Glossary in C (Celtic) - Myths and Legends

Here is a glossary of mythology Celtic : Caer Ibormaith, Cai Cainbrethach, Carman, Cathbad, Celtchar, Cernunnos (Kernunnos), Ceridwenn, Cet Mac Mágach, Cethern Mac Fintan, Cian, Cliodhna, Coirpre, Conall Cernach, Conann, Conchobar Mac Nessa, Conla, Conle, Conn Cetchathach, Corann, Cormac Mac Airt, Cormac Cond Longas, Credne, Crunnchu, Cúchulainn, Culann, Cumaill (Camulos), Cú Roí

Contents

Celtic glossary

Caer Ibormaith is a daughter of Ethal, a Tuatha Dé Danann. The god Oengus falls in love with her after seeing her in a dream, he falls ill so much he finds her beautiful. Once healed, he seeks to find out who this young girl is. Ethal, the father, refuses to give him his daughter's hand. Oengus succeeds in forcing him to tell her where she is hiding. In fact Caer had decided to live part of his life as a swan. On Samain's day, also taking on the appearance of a swan, he goes to the lake of the dragon's mouth. He recognizes her and takes her hand.

It should be noted that in Celtic mythology it is usually in the guise of swans that the Bansidh (messengers of the gods who reside in the Celtic Otherworld, the sidh) travel through the world of humans. They sometimes come there to invite a hero to taste the delights of their residence.

Cairbre Nia Fer, in Irish Celtic mythology, is a king of Tara who appears in texts from the Ulster Cycle. His (unfaithful) wife is Fedelm Noíchrothach, daughter of the King of Ulster Conchobar Mac Nessa. He has a son Erc and a daughter Achall.

Cairbre is killed by Cúchulainn at the Battle of Ros na Ríg. His son Erc enlists in Queen Medb's coalition, during the invasion of Ulster in the Cooley Cow Roundup (Táin Bó Cúailnge), with the aim of killing his father's murderer. Revenge accomplished, he himself is killed by Conall Cernach who brings his head back to Tara. Achall commits suicide or, according to some sources, dies of grief at the death of his brother.

Carman, (sometimes called Carmun) in Irish Celtic mythology, is a warrior goddess, belonging to the Fir Bolg people, mainly known by the Dindshenchas.

She has three sons who are named: Dian (Violence), Dother (Evil) and Dub (Black). Coming from Athens, they try to settle in Ireland, but come up against the Tuatha Dé Danann, whose crops Carman destroys by using his magic. Lug the supreme god accompanied by Aoi Mac Ollamain, Bé Chuille and Crichinbel, are dispatched to confront the invaders, Carman is taken prisoner while her sons are expelled from Ireland. She ends up dying of grief. It is the Formori Bres who digs his grave in an oak grove.

His name has been perpetuated in two feasts, one at Wexford, the other at Kildare.

Cathbad is the first Druid of the Kingdom of Ulster, formidable for his prophecies, he is also a warrior whose name means "Killer in battle". His wife is Queen Ness, their children are King Conchobar Mac Nessa and a daughter Findchoem (wife of Amorgen). Cathbad is also the father of the druids Genann Gruadhsolus and Imrinn and the grandfather of the hero Cúchulainn, of whom he is also the guardian. When Setanta reached the age of five, he renamed him Cúchulainn.

While they were at war (Cathbad had murdered the twelve guardians of Ness), he surprises her naked bathing and takes the opportunity to steal her clothes and weapons. Her life will be saved if she accepts three conditions: peace, friendship and marriage. The marriage will be temporary.

Cathbad prophesied that the beautiful Deirdre would bring about the destruction of Ulster, and that her grandson Cúchulainn would have a glorious but brief existence.

In the story Táin Bó Cúailnge (Razzia of the cows of Cooley), he causes the death of the emissary Sualtam who spoke without permission, because according to a geis, "No one speaks before the king, but the king does not speak before his Druid".

