A Variety of Goddesses and Gods

Goddesses

Aradia
Aradia is perhaps the most popular name for the Goddess in Wicca. According to the Vangelo delle Streghe she was the daughter of Diana and Lucifer and became the messenger of her Great Mother. Diana told her that “I have come to sweep away the bad, the men of evil all will I destroy”[10] and proceeded to educate her in witchcraft. She told Aradia to battle against social injustices by teaching fellow witches how to poison great lords in their palaces as well as how to conjure tempests to ruin crops of rich peasants. Diana gives Aradia her anti-establishment stance, typified by her attitude towards the church, which she regards as being an embodiment of all that is evil. Her education complete, Aradia is exhorted to go out and found the secret society of witches. Her vengeful qualities have been tempered somewhat by her transmission through Gardnerian Wicca, and Aradia is now most commonly regarded as a nature goddess and seen as a complement to Cernunnos, Herne or Pan.

Arianrhod
The pretty Welsh name of Arianrhod means “Silver Wheel”. Only one story of her has survived -the Romance of Math in the Mabinogion. This portrays her as abandoning her sons, Dylan and Lleu Llaw Gyffes, as well as holding power over the latter by preventing him from bearing arms. However, her name hints at a nature greater than at first seems evident, for the circumpolar stars that never set and are known as Caer Arianrhod (Castle of the Silver Wheel). These stars don’t obey the seeming ever changing laws of the heavens; the Moon has her phases, the Sun his cycles, but these turning stars never set. Because of this some Wiccans use them to symbolise the resting place of souls between incarnations. By this association Arianrhod has become a goddess of reincarnation. Further, because she has sons, she was likely intended to be a goddess of birth and the fact she could withhold weapons from her children perhaps symbolises the power over initiation into manhood [11].

Hecate
Hecate is perhaps most famous for being a protectoress of witches and is most typically portrayed as a goddess of the Underworld and strongly associated with magic, especially that of the darker variety. Originally she was regarded as the daughter of the Titans, Perses and Asteria, although a later tradition says she was born of Zeus and Hera. Traditionally she was the guardian of mariners and herds of sheep. Her three faced image, known as a Triple Hecate, was often placed at crossroads in ancient times, where offerings were left to her on the eve of the Full Moon. Her symbols include the key and the flaming torch, as her wisdom is supposed to unlock and illumine all mysteries. Her totem animal is a black dog. As the dark goddess she is particularly associated with the Crone.

Demeter and Persephone
The Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone (also known as Kore) is famous throughout the world. Demeter was a great corn goddess who doted on her beautiful daughter, Persephone, and together they tended the Earth causing vegetation to grow. Unknown to either of them Hades, god of the Underworld, had become consumed with desire for Persephone and one day kidnapped her and dragged her down to his realm. Not knowing what had happened to her daughter, Demeter was desolate and despairing. She went and consulted Hecate, the great Crone, who advised that she contact Helios, the Sun god, who could see all things. Helios blamed Zeus (the King of the Gods) saying that he had granted Persephone to Hades. In an attempt to force Zeus to command the release of her daughter, Demeter refused to let crops grow and the land became barren. Zeus finally gave in and commanded Hades to release Persephone. However, before she left, Hades persuaded her to eat some pomegranate seeds, a symbol of a marriage that could not be revoked. To save the situation Zeus proposed a compromise where Persephone would live for two thirds of the year with Demeter above ground and one third of the year below. Rhea, Demeter’s mother, persuaded her to accept this deal and she agreed that while her daughter was with her crops and plants would be able to grow.

Bride, also known as Brighid, Brigid, Brigit and Brid
Bride is an Irish goddess of fertility, inspiration and healing, who was the daughter of the Dagda the supreme god of Celtic mythology. She is often shown as a triple goddess. She is ruler of arts and crafts and especially the skills of poetry, smith craft and medicine. Music is also sacred to her and she was a patron of the Bards. She is often likened to the spirit of the grain and corn dollies are traditionally made to honour and represent her. Her festival is La Fheila Bride or Candlemas, celebrated at the beginning of February.

