures of kenku nightmares known as dire corbies. The party met the first wave of the dire corby charge with only minor injuries and heard another coming in the distance. Discretion is the better part of valor it seems as they take the break in the assault to flee the pine barrens and meet the rest of the party at the base of the mountains. When they break  through the treeline the rest of the party is waiting for them. The re-united party too much of a threat for their pursuers who stop short of the tree line. As the party looks back at the horde of dire corbies in the trees a kenku shows himself, the emperor’s assassin Deathrattle. Deathrattle reflects the sun’s light using a mirror, shining it at the party before slinking back into the woods.

The party decides it would be best not to look for the weapon, fearing tipping off Deathrattle that Jagh-Deesh is a potential traitor they decide to travel along the mountains before turning south to return to the druid grove. During their trip along the mountains the party notices a massive dwarven face carved into the side of the mountain. They come to understand that this is the tomb of a dwarf known as Brund. The party decides they are not tomb robbers and turn south.

On their journey south they encounter a fellow rebellious spirit in a brigand and his band calling himself “Lugh”. They come to find that Lugh isn’t from the Black island, he’s an outsider who has come here to fight a good fight, gathering people around him to fight for a good cause. The party smells a potential ally and agrees to travel with Lugh back to his camp where he reveals he is not just here to be a hero, he is a piece of a god, a shadow that is diminished and he hopes through his heroic deeds he might take back his power as a god and return to the realm of the gods. The party notes that there is a chance for both of them to get what they want and ask him to join them in their rebellion. Lugh agrees and lends his fighting men to the party’s growing troop count.

[tipsycad147]

Divine Ancestors: Find Out If You Descend From a Celtic God or Goddess!

posted by : kitty fields

Do YOU descend from an ancient Celtic god or goddess? Compare your ancestors’ surnames (or your current name) to our database here and find out if your ancestor was divine! Backstory: recently I was doing research to find an ancestral god for someone and discovered that nearly every old Irish clan claims descent from a god or hero. I kept digging and made a list of the Irish clans and the gods and goddesses they claim as ancestors. If you see your name (or your ancestors’ name) on this list, you can claim divine descent!

READ THIS FIRST: Check the variations of each of your surnames and compare to what I have listed here. You can Google your surnames and find the variations. Why is this important? There are multiple versions of most Irish surnames. For example, my ancestors’ last name was McNally. Variations of McNally include: MacNally, MacNall, and MacAnally, etc.

Also Note: This is not an all-inclusive list as there are thousands of Irish surnames that could literally take up a book. I did my best with researching and gathering names, but if you don’t see your Irish surname in this article I highly recommend digging into the roots of your name. Look for your Irish clan then read through what sept or ancient tribal group they originate from. From there, you may be able to find your ancestral god or goddess!

1. The Cailleach: Winter Goddess & Divine Ancestor

The Cailleach is a crone goddess known well throughout Scotland and Ireland. She’s a creator and a goddess of transformation. AND she’s an ancestral goddess to many people alive today. There is more than one old Irish sept that claims her as an ancestor. If your ancestors were part of the Corcu Loigde or Corcu Duibne (later called the Dairine), you can claim Cailleach as your fairy goddess ancestor. Here are the surnames I’ve found linked to the Dairine:

Coffey

Flynn

O’Connell

O’Donovan

O’Driscoll

O’Falvey

O’Leary

O’Shea

2. Danu: Mother to the Tuatha De Dannan and the Corcu Duibne

The Corcu Duibne (already mentioned above) can also claim the Mother of the Tuatha De Dannan as their ancestor – the goddess Danu. Danu is a mother goddess and earth goddess. The River Danube is named for her. She’s also considered one of the faery folk and may be the same goddess as Anu, an aspect of the war goddess The Morrigan. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many sources left that tell her stories. Corcu Duibne translates to “seed of Duibhne” a.k.a. Danu.

If you have any of these Irish surnames in your ancestry, you descend from the Mother Goddess Danu:

O’Connell

O’Falvey

O’Shea

3. Flidais: Celtic Goddess of the Forest

Flidais (pronounced flee-aysh) is an ancient Celtic Goddess of the earth, forest, and fertility often depicted with a set of antlers. Deer are under her watchful domain and she’ll often manifest in this form. She is one of the Tuatha De Dannan and was beloved by the Deisi people and later on claimed as an ancestor of the Dal gCais tribes.

If your ancestors’ name is in the list below, Flidais is your divine ancestor:

Aherne

Barron

Boland

Casey

Clancy

Clohessy

Considine

Couglan

Downey

Heffernan

Hogan

Hurley

Kennedy

McGrath

McMahon

McNamara

O’Brien

O’Carroll

O’Curry

O’Grady

O’Hanrahan

O’Mahoney

Quinn

Twomey

4. Lugh: Celtic Sun God and Divine Ancestor

Lugh is a Celtic sun god who is also part of the Tuatha De Dannan. Multiple Irish clans claimed Lugh as their god and ancestor. If your ancestors were part of the Eoganachta, Lugh is your Celtic god ancestor. One connection lies in the King Lughaid who claimed descent from Lugh, as well as Irish clans that claim descent from Cu Chulainn. This legendary hero claimed descent from Lugh, henceforth Irish clans connected to him are also descended from Lugh.

If your surname(s) match any below, you can claim Lugh as a divine ancestor:

Bird

Breen

Cassidy

Cowley

Darragh

Godfrey

Heany

Loughlin

MacAleese

MacAlilly

MacBreen

MacCaffrey

MacCauley

MacEleer

MacMorrow

MacNally

Magee

McCormack

McGuire

McManus

5. Brigid: Ancestral Goddess of Fire, Healing and Poetry

Brigid is one of the most beloved deities of old Celtic Ireland and Scotland. She is a goddess of the hearth, smithing, and healing. She is often depicted as a triple goddess and is honored by many modern pagans. After the church converted the Celtic people, the goddess Brigid lived on in the form of Saint Brigid, oe of the patron saints of Ireland. There are Irish clans from the Bairrche sept that claim descent from her.

If you have one of these names in your ancestry, Brigid is your divine ancestor:

MacGorman

McBride

O’Gorman

6. Manannan Mac Lir: Divine Ancestor and Sea God

Manannan Mac Lir is an ancient Celtic sea god who is still well-known on the Isle of Man. In fact, the Isle of Man was named after this Son of the Sea himself. He is a protector of sailors and a god of abundance and the Otherworld. The Conmhaicne were an early race of people of Ireland, who some believe were “fathered by Oirbsiu” (another name for Manannan Mac Lir).

