The elaborately carved entrance stone and roof lintel at Newgrange are powerful symbols of humankind's ability to mark, measure and sanctify time - such as the upcoming Winter Solstice. These evocative images, however, pre-date the Celts by thousands of years, and like the dolmens and stone circles which many associate with 'Celts' or 'druids,' these do not form part of Celtic native culture. There are some Celtic legends which have become attached to some of these sites, which were built by people many centuries before, with undoubtedly different intentions in mind!

However, there are some ancient stones which can 'speak' to us in this day and age about the beliefs and practices of the early Celtic peoples. These are not 'native' stones either in a sense, but they do contain interesting and somewhat 'coded' information about the ancient Celts. I'm referring to stone inscriptions created during the Romano-Celtic period in many parts of Europe, including the Continent and Britain.

Classical authors remarked that the Celts were not generally in the habit of writing down their traditional knowledge, nor of making realistic images of their gods, as the Greeks and Romans did. Indeed, when the Celts sacked Delphi and saw the human-like carvings of the gods there, they are reported to have laughed that the people in that culture thought the gods 'looked like humans.' Indeed, before the contact of the Celts with Greek and/or Roman culture, there are very few images of human-like beings that might be deities. 

Over time, however, in some areas like Gaul, the Rhineland, and southern Britain, stone inscriptions referring to Celtic gods, or hybrid Roman-Celtic deities, began to be created. Because they were made from stone, they lasted, and as a result we are fortunate to have the names and possible attributes of many early Celtic gods and goddesses. These deities were venerated over a large area, from Central Europe into what is now France and Belgium, Spain and Portugal, and parts of Britain.

The Romans in some cases do not seem to have made an enormous effort to understand foreign gods - except where it might interest them to venerate a few of them! They were remarkably tolerant of other gods and religions, except where such things might challenge their authority. They are known to have engaged in what is called the Interpretatio Romana - the practice of noting the primary attribute(s) of another culture's deity and simply 'equating' it with the Roman god or goddess who was most obviously similar. So there is a level of cultural overlay in some cases - which can make understanding the Celtic god a bit more tricky. But in some cases the use of Roman images or symbolism has given us a bit of insight into these Celtic gods.

From these stones, which are about two thousands years old, we know of the names of almost 400 Celtic gods. Of course, some of the names we see may be title or eipthets - and so the number of deities may be smaller than that. But it does show that there were thriving Celtic polytheistic religious practices throughout much of the European continent and in Britain (and probably Ireland, by inference) as well.

Some of the deities were local - associated with a particular region, or feature of the local landscape. A powerful tribe known as the Brigantes appears to have been named for (and venerated) the goddess Brigantia (whose name may or may not be associated with Old Irish Brig or Brigid). The Epidii in southwest Scotland may have venerated a Horse goddess - or been 'totemically' associated with the horse. Throughout Europe, rivers were associated with goddesses - like Sabrina (the Severn), Tawa (the Tay), and Sequana (the Seine).

Other Continental deities seem to have been worshipped over a much wider area. These more pan-Celtic (or pan-regional) Celtic gods include:

* The god Lugos/Lugus (whose name does appear to be cognate with the Irish god Lug and the Welsh figure of Lleu). It may (or may not) come from an Indo-European root word meaning 'light.'

* Maponus ('Divine Son') whose name is cognate with the Welsh figure of Mabon - and who may be related to the Irish god Oengus Mac Og (due to some similarities in attributes)

* Epona ('Divine Horse Goddess'), who was widely worshipped by both Celts and by Romans (the latter even gave her a feast day in their calendar - December 18th).

*Belenus/Belenos - the root of this god's name may be the same as that found in the word Beltaine, although that is not certain.

Other Celtic deities included:

Sulis (whose name comes from a root word meaning 'eye' - perhaps the 'Eye of the Sky' alluding to solar attributes) - a goddess of healing and thermal springs at Bath. The Romans equated her with Minerva.

Taranis ('The Thunderer') - possibly an epithet

Sirona ('Divine Star Goddess')

Nemetona ('Goddess of the Sacred Place/Grove')

Artio - A goddess associated with bears (the root word 'Art' - also seen in the names Arthur and Cormac mac Art, means 'bear')

Throughout the ancient Celtic world there were many gods - both female and male - who had numerous attributes and were clearly venerated as powerful beings. One of the most interesting is Cernunnos, whose name is only known from a single inscription in France. The first letter is missing, but if one adds in a 'C' the name means 'Horned One,' and there are a number of images of Celtic deities with either deer, bull or ram's horns. In some instances the horned god is shown with images of plenty or fertility. One carving shows a rat underneath him, which in Roman iconography symbolizes the Underworld - a case of a bit of Roman information that might supply us with useful information about a Celtic deity!

There are many wonderful photographs of these ancient stones, and you can read more about these fascinating deities in the following sources:

Pagan Celtic Britain (Anne Ross)

Celtic Myth and Religion (S. Paice MacLeod)

Celtic Goddesses (Miranda Green)

The Celts (T.G.E. Powell)

May the increase in the sun's light bring joy and increase to each and every one of you!

And blessings to Epona on her feast day - December 18th!