In our tradition, the first beings we learn to worship are An Déithe (Roughly pronounced (On JAY-uh)). The Gods — in Irish: “An Déithe” — are those beings that, above all else, are perfectly in line with the order and nature of reality. There are many of Them, with some suggesting a literally infinite number and others merely suggesting a practically infinite number. These beings are real, literal, and have their own unique sapience and agency. Our tradition does not find much use in the terms “Good” and “Evil”, but it can safely be said that no God is “bad”. All are worthy of worship, whether we choose to or not — this includes Gods that were not traditionally worshiped by the ancient Gaels.
Regarding the Gaelic Gods who we traditionally worship, you will often find (especially in myth) the Gods divided into two categories to better understand Them. These are the categories of “Tuath Dé” (TOO-uh JAY) and “Fomhóraigh” (“fuh-WOH-ree”). In the myths, the two groupings are often at war with one another, which can lead the initial observer to view one as “Gods” and the other as “Demons”. It is the case, however, that we believe both groups are Gods and are worthy of worship.
The Tuath Dé are the most famous Gaelic deities in the modern day — this is because the category of “Tuath Dé” (roughly meaning “Tribe of God”) corresponds to those Gods who predominantly deal with aspects of civilization and things that are unique to human life. When learning about the Tuath Dé, you will find Gods of smithing, fishing, the home, and crafting. Most Gaelic Polytheists predominantly pray to the Tuath Dé, as on any given day an issue you have is likely related to civilization.
The Fomhóraigh, on the other hand, are those Gods who deal with aspects of nature outside of uniquely human experiences. Oftentimes, the most notable of the Fomhóraigh will be deities related to aspects of nature that are viewed as “Bad”, in that they are harmful to us mortal humans if we are unprepared for them. When reading about the Fomhóraigh, you will find deities related to the Ocean, droughts, the Sun, flooding, and storms. It can be easy to view these deities as dangerous, as the events they hold dominion over are definitely dangerous to us. However, they are not dangerous because of us. For example: A hurricane is not dangerous because it is meant to do harm to humans. It is a natural course of our planet Earth, governed by understandable natural forces — the hurricane will happen regardless of whether we are there or not. As such, while it is reasonable to be afraid of the effects of The Gods, there is no reason to be afraid of The Gods themselves. Gaelic Polytheists will often pray to the Fomhóraigh for problems regarding nature and spirits of nature.
A non-exhaustive list of Gods, to prime the brand new Gaelic Polytheist, is provided below. To learn more about each deity, you can read through myths related to Them. At a later date, more articles will be published related to specific deities that will be linked as appropriate.
Tuath Dé:
Manannán Mac Lir (Man-an-ON Mac Leer): Described in the myths as the greatest God, Manannán is (in the writer of this article’s opinion) the easiest God to worship in Gaelic Polytheist. He is a God of many dominions: The Ocean, the Otherworlds and the afterlife, fishing, life and death, transitions both in and between life, and many more. The myths show Him as a wonderfully caring and jovial God who loves to entertain. When we die, He arrives on the shore with His self-sailing boat Wave Sweeper, and guides us “west” to one of The Otherworlds.
Bríd (Breej): A Goddess of fire, passion, healing, and crafting, Bríd is one of the most popularly worshiped Gaelic deities in the modern day. She finds Herself in the myths creating weapons at Her forge, protecting and healing the weak with Her mantle, and inspiring poets and lyricists with Her passion.
An Daghdha (On DAH-yah): Known as “The All-Father”, An Daghdha is typically described in the myths as the Chief of the Tuath Dé. Another easy-to-worship God, the myths show Him presiding over knowledge, magic, and the flow of time amongst other things. In many of His stories, He teaches us the importance of hospitality — both in being a good host, and in being a good guest.
Nuadha (NOO-uh-yuh): Known as Nuadha Airgeadlámh (Nuadha Silver-hand/arm), He is the original High King of the Gods and of Ireland. The myths show us that He is a God of nobility — in the moral, rather than legal sense. His role in the myths is one of patience, guidance, and reliability. He is always there when His people need Him, and the moment He believes He is unfit for the job, He finds someone who can do it better.
Fomhóraigh:
Néit (NAY-it): A somewhat obscure God in the myths, Néit is the God of war. Interestingly, as a Fomor (FUH-mur) this has a subtle implication that war is not uniquely relevant to mortal humans. Whether this could mean spirits war, or nature itself wars, or other implications entirely is up for discussion. In the myths He is the ancestor of a great many Gods: Balar and Dian Cecht (A God of medicine) being two examples. Interestingly, He doesn’t seem to play a particularly relevant role in any of the mythical wars.
Balar (BAH-ler): Known as “Balar the Strong Smiter” amongst other names, He is a God of the Sun. Specifically, He presides over the aspect of the Sun when it beats down unrelentingly, causing droughts. He is the grandfather of the half Tuath Dé, half Fomor God Lugh.
Teathra (TEH-ruh): A God presiding over death, He is called the “King of the Dead”. He rules Magh Meall (Moy Mell), the “Plain of Joy”, an Otherworld reserved for those of us who die in righteous glory. Only a select few find their way to this plain, which is described as being a kingdom “under the sea”. Those who end up there, however, are treated to an utter paradise, where they can rest and prepare in hopes of living another righteous and honorable life in their next reincarnation.
The Forge - A collective organization of Gaelic Polytheists 