If you have any of these surnames in your ancestry, you are a grandchild of Manannan Mac Lir:

Cloherty

Conneely

Devany

Folan

MacDorchy

MacKeoghe

MacNeela

MacRannall

MacShanley

O’Farrell

O’Kealy

O’Manning

O’Moran

O’Mulvey

O’Radaghan

Reynolds

Stone

7. Nuada: King of the Tuatha De Dannan

The King of the Tuatha De Dannan, the divine race of Celtic Irish gods, may be an ancestor of yours. Nuada is also known as Nechten and he’s the husband of the goddess Boann. As a warrior god, if his blood runs through your veins, you undoubtedly took on some of his characteristics. The Delbhna Nuadat was a group of lords who claimed ownership over a portion of land in modern County Roscommon.

If you or your ancestors have one of these surnames, you can claim descent from the god Nuada:

O’Faherty

O’Flanagan

8. Macha: Sun Goddess and Ancestral Mother

Macha is a sun goddess, a sovereignty goddess of Ulster, and one of the three sisters of The Morrigan. She’s associated with the earth, horses, war, love and fertility. Macha is also a fierce mother goddess who protects her children and descendants. Like her other divine counterparts here, she is also a divine ancestor to many Irish people today through the Ui Meith clans.

If you have this name or your ancestors carry one of these surnames, you descend from Macha:

Beaky

Beck

Caldwell

Ganey

Hanvey

Horish

Horsiskey

Marron

Mearn

Mulbride

Mulready

Smollen

Waters

You Have Divine Blood…Now What?

Maybe you realized you descend from an ancient Celtic god or goddess. But now you’re wondering what to do with this information? It’s up to you what you do with the information. I’m not saying anyone is necessarily a god or that your ancestor was a god, I’m saying that these clans claimed it. This is similar to how the Egyptian pharaohs claimed to be gods or descend from the gods. It gave people status and probably fueled their religious rites and beliefs.

Aside from telling people your ancestor was a god, consider working with your ancestor in your spiritual practice. Research and study their lore and history. Set up an altar space. Provide offerings. Ask your ancestor to send you messages in your dreams and life. Immerse yourself in Irish Celtic culture. Better yet – embody the gods’ qualities that you find valuable. Bring them to the surface…as the gods are already within you.

Why Are There Only Irish and Scottish Surnames Here?

Unfortunately, if you don’t have Irish or Scottish ancestors, you might be wondering where the other names are. I wish I could find the same information for ALL cultures and heritages, but it doesn’t exist at this magnitude. Ireland had a Renaissance right before the Viking Age in which their clergy (who could read and write) began documenting Irish folklore, mythology, and history. Geneaology including names and locations of septs and clans was recorded, and we are lucky to have this information still today.

If you’re curious, there’s another way to find gods and goddesses in your ancestry that goes beyond Ireland and Scotland – by building a family tree. I use the Ancestry international version and was able to take one of my lines back to the year 2 BC to King Skjald who claimed ODIN as his father. So I am also able to claim Odin as an ancestor. Now, mind you, this took me years to find the connection but if you find a royal line in your ancestry you might be able to trace it back to a god or goddess! While I can’t supply you with other divine bloodlines at this time, I can help you find out more about your magical ancestors now. INCLUDING if you descend from Celtic Fairy Queen Goddesses! Read the links below to learn more!

[aurevoirmonty]

Lughnasadh

Lughnasadh marque une transition essentielle dans le cycle annuel : le glissement de l’été à l’automne et l’émergence de la période des moissons. Cette fête est un jalon symbolique, riche en traditions et en rituels. Lughnasadh, en incarnant la sagesse ancestrale et la puissance de la nature, donne naissance à une symphonie symbolique complexe. Les quatre célébrations saisonnières, qui jalonnent le cœur du cycle festif annuel, sont des instants singuliers où l’on rend hommage aux différents aspects de la vie universelle et aux activités du clan. Ces festivités, qui comprennent Samain, Imbolc, Beltaine et Lugnasad, soulignent chacune des traits distinctifs de leur saison respective.

Samain, célébrée le 1er novembre, met l’accent sur la valeur de la solidarité familiale et clanique. À l’automne, saison des semailles et des chasses, la cohésion et la coopération du clan deviennent primordiales. C’est donc une période privilégiée pour se rassembler et resserrer les liens familiaux. Imbolc, qui a lieu le 2 février, est une fête de purification et de recueillement. L’hiver, par sa nature même, est une période de retraite et de renouveau. Cette fête marque un temps de purification du foyer, symbolisant un nettoyage en profondeur avant l’arrivée du printemps. Beltaine, célébrée le 1er mai, est un hommage à la jeunesse, à la croissance et à l’amour. Le printemps, saison du renouveau et de l’épanouissement, est une période où la compétition entre les jeunes est mise en avant. C’est un temps de croissance et de compétition saine, où l’amour fleurit. Lugnasad, enfin, célébrée le 1er août, est un jour de festin, marquant la saison estivale qui est le moment de savourer les fruits des premières récoltes. Cette fête est associée à la maturité et à la récolte, symbolisant l’âge de 44 ans, où l’on moissonne ce que l’on a semé dans sa vie. Lugnasad représente l’âge mature, le temps de récolter matériellement les fruits de ce que nous avons semé et cultivé au cours de notre vie, une période marquée par la notion de maturité et de moisson.

Le Dieu Lugh aurait instauré cette fête en mémoire de sa mère Tailtiu dont un tumulus subsiste à Teltown en Irlande. La mère de Lug succomba d’épuisement après avoir défriché toute l’Irlande, préparant ainsi tout le pays à l’agriculture. Tailtiu est plus qu’une simple mère pour Lug, elle incarne une grande Déesse, représentant un aspect de la Terre-Mère.

Cette fête était l’occasion d’un grand rassemblement où tous les problèmes étaient réglés sous l’œil vigilant de la mère (de Lugh), à travers des jeux (compétition) ou autres… Par facilité, cette fête a été associée à la moisson car Tailtiu, qui représente la Terre-Mère, est indéniablement la génératrice de la moisson. Cependant, c’est Lugh qui a instauré cette fête en son honneur et non pour la moisson…

Le nom de cette fête renvoie au dieu Lugh, dont l’influence se retrouve dans le nom de nombreuses villes européennes et de tribus celtiques. Il est perçu comme un dieu aux multiples facettes, fortement associé à la souveraineté et à la magie.

En sommes, Lugh partage de nombreux points communs avec le dieu Wotan. Tout comme Wotan, Lugh est reconnu pour sa vaste connaissance des arts magiques. Il est également associé aux corbeaux, pratique l’art de la magie, et est souvent représenté avec un œil fermé lors de certains rituels. Lugh, à l’image de Wotan, est le patron des poètes, conduit les armées au combat, et sa lance est son arme de prédilection.

En outre, Freyr, le dieu nordique de la fertilité et des récoltes, est honoré par le Freysblöt, une cérémonie d’offrandes qui marque aussi le début de la moisson. Thor, qui aide également aux récoltes, et sa femme Sif, dont les cheveux dorés peuvent évoquer les champs de blé mûrs, sont également vénérés lors de cette fête.