Isis and her consort Osiris
Isis[12] was originally a goddess of agriculture. She was the daughter of the Earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut, her sister was Nephthys and her brothers were Horus the Elder, Osiris and Set. Isis married her brother, Osiris, and together they taught the Egyptians all the arts and sciences of civilisation. This was much to the distaste of Set who flew into a jealous rage at their success and plotted his brother’s downfall. One story recounts how he produced an amazing decorated chest made in the shape of a man. He threw a party and all the male guests tried to see if they would fit, yet none did. It was then Osiris’ turn and to his surprise he found he fitted perfectly. No sooner had he lain down than Set slammed closed the heavy lid and threw the coffin in the Nile so that Osiris would drown. The grieving Isis, in the shape of a white bird, hunted high and low for the body of her consort. Eventually she found the coffin in the roots of a tree on the island of Byblos. Unfortunately Set recaptured her husband and this time cut his body into fourteen pieces which he scattered to the far corners of the land. Weeping bitterly Isis eventually hunted all the pieces down, except for his phallus which had been eaten by a Nile crab. After magically restoring his body and remaking his penis she was then able to conceive Horus the Younger. Thereafter Osiris became Lord of the Dead and Horus his incarnation on Earth. The cult of Osiris, Isis and Horus became the most widespread and popular in Ancient Egypt. Isis gradually absorbed the qualities of most other goddesses, becoming something of a universal deity.


Gods

Cernunnos
Cernunnos is perhaps the foremost of male divinities that witches draw upon and yet he is one of the most shady and difficult to define. He was a member of the Celtic pantheon and it is likely that he was intended to represent the spirit of horned animals, something that the snake like creature with rams' horns often found by his side seems to emphasise. In particular he was probably associated with the stag. Cernunnos may also have been seen as of a noble class and perhaps a god of fertility. Seated on the ground in a cross legged fashion his posture seems almost meditative. However, no-one can be completely certain of these things as there are few written records and any assertions about his nature are based on depictions found on cave walls, vessels and sculptures. The earliest of these seems to have been found at Val Camonica in Italy and dates from the C4th BCE, whilst the best known is on the Gundestrup cauldron found in Denmark which dates to the 1st century BCE[13]. Such works give the geographical range of his worship which would have stretched from Italy to Scandinavia. That he must have meant much the same to the Celts wherever he was worshipped is evidenced by the consistency of the portrayals. He is nearly always found as an older man with a beard and because he wears a torc the viewer is lead to an impression that he has a great stature within the community of deities. When coupled with a coin filled purse, often on or near his person, he seems to be a character of great wealth. For witches he is often seen as a symbol of maleness and an embodiment of the Horned God[14].

Lugh
Lugh ( pronounced "loo") is an Irish god from Ireland's mythological past who is often portrayed as a great monarch and hero. His father and mother's marriage was likely designed to ease tensions between his father's tribe the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Formorians who were his mother's people. When he reached manhood Lugh travelled to Tara to join the court of King Nuada of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He was eventually given command over the Tuatha Dé, and set about waging a successful campaign against the oppressive Fomorians, finally freeing the Tuatha De Danann from tyranny[15]. It is likely that Lughnasadh originally celebrated this victory, although some say Lugh created this festival in memory of his foster-mother, Tailtiu. Legend has it that the event was held on 1st August at the town that bore her name, which is now known as Teltown in County Meath[16]. As Lugh became mythologized he was associated with kingship, the Sun, trade, craftsmanship, tricksters, youthful exuberance and shining light. He also became a harvest god[17] and Lugnasadh seems to have turned into a celebration of his triumph over the Spirits of the Other World who had tried to keep the August crops for themselves. In this form the event survived long into Christian times and has been revived under a variety of names today. Modern Wicca has a variant of this festival, although its character has a slightly different flavour than the original celebrations, which would have been funereal and martial[18]. Lúnasa is the Irish name for the month of August.

