I think the idea of deities has been very much twisted to fit only a monotheistic format at least in the general social consciousness, and because of that there seems to be impossible standards to meet. Must be immortal and infallible, but a god can be just as mortal and flawed as humans in my opinion. I think they are people that come to represent the things they do through their own actions and legacy, they are divine because of the ideas they inspire sort of thing.

Could you possibly to a video on Welsh Celtic ancestor altars I can’t seem to find any information on the web thanks 🙏

Goddess Rhiannon called out to me when I started my Journey into paganism.

You're back! I'm so glad. I'm new to paganism and Welsh dieties (from Christianity) so this is something that I've been thinking about a lot lately. I feel like if they weren't, they are now. But then I'm not sure yet what that means to me and my practice. I'm so appreciative of your perspective on this. I need to think more and get back to you. ;)

Welcome Back! I’m a practicing Witch who venerates and works with Cerridwen and your videos are so incredibly helpful. Ive been readin From The Cauldron Born by Kristoffer Hughes and it’s beautifully written and is helping me a lot on my journey. I LOVE your TikToks!💕

I have only recently started studying Welsh Celtic Paganism as I have discovered more of my ancestry. The stories that I have read so far make me feel as though the characters are deities or at the very least otherworldly in that they have powers or abilities that go beyond that of the normal human. I also have always believed that our belief in something or someone as otherworldly in a way makes it so. The very act of veneration grants power to those in the otherworld and elevates them in a way. I don't know if that makes sense, but it does in my head. Love your content. I'm so glad to have found you through TikTok and now, here on KZfaq. Welsh magic seems to be frequently neglected in the Celtic witchcraft world and I'm glad you are working to expand the knowledge we have access to as Welsh witches.

Hello, my last name is Powell and Wales is the homeland of my ancestors, we have been in the USA since the 1500. Since I was a young child the Gods of my ancestors have been calling me, I always took the Christian road due to my upbringing in the Catholic faith. The more I heard them the deeper in my faith I dove. Now at the age of 50, I gave up on the Christian walk and am now answering the calls I have been hearing my whole life, which leads me to your channel. Thank you for your content and teachings.

The bias of monks reminds me of the information we have about druids mainly being from the Romans who considered them enemies. Glad you’re back 🙂

I am doing a virtual cleansing and sorting out all accounts that don't spark joy. I never watched a video of you and was about to unsubscribe, but thougt i should give you a try, and lady you spark joy and i am here to stay :)

so like my hot take is that maybe godhood is a very nebulous concept that doesn't have clear boundaries and the welsh characters are proof of why that is

I read Kris Hughes' recent book where he talks about this in terms of Cerridwen. I definitely think even *if* they weren't "gods" before they are now. And I definitely see them in the Welsh landscape and culture xx

This was so interesting, I’m very interested in Welsh polytheism so this was good to think about. I can’t wait to read your book!!

I've watched this video a couple of times to try and wrap my wee American mind around this topic. Small background - my family is primarily Irish and brought over a lot of those beliefs. My understanding of the Irish pantheon is similar to Welsh children; in that, they are only described as elevated human beings (or given human titles). That aside, I have studied Witchcraft for over 20 years and try my hardest to look at this topic academically and with UPG. It is so damn difficult! LOL. I suppose that we know enough on an academic level to say that most Celtic cultures associated deities with places and functions that are experienced (rain, thunder, etc..) and it evolved from there. Being a pantheist and soft-polytheist makes the transition from folklore to theology a little easier. If you say that Cerridwen is how you experience deity, that is authentic. End of story and the book is shut. My mind and belief is that deities are beyond our comprehension ultimately. No matter which name or label we put on them, it is likely not quite right. It would be like describing me in a paragraph. The short story wouldn't be exactly right.

