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— Celtic cycles —

  1. Ailbe [bestiary:horse][Irish: mythological cycle]

    Ailbe [Ir.]
    [cf. albho- [Ir.] "white", Gaul. Albiorix, world-king (as name of men and women), MacKillip's dict.]
    The hound belonging to Mac Da Thó. Connacht and Ulster competed for the ownership of it. The dog sided with the latter and pursued the chariot of Ailill and Medb, the rulers of Connacht, so the charioteer beheaded it.
    As a whelp, it originally came from the same litter as ⇒Dóelchú of Celtchar and the hound of Culann the smith.

  2. Anghalach [item:horn][Irish: Fenian cycle]

    Anghalach (O'Grady tr.), Angalach (Dooley & Roe tr.) t-Anghalach [OIr.]
    The drinking-horn (cornn) which Moriath [Móriath (D&R)] daughter of the king of Greece gave to Finn mac Cumaill, and one of the gifts and treasures that Finn lavished on Lady Camha [Cáma (D&R)]. Though it is saild Finn owned as many as 312 horns, this particular horn was considered one of three best treasures acquired by Finn.

  3. Aonbarr [bestiary:horse][Irish: mythological cycle]

    Aonḃárr, Aonbharr, Énbarr, Enbhárr [Ir.]
    The magical horse of Manannan mac Lir, loaned to Lugh Lamfhota, it could travel on land or sea.
    In the Oidhe Chloinne Tuireann, the Children of Tuireann (Brien and his two brothers) ask Lugh to borrow this horse to travel the seas but is refused, on account of it being something borrowed and that he couldn't very well make a loan of a a loan. Consequently the brothers secure the loan of the coracle(curragh) ⇒"Wave-Sweeper"(Sguaba Tuinne) from Lugh.

  4. Areadbhar [weapon:spear][Irish: mythological cycle]

    Lugh Lámhfada's spear. Poisoned spear of Pisear, king of Persia, and one of the items Lugh forced the children of Tuireann to obtain.

  5. «Assal, spear of» [weapon:spear][Irish: mythological cycle]

    Spear of Lugh Lámhfada, nicknamed Samildanach (the Many-Skilled), or Ioldanach (Master of All Arts). This spear was one of tne of the erics that Lugh demanded from the children of Tuireann to obtain. in later versions, the spear is named Areadhbhar and was taken forcibly by the sons from Pisear, king of Persia.

  6. Awen, Amen [item:container][Welsh:Taliesin]

    Misguidedly referred to as the name of Ceridwen's cauldron in some mythology dictionaries (Lewis Spence's, etc.). In the text her cauldron is described as pair o awen (a gwybodau) or the "cauldron of poetic inspiration (and knowledge)", but it doesn't say it was named "Awen". Though it is conceivable one could refer to the three magical drops of inspiration produced by the cauldron as awen

    • bir, bior [pl. bera] [wand:staff] [weapon:spear]

      This term is variously used in Irish mythology. Its primary meaning seems to be "skewer".
      1. In The Fate of the Children of Tuireann, one of the quest items it the bior folaċta "cooking spit" of the submarine island of Inis Fianchuiré inhabited by women.
      2. In the Táin Bó Chulainge, the iron bir held by Cethern of Ulster seems to be a kind of lance like the Roman pilum (Sullivan, in his intro to O'Curry, ccccxxxii-.)
      3. skewers of hazel and quicken bera cuill & cairthind (MacAlister, Lebor gabála ¶321), pegs of hazel and of quicken (Ó Cléirigh tr. LGE, Part2 p.147 ), "stake [of a spit] of quicken-tree" (Keating, Hist. Ir. I, X), Pins of hazel and quicken lime , (William Sayers in Florilegium 2), [E.]
        This is the device the Philistines used to prick the necks of the undead warriors risen and re-risen by the druidry of te Tuatha De Dannan.
      4. spit of holly (which blinded an eye of Midir) bir cuilind (Tochmarch Étaíne)
      5. Nethin's spit (named as one of the "three things that constituted a blacksmith") bir Neithin (Irish Triads 120)
    The word notably occurs in tha name of Finn's spear, the Birgha or "spit-spear" (q.v.). See also craoeb, wands etc. of trees.

  7. Birga (Birgha) [weapon:spear][Irish: Fenian cycle]

    birgha or "spit-spear" (Standish O'Grady tr.); Birga (Dooley & Roe tr.)
    Name (or type) of spear, which never misses its mark, given to Finn mac Cumhaill by his foster-father.

