Showing posts with label Celtic Mythology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celtic Mythology. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Dian Cecht

Pronounced "Dye-in-ket", he is a Celtic god of healers and physicians. Dian Cecht was known to have been at several famous battles, presiding over the Tuatha De Danann. His approaches were surgical in nature. One story tells of him fitting a prosthetic silver arm for the King Nuada (his brother) after having had it chopped off in battle. He has several children, one of which was Miach, who was also a healer but focused more on herbs and direct-touch healing. Miach was in rivalry with Dian Cecht. After Dian Cecht had attached the silver arm, Miach used herbs to restore Nuada real hand. Legend has it that Dian Cecht stuck Miach on the head with his sword three times, and each time Miach was able to heal himself. On the fourth strike Dian Cecht cleaved Miach's head in two and killed him. I find this story particularly interesting as a possible metaphor for modern time's struggle between allopathic medicine and naturopathic medicine. Dian Cecht is a god of healing, medicine, regeneration, magic and silver-working. 

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Danu - Celtic Mother Godess

Danu is the mother of the tribe of beings known as Tuatha De Nanann, that reside in the realm of Tir Na nOg. Danu's Consort was Bile (the god of death), and their child was Dagda, who became the Chief of the Tuatha De Nanann. There are many different names and pronunciations of Danu depending on which part of the British Isles you refer to and Irish mythology knows Danu as Anu and BilĂ© as Belenos. Danu is revered as a Gaia-type figure and is often associated with water. The Danube river is reported to be named for her. Being the mother-goddess figure of the Celtic people, she is worshiped by them as a protector, fertility figure, and provider of abundance, wind and wisdom.