Catbodua is a warrior goddess of Gaulish Celtic mythology, whose name means "fighting crow". It is only known to us by a single inscription, dating from the Gallo-Roman period, found in Haute-Savoie (Rhône-Alpes region). She seems to have been an equivalent Gallic of the Irish goddess Babd. In their Répertoire des dieux gaulois (see bibliography), Nicole Jufer and Thierry Luginbühl make the link with other warrior goddesses such as Boudina, Bodua, and Boudiga, whose names share the same root meaning "combat" or "victory". Catubodua is therefore comparable to the Roman goddess Victoria and to the goddess Greek Nike.

Celtchar son of Uthechar, in Irish Celtic mythology, is a warrior in the retinue of King Conchobar; his name means "the crafty one". He is a major figure in the Ulster Cycle, his appearance is not engaging, he is tall and ugly, his skin is gray. In the story Scéla Muicce Maic Dathó (The Tale of the Pigs of Mac Datho), he is emasculated by the javelin of Cet Mac Mágach, a warrior from Connacht.

He possesses an infallible weapon, a spear called "Lúin Cheltchair" which is fatal on all counts and so deadly that it must be plunged into a magic cauldron to be neutralized.

He is the murderer of Blaí Briuga who slept with his wife, Brig Bretach. Indeed, Blaí Briuga was subject to a geis, which forced him to mate with any passing woman, who was unaccompanied.

In reparation for the crime (as an innkeeper of Conchobar, the victim was in charge of feeding the army of Ulates), he must accomplish three exploits. The first is to defeat the warrior Conganchness, their common enemy, with hard skin like horn that no spear can pierce. It is by offering him his daughter Níab, that Celtchar discovers the means of killing him. Second, he must rid Ulster of a monstrous dog which is devastating the kingdom by attacking cattle; the beast even slaughtered the woman who had taken him in, when he was only a puppy. With the help of a magic inscription on an alder wood plate, he paralyzes the dog's jaw and can thus kill it. His last feat makes him discover three dogs under the tomb of Conganchness: the first belongs to Mac Datho, the second is to Culann the blacksmith and the third becomes his. As in the previous episode, the animal becomes monstrous and dangerous. Celtchar kills him with his magic lance, but he is hit by a drop of poisonous blood and he dies.

Cernunnos would mean the “Horned”. In fact, it is systematically decorated with deer antlers. We found a similar representation (the character in question however having bovine horns) on a seal of the Indus civilization (character with horns, seated cross-legged, surrounded by animals).

No myth, no legend has been preserved on this character: we are therefore reduced to conjectures made from his iconography to understand his place in the Gallo-Roman pantheon. His name is attested by four inscriptions: the most famous is that of the pillar of the Nautes de Paris. Another, often considered false, comes from Polenza in Italy. A third, a wax tablet discovered in Romania, attests to his assimilation to Jupiter and that a funeral college was dedicated to him. Finally the oldest, in Gallic language, gives the form Karnonos.

The iconography includes a file of around sixty representations. Sometimes torques hang from its antlers; he is seated cross-legged, in the "Buddhist" manner. He holds a sack of coins which he scatters or a basket full of food, two representations of abundance. It is sometimes three-headed or has three faces. One could interpret him as the god of the dead and of wealth, but this remains conjectural. The antlers can symbolize the fertilizing power and the cyclical renewals, they grow back during the clear season of the Celtic year; he is sometimes surrounded by animals, which would make him a Master of the animal kingdom. The ram-headed serpent is associated with it.

Ceridwen, or Kerridwen (many spellings are possible), best known as a sorceress, was actually a Welsh goddess of death and fertility.
Wife of Tegid Foel, she gives birth to two completely opposite twins: Gwion Bach and Afagddu, who passed for the ugliest man on earth, as well as a beautiful daughter, Creirwy. Unable to tolerate the handicap of her son Afagddu, Ceridwen boiled a potion of knowledge in a cauldron for a year and a day in order to enable him to become wise and respected. She entrusted the task of watching over the cauldron to Morda and Gwion Bach, but a drop fell on the latter's finger, he licked it and thus received the gift instead of Afagddu. Furious, Ceridwen pursued Gwion Bach who transformed himself many times to escape her. It ended up changing into a grain of wheat and Ceridwen took the opportunity to eat it. Some time later, she gave birth to the famous poet and druid Taliesin (who is in fact the reincarnation of Gwion Bach).
Ceridwen had another son, named Morfan, who was so ugly that no one wanted to fight him at the Battle of Camlann because they all took him for a demon, his ugliness was so great.