  8. «Bladud's wings» [item:wings][Welsh:HRB/Brut]

    Bladud, an acoomplished necromancer and a king of Britain tried to fly with it.

  9. Brionac [weapon:spear][Irish: mythological cycle]

    Alleged name of Lugh's spear. (The authority on this is the compendium Seiken Densetsu published in Japan; I have yet to see anyone uncover the primary source for this information.)

    • @Cailte [personage:]

      Caílte (Dooley & Roe tr.)
      In the Colloquy of the Ancients, Caílte son of Crundhú son of Rónán is a principal figure among the survivors of the Fianna relating their experiences to St. Patrick. Other works state he is the sister-son of Finn mac Cumhaill.

  10. Carr Belaig Durgin [weapon:spear][Irish: kings cycle]

    Maelodran's lance, which could kill of its own will, or rather seem so because a demon would grasp it and kill those who failed to give offerings.

  11. «Caswallawn's Veil of Illusion» [item:][Welsh:Mabinogion]

    Caswallon, Caaswallawn, Caswallan; Cassivellaunus, Casiibela(u)nus [L.]
    A veil of invisibility that Caswallawn son of Beli wore when he made an assault on Carawdawc his nephew; whom he did not harm directly, but Carawdawc died from grief at the sight of six men being slain around him, with nothing but the sword visibly performing this deed.
    Caradawc son of Bran was the prince who had been given stewardship of Wales while its king, "Bran the Blessed" (Bendigeid Vran) was away leading a campaign in Ireland to avenge the insult perpetrated on his sister Branwen who had been given away in matrimony (Branwen the Daughter of Llyr).

  12. Chestnut Long-Neck ("Long-Necked Bay") [bestiary:horse][Welsh:triads]

    English translated name (by Bromwich) of Gwineu Gwdwc Hir [W.], horse of Cei (≈ Kay the seneschal) according to the Welsh Triads of Horses.

  13. Claidheamh Soluis [weapon:sword][Irish:Ulster cycle][Irish: folktale]

    Claiḋeaṁ Soluis, Claidheamh Soluis [unreformed Mod.Ir.], Claíomh Solais [reformed Mod. Ir.]
    "Sword of Light" or "the Shining Sword", a symbol of Ireland in one oral tradition to Cúchulainn (?), . There seems to be no basis in any writing to the notion that this is the name of the "sword of Nuada" named as one of the "Four Jewels of Tuatha dé Danann".

  14. Coire Brecain  [geography][Irish: onomasticon]

    Irish: Claiḋeaṁ Soluis, Claidheamh Soluis [unreformed Mod.Ir.], Claíomh Solais [reformed Mod. Ir.]
    "Sword of Light", a symbol of Ireland attributed in oral tradition to Cúchulainn. There seems to be no basis in any writing to the notion that this is the name of the "sword of Nuada" named as one of the "Four Jewels of Tuatha dé Danann".

    • cráeb [wand:staff] [weapon:sword]

      This term means "branch" Irish mythology:
      1. The occurrence of the word in "Red Branch warriors" of Ulster [Craeb Ruad mod. pron. "crav' roo'a" is most prominent
      2. The music producing fairy craobh "branch" of Cormac mac Airt.
      3. There is also an interesting example of a sword being named Craeb glasach "green/grey/pale branch", reminescent of kennings for sword and proper names of swords tha include the word -teinn in Norse literature.
    Cf. bir.

  15. Craeb glasach (Craebghlasach) "the Greyish Wand" [weapon:sword][Irish:Finnian cycle]

    The side-sword of Finn mac Cumhaill.

  16. Crimall "blood-spotted" [weapon:spear][Irish:Finnian cycle][Irish:Ulster cycle]

    Spear of Cormac mac Airt; in one version of the tale of the Expulsion of the Déis (in Senchas Mór "Great Tradition", ed. Ancient Laws of Ireland, vol. 3, pp.82-4) a member of the Déis sept known as Angus of the terrible spear entered Tara unarmed but seized hold of this spear and killed Cormac's son with it, and also putting out Cormac's eye, causing a disfigurement that forced him off the kingship. But in most other tellings of this event, Angus used his own spear, on whose account he got the nickname Gabuaidech "terrible (or poisoned) spear".

    Cormac's shield has a similar name Croda meaning "bloody" (and also "heroic" etc.)