Au cours du Freysblöt, la première gerbe de blé récoltée est attachée et bénie en l’honneur des dieux et des vaettir, les esprits de la terre. Le pain, cuit à partir de ce premier blé moissonné, devient une offrande partagée avec toute la communauté.

Autrefois, cette célébration revêtait une importance vitale pour nos ancêtres. Une mauvaise récolte pouvait entraîner de nombreuses morts durant l’hiver. Aujourd’hui, nous rendons hommage à Freyr pour toutes les récoltes abondantes dont nous avons bénéficié. Si certaines années étaient particulièrement difficiles, des sacrifices drastiques étaient réalisés. Nous honorons Freyr en lui présentant un blöt, un festin issu de nos jardins et de nos champs.

Il est vrai que ce que nous savons de manière avérée concernant ces célébrations antiques est parfois fragmentaire. Freyfaxi, par example, est une création contemporaine qui correspond approximativement avec le jour de Larsok, le 10 août, cité dans le Primstav. Historiquement, à cette date, il était de coutume d’avoir fini de stocker le foin pour assurer l’approvisionnement en lait durant l’hiver. Bien que Larsok soit parfois interprétée comme une fête des moissons, certains chercheurs proposent qu’elle pourrait être liée à la fête de Saint-Laurent.

En Grande-Bretagne, des fêtes de la moisson ont été célébrées depuis les temps anciens pour remercier les divinités pour les récoltes abondantes. Selon la tradition locale, ces cérémonies ont lieu en septembre ou en octobre. Néanmoins, une fête des moissons précoce avait lieu le 1er août, nommée Lammas, « messe du pain », ou Hlalmaesse. Il s’agissait d’une cérémonie pour marquer le début de la saison de la moisson. À Lammas, un pain réalisé à partir de la nouvelle récolte était apporté, symbolisant ainsi le commencement de la période des moissons. Cette cérémonie se situait à mi-chemin entre le solstice d’été et l’équinoxe de septembre, indiquant une étape importante du cycle agricole.

De plus, Lughnasadh est une fête officielle en Irlande et une célébration gaélique, qui a des racines dans le paganisme et est mentionnée dans certaines des plus anciennes littératures irlandaises. Historiquement observée en Irlande, en Écosse et sur l’île de Man, Lughnasadh réunit de grands groupes pour des cérémonies religieuses, des compétitions athlétiques rituelles, des banquets, des rencontres amoureuses et des échanges commerciaux. La fête survient à un moment critique pour les communautés agricoles : les réserves de l’année précédente sont épuisées et les nouvelles récoltes ne sont pas encore prêtes.

En Suisse également, le 1er août est un jour férié. Traditionnellement, Lughnasadh a toujours été associée au premier jour d’août. Cependant, au cours des siècles récents, une grande partie des rassemblements et des festivités qui lui sont associés ont été déplacés vers les dimanches les plus proches – soit le dernier dimanche de juillet ou le premier dimanche d’août. On pense que cela est dû à l’incertitude du temps et au fait que la période des récoltes était chargée, ce qui rendait difficile de sacrifier des jours de travail. Comme le dimanche aurait de toute façon été un jour de repos, il était logique de célébrer à ce moment-là. Le passage au calendrier grégorien a également pu influencer cette modification.

Enfin, Lughnasadh partage des thèmes agricoles avec Lammas, ou hlalmaesse. Au fil du temps, ces deux fêtes se sont entremêlées au point qu’il est souvent difficile de distinguer les éléments spécifiques à chacune.

Il est dit de Lughnassadh qu’elle est la fête du plaisir, où il convient de célébrer le phénomène connu sous le nom de plaisir sensible. C’est pourquoi lors du banquet, un squelette accompagne les hôtes à table. Qu’est-ce que le plaisir, c’est-à-dire ce stimulus qui détermine à peu près toutes les décisions? Il procède de la lumière tirée de quelque chose. Chacun, à son niveau, tire sa lumière, son plaisir, du divin. Dans l’ancienne religion, c’est Frey qui raffine le fait de tirer sa vitalité des joies de ce monde.

Il est dit que c’est lors de cette fête qu’il faut aller dans la forêt pour explorer et trouver le petit peuple, avec une loupiote comme Hermod allant voir Baldr.

Effectivement, la forêt étant le symbole du subconscient, il est raconté qu’à la veille de Lughnasadh, il est le bon temps de se promener en forêt, de pénétrer dans les bois et de parcourir un sentier. C’est à ce moment précis, dit-on, que le petit peuple devient visible. Farfadets, lutins, fées et nains sont alors au rendez-vous. On souligne l’importance de renouveler les protections magiques pour les récoltes, le bétail, les habitations et toutes autres possessions. Les maisons se parent souvent d’une croix de sorbier, en forme de Naudiz, accrochée au-dessus des portes, un symbole protecteur fort. On prépare des gâteaux avec les ingrédients disponibles et on les mange dans les champs ou les pâturages. De petits morceaux sont jetés par-dessus l’épaule alternativement à gauche et à droite en guise d’offrandes aux esprits de la nature pour favoriser les récoltes et aux prédateurs pour demander d’épargner le bétail.

À l’aube de Lughnasadh, nos ancêtres et leurs enfants célèbrent une série de rites et de cérémonies. Une coupe solennelle du premier grain est effectuée, dont une offrande est faite à la divinité, portée à un endroit élevé et enterrée. Un repas composé de la nouvelle récolte et de myrtilles rassemble la communauté entière. Par ailleurs, une danse-jeu rituelle peut-être illustre une lutte pour une déesse et un combat rituel.

Ce rituel complexe implique aussi l’installation d’une tête en pierre sculptée au sommet de la colline et une victoire sur elle par un acteur incarnant Lugh/Wotan. La célébration se prolonge ainsi sur trois jours, avec le jeune dieu Lugh, ou son représentant humain, à la tête des festivités.

En Irlande, on gravi de nombreuses montagnes et collines importantes pour ce festival. L’occasion est marquée par des repas, des boissons, de la danse, de la musique folklorique, des jeux, des rencontres amoureuses, ainsi que des compétitions athlétiques et sportives. Dans certaines traditions, tous portent des fleurs en grimpant la colline et ils les enterrent ensuite au sommet en signe de la fin de l’été.

Parmi les autres traditions, les gens préparent un gâteau spécial appelé le lunastain, qui est à l’origine une offrande aux dieux. Certains puits sacrés sont visités, où les visiteurs prient pour la santé en marchant dans le sens du soleil autour du puits, laissant ensuite des offrandes, généralement des pièces de monnaie ou des clooties.

Finalement, nous purifions notre bétail en le guidant à travers un cours d’eau. Nous dédions les premiers fruits de nos récoltes aux divinités et aux esprits. Des poupées sont fabriquées à partir des épis de blé et servent de talismans pour assurer la protection des personnes, des champs, du bétail et des possessions.