This Mac Mágach is an extraordinary warrior from Connaught, in Irish Celtic mythology.

Son of Maga and brother of Ness, he is therefore the uncle of King Conchobar Mac Nessa and Findchoem. When he was born, Conall Cernach tried in vain to kill him, crushing him under his heel and twisting his neck. The child survives, but remains deformed and crippled. The reason for this attempted murder is that the Druids predicted that he would kill half the men of Ulster. This does not prevent him from becoming a formidable warrior and fulfilling the prediction, not going a day without killing an Ulate. He conceives an inextinguishable hatred towards Conall Cernach and their rivalry becomes famous.

In Emain Macha, he recovers the head of Mesgegra, which is the toy of two madmen. During a battle between Connaught and Ulster, King Conchobar parades in front of the women, it is then that he receives the projectile of a slingshot in the head. The bullet that hits him is made from the brains of Mesgegra, thrown by Cet Mac Mágach. The king is cared for and cured by the druid Fingen, he lives seven years with prohibitions: running, horse riding, anger, abuse of food and sex. Mesgegra's brains burst in his head and he dies.

Cethern Mac Fintan, in Irish Celtic mythology, is a warrior, companion of Cúchulainn, who is present during the Raid of the Cows of Cooley (Táin Bó Cúailnge), the most important episode of the Ulster Cycle.

Queen Medb and King Ailill, sovereigns of Connaught managed to mobilize the men of Ireland, to invade Ulster, in order to appropriate a magnificent bull.

By trickery the queen forced Ferdiad to face his friend Cúchulainn, single combat lasted three whole days and finally the latter killed Ferdiad with a blow from a gae bolga, but he himself was wounded and lay on the battlefield. Cethern Mac Fintan then enters the battle, he is completely naked on his combat tank. Armed with a simple dagger, he pursues the fleeing enemies and kills many men, it's a massacre, but he himself is hit. Cúchulainn has the doctors of Connaught summoned to treat him. The first of them considers that the wounds are fatal; dissatisfied with this opinion, Cethern punctures his brain with a blow behind the head and requires the opinion of a second doctor: same diagnosis and same punishment. In total, he kills forty-four doctors, the forty-fifth is only knocked out.

Cúchulainn summons Fingen, King Conchobar MacNessa's personal physician. His science is so great that he can tell, by examining wounds, how they were made and by whom. At the end of the examination, he offers two solutions: either he completely heals Cethern, but the care will last an entire year, or he quickly puts him back on his feet, ready to fight, but in this case he dies three days later. This second option is chosen. The treatment consists of immersing it in a marrow barrel for three days and three nights. Provisionally healed, he can resume the fight with weapons brought by his wife, his viscera are retained by the planks of his chariot. He resumes killing until he dies.

Cian is a god who belongs to the "Tuatha Dé Danann" (People of the goddess Dana), his name means the "Far". He is the son of Diancecht, the god-medicine who resurrects dead warriors by plunging them into the Fountain of Health. According to the story "Oidhe Chloinne Tuireann" (The Death of the Children of Tuireann), he is the father of Lug, the supreme god of the Celtic pantheon.

The three sons of Tuireann (Brian, Iuchar and Iucharba), during the fight which opposes them to Diancecht, kill Cian by treachery, whereas he has the appearance of a boar. It is not until the seventh burial that Earth accepts the corpse. Lug, in order to satisfy his revenge, will impose on them a quest for fabulous objects; they must bring him three apples from the Hesperides, a pigskin with healing powers, a magic spear that must be dipped in water to neutralize it, two horses and a chariot faster than wind and fire, seven pigs which can be killed each evening and which are reborn in the morning, the Fail Inis bitch which frightens the beasts, a roasting spit and three cries which must be uttered on the mountain of Miohainn (which is the subject of a forbidden ritual). They will fail the last two tests and will eventually die of exhaustion.