Herne
Herne the Hunter is a ghost or monster associated with Windsor Great Park. He is perhaps a manifestation of the Horned God which can be based on connecting his name to the deity Cernunnos and the fact that they are both depicted as being antlered.
Perhaps the earliest account of this figure is from Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor in 1597:
“Sometime a keeper here in Windsor Forest, Doth all the winter-time, at still midnight, Walk round about an oak, with great ragg'd horns; And there he blasts the tree, and takes the cattle, And makes milch-kine yield blood, and shakes a chain In a most hideous and dreadful manner. You have heard of such a spirit, and well you know The superstitious idle-headed eld Receiv'd, and did deliver to our age, This tale of Herne the Hunter for a truth.”

Pan
To Wiccans Pan is a powerful god and an archetype of male virility and sexuality. In Greek mythology he is the guardian of shepherds and their flocks. Like a satyr he has the hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat. In some legends he is the son of Zeus and in others the son of Hermes. His mother is said to be a nymph. Pan is famous for his sexual prowess, and often depicted with an erect phallus. His horns and cloven hooves were used by Christian artists and writers as a basis for the images of demons and Satan. Pan is also famous for his pipes and once challenged Apollo, the god of the lyre, to a musical contest. The gods agreed that Tmolus, the mountain-god, would adjudicate. Pan produced a lilting melody that both he and his companion Midas enjoyed. Then Apollo ran his fingers through his lyre and Tmolus immediately gave the victory to Apollo. Unfortunately for him, Midas disagreed with the outcome and complained. Apollo would not put up with such defective hearing and gave Midas the ears of a donkey[19].

Tammuz
An ancient Babylonian myth relates that Tammuz[20] was the King of Uruk and consort of the goddess Ishtar. When out hunting he was gouged by a wild boar and mortally wounded. He fell to the realm of Death which was ruled by the goddess Allat, sister of Ishtar. Grieving, his wife decided to brave the dark land of the Underworld and search for her beloved partner. She descended through seven gates and finally arrived at the realm of her sister. Eventually Ishtar convinced Allat to release Tammuz, as well as all the other spirits of the deceased. From this moment on the cycle of death and rebirth began. The myth has several layers of meaning relating not only to the mysteries of regeneration, but the cycle of the seasons and Spirit’s entry into the world of matter.

Balder
Balder[21], sometimes known as Baldur, was the Scandinavian god of light and joy. He was the son of Odin and Frigg who were king and queen of the gods. Frigg had a dream that Balder’s life was threatened and resolved to make sure that he was safe. She extracted an oath from all the forces and beings in nature that they would not harm her son. Unfortunately she forgot to bind the mistletoe to this oath. The gods were joyful at the news that Balder was safe and by way of a celebration threw stones and darts at him. However, the wicked trickster god Loki put a twig of mistletoe in the hands of Balder’s twin, the blind god of darkness, Hoder. Laughingly Loki asked him to throw it at his brother who fell to the ground, mortally wounded with a piercing to his heart. After Balder’s demise, the messenger Hermod, another of his brothers, was sent by Odin to the underworld to plead for his return. It was agreed that the god would be set free on condition that all things in the world would mourn for him. On hearing that everyone was to display their grief Loki disguised himself as a giantess and refused to take part, as a result the terms of the agreement were not met and Balder was prevented from returning to life.


Footnotes
[10] Charles G. Leland, op. cit., p.5.
[11] See Robert Graves, The White Goddess, p.318 for information baout Celtic women giving arms to young males. Also pp.304-13 for the romance of Lew Llaw Gyffes.
[12] On the Isis and Osiris myth see Sir James Frazer, The Golden Bough, Clarendon Press, 2000 pp.364-8.
[13] The Gundestrup cauldron was found in Himmerland, Denmark, 1891 and is currently housed in the Danish National Museum, Copenhagen.
[14] See http://www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/europe/celtic/articles.html for many articles on Celtic deities.
[15] An account of Lugh's decisive campaign can be found in the Cath Maige Tuireadh or Battle of Magh Tuireadh here http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T300010/index.html
[16] On this see Graves, op.cit., p.302.
[17] Ibid, p.301
[18] Ibid, p.302
[19] Artwork depicting this famous story can be found here http://www.uwm.edu/Course/mythology/0600/apollo.htm
[20] On Tammuz see Frazer, Ibid, pp.325-6.
[21] An excellent source for the Baldur myth is The Prose Edda, which can be found at http://www.northvegr.org/lore/prose/index.php