Adbertos (Gaulish) - An offering or ritual in which
something is given to the Deuoi.
Andumnos (Gaulish) - The Underworld / Otherworld /
Netherworld which corresponds to the Greek Elysian Fields and Tartaros, and to
the Teutonic Valhall and Hel. There are
many isles of the Celtic Otherworld.
Andumnos was later called Annwn in Welsh, and Andomhain in
Early Irish (Gaelic).
Ategenos (ah-the-gen-awss) - Rebirth; an incarnation
or manifestation of a trait, talent, concept, spirit or divinity into human
form. It is usually genetically passed
down.
Bardos, plural bardoi (Gaulish, Brittonic,
Goidelic) - The old Celtic term for a singer or minstrel who sang praises of
great heroes and chieftains, or satires (curses and insults).
Brehon (from Irish breithamhain) - A medieval Irish
judge or jurist; a specialist of the old Druidic class that survived
Christianization.
Celt (pronounced Kelt) - The ethnic group
ancestral to the Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish (of Cornwall), Breton, and
Manx, and a high percentage of the French, Belgian and Swiss people. Celtic (pronounced either Kel-tik or
Sel-tik) and Celtophile are derivatives of this word.
CúChullain (koo-khullin) - The great epic hero of old
Ulster stories such as the "Cattle Raid of Cooley." He was the incarnation or manifestation of the Celtic high god of
Lugus (Lugh or Llew).
Druidiactos (also Druidiaxtos)The Celtic
religious movement returning to the traditional pre-Christian values, customs
and faith of the Celtic people.
Filí (fee-lyeh) - A poet-magician or seer who performed
Celtic magic and mystical rites. The
fili was a solitary practitioner, something like a shaman in other cultures.
Finn Mac Cumhail (fin mok kool) - The great hero and
incarnation of Uindos (or Cernunnos, in Greek), son of Noudons in a
group of great epic tales and romances called the Fenian cycle.
Geis or Geas (gayss), plural geassa
(gassa) - A controlling spell or enchantment in which a certain action or
behavior will cause another certain action or effect. Usually it takes the form of a taboo or a destiny, as when
CuChullain overheard Cathbad say that any boy who accepts weapons on that day
would be destined to be a great hero, and he asked his king for arms.
Lebor (l’yower) - Old Irish word for book.
Noudons (now-dawns) - The Celtic god who represented
the old retired king, a wizard and mystical grandfatherly figure. He was the
blemished king, a wild-old-man god and a law-giver. He was called Nuada Airgetlamh (noo-uh
Arriget-louw) in Old Irish, Hudd (Neethe) or Llud Laww Ereint (hleethe
hlouw air-eint) in Welsh.
Ogam (oh-um) - The notches and lines carved on sticks
and stones by the Irish filidh and other learned folk.
P-Celtic - The Gaulish-Brittonic language from which
Cornish, Breton and Welsh descend.
Q-Celtic - The Goidelic or ancient Gaelic language
from which Old Irish evolved and developed into Middle Irish, and then
ModernIrish, Gaelic (Scots Gaelic) and Manx Gaelic. Irish calls "four" and "five" ceathair and cuig
(ka-her and koo-eeg), Scots Gaelic calls them ceithair and coig
(keh-her and koyk).
Sidhe (shee) - "Peace" in Old Irish. Aes Sidhe, "or people of peace," is the name
for the spirits and ghosts of the Otherworld.
Touta (toh-oo-tah) - A tribe or kindred of people who
come together regularly. They form a
local community. A congregation of
people who meet regularly on a monthly basis, or at least four times a year to
celebrate Celtic festivals.
UerDruis (also Verdruis) - The leader of the Celtic
religious movement.