Cliodhna, in Irish Celtic mythology, is a deity of Sidh (the Otherworld of Celts), which personifies beauty and love. She has three magic birds (cranes or crows, depending on the version of the legend), which feed exclusively on marvelous apples and whose songs have the power to procure eternal sleep, or to heal the sick.

She left her residence of “Tir Tairngire” (Land of Promises – another name of Sidh), out of love for Ciabhán, a human, who will perish by drowning in the port of Glandore in a gigantic wave, sent by the sovereign god Manannan Mac Read. Cliodhna, who had been plunged into a magical sleep, is swept back into the Land of Promises. The tide there is now called “Tonn Chlíodhna”, the wave of Cliodhna.

This story is reminiscent of that of Conle, the son of King Conn Cetchathach, with whom a bansidh fell in love, and who will manage to drag her into the Other World, despite the efforts of the druid Corann.

Folklore has made her the queen of the fairies of the province of Munster.

Coirpre or Cairpre is a file, that is to say a "poet" who appears in the story "Cath Maighe Tuireadh" (The battle of Mag Tured). According to this text, he is the first Druid to compose and pronounce a satire in Ireland. It is addressed to King Bres, a native of the people of the Fomorians and provisional king of the Tuatha Dé Danann (people of the goddess Dana), during Nuada's infirmity. Bres is a bad king, because of his avarice which is contrary to the exercise of sovereignty; the satire of the poet provokes his abdication and his downfall.

Conall Cernach, in Irish Celtic mythology, is an Ulate hero who belongs to the "Heroic Cycle of Ulster", also known as "Cycle of the Red Branch ". His nickname "Cernach" means the victorious and he is sometimes compared to the Gallic god Cernunnos.

He is the son of the druid Armogen Mac Eccit and Findchoem, he is the foster brother of the great hero Cúchulainn, whose power he possesses, except for the handling of the gae bolga. It is said that he slaughtered more Connaught men than there were inhabitants, and that he killed one every day; he is also said to always sleep with a warrior's head below his knee.

In the story Aided Óenfir Aífe (The Violent Death of Aifé's Only Son), he is ridiculed by Conla, Cúchulainn's then seven-year-old son. As the child arrives in Ireland fromScotland, Conall goes to meet him to ask him who he is. He receives a sling stone which knocks him down and finds himself with his hands tied.

There is a fierce rivalry with the hero Cet Mac Mágach whom he ridiculed at a feast at Mac Datho's in Leinster after praising their bravery. At the Feast of Bricriu, he also competed against Lóegaire Búadach and Cúchulainn, but it was the latter who had the upper hand. In the mythical tale Táin Bó Fráich (La Razzia de Fráech) he helps Fráech Mac Idath to recover his wife and cattle which have been stolen and taken to the Alps. Following a falling out caused by the Druid Athirne, he defeats Mesgegra in a strange single combat: his opponent having had an arm cut off, Conall asks for one to be hindered. He kills Mesgegra, then cuts off his head, the brains mixed with earth become a formidable weapon, a sling shot which, launched by Cet Mac Mágach will kill King Conchobar Mac Nessa.

Conall and Cúchulainn had sworn to each other that, if one of them was killed, the other would avenge him before the end of the day. When Erc, the son of Cairbre Nia Fer, kills Cúchulainn during the Táin Bó Cúailnge (Razzia of the Cows of Cooley) and Lugaid Mac Conroi cuts off his head, Conall pursues them and keeps his promise.

The rivalry between Conall and Cet comes to an end after a raid by the latter into Leinster, where he kills twenty-seven warriors and cuts off their heads. Conall can follow him by the trail of blood left in the snow, he catches up with him at a ford and kills him in an epic fight, while being wounded himself. He is found lying by Belchu of Breifne who takes him to his house, tends him until he is recovered and can fight him. Belchu takes fright, changes his mind and asks his sons to kill the wounded man in his sleep; this one having surprised the plan of his host, he obliges him to take his place in his bed, the father is killed by his own children, massacred in their turn by Conall.