  17. Cróda "bloody" [armor:shield][Irish:Finnian cycle] [Irish:Ulster cycle]

    Shield of Cormac (Cormac mac Airt, presumably).

  18. Croderg [weapon:spear] [Irish:Finnian cycle]

    Croderg "the Red-Socketed" (Arthur C. L. Brown, "The Bleedign Lance" 23n) [Ir]
    During the Battle of Ventry (Cath Finntrága), the venomous spear with which Druimderg son of Dolor slew Caisel Clumach, owner of the flaming shield.

  19. Doelchu [bestiary:dog][Irish: mythological cycle]

    Dóelchú (Meyer tr.) [E.]; Daolcú (Meyer ed., Edinburgh MS. lx) [Ir.]
    "Beetle-Hound," "Black Chafer"
    The black hound belonging to Celtchar which he was forced to kill when it became a nuisance to the community. But the poison blood of the hound that trickled down killed the dog's former master.

    As a whelp, it originally came from the same litter as ⇒Ailbe of Mac Da Thó and the hound of Culann the smith.

  20. Donn Cuailnge [bestiary:ox][Irish: Ulster cycle]

    Brown Bull of Cooley (tr.) [E.];
    The dispute over the supremacy of the bulls is the central cause of conflict between Ulster and Connacht in the Táin Bó Cuailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley) of course.

  21. Dord Fian [war-cry][Irish: Fenian cycle]

    [dord "buzzing"]
    The name of the war-cry of the Fianna or Fionn mac Cumhaill. Apparently delivered in a low drone.

  22. «Dubthach's spear» [weapon:spear][Irish: Ulster cycle][Irish: mythological cycle]

  23. Dun Mouse [bestiary:dog][Irish: mythological cycle]

    luch donn (Meyer ed., Edinburgh MS. lx) [Ir.]
    A pesty dog that Celtchar exterminated. See his spear ⇒Luin, his dog Dóelchú

  24. Finnfaidech (Finnfaidhech) [item:bell][Irish: Saints][Christianity]

    "Fair-Sounding"
    The name of the bell that St. MacCreiché raised up causing a fiery bolt from heaven to destroy the Crom Chonnaill (the yellow fever affecting the populace, but here envisioned as a monster of some kind). (O'Curry, MS. Materials p.631 Appendix CLI, quoting a prose passage and lines of verse from the Lives of the Saints of Erinn).
    Also, the " name of one of St. Patrick's most sacred and celebrated bells." (ib. p.631n)

  25. «Fothad's five-pronged spear» [weapon:spear][Irish:Fenian cycle][Irish:Fennian cycle]

    A venomous spear; one among the items of his possession that the dead spirit (severed head) of Fothad Canainne told his adulterous lover, the wife of Ailill Flann Bec, to gather up;

  26. Gwineu Gwddwf Hir "Chestnut Long Neck" [bestiary:horse] [Triads]

    Gwineu Gwddwf Hir "the long-necked bay" (Lady Guest's notes) Gwineu Gwdwc Hir (Red Book of Hergest Triads), Guẏnev godvff. hir [Gwineu Goddwf Hir] (Black Book of Carmarthen VIII triads) [W.]
    The horse of Kei [W.] (Cei, Cai. ≈ Kay the Senechal) in the Triads.

  27. «Gwyddno's basket» [item:] [Triads]

    mwys Gwyddno [W.];
    The basket of Gwyddno Garanhir (Lady Guest); An item that figures in the treasure-hunt by Culhwch; also counted among one of the thirteen treasures of Britain.

  28. Keincaled [bestiary:horse][Arthurian][Welsh Triads]

    In the Welsh triads, the horse of Gwalchlmai fab Gwyar. That is to say, the Welsh form of ⇒Gringolet, horse of Sir Gawain.

  29. Lluagor [bestiary:horse] [Welsh:triads]

    Horse of Caradawg Strong Arm (Carados),

  30. Llyfrau Pheryllt [item:book] [Welsh:]

    Grimoire (magic spell book) used by Cerridwen while stirring the droplets of wisdom in her cauldron of knowledge (the pair awen).

  31. Luin [weapon:spear] [Irish:Ulster cycle]

    Lúin [Ir]
    Famous spear usually ascribed to Celtchar. Later owned by Dubthach Doel Ulad.