« Le mois d’août a besoin de la rosée autant que les hommes ont besoin de pain. » « Après Lammas, le maïs mûrit autant la nuit que le jour. »

En conclusion

Lughnasadh, cette fête ancestrale, représente un symbole profond de l’interdépendance entre l’homme et la nature et du respect de ses cycles. Elle rappelle l’importance de la gratitude pour les dons que nous recevons de la terre. Aujourd’hui, alors que nous célébrons cette journée, nous nous souvenons de ces traditions et nous les adaptons à notre époque moderne, tout en préservant l’esprit et le sens des anciennes coutumes. Que ces rituels et célébrations nous rappellent constamment notre lien avec la nature et l’importance de vivre en harmonie avec elle.

[forgottenroisin]

Ok so in Irish mythology right there’s this evil giant cyclops who basically has the same power as cyclops from X-men (I doubt this is a coincidence btw) but like BIGGER he can level whole cities w a glance etc and he can turn it off/on at will idr his name but I think it’s balor or smth like that so we’re gonna go w that. This dude was Celtic!roderick basically and he was the worst and ~the destroyer~ basically (but also like fire/lightning and in our verse fire/sorcha is mother to eithne which is in fact how forest fires often work the destruction of summer ushering in new life for the coming spring etc but also his whole clan represents water/floods too…)

He had a Zeus/Oedipus thing going where there was this prophecy that his grandson would someday kill him (and, in this case, bring peace and justice to the land etc)

~balor’s daughter was named Eithne!!! she represented grain and bounty after desolation of the land etc and idr all the details but iirc she had some doomed tragic romance (ofc!) w Cian (the Romeo to her Juliet bc there’s also this whole big clan war thing happening and their child's now son of ~both clans etc), and the couple secretly had a son lugh (THE dude in Irish myth basically he’s got like…everything going like he’s never met a challenge he can’t conquer) who she smuggled away knowing her dad would kill him bc of that pesky prophecy! Anyway lugh had that traditional upbringing by shepherds all these guys inevitably get (do shepherds ever have any children of their own or are they all just cast off/secret prophecy babies this is the real question 😂😂😂)

Anyway lugh eventually grows up and through a series of events comes back and slays his evil grandpa. the day upon which that happened is supposedly ~Samhain when the world walks into darkness freed from its shackles and thus hopeful of spring/bounty/eithne to come

Anyway I took this ~outta the Samhain thing for lfr initially bc I forgot lugh’s mama was eithne herself but I’ve just remembered it so I might put that back in 👀🤔😂 oh also (amongst a whole heap of other things!) lugh represents both light and water/the sea so i feel like we can def work that in somehow somewhere etc if we like too!

anyway...I ~did start writing this w some bigger point but its gone now lakjsflkjdsfjsdf hopefully I'll remember it…someday...heehee!

anyway!!!!!!!1 in lfr, he may or may not be a giant cyclops who shoots lasers out of his eye lkasjdflkjdsjf but i feel like maybe there might be some myth in malconaire of eithne i and her fam overthrowing some evil overlord (maybe in that day an evil god...) while the veil between worlds was at its thinnest, or whatever, on samhain thus restoring hope for the coming year etc!! annnnnd i think its safe to say that roderick hates this story <333 lakjdsflkjsdlkfjdsf oh!!! that was my bigger point!!!

ok, so i feel like he probs ~currently~ doesn't know this story, but i can def see the resistance spreading it around and comparing roderick to the villain of the piece, ofc, and saying 'malconaire has triumphed over worse monsters before!' etc!! and roderick is INCENSED!! AND THEN LEARNS THIS TALE IS DIRECTLY LINKED TO SOME LADIES HIS SONS ARE DATING AND !!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! and then like...THEYRE WITCHES TOO AND THEY BEWITCHED MY BOYSSSS andddddd yeahhhhhhhh!!!! and one of the v witches who went after his firstborn son is herself NAMED eithne!!!!!! like!!!!!!! TREASONNNNN!!!!!!!

anyway i feel like this could all potentially feed into the burning of the malconaire woods witches thing!! @forgottenroderick @forgotteneithne @forgottenbrigit

(they didn't even leave him a spare son! and their brother tried to get w his eldest daughter! TREASON! TREASON! TREASON! tho i think it'll be fairly clear the vasilievas aren't involved in the treasons but he'll probs ~assume cassimir was manipulated into dating guin by his evil scheming witchy sisters!)

also...lbr if the resistance ~isn't spreading this tale to non-astairans...my man godfrey (heh) probs is! (but saying he heard it from rabble rousers ofc!! except ~hes the rabble rousers whoops) laksjdfkjlsdf

anyway idk!1 what do you guys think?

Malconaire Samain Traditions

AUTHOR'S NOTES

ok so!!! before i get into this too much, some author's notes, starting w fun facts abt irl samhain (which i wrote samain above bc that's the old irish spelling and we're mostly going w old irish spellings here -- caoimhe rather than keeva, etc) that im running w here are as follows: ancient celtic tradition holds w largely two types of major celebration on their quartered calendar: Beltaine and Samhain which occurred on opposite times of the year, and Imbolc and Lughnasa which also straddled the year. The latter set marked important crop rotations: sowing and harvesting the fields.

The former, however, are said to have been dedicated to the movements of cattle herds and their shephards. At Beltaine, the shephards and their flocks would wrap up their half year of having held their beasts at home amongst the village in the valleys where they were safe from winter snows. at samhain, the shephards would do the opposite: begin driving their herds home across the treacherous montain passes from where they had been grazing in upland pastures for six months, and heading home to the valleys. Both Samhain and Beltane were seen as liminal or threshold holidays. Yet, they were also seen as inverse of one another, with Beltane being a festival for the living and Samhain for the dead.

Many Irish and British Neolithic tombs are aligned such that they are illuminated by the light of the sun as it over Samhain and Imbolc.

In Celtic belief, all spirits appear to be interlinked, w ghosts alternately appearing as faries or gods and vice versa, so I've used guardians, gods, and ghosts here where I thought most appropriate as stand ins but yeah this is just my interpretation??? Anyway, fairy mounds are often literally burial mounds so make of that what you will! I did ultimately choose to include ghosts but I strongly considered restricting it to purely guardians and gods, but yeah! Lmk if you think I should go back and restrict it to just those two!

Samhain in Ireland and Scotland are pr similar, so there'll def bc riffs from both cultures but, bc Rosie's name means little rose, and the very related ancient Welsh tradition of Calan Gaeaf ties in both roses AND ivy v strongly, I'm gonna be pulling a lot from that, as well.