I see deities as beings that have control over something, not just associations. Such as other spirits or elements or animals will listen to their call and heed. I personally find most of the "Celtic" (just using the broad term here but like you said it's more complicated) mythological figures to be just that, figures. Maybe some had god-like powers, but I can't say that for them all. But I definitely do think they have guidance to give either way. I hope I made sense, I'm not usually good at explaining my opinions. Edit: I'd like to add that I really enjoy your take on reconstructionism because I have a hard time with that and realizing modern doesn't mean bad. So thank you for saying it loudly. I definitely needed to hear it. Lovely video! I enjoy you on Tiktok and was elated you followed me back on Twitter 🤗💖 Hope you're well dear Mhara!

Great thanks for this ❤️

I'd wondered where you were. Been missing seeing your videos.

Mhara thank you so much for debating this issue. I am originally from Amwythig, but live in Java and have been researching folklore of the Marches. But I am a Kejawen practitioner, observing Muslim obligations. I have come to see the notion of Paganism, Polytheism and especially Satanism, as constructs from the Abrahamic religions. So the exact opposite of what you argue, and I must say somewhat convincingly. When looking at pre-Christian Britain I can find limited evidence, outside the Romans, that British people were actually Pagan. Even that the Romans appear more superstitious than what modern Pagans would identify with, or indeed what could be described as a religion. Indeed, their philosophy was separated from what we call their religion, but has more in common which what we would now understand to be a religion. What I mean is that there seems to be evidence of an animistic belief system in Britain, perhaps that the gwragedd annwn, gwyllion, nymphs and spirits of natural features are simply a means of explaining the consciousness of what we have come to see as unconscious features? Mhara I really must give this all some more consideration, as your arguments seems to come from a strong appreciation of ancient practices.

So glad you're back! Living in US, I'm originally from Argentina, belonged to an Irish druid order. I learned back then that they were not gods or godesses. It was interesting though that when I talked to wiccans they did refere to them as such, gods and godesses. I believe they do exist and they earn the title of gods and godesses and above them there's something else, there's Awen. That's what I believe.

Wonderful my grams was Welsh Cunningfolk im trying to learn and this is so helpful

🙌🏼 nice. Sharing the unpopular truth about welsh Celtic deities. Diolch. Though your point about apotheosis is well made too. I’m a bit salty about the deification of the characters in the Mabinogi by mainly English authors. It’s still appropriation even when colonisation happened a long time ago. But I do also have relationships with a number of those characters which very much resemble human/ deity relationships. So, they might be right 😄 Longyfarchiadau am dy lyfr! Dw i’n edrych ymlaen i darllen. Dw i’n hapus iawn i weld mwy awdur cymraes swgennu llyfrau. Da iawn i ti ❤️

I think that even if they were considered gods by the old Welsh, the connotations of what a god is would be different to how many people understand the nature of gods today.

This is super fascinating. I could listen to you all day!

Can’t wait for your book 💚

Bore da Mhara, Evan Dw i. Sut dych chi heddiw? Dw i'n dysgu Cymraeg, so sorry for any errors. I'm a Celtic Diasporant and Messianic Druid rekindling my practice in Indiana. Cerridwen chose me for her own long before I was aware of my devotional desires to connect to the tales of my ancestors who'd emmigrated from Somerset in the late 1800's. Reading through the Mabinogi was like coming home. I've used the Arthurian Legends as an ancestral gospel for years connected my roots in the church to something that called to me from the spirit's of the land. Mythos and Mysticism guide my Druidry and I've really appreciated discovering your channel and thus rediscovering Kristoffer Hughes. Diolch! It means the world to me to see the spark of Welsh Wisdom in you. I am looking forward to growing my practice and deepening the connection to this beautiful heritage. Hwyl for now.... Of course I'm probably about to watch for more of your videos.

This is really helpful. I've been so confused about deities and paganism in general. My dad was Welsh which is why I've been interested in Welsh paganism. When I read Branwen's story I was really confused because she dies at the end and I thought how can God's die?