  32. «Lugh's missile (which slew Balar) » [weapon:missile] [Irish:mythological cycle]

    In the Second Battle of Mag Tuired, the missile (ammunition) with which Lugh felled his grandfather, Balar.
    In the Lebor gabála Érenn "The Book of Invasions", Lug is said to have felled Balar the strong-smiter with a stone [cloch] from a sling [tabhall] (the phrasing repeated in three redactions).
    In MS Harl. 5280 rendition of the Cath Maige Tuiredh, it took four men to raise the eyelid of Balar of the evil eye, the gaze of whom not even an army could resist. But Lug fatally struck the eye with a sling-stone (lía talma).

  33. Meinlas [bestiary:horse][Welsh:Mabinogion]

    Horse of Caswallawn son of Beli which according to the triads he got from Julius Caesar as a gift in return for permission for the Romans to set foot riding horses in Britain.

  34. Melyngan Gamre [bestiary:horse][Welsh:Mabinogion]

    Horse of Lleu LLaw Gyffes "of the Skillful Hand", son of Arianrhod; Welsh parallel to the Irish Lug.

  35. «Moses' rod» [item:staff] [Celtic:Book of Invasions]

    It has been told that Moses used his magical staff and touched the young Gaedel Glas (legendary inventor of the Gaelic language) when he was struck by a venomous snake, thus curing him. There are several accounts as to how Gaedel got his nickname "Glas" (meaning "green"), in some accounts, This Gaedal was the eponymous personage after whom the Gaelic peoples (and languages) were named, some account also states that when the snake wrapped around him it left a green ring-like mark on him. (O'Clery's Book of Invasions, Part I, p.197, §128). Keating's History, §16 also mentions this, alongside a variant legend where Moses put his own arm-ring around Gaedel's neck and placed a lock to prevent its removal, thus leaving the green mark. )

  36. Ochain [armor:shield][Irish:Ulster cycle]

    Shield of Cochobar mac Nessa, with which he received blows from the sword ⇒Caladbolg swung by Fergus mac Róich.

  37. «Rhiannon, Birds of» [item:wings][Welsh:Mabinogion]

    In Pwyll, the singing of these birds restored the dead to life and put the living to sleep.
    They resemble the two bird-women in the Irish tale Serglige Con Culainn, who cause Cuchulainn to be debilitated by a wasting sickness (which they are capable of curing) and who puts other ulstermen to sleep by their song.
    Rhys on the other hand note the similarity to the bird-women who attacked Peredur, of the castle guarded by Urban the Black Thorn (Arth. Leg., 258, 285).

  38. sgoraid [item:cloth][Irish:Ulster cycle]

    sgóraid[Ir.]
    The magic table cloth which supplied whatever food, however dainty, which was demanded of it. Given to Cormac mac Airt by Mannanán mac Lir, alongside the Cup of Truth (as well as the magic branch earlier).

  39. «Socht's sword» [weapon:sword] [Irish: kings cycle]

    Heirloom sword of Socht that cuts hair on floating water; once owned by Cúchulainn; its ownership was contested by the king's steward, and Cormac mac Airt after arbitrating finally awarded it to himself.

  40. «Tegau Eurfron's mantle» [item:][Welsh:Mabinogion]

    A mantle of fidelity, tested on Tegau Eurfon, wife of Caradawc Strong-Arm.

  41. Twisted Horn, Litan, Eel [item:horn] [Irish:cycle of the kings]

    Cam-corn & an Litan & an Easgung (The Three Drinking-Horns of Cormac úa Cuinn)
    Three drinking-horns owned long ago by Cormac ua Cuinn, better known as Cormac mac Airt; tripped upon and dug up by Agal, king of Corca Tri, who was in pressing need to find horns to accomodate Aed Oridnide, the king of Erinn who had lost his own horns while crossing.

  42. Uaithne [item:][Irish:mythological cycle]

    Name of Dagda's harp, which could fly to its owner when sung to. Alternate traditions (CMT) tells it differently as to the harp's names.

    • wand, branch, staff of trees [wand:staff]

      [hazel]
      • Elcmar's fork of white hazel gablan findchuill (gablán finn-coill) (Tochmarch Étaíne)
      • skewers of hazel and quicken bera cuill & cairthind (Lebor gabála ¶321)
      [holly]
      • spit of holly (which blinded an eye of Midir) bir cuilind (Tochmarch Étaíne)
      [rowan, quicken]
      • rod of scarlet quickentree, (which transformed Étaín) fleiscc caerthinn corcra (dat., < flesc ~)(Tochmarch Étaíne)
      • skewers of hazel and quicken bera cuill & cairthind (Lebor gabála ¶321)

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