After the death of King Conchobar and his son Cormac Cond Longas, the kingship of Ulster was offered to Conall, who refused it, having better things to do with Ailill and Medb in Connaught. The king having a new mistress, his wife asks Conall to kill him, which allows him to avenge the death of Fergus Mac Roeg. He managed to flee, but he was overtaken by Connaught warriors who killed him at the ford of Na Mianna (now Ballyconnell, County Cavan).

Conann is, in Celtic mythology, a war chief of the Fomorians. His nickname is "The Conqueror".

Conchobar Mac Nessa (meaning "Dog Help" son of Ness) is the prototype of Celtic royalty: redistributor of wealth, working for the prosperity of his people and balance. Many wars oppose it to the other kingdoms of Ireland. Its capital is Emain Macha.

Son of the Druid Cathbad and Queen Ness, he became King of Ulster thanks to a subterfuge of his mother: Ness having married King Fergus Mac Roeg she asked him for the throne for her son, for a period of one year. At the end of this period, the Ulsters (inhabitants of Ulster) refuse the return of Fergus, Conchobar having well assumed his role as king. Her maid Leborcham is so fast that she can teach her everything, traveling all over Ireland in a single day.

He married Eochaid Feidlech's four daughters: Mumain, Ethne Aitenchaithrech, Clothra and Medv. During a trip to the Other World (the sidh), he conceives Cúchulainn with his sister Deichtire who serves as his coachman. On Deirdre's death, he must unite with Luaine, but the latter is the victim of a glam dicinn (deadly satire) by the Druid Aithirne Ailgesach. It has three residences, the "Red Branch" where the warriors meet, the "Maison Multicolored" where the weapons of the heroes are kept and the "Maison Sanglante" the cemetery of the vanquished.

In the story "The Drunkenness of the Ulates", during the feast of Samain Conchobar is invited to both Cúchulainn and Fintan who are quarreling. The king decides to share the night; leaving Fintan's house at midnight to go to Cúchulainn's, the guests, completely drunk, level the hills, cut down the trees, empty the rivers and end up getting lost in the night.

While at war against the kingdom of Connaught, and parading before the women of that country, he was wounded in the head by the blow of a slingshot. The bullet that hits him is made from the brains of Mesgegra. He is cured by the Druid Fingen: if he removes the ball, he dies, if he heals him, he is crippled. He will thus live seven years with prohibitions: racing, horse riding, anger, the abuse of food and sex. Mesgegra's brains burst in his head and he dies.

The historic Conchobar is said to have ruled from 30 BC to 35 AD.

Conla (or Conlaech), in Irish Celtic mythology, is the son of Cúchulainn, the great hero of Ulster and Aífé, the magician-warrior of Scotland. His short life and his death, for which his father is responsible, are the subject of the story Aided Óenfir Aífe (The Violent Death of the Only Son of Aifé), which belongs to the Ulster Cycle.

Cúchulainn, accompanied by his friend Ferdiad, had gone to Scotland, to Queen Scáthach, in order to complete his warlike and sexual initiation. Scáthach is a formidable magician and warrior, but her preeminence is challenged by another woman: Aifé. In single combat, Cúchulainn defeats her and asks her to honor three wishes: to make peace with her rival, to accept Scáthach's supremacy, and to grant her "the friendship of his hip". From this relationship will be born Conla, whose education is entrusted to his mother. The father entrusts Aifé with a ring and when the child is old enough to wear it, he will have to join him in Ireland. He adds three recommendations: that he does not allow himself to be diverted from his path, that he does not reveal his identity and that he does not refuse any fight.

At the age of seven, Conla sailed for Ireland to join Cúchulainn. As he approaches the shore in his bronze bark, doing dexterous tricks with his sling, the Ulsters (warriors of Ulster), assembled, admire his prowess. Afraid of his powers, Condéré is sent to meet him to prevent him from docking. He fails and the boy refuses to say his name. Conall Cernach (Conall the Victorious) decides to go, but a sling stone knocks him down and he finds himself with his hands tied.

