God Archetypes of the Celtic Deities
Although there were hundreds of gods, each god had a general purpose. This is why the Celtic Deities were separated into different archetypes. Each archetype filled a certain purpose for the Celts and each was vital to the world of the Celts. There were eight god archetypes and they all fell within the type of the Inter-Tribal Land Divinities.
The Little God was most recognized during late in the Iron Age and was one of the central figures within the Celtic Deities. The god was called “Lugus” or “Lugh.” Lugus is a fighter and a master of everything that is vital to society. He is mostly worshipped and central to the early harvest. The mythical aspect of this god is that he is small in stature however, he is always successful against his opponents because he has the ability to outwit them.
The Protector God is known as Nuadha Airgetlamh. This god controls the boundaries of the world and fights them with drastic force. He uses a sword to fight and is known for always being accompanied by a dog. Although he is famous for killing in defense of his nation, he is also seen as a healer because death and birth are so closely intertwined. This is why many of his shrines are healing shrines.
The Sky God, called “Taranis” controls the weather and is responsible for rain. It’s said that when it thunders, it is Taranis rolling his wheel the length of the sky. He is most often thought to be in the mountainous area and is also a helper of the Little God.
The Lord of the Hunt, also called God of Antlers, is a channel between Tribe and Land and also a channel between this world and the Otherworld. Through him, objects can be passed between worlds and treasured resources can be taken from Nature. He is often seen with The Little God but only because they are so similar. The “Good Striker” is usually seen as an older man and carries a mallet that can either give life or give death. He often works with the goddess of the river within his region.
The Divine Child is usually thought of as a young character who is full of energy and growth. His end is at the beginning of every dark half of the year. He married the Flower Maiden and it was this event in his life that seemed to mark the climax of his growth. The Divine Twins were often associated with horses, good luck, and protecting people while they were travelling. One twin was always viewed as being pure while the other always had many defects.
Lastly, the God of Light was seen as a healer. The God of Light was particularly talented in healing vision problems. He was also thought to be closely related to dreams and prophecies.