Goddesses of The Celts ~ G

Garbh Ogh
An ancient, ageless Irish giantess whose car was drawn by elk. She fed on venison milk and the breasts of eagles; and hunted the mountian deer with a pack of seventy hounds named for birds. She gathered stones to create a triple cairn for herself and 'set up her chair in a tomb of the hill at the season of heather bloom' and then expired (Graves, 'The White Goddess', p.192).

Garmangabis
A goddess imported to Britain by the Suebi, Roman auxiliaries who worshipped her at Longovicium (Lanchester, County Durham).

Geofon
(Britain) A goddess of the ocean.

Glaisrig
(Glaistig) A beautiful and seductive Scottish undine, hiding her goat-like lower body under a long green dress. She lures men to dance with her, then sucks their blood. In her benign aspect she looks after children and the elderly, or herds cattle for farmers.

Godiva
As British legend has it, the Lady Godiva rode naked through the streets of Coventry as a condition of her husband Leofric's tax reduction. This may be a Christian interpration of the May Eve procession of the goddess Goda. There are several European legends of a woman 'neither clothed nor unclothed, neither on foot nor on horseback, neither on water nor on dry land, neither with nor without a gift' (Graves, 'The White Goddess'). On May Day, many villages held a procession beginning with the hag Black Annis, representing winter; followed by Godiva. She was the female complement to the phallic Maypole.

Goewin
(Wales) The footmaiden of Math, and the object of Gilfaethwy's uncontrolled desire.

Goleuddydd
(Wales) A Welsh princess who married a prince but remained barren. When she finally became pregnant, she "lost it" and refused to live indoors. She went into the forest and hid from everyone. When her time came to give birth, however, she regained her sanity. She found herself in a swineherd's yard, where she bore a son, was aptly named Culhwch (pig). This folktale is really about an ancient sow goddess of fertility.

Grainne
(Ireland) She is betrothed to Fionn MacCumhaill (Finn), but falls in love with Diarmuid (Dermot), when at their (Fionn's and her's) wedding feast, a sudden breeze lifts the long bangs of the handsome Diarmuid and she sees the magical love spot on his forehead (magical because any woman who sees it falls hopelessly in love with him; thus the long bangs, as he is "tired" of all the love affairs). She slips drugs into the drinks of everyone, and when they are all asleep, she demands that Diarmuid flee with her. They flee together to the Wood of the Two Tents; so called because for their first few nights together Diarmuid refuses to sleep with Grainne no matter her entreaties. A gigantic monster accosts her and Diarmuid rescues her; Grainne sarcastically remarks that at least something was interested in touching her, and Diarmuid, humiliated, moves into her tent. The new lovers are eventually found by Fionn and his band, but Diarmuid gives Grainne a cape of invisibility in which to escape. So the lovers begin traveling to stay ahead of the vengeful Fionn. Eventually, Aengus, the god of poets, appears to Fionn to plead the lovers' cause. Fionn's heart is touched, and Grainne and Diarmuid are allowed to return to the company.

Grian
(Ireland) Tutulary Deity of Cnoc Greine, Limerick. She has solar associations, and is sister to Aine; her father is either Fer Í or Eogabal. She also has some manner of association with Macha.

Gruagach, the
('The Long-Haired One') A Scottish fairy to whom the dairymaids of Gairloch and other parts of Scotland would pour libations of milk into a hollow stone (the Clach-ca-Gruagach).

Gwendydd
(Wales) Also called Gandieda or Gwendolyn. She was Merlin's sister (or twin, or lover, or all of the above, depending on which sources you believe).

Gwenhyfar
(Guinevere, Gueneva) The consort of King Arthur. In early Welsh accoutns there were three at Arthur's court - the duagher of Cywyrd Gwent (Gawrwyrd Ceint); the daugher of Gwythyr son of Grediawl; and the daughter of Glogfran the Giant (Ogyrvan Gawr). The Gwenhyfar we know today is an insipid revision of her role in the original Celtic legends - The goddess queen who held the balance between the Old King and his Young Heroes.

Gwenn Teir Bronn
The Celtic goddess of motherhood.

Gwyar
(Wales) The wife of the god of heaven.

Gwyllion
(Wales) A spirit of the mountains. She was so ill-tempered that she always gave travelers the wrong directions.