I really enjoyed this. I am of the opinion that it doesn’t matter much if they are not regarded as deity by anyone else. I see them as deity and that is all that matters to me. I was a little surprised that you said you were grateful to the monks for writing down the legends and folklore etc. But that is only because I have noticed I think, a general consensus that the monks deliberately changed important elements of the stories and legends, at least with Irish mythology. I read somewhere that they did this to ‘steal’ aspects of pre Christian beliefs for their own gain. I have also read they did this with Norse mythology too. Have you ever read/heard anything about this? It’s a difficult one really, because if the information was passed down orally and there are no other accounts other than the monks, then how would we ever know? I absolutely love listening to you talk about the mythology of Wales. You have a beautiful voice, you’re lovely and engaging and you absolutely crack me up! I’m so glad I found your channel and I can’t wait for more uploads!!! 🤩🤘

I like to think of Llyr as the patron deity of my family.

Oh my gosh, you are completely changing the way I think, I’ve been lost on my path for a while now x thankyou for your work 🖤 cannot wait for the book x

Hi! I've never even thought about it. I have always assumed they just were x

Thank you for doing all this.

Welcome back x

I find the celtic deities quite fascinating cannot wait to get started with Cernnunos Rhiannon and Gwydion. Im pagan but i want to delve into more magic stuff.

Excellent information! I’ve been drawn lately to the Welsh tales, which took me by surprise since I’ve considered myself a Norse pagan for years, but there’s something really compelling about the tale of Gwion Bach and his cycle of transformation that’s led me to explore more of these legends. Your perspectives are really interesting! Keep up the great work, and I’ll definitely be tuning in!

So, there's this concept that I've noticed in other Celtic cultures and especially in folklore, that of the "ancestor deity". These are beings of great power, usually magical, that have had regular contact with the otherworld. Sometimes they're giant, sometimes they're shapeshifters, sometimes they talk to animals, sometimes they have great skill in something. The point is that they have god-tier status both because of these magics, but also because they are usually the progenitors of something sacred to a very local group of people. Maybe they created it, maybe they were the protector of it, maybe they blessed it. The point is that there are these stories that the locals use to say "ah! you remember that story about so-and-so? Yeah, we're related to them. And they were here forever ago, so this land it belongs to us." So, it's a strange place between ancestor worship, and folk worship. And to add to that, those stories that belong to the land that belongs to us, those stories inform who we are as a people or clan or community. It crops up a lot in bardic traditions like in Scotland and Ireland, but also in England, so I wouldn't say it's a far stretch to say it's Welsh too. Also, if you haven't, I seriously recommend "A Short History of Myth" by Karen Armstrong, it is what my therapist calls a kissable book. It's just so good.

Thank you for being so entertaining! I’m learning about my heritage. Love Llewelyn books!

Something being new doesn't imply that it's bad. Not if we take the words in that sentence literally. But since you're talking about reconstructionists, who are specifically trying to (A) reconstruct a specific time and its customs, and (B) avoid mixing in anything else from other times/places/peoples, then practices from long after that time are something that surely we can agree are increasingly likely to be less accurate, with more potential of dilution? So CR folks will see it as "bad" only in that sense. The same way that chocolate isn't "bad", but if you've tried to make cheese, and it comes out as chocolate, that's a bad result. But on the topic of the rest of the video: Thanks for making this! It's been a difference to me that's really stood out with Welsh belief (and to a bit of a lesser extent, Irish mythology, too), where the deities seem much more like ancestors with some otherworldly creative license, rather than gods in the more formal definition of that word; the likes of which you find in other pagan religions. And it's good to hear someone at least asking about that same differentiation, too!

I love these videos! I consider the characters of Y Mabinogi to be gods but I’m not sure if the distinction between gods and magical beings really matters all that much in this context. I don’t know if it would’ve mattered much in the past either. They would have, at the very least, been honored and respected as powerful beings. Their stories would have been told, relationships would have been sought and maintained. That’s exactly what I try to do today with Gods and spirits.

Yaaay you are back! Happy to hear you again! 🖤 I'm from Poland living in Wales from 2014 and I always saw them as a gods and I've never think differently. So happy to see you again! BB

Amazing! As always.

I've never seen one of your videos before or seen you on Tik Tok, but I really enjoyed this so thank you :-) You raise some interesting points.

