The Celtic Goddess Dana, Mother of the Irish Gods
The greatest of
the Danaan goddesses was Dana, “mother of the Irish gods,” as she
is called in an early text. She was daughter of the Dagda, and, like
him, associated with ideas of fertility and blessing. According to
d'Arbois de Jubainville, she was identical with the goddess Brigit,
who was so widely worshipped in Celtica. Brian, Iuchar, and Iucharba
are said to have been her sons—these really represent but one
person, in the usual Irish fashion of conceiving the divine power in
triads. The name of Brian, who takes the lead in all the exploits of
the brethren, is a derivation from a more ancient form, Brenos, and
under this form was the god to whom the Celts attributed their
victories at the Allia and at Delphi, mistaken by Roman and Greek
chroniclers for an earthly leader.
Dana, goddess,
mother of Irish gids, Dagda, Brigit, Celts,
The greatest of
the Danaan goddesses was Dana, “mother of the Irish gods,