Emer tries to dissuade Cúchulainn from meeting the boy, as she knows it is Conla, her son and that of Aifé, but it is the honor of the Ulates that is at stake. Once again, the child refuses to say his name and attack the warrior. A fight to the death then begins, from which Cúchulainn emerges victorious by using the gae bolga, the magic weapon of which he is the only one to know how to handle, according to the teaching of Scáthach.

Cúchulainn recognizes his son, before dying the Ulates pay homage to him.

Conle (or Condle) appears in the story "Echtra Conle" (The Adventures of Conle). In Irish Celtic mythology, he is representative of those heroes who go to Sidh, the Other World, at the invitation of a Bansidh. The Sidh is the abode of the gods of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Conle, nicknamed "the Beautiful" or "the Red", is the son of the King of Ireland Conn Cetchathach, the warrior "of the Hundred Battles". As he walks with his father on the hill of Uisnech, he meets a magnificent woman, who declares her love for him, and asks him to follow her to a marvelous country, where happiness reigns. His father heard the words of the young woman without seeing her, he asks the druid Corann to use his magic to hold him back. The druid utters incantations that drown out the voice of the Bansidh; she has to leave, but offers an apple (symbol of Knowledge and Magic) to Conle, which he eats exclusively for a month, without it changing its appearance. The woman returns, and this time Conle goes with her in a crystal boat. The magic of the Bansidh is more powerful than that of the druids when it comes to love.

This kind of journey to the sidh is reserved for the warriors chosen by these women. Stays in the Other World are generally fatal because the weather is not the same there. Believing to spend a few hours or a few days there, one stays there for centuries. Returning to the human world is now impossible.

Conn Cetchathach, Conn "of the Hundred Battles" is one of the Ard ri Érenn (Supreme King of Ireland), the most famous. He resides in the capital of Tara. His reputation is based on his sense of justice, the prosperity of his people, and his valor in battle. He had to go to war many times to impose his authority on the kings of the provinces.

He is the father of Airt and the grandfather of Cormac Mac Airt. During a trip to the Other World (the Sidh), the god Lug gives him the cup which symbolizes Sovereignty. His reign is however tainted by a dark period: he had married Becuma, an evil woman for a period of one year. During this time, there was impoverishment of the kingdom, more corn in the fields and the cows which give more milk.

He has another son named Conle who is a victim of a Bansidh. While the father and son are walking on the hill of Uisnech, they meet a beautiful woman. She declares her love to the young man, and asks him to follow her to a marvelous country, where happiness reigns. His father heard the words of the young woman without seeing her, he asks the druid Corann to use his magic to hold him back. But the magic of the Bansidh is more powerful than that of the druids in matters of love, and Conle goes with her in a crystal boat. This story is the subject of the story Echtra Conle (The Adventures of Conle).

We know of three other Druids: Bloc, Bluicne and Maol.

Corann, in Irish Celtic mythology, is the Druid of the "Hundred Battles" King Conn Cetchathach, his name means "crown". He appears in particular in the story Echtra Conle (the Adventures of Conle), where he must use all his magic to face a Bansidh. This woman from Sidh, (residence of the Tuatha Dé Danann), has set her sights on Conle, the king's son. While they are walking on the hill of Uisnech, a magnificent woman speaks to the young man and declares her love for him, she asks him to follow her to a marvelous country, where bliss reigns. The father, who heard the words of the young woman without seeing her, asks Corann to intervene and prevent his son from following her. The Druid utters incantations that ward off the Bansidh; she leaves, but offers an apple (symbol of Knowledge and Magic) to Conle, which he eats exclusively for a month, without it changing its appearance. When she returns, the druid is powerless to hold back the king's son, who leaves in a crystal boat. These messengers from the Otherworld have more powerful magic than the druids, for matters of love.