I'm also gonna steal some Venetian St. Mark's Day beliefs and practices and English St. Mark's Eve ones. I have zero excuse except that it dovetails really nicely, and that its frankly sooo fitting for our Miss Rosie.

all the 'tales' here are inspired and even drawn directly from ancient lore!

Cleansing fire and light, cleaning, divination, guising (dressing up and trick or treat-esque shenanigans), dancing, mummery, saining (blessings), feasting, belief that spirits (good and evil, human and fae and godly and demoic, etc) walk amongst us that night, and veneration of the dead are common themes, and it is believed that it is this time when the veil is thinnest between the various otherworlds and our own.

Samhain is a last deep breath before the plunge. It is a time of preparing for the death of winter to come. Interestingly, Samain, the Old Irish root word for Samhain, is thought to come from an ancient word for 'summer,' though it was celebrated in November. No one knows why, but imma lean into it as a rebirth kind of symbolism -- yknow that 'spring in winter' sort of concept. Another explanation is that Samain comes from yet another ancient word that means 'reuninion, assembly,' and imma lean into that, too.

There was initially a fortnight of celebrations for Samain, which overtime got cut down to our modern night of Halloween, so idk how long this celebration should last hahaha and i deliberately left the timeline vague bc of that

Conveniently, I'd already hc'ed that Rosie actually views autumn as more a time of rebirth than spring (weirdly enough, it was actually one of my v first hc's for her!), and all this will allow me to tie it in nicely with her character theme of wonder <3

(Also disclaimer that you might notice some similarities between this and my TFW not!halloween traditions in which case...no you didn't ;DDDDD its just that i was inspired by the same sources hahaha except here i pulled in welsh and venetian things as my secondary instead of ancient roman and greek things aklsjdflkjdfdf)

SAMAIN TRADITIONS

like her sisters, rosie was born around the time of an ancient astairan holiday, causing the celebrations to overlap in malconaire

hers falling near samhain, an autumnal festival celebrating the midpoint between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice, and is held to mark the beginning of winter

it is said that it is at this time that the veil between this world and the other is said to be at its thinnest and, thus, the guardians are feted in an effort to strengthen them during this most dangerous period, w seers and all the ppl of astaira gathering to do whatever they can to help

it is a time of unity and mutual faith, generosity and thanksgiving, of finding strength and hope and cheer in ourselves and in one another even as things grow their darkest

as twilight gleams its last, all the fires in the region are put out and a great bonfire lit by a seer at the local shrine. from this protective blaze, every fire in the region is relit so that cleansing, protective fire burns for the guardians against the gods in every home, every shrine, and every gathering place across all malconaire

it is said that on this night, sometimes even non-seers can hear the whisperings of the guardians -- and that, at times -- the howls of the gods echo across the world, but beware to any who hears ought, for gods can appear and speak as any being they wish and, it is said, one must never trust a stranger who arrives upon samhain who will not go into the light

according to ancient tradition, anyone who believes w a true heart may wield some of the powers of a true seer because the veil is so thin, and in addition to being able to hear the voices of gods and guardians, can also sometimes hear the voices of their deceased loved ones

sometimes this is said to be a trick of the evil gods, but many believe that deceased loved ones do in fact arise

in addition to the fires, many gifts of food and drink and harvest and flowers etc are offered to the guardians, in addition to gifts of delights and entertainments such as dances and plays

as it is said that ghosts rise from their graves at this time, whether crossing over from an otherworld or revived by the power of the wicked gods, welcoming feasts are held in every home and, during the feasts, in addition to offerings made to the guardians, places are set for dead members of the family who may be visiting their loved ones while they are able

hoping to thwart any wicked spirits or gods who might be walking the earth, many wear a guise each night when the protective power of the sun is snuffed out

bc it is said that everyone may have use of a seers powers, it is also tradition to go from house to house and give offerings and blessings back and forth there, and this is often when fires from the great shrine bonefire are brought to each home, as well

following feasting in homes, there is also a tradition of gathering around the great bonfire in the evening and sharing sweets

while there, dancing and plays go on with gift-giving continuing well into the night

traditionally, one carves their name into a stone and then tosses it into the fire. those stones that had had the name burned clean off of it will receive good fortune. those whose names are still writ upon the stones will do well to take care over the course of the winter, with death or misfortune said to hunt them

Myths, legends, and ghost stories are all frequently told around the bonfire, with some tales being considered specific to Samain, and others simply tall tales or simply invented stories, but whatever their origin, stories play a highly important role on Samain, both as offerings and as entertainment. i'll include one or two as a sample somewhere in here

traditionally, all across astaira, peace was delcared during samain and it was a great time of unification, of treaties, of mending fences great and small, neighbor to neighbor and nation to nation, alike, w any conflict or even grudge, save that against the gods, being seen as borderline blasphemous, and an insult to the guardians for all efforts must be communally poured into that conflict at this time

in this same vein, it is a time for housekeeping, both great and small -- houses are cleaned, spick and span, and great councils are called by the rulers to undergo yearly reforms

anyone who broke laws during this time would, therefore, be banished for the rest of the year for the grievous offence of having wounded the goodwill of the guardians

traditionally, astairans avoid crossroads during samain, said to be haunted by nefarious deadmen and gods

on the morning samain, young and unmarried people traditionally go out into the fields and collect ivy and autumn roses. traditionally, girls collect ivy while boys pick roses, after which they come together again, with the girls presenting the boys they admire with ivy and the boys presenting roses to the girls they fancy. if a couple's presentations are mutual, they then wind them together and create crowns of roses-and-ivy to wear. at the end of the day, each girls collects all the roses she has been given, and each boy all his ivy and mingle them till they do not know who gave which. then they toss one into the bonfire for the guardians are return home, placing the remaining plants under their pillow. it is said that they will then dream of their future and, if they remember any of the dream, some of it will come true in the coming year. it is also sometimes said that if they dream of a particular other person, they will likely wed that person.

unmarried women are instructed to darken their rooms in the evening, and then a married woman can look into the mirror to see the face of the future groom. If a skull appears in the mirror, the unmarried woman is meant to die within the year. If a future groom cannot be seen, unmarried women are instructed to peel an apple and throw the skin over their shoulders. The shape the apple skin makes is said to show the first initial of her future husband

just before midnight, any remaining children are bundled off to bed and, then, it is tradition for those who wish to see to gather on the holy ground of the shrine, for surrounded by the guardians is the only way one may safely witness what is to come. those who do not wish to see must return quickly home and close all their windows and close their eyes and try to sleep, for any not protected by the guarian who looks upon it shall die on the spot. those who stay at the shrine may see, but they must maintain absolute silence or it is said they shall never see again. at midnight, the dead walk. a whole squadron of them troop by, but if one should spot oneself or any known to one trooping with them, that person is doomed to die within the year. some say the cause of death may even be observed, drowned victims soaked to the bone or hanged men marching with nooses around their necks, and such the like.

games and friendly competitions around the bonfire are common, such as dares and apple bobbing

two hazelnuts roast near a fire; one named for the person roasting them and the other for the person the desire. If the nuts jump away from the heat, it is a bad sign, but if the nuts roast quietly, it foretells an excellent match. 