This video came at just the right time for me- I've recently started my deep dive into welsh mythology and incorporating it into my Wiccan practice. I was struck by how human these "gods" acted. The book I'm reading right now- "Gods and goddesses of wales" by halo quin- talks about the ideas you've brought up here like apotheosis. In my opinion, it's pretty unclear whether they were originally gods or just heroes, but they're definitely gods now. I think we affect the gods just as much as they affect us. They can evolve and change just as humanity evolves and changes. Basically, I agree with everything you said here lol. I also love how you talk about being grateful for the monks and what christianity preserved. I'm a Brigid worshipper, and a lot of people talk about how they think her being made into a saint feels disrespectful or offensive, but I'm actually incredibly grateful for it. Because of it, there's so many traditions, stories, and acts of devotion surrounding her that were never lost because she was made into a saint. Same goes for welsh pagan stuff that may have been christianized when written down.

Some of the giants in our mythology are Nephilim. Please check out Matthew Lacroix for more info on our origins. Also the bookof Enoch which tells of the watchers who taught humanity magic, warfare, artistry. It's an eye opener.

For me and my experience, I believe they are deities. I think so much of the concept especially in the word "god" is charged due to monotheistic religions and even colors the outlook of modern pagans as well. To me they are deities, but how I interact with them, my relationship to them and in my witchcraft and spirituality is totally different to that of Christianity (my former religious background). I also agree with you in being thankful to the monks and nuns in times past that preserved elements and sometimes even bringing these deities into sainthood to preserve them for the future. The relationship between Christianity and paganism is complicated but I think it's very interesting to recognize that much is here today because of the entangling of these mythologies into the fabric of the people, their land and the communities they built. Great video and great questions! Something I've been thinking about lately💜

🤍 I adore all things welsh and you ♥️ your content so easy to digest 💚 and I turn make welsh knowledge more assessable , thank you