Cormac Mac Airt, in Irish Celtic Mythology, is an Ard ri Érenn (Supreme King) of Ireland, whose residence is Tara. Renowned for his wisdom, this character appears in particular in a text entitled Forbuis Droma Damhghaire (the Siege of Druim Damhghaire), which recounts his warlike expedition against the province of Munster, on the pretext that she did not pay the "Boroma" . This is a tax payable in cattle that the kings of the four provinces owe to the Ard-ri. The King of Munster calls on the Druid Mog Ruith, whose powerful magic causes Cormac's defeat. He is often advised by the Druids Cithruadh and Fis.

The etymology of its name is related to that of beer, served at feasts. Feasts offered by the king which symbolize generosity and the redistribution of wealth, one of the functions of royalty. Art, which is found in the name of King Arthur, designates the bear, the king's emblematic animal, among the Celts.

Cormac Cond Longas, nicknamed "the Exile" in Irish Celtic mythology, is the eldest son of Ulster King Conchobar Mac Nessa and Ness.

In the Ulster Cycle he leaves the court with other prominent Ulate warriors, including Fergus Mac Roeg his adoptive father and Dubthach Dóel Ulad, after Conchobar murders the three sons of Usnech and the tragic end of Deirdre . He takes refuge in Crúachan, residence of Queen Medb and King Ailill, the rulers of Connaught. He was trained in the "Razzia of the Cows of Cooley" (Táin Bó Cúailnge) where he fought his father's army alongside the warriors of Ireland, united against the Ulates.

On the death of his father, he is designated to ascend the throne of Ulster, but the offense of a geis, causes him to lose his life on the way back.

Credne Cerd is the bronze god of the Tuatha Dé Danann, he is the son of Brigit and Tuireann. He belongs to the artisan class and therefore belongs to the third productive function. He appears in the story of Cath Maighe Tuireadh which narrates the war which opposes the gods to the Fomorians; we see him making weapons with his brothers Goibniu and Luchta. He also helps Diancecht make a silver prosthesis for Nuada Aigetlam who had his arm torn off during the battle.

Credne Cerd: cred means bronze and cerd craftsman.

Crunnchu is a peasant becoming the husband of the Mother Goddess in Celtic mythology.

A poor peasant from Ulster, Crunnchu, loses his wife and everything goes badly, until the day when, out of nowhere, a beautiful young girl arrives who puts the whole house in order. This is Masha, the triple goddess. She finds herself pregnant and about to give birth, when the annual assembly of Ulates takes place. She makes her husband promise not to talk about her, but the chatterbox cannot help praising her qualities.

On the last day of the meeting, King Conchobar Mac Nessa won the prize by racing his horses faster than those of the other competitors. Unable to hold his tongue, Crunnchu claims his wife can run faster than the king's horses. Mad with rage, Conchobar demands that the wife in question be brought immediately. He doesn't care that she is about to give birth: he was outraged! No one comes to Masha's aid.

She then predicts, for the Ulates, a greater evil than the harm she suffers. Of course, she beats the horses and gives birth to twins at the finish line, screaming. Since then, all male Ulates suffer from birth sickness for five nights and four days, except Cúchulainn (the "novena fever").

Cúchulainn is the very prototype of the hero, one of the most important characters, a quasi-god. His physical strength, his magical powers and his divine supports make him an extraordinary man, capable of anything. He can also be considered a berserk. One of his favorite weapons is the gae bolga, that is to say the lightning javelin which is inevitably fatal: when it penetrates the body of an enemy, the iron end deploys in many points. It was during his stay in Scotland, with Scáthach that he learned how to handle it. He appears in many stories (76 different texts) and his interventions include different versions, sometimes complementary, sometimes contradictory. His epic is linked to the reign of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

His first name is Setanta (the "path"), he was renamed Cúchulainn, that is to say the "dog of Culann" (the blacksmith) by his grandfather and tutor the druid Cathbad, at the age of five years old when he kills the watchdog.

His genesis is multiple: he is the son of Lug the polytechnician, supreme god of the Celtic pantheon and of Eithne the mother of all the gods, symbol of motherhood. On a human level, its conception is the consequence of a meeting in the Other World of King Conchobar Mac Nessa and his sister Deichtire, who is also his coachman. His adoptive father is Sualtam while his foster father is Amorgen the poet of King Conchobar. He lives in Dun Delgan in the domain of Mag Muirthemm (Dun means "fortress" and Mag "plain").