Items were hidden in food—usually a cakes and breads — and portions of it served out at random. A person's future is foretold by the item they happened to find; for example, a ring means marriage, and a coin means wealth

A salty oatmeal bannock was baked; the person ate it in three bites and then went to bed in silence without anything to drink. This was said to result in a dream in which their future spouse offers them a drink to quench their thirst

Egg whites are dropped in water, and the shapes foretell the number of future children

SAMPLE OF SAMAIN TALES

story of a seer who rushed up to the door to the otherworld in the repulsion of gods, but closed the door as the gods were sealed off on his thumb. he then sucked on his wounded thumb and, from that moment, was said to have gained otherworldly wisdom but the cost was that he was, too, a link that the gods had to this world so he ultimately sealed himself, too, away inside a tree using their own magic to bind himself so that he could harm no one, but it is said that the gods have no mercy and that they force his ghost to walk the world on the night of Samain and sow the seeds of their ill-will for the year to come.

the monstrous gods used to demand two-thirds of the ppl's crops and livestock and even children during samain before they were sealed away, causing many to starve

a certain god, it is said, would command three men to go to a certain goddess every Samain to seduce her. when they inevitably failed, he would take their lives and force them to walk the world as his undead vessels for the rest of the year, wreaking untold havoc upon the world till at least one did succeed and the goddess gave him her magical garter. before the god killed his two companions, the goddess' lover, said sometimes to be from the snail house and alternately from the frog house, warned the vile god that it would spell his own doom if he struck those men down. laughing, the evil god did so, and so the lover used the magic girdle to fight and defeat him and help the guardians seal him away ((fun fact, this is drawn from a story said to have been the origin of the bog men...hence the frog or snail house being involved!))

one samain night, before the veil was raised against the gods, the king offered a prize to any who could tie a band around a hanged man's ankle. each challenger after the other fled in terror to the king's hall but one. when the band was tied, the dead man asked for a drink so, feeling pity for the hanged man, the challenger carried him on his back, stopping at three houses. when they entered the third, the dead man drank and spat it on the householders, killing them. returning to the gallows to bind him again, the challenger spotted an army of the gods burning the king's hall and slaughtering those inside. the challenger pursued the host through a portal into an otherworld where he learned that what he had seen since touching the hanged man was only a vision of what would happen the next samain unless something was done. he returned to the hall and warned the king, and astaira began to arm themselves against the gods who plotted against them.

another tale tells of a man who fell deeply in love w a goddess before the veil was raised against them. so in love was he that he followed her to an otherworld, despite her warnings that if he followed her, he could never return home. they lived happily together for two years before he began to long for home. watching him pine away, the goddess agreed to allow him to visit the mortal realm on her own horse, but only if he solemnly swore never to dismount the horse which would take him there and then back to her. he hastily agreed and started on his way. yet, when he arrived, he found that in the mortal realm two hundred years, and not two, had passed and that everyone he loved had died. distressed to see their graves, he fell from the horse to kiss them, but as soon as he stepped upon the ground, mortality found him and he grew old and died on the spot, collapsing as no more than bones and dust upon the earth of the graves of those he loved.

according to legend, the tradition of presenting roses and ivy to a lover originated when a man of low social standing is said to have fallen in love with a lady of house malconaire known for wearing ivy in her hair. in order to win her father's approval -- who said he might only wed his daughter if he could prove his love for her was true -- he became involved in a distant war. he was mortally wounded in battle, but managed to pluck a rose from a nearby rosebush for his loved one. a companion was entrusted with returning the blood-stained rose to his lover, who cast the ivy from her hair and wore the rose until the day she died. from their graves, buried beside each other, ivy and roses still grow.

CHARACTER HC'S

it was during samain, many years ago, that domhnall and later his heir, eilionora, offered roderick a treaty but both efforts he rebuffed. to the first effort to achieve peace he did not reply. yet when eilia tried again, he did, sending her only a piece of paper that bore simply a list of the countries he'd already conquered, with astaira's name listed at the bottom. eilia did not try again.

on the samain before bran and sorcha began courting, he decided that he would woo her with the traditional roses. sadly, however, he wasn't able to get out into the fields until late and, when he finally did, all that were left were very, very small roses, indeed. fortunately, she had the same idea and presented him with ivy as well. when she saw the wee rosebuds, which he presented with some embarrassment, saying he ought to have given her something far greater, she laughed and declared that someday he would -- if they ever had a daughter born in autumn, her name should be roisin, for the first gift he had ever given to her.

last samain, rosie presented edmund with ivy, forgetting he problably knew nothing of the tradition (and would likely consider it heresy, if he did!) realizing too late that he probably didn't know what she was telling him, she laughed and made a joke of it, weaving him a ivy crown, anyway, saying that if he meant to rule over astaira, someday, he best pay attention as he would have to know how to make a flower crown. she never mentioned it again.

bran threw eggs into water with sorcha the year they were married. when her egg predicted four children and his six, he was terrified it might mean he would outlive her and she laughed and told him that was a ridiculous thing to suppose, for he'd come to their marriage with two children already: his raven, and malconaire.

the year of sorcha's death, she stayed out to watch the ghosts walk, hoping for a last glimpse of a loved one whom she had just lost, while bran took the children home to sleep. she was drawn and white when bran awoke the next morning and, though she made jokes of it when he mentioned it and proceeded about her day, she seemed distracted, but would say nothing of what she had seen. at the time, bran only assumed that she was distressed about her loss, but after she died, he always wondered if perhaps she had seen her own spirit on the march that night.

though usually done privately for their parents, rosie always enjoyed mumming with her sisters at samain, telling tall tales and dramatic ones alike amongst themselves

while she hasn't done any mummery since childhood, as she imagines its likely not dignified for a lady of her age and position, she does still enjoy guising and generally dresses as favorite heroines from fairy tales and other stories. she is convinced cassandra would enjoy this as well and wants to bring her to such an event one of these years. no o ne can seem to convince her this is terrible idea.

cillian stays out late every year to watch the souls pass and, every year, he informs saoirse that he has seen her go by, but she says she'll have her revenge one of these days, because someday he ~will see her, and then he'll be sorry when he has to tell her so and she laughs in his face.

[goldenlightofhope]

@arcgeminga​ xxx

“Yes, I am Arago Lugh.” And even though the man did not directly answer his question, it was obvious that he was the saint that he was looking for. He was glad that saints wore armour since it was easier to find him. “Good thing that I found you. I am not bad with directions but I can’t seem to find where the Sanctuary is. Since you are my guide…” Or escort. “I guess I don’t have to worry anymore.”