First, glad to see you back and looking forward to your book! :D There is absolutely academic reason to believe several of the figures in the Mabinogi are deities and always have been. Especially there is linguistic reason to believe it in academia, and that more especially when combined/collaborating with evidence from archaeology. You may already know all this, but just in case you didn't... Examples include: 1. Modron. Modron is not only direct cognate, but the modern Welsh word "Modron" is the direct linguistic evolution of the earlier ancient Brythonic and Gaulish (hitherto shortening to "Brythono-Gaulish") name Matrona. And Matrona is absolutely 100% known and guaranteed to have been a popular goddess; there are many many statuettes and votive offerings to her. In addition, Modron (as well as Matrona)'s name possesses the theonymic suffix -on, which specifically denotes divinity. 2. Mabon. Same types of evidence for Modron listed above apply to Mabon, who is direct linguistic evolution of the quite popular ancient Brythono-Gaulish god Maponos (there's the theonymic suffix -on again), usually referred to in votive offerings as "Apollo Maponos" due to the colonizing by Rome causing mass use of interpretatio Romana (at the time most archaeological evidence for ancient Brythono-Gaulish deities is found). 3. Gofannon. Gofannon is direct linguistic evolution of the ancient Brythono-Gaulish god Gobannos (and the theonymic suffix was added in the Welsh but not in the ancient Brythonic and Gaulish, interestingly). 4. Nudd/Lludd. Nudd is direct linguistic evolution of the ancient Brythono-Gaulish god Nodens, whose temple remains can be found in Gloucestershire. (Also the linguistic ancestor of Nuada for the Irish.) He is listed alongside Lludd here because Lludd is, to my knowledge, pretty widely accepted to be Nudd but with the leading consonant assimilating to match with his epithet Llaw Ereint. 5. Math. Math is likely descended from the ancient Brythonic god Matunus. 6. Lleu. Lleu could have linguistic ties to both the anceint Lugus and Loucetios. Loucetios has some ancient inscriptions dedicated to his deity in Bath which were found among the relics at the baths of the goddess Sulis for which the town is famous (Gods, I love Bath, must go back). Loucetios, to my knowledge, is actually a more guaranteed direct linguistic root for Lleu than Lugus is (I'm an MA in Linguistics from Bangor U; so not completely talking out my bum), but I'd have to write a paper on that one and see how the rest of academia responds to the idea, since they're almost all on the Lleu-Lugh-Lugus train atm as far as I know. 7. Gwydion. Again with the theonymic suffix, and there is speculation amongst academics that his name is the direct descendant of the name of the ancient god Viducus. 8. Eufydd. Eufydd is linguistic evolution of the ancient god of eloquence/speech/wit/wisdom, Ogmios (also the linguistic ancestor of Oghma for the Irish, for whom the Irish language has happened to preserve a more immediately obvious linguistic similarity). There is also speculation by at least one academic (that I'm aware of) that Eufydd and Hefaidd Hen are the same person. (An idea which might be slightly strengthened by the fact that Ogmios was depicted as an elderly figure in antiquity.) 9. Rhiannon. Ah, the curious case of Rhiannon, the ever-elusive, as is fitting. Rhiannon's name also possesses the theonymic suffix, which strengthens the argument for her being a deity. We don't as of yet have any known ancient offerings to a direct linguistic cognate for her (which if it existed would have been "Rigantona"). Although, as you mentioned, Epona could certainly be a cognate in terms of iconography/theme and function rather than in name. That said, it may not be insignificant that popular epithets of Epona's were Rigana and Regina [both 'queen', the first Brythono-Gaulish and the second Latin], and that Epona was often depicted with foals [Pryderi?], dogs [puppy blood incident?], and birds in her ancient iconography. Coincidence? o.O This level of evidence for descent/evolution from a known deity status in pre-Christian times is, of course, not known for all of the figures in traditional Welsh (or Irish) literature. But I mean, as you mentioned, we're lucky any evidence survived at all given the ravage of 2000 years' worth of time and the often intentional destruction of anything that had a vaguely Pagan aroma. We owe much to the (Christian!) scribes and monks who finally wrote this stuff down (even if they did alter it/water it down) before it was lost to time forever. I personally think there are enough of the figures in the Mabinogi and other traditional literatures who are pretty clearly descended from what we 100% know were deities that it isn't a far conjecture, given context, to assume deity status for some of their co-stars in the stories as well. That said, it can be difficult for those without known theonyms to tell which of them would have originally been considered gods and which would have been mythic heroes/demigods, and which were just included to fill a role to move the story along. For the record, I absolutely agree that antiquity does not equal authenticity (after all, the ancient stuff was contemporary for the persons who were doing it at that time, and culture and deities themselves are always evolving and changing if they are not dead). But I think there is something to be said for that special connection/rooting feeling that can be accessed by worshipping the same deities they did in the old days, even if not in the same ways or for the same reasons. And in this particular case, antiquity definitely confirms (or at least lends some high-quality credence to) the original deity status of several of the figures in the surviving traditional Welsh literature beyond just that they participate in/instigate fantastical happenings. End spiel (that may or may not have actually said anything you didn't already know). Nos da! :)

Mhara you are an inspiration and I’m watching your videos chronologically at the moment, and you have reignited a fire in my soul in regards to my craft. I was a bit less excited and scattered lately and now I feel renewed! I can’t thank you enough!

Hello Mhara. I have recently come across your channel & have since watched & enjoyed your videos. I also enjoy hearing our Native Tongue...(I can only speak it a bit, but I do try). I have a friend who is a Witch & have shared a couple of your videos with her & have discussed them. I am a Self taught practicing Welsh Druid (Welsh is my heritage...Dad was born in Cymru & I was fortunate to go there in 1970, with my Parents & Brothers) & Natural Therapist...Massage Therapy, Nutritional Therapy, Aromatherapy & Reiki Master, here in South Australia (recently coming out about being a Druid & combining it with Reiki, within my new Practice. I am in contact with, Spiritually & guided by the Ancient Welsh Deities & have learnt a lot from them. I also work very closely with & guided by Myrddin. In doing so, I do believe that they are what us humans would term as Gods/Goddesses/Deities. However, with a slightly different view of them. That is, that they are/were Extraterestrials, who were once connected with Atlantis, as was Myrddin. The magic that I perform, is Earth & Universal Healing Magic...tapping into Source, for the best treatment. I find it very powerful & rewarding, spiritually.