He is sometimes called "Contortionist" because he has the ability to take on all appearances, the heat of his body makes water boil and snow melts, he also embodies Knowledge and his head radiates Knowledge. He was initiated in Scotland, along with his friend Ferdiad, by the great magician Scáthach, whose daughter Uatach he married. Subsequently, to marry Emer, he will have to kidnap her. A brief affair will unite him to Fand in the Other World.

His adventures and exploits are innumerable, in the story Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Raid of the Cows of Cooley), he is the only man to escape the "spell of Macha" and to defend Ulster against the armies of Medb, the queen of Connaught. He continually fights and kills his enemies, until the curse ends. He dies on Samhain, Morrigan is on his shoulder in the form of a crow.

If he represents warrior magic, it is in vain that he tries, on several occasions, to obtain sovereignty.

One of his horses Liath Macha (the Gray of Macha) possesses human intelligence.

Culann is the blacksmith of Ulster during the reign of Conchobar Mac Nessa.

As the king settles in for a ritual feast, he fails to announce Setanta's upcoming arrival. To guard the gates, Culann unleashes his war dog, which has the strength of an entire army. To enter, the young Setanta (he is only five years old) has no choice but to kill the dog. To repair the loss, the child offers to take the place of the animal, until another is trained. It was at this point that the druid Cathbad renamed the child Cúchulainn, meaning Culann's dog.

In Irish Celtic mythology, Cumaill is a much feared warrior god. He is the husband of Muirné and the father of Finn MacCumaill, sometimes called Demne, when he was a child. Wanting to unite with the very beautiful Muirné, against the advice of his father the druid Tagd, he must kidnap her. In retaliation, the Druid brings in the King of Ireland, Conn Cetchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles), with a mission to kill the kidnapper. What is done.

In Gaul, a similar character is known as Camulos.

In Irish Celtic mythology, Cú Roí Mac Dáire (Cú Roí son of Dáire) is a king of Munster and a magician who has the gift of being able to take the appearance he wishes. He is notably one of the protagonists of two stories from the Ulster Cycle: Fled Bricrenn (The Feast of Bricriu) and Mesca Ulad (The Drunkenness of the Ulates). His name means "the dog of the battlefield". The ruins of the fort of Caherconree (in Irish Cathair Con Raoi, Cú Roí Castle) in County Kerry, preserve the name of this mythical king.

Bricriu, known for sowing discord, has organized a feast during which he will be able to stir up disputes. When Cúchulainn, Conall Cernach and Lóegaire Búadach fight over the champion's share, Cú Roí is on the jury. He appears in the guise of a hideous giant, named Uath (horror) and offers them a beheading test: everyone is invited to cut off the giant's head with an axe, on the condition of accepting this fate themselves. Only Cúchulainn has enough courage and nobility to accept the challenge, so he is declared the winner, provoking the anger of Conall Cernach and Lóegaire Búadach who refuse this judgment.

Cú Roí and Cúchulainn raid Inis Fer Falga (the Isle of Man). They seize the royal treasure and kidnap Blathnat (little flower), the king's daughter. The princess is in love with Cú Chulainn, but when Cú Roí is asked to choose his share of the spoils, he chooses Blathnat. The chosen one tries to oppose it, but his rival cuts his hair and immerses him in mud up to his neck, before fleeing with the young girl.

Subsequently, Blathnat betrays Cú Roí for Cúchulainn. After the siege of his fortress, the champion of Ulster manages to kill his rival. Cú Roí's soul takes refuge in an apple, which is in the belly of a salmon. The fish lives in a torrent in the Slieve Mish Mountains and only comes to the surface every seven years. Blathnat discovers the secret and tells it to Cúchulainn, who kills the salmon, thus killing Cú Roí's soul. But, Ferchertne, the druid of Cú Roí, furious that his lord had been betrayed, grabs Blathnat and jumps off a cliff with her, killing each other.