As he was talking, he couldn’t help but stare at the basket of food that was in the saint’s arms. Fresh fruits… he hoped they were not for him. He couldn’t handle eating fresh food…  

“The head priestess could not be here as she is busy with other matters and sent me here on her behalf.”

He wished Connor could have sent someone else. He was not good at politics. His skills were of a fighter but Connor told him that if he wanted to help the Lugh clan, he would need to be good at politics and making alliances. Fortunately, for him, the Sanctuary was already an ally with the Lugh Clan.  

[arcgeminga]

Arago was only here for few minutes and he was already lost… Where was the entrance of the Sanctuary again? Where was he supposed to meet his guide? He was told that his guide was a saint named Aspros, whoever, that person was. He was kind of glad it was not Regulus. He liked the boy and so did his cousin. It was just the boy’s cosmos was too bright for his liking which was ironic coming from someone who was in the Lugh clan. He spotted a man in gold armour and decided there was no harm in asking. “Hi, can you tell me where I can find a saint named Aspros?… Gemini Aspros, I believe.”

♕┊ Aspros was directed to go just outside of Sanctuary to fetch a guest from Ireland. It wasn't uncommon for Sanctuary to receive guests, so long as said people were expected and escorted in by high officials.

Sanctuary's entrance was, for the most part, very obscure. Hidden within the mountain range just outside of Athens. Innocent travelers would most likely skip Sanctuary by accident. After all, the powerful, ancient barrier around the location made Sanctuary adopt an avoidance characteristic to non-citizens -- evading outsiders with illusionary pathways that lead past the ancient militant metropolis.

He was instructed to meet the person in a small outpost town at the foot of Hymettus. The town was already acquainted with Sanctuary and even benefited from the amicable relations with the confidential city-state. It wasn't Rodorio. Rodorio was a village within Sanctuary -- a safe space for the growing families of Saints. Since this small town had frequent visitors from Sanctuary, none of the citizens batted an eye in confusion when the man donned in full, golden armor walked down the street.

Aspros made a very quick pitstop at a produce shop. After all, Defteros had asked to bring back something. If it was to humor his brother, then so be it. The Gemini Saint made a quick purchase of some figs, cherries, and apples. Just as the Gold Saint was gathering the basket of fruits in his arms, a person with silver hair and a scar between his brows approached him.

♕┊ "..." Aspros stared at the stranger. His immediate thought was, 'who the fuck is this to be asking around for me?'

...then he realized, oh, perhaps he got too carried away in the pleasant conversation with the very handsome shopkeeper. He momentarily forgot that he was on escort duty.

"I take it you're the visitor?" Aspros finally kicked himself into replying after he took a good look at the person. Testing the waters still, he continued with an amicable front while carefully evaluating the other. "Argos... wait, no. Arago Lugh?"

[shaycormacaroni]

@whoever in Ubisoft decided to make the druids in Valhalla’s Irish dlc the ‘bad guys’ for the sake of the plot: turn on your location I just want to talk 🔪 🔪

[emperorofnowhereland]

Anon, I went in the other direction. I started as a druid working with the Celtic pantheon, mainly Cernunnos and Brigid. I started exploring the Norse pantheon when I realized that my blood heritage was much more strongly tied to my Nordic ancestry. I have been learning seiðr.

To answer your question, the different clans of Norse gods (Æsir, Vanir, and Rökkur or Jötnar) are pretty chill with just about anyone, deity wise. In fact, my UPG is that the Norse god Loki and the Celtic god Lugh are one in the same.

If you're interested in books on the subject, please let me know. I have far too many. 😅

Hi! I hope you’re doing good! I need a little bit of direction/advice if it’s not too much trouble!

I have been a norse pagan and witch for a while now, all of the sudden a few months ago I’ve been wanting to explore Celtic mythology and beliefs. I still heavily identify with being a Norse pagan, i just also enjoy the idea of diving into Celtic paganism. I haven’t figured out a way to incorporate the two in a respectful manner. If you have any advice on how to do this respectfully it would be very much appreciated! I thought asking a fellow pagan can help :)

Thank you for your time ❤️❤️

Hey anon, I am so sorry this took however long to get to, I must have missed the notification!

To answer your question... Have you asked the deities in question their opinion? I just go off of the vibes I get, but prayer and divination are also popular ways to ask questions of your gods.

Based off of my personal experiences, though, you'll be fine. The Norse gods aren't (usually) jealous; they're pretty chill. Thor hangs out next to Ganesha on my altar, and no issues have come up thus far. I'm not too familiar with Celtic gods, sadly, so I can't speak as to how they'd feel.

[morsking]

okay but really i love e pluribus unum because arjuna and cu alter are such GREAT foils for one another.

arjuna is a gifted royal prodigy who is the son of the king of the hindu gods but the pressure of the expectations of a pure and beautiful prodigy crushed him so hard the splinters of his heart were pieces of resentment that he denied were his feelings. it’s this conflict that makes arjuna feel like an imposter who needs to hide his imperfections out of fear he cannot be loved or acknowledged otherwise, so he blamed krishna for all his war crimes, deviance, and cruelty because he could not look at himself and feel proud as a hero after defiling the rules of combat throughout the war between the pandavas and the kauravas; much less the greatest martial dishonor in arjuna’s life: the underhanded murder of his half-brother karna.

but then we have cu chulainn, the son of the sun god lugh, the proudest, most accomplished celtic hero who carries his pride with him wherever he goes. while disappointed with the unfairness and cruelty of the world he is nevertheless confident in who he is and would never change the way he lived his life because that's the defining ideal he had sought after and worked so fucking hard to achieve regardless of his divinity. no matter how much blood he shed or all the promises he couldn’t keep or all the suffering he accumulated, it was all part of the path he chose and would never take those things back because they made him who he is.

which is why as cu alter he is extremely miserable. because he's no longer who he's worked so hard to be, he's what medb forced him to be against his will and there is nothing worse than having to live your life constrained by the greedy and self-serving expectations of people who aren't you. medb does not allow cu alter to have the dignity of chasing glory for himself by making him be her ideal blood-splattered monster king. a lot of cu chulainn's character had revolved around him keeping enough humanity so his promises, his bond, his word could still mean something to others because he could still be recognized as a human with principles and loyalty unhindered by his heritage. for cu alter to be denied humanity is to be denied his pride.

and this is where their parallels come into play later on in the chapter. arjuna joined medb’s camp while karna joined edison’s just so he could have a chance to beat karna fair and square and finally claim some pride for himself as a hero. but right in the middle of their fight, cu alter skewers karna from behind with a nasty, underhanded surprise attack, leaving arjuna standing shocked at the horrific display of subterfuge and savagery that just took place. this provokes a moment of internal turmoil within arjuna: he’s not just witnessed firsthand the barbarism of unjustly killing an opponent, but he’s also been robbed at his opportunity of earning his pride in a fair fight between two equals without the interference of gods or of kings. to make matters worse, karna can still draw enough breath to unleash vasavi shakti on cu alter, being able to cling to his dignity as a hero despite being humiliated in combat yet again. arjuna looks at cu alter and breaks because he wonders if that is who he will always be: a monster with no pride or identity who can only pretend he’s prestigious by stepping all over the honor of other warriors.

nightingale has to snap him out of his bsod by telling him he can still have honor by siding with humanity and taking medb down. so at the end of the chapter, arjuna is able to dematerialize with a smile on his face after annihilating the clan calatin with pashupata because he’s used his power and ability for what is truly right after he’s realized pride is something you choose to cling to in the midst of disgrace. arjuna doesn’t have to be “the son of the divine sovereign indra”. hell, he doesn’t even have to be like karna. he just has to be “arjuna”, and who “arjuna” is is completely up to him and no one else.

this contrasts with cu alter, who is able to resemble his untainted self when medb is gone because like arjuna, he has been freed from the expectations and obligations that someone has forced upon him. he can fight of his own accord for his own pride as the warrior of ulster who never backs down even if it’s a lost cause because seeing something through to the end is a promise he made to himself as a hero out of his own free will.

[margridarnauds]

Okay, my unasked for opinions on how I would handle bringing in Irish Mythology and medieval Ireland in general to the world of Assassin’s Creed, as someone who has a MA in this sort of thing: 

Personally, I’ve always believed we would need a full game to really, really handle medieval Ireland - We’re talking a very dramatic time, a very sophisticated time, with this massive output of literacy and learning that goes hand in hand with horrific raids, with death, with this massive uncertainty where you knew, at any given day, the Norsemen could come in and take everything from you. The level of unease must have been absolutely through the roof. 

- Bosses - Ogma, Nuada, Manannan, The Morrigan (bonus boss fight, not strictly tied into the game), Lugh. Of these, Ogma’s role isn’t strictly as an ANTAGONIST, it’s more as a test of skill, to see if Eivor’s worthy. 

- The Tuatha Dé are, naturally, Isu - They came to island from the Isu homes of Gorias, Findias, Falias,and Murias in what, to the observers at the time, looked like ships clouded in mist, but were actually highly advanced technology. They have a fractured relationship with the Norse Isu that led to Cath Maige Tuired, when both sides engaged in a knock-out, blowout fight that nearly destroyed both sides. (Given Basim’s everything, this could lead to some hilarious commentary.) 

- On one hand, when this came out, I was CERTAIN the Tuatha Dé were going to be illusions, created by an Apple of Eden, but now? A part of me would like to see an AC angle on the tradition that the Tuatha Dé were driven underground by the ancestors of the modern Irish. Seeing a group of Isu being taken down by mortals, harnessed and bound beneath the Earth, could really, really be cool. 

- I’m actually still not opposed to Evil Druid Cult - We know that druids DID survive potentially as late as the ninth century, so you could really do something with that, looking at the law texts. This group of druids, chafing at their loss of status under Christianity, want to bring back the Tuatha Dé, who have been biding their time beneath the Sidhe mounds, waiting to take control of Ireland again. I would like to see the Tuatha Dé have their share of disagreements on this - Nuada and Lugh won’t agree, Ogma and the Dagda will probably be on the same side against Lugh AND Nuada, Bríg will, given the association with Saint Brigit, support the mortals, possibly acting as a guide to Eivor, and the Morrigan is just going to be there to see the world burn. If Bres appears, he could actually be useful to Eivor, as an occasional, if untrustworthy, ally, due to his blood relationship with the Norse Isu. 

*In some of the literature, druids will bring down, for example, rains of fire on their enemies, so you could have that somehow incorporated into a boss fight.

*It’s generally accepted that historical druids did, in fact, commit human sacrifice, but that it died out sometime around the 2nd century BCE, so, IF we bring that in, bring it in as something that’s very much a throwback, brought on by a “desperate times, desperate measures” mentality. I’d honestly keep it from happening until midway through the DLC, as Eivor gains ground, just so that, when it occurs, it’s even more shocking.  

- Since the major seat of Viking raids in Ireland came from Scotland, not Norway, take advantage of that by bringing in some new Scottish Vikings. Whether they’re friends or foes to Eivor could depend on the specific angle - Is Eivor coming to Ireland as a friend or as a foe? Is she going to team up with the Scottish Vikings, or is she going to work against them?

- Collectibles - Manuscripts. Ireland had a thriving manuscript culture at this time, many of which are now lost, so Eivor could go around the map collecting them, including some, like Cín Dromma Snechta, that we know today are lost. Along with fighting the requisite bosses, Eivor might also have to gather together the Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé, to ensure that they never fall into their hands again. (With one of the more human-friendly Tuatha Dé potentially giving Eivor one as a show of good faith.) 

- Legendary equipment - Enbarr of the flowing mane (mount), which you can win after defeating Manannan, Fragarach (sword), the Gae Bulg (already included in-game, spear), Caladbolg (Sword), Claideb Soluis (sword, won after defeating Nuada, glows all the time), Gáe Assail (Lugh)

- Locations: Frankly, I would love the entire country of Ireland animated, but I know that that’s a tall order (though like.....just saying........Origins.) But, if I can’t have that, let’s go for: Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Waterford as major cities. Sidhe forts act as powerful Isu locations, with Newgrange in particular being a MASSIVE one. It’s also generally agreed by scholars who do Irish Mythology that there was some form of pre-Christian belief that the gods could be reached by going under, not above, so you could also have some really cool underwater locations. (Especially given that there are a few folklore stories of lost cities under the lochs and rivers of Ireland.)

- Side missions - You have a bunch of really, really petty noblemen all vying together for power - That would be the best time to really bring out the Assassin-Templar conflict, with some kings allying with the Assassins, some with the Templars, and the whole conflict taking part under the guise of clan rivalries. Missions can include breaking into a king’s ringfort and assassinating him. You could also do missions where you escort Assassin priests back and forth, or deliver manuscripts filled with secret codes from one monastery to another. (I have THOUGHTS on Assassin and Templar priests in medieval Ireland.) As the development team have pointed out, Norsemen often functioned as mercenaries, so take advantage of that. We can actually date a ninth century Irish text PARTIALLY, along with the usual ways we date this sort of thing, by the extraordinary amount of violence, terror, and upheaval that occurs in them as the result of the Viking raids. This is a very chaotic time, cattle-raids between chieftains are very much a way of life, abduction marriages, while not strictly COMMON, show up frequently in saga literature (one of your missions could be rescuing the daughter of an ally from a rival king trying to abduct her), murders, political intrigues, raids, etc. Also, as a bonus, if you get caught after the fact, instead of being killed on-sight, you might have the option of paying a blood fine.