You are great

Great video! I agree with you. Though we may not have a definitive answer now, each of us will know the truth one day. For now my thoughts and feelings stay fluid and ever evolving. I may learn something tomorrow that affects my from yesterday.

Good to see you back!

I'm really happy you're back 🖤 I'm not very knowledge in wellsh culture, so I didin't now anything of this topic. But now I now and it is very interesting.

I’m a newer subscriber and I love your channel! I’m glad you mentioned apotheosis, that was definitely on my mind and you mentioned it. Definitely one possibility for the origins of Welsh deities as well other deities from different traditions.

Loving the content! I am absolutely excited for your book! I live near St. Paul, Minnesota where Llewellyn Worldwide is located. I traveled to Wales from Minnesota in 2016 (and even made it to Anglesey!). There is such a connection for me from Minnesota to Wales, and here it pops up again in your video and in your book. #WitchVibes If you are ever traveling over for a book signing (hint hint...) I know of plenty of places to stay and things to do ;-)

Lovely to see you back (I don't do TikTok).

For me personally ive always seen the gods as ancient humans, some of the first people to walk the earth, or people who have achieved vast amounts of knowledge and have taken on the burden of teaching us, for example Bran the blessed, etc.

I enjoy all of your content thoroughly! So glad to see you back at it:)

Very interesting video, with gods in general, what they are for me, the different views, etc. I am also very interested at the moment. I think the thing with the Celtic pantheon comes from the Romans and Greeks, who had a fixed pantheon and tried to equate the beings they encountered elsewhere with their own view of their gods. These things were then written down and since we have practically nothing in writing directly from the Celtic cultures, the writings of the Greeks and especially the Romans are the most contemporary we can refer to. The Christians also wrote things down, but as you said, that only came centuries later.

Great video! Entertaining and informative as always! I’m looking forward to the book!

Excellent video, thank you! It would be great to hear you talk more about Welsh deities and spirits.

In my opinion there are two types of gods. The first type is God. God is unknowable and undefinable . The second type is a god. They are a combination of living things but also psychological archetypes (look up Jung).

Absolutely love ur channel!! You brought up such a good point when speaking about Apotheosis. Its funny i’ve always been attracted to Welsh mythos and language but never could find a book centered around Welsh Witchcraft and then listening to u as a guest on BanexBramble podcast i learned about you and my boyfriend just bought me ur book!! I’m so excited to learn more and more! Tysm 🥰

This was fascinating thank you! I do just want to say that the indigenous people of Australia (and probably elsewhere but I don't know about that specifically) have an oral history that stretches back thousands of years, very well preserved. It's really interesting and shows that we wouldn't necessarily have lost as much of our pre Christian history that way as we did by Christianity replacing the old ways.

That was really informative. I feel pretty much the same. Thank you for another great video! (And I could just listen to you speak Welsh all day.) ❤️

Ooh, a book?! I am so excited to hear more about this! I really enjoy your content and the fact that you are taking the time to share your love of your deities and culture with all of us. Thank you!

Love your content hope you continue to make more. As a witch in canada with Welsh roots I've struggled to find current authentic ideas of welsh witchcraft and Welsh Celtic deities.

Thank you. I enjoyed your points of view 😊 Only just found you through searching the Mabinogion on here. I grew up on Anglesey and always thought there was a lot more to the tales of the Mabinogi than was let on. I've been looking into this myself for my own project and it seems to be linked to so much more than simple folklore.

I love your videos. I only learned about you and your videos after purchasing your book today, which I also absolutely love! Thank you for your videos and your book. Keep up the wonderful work!

This was such a thoughtful, informative discussion! I don't know enough about the Welsh context to have a strong opinion, although I'd always vaguely had the sense that the stories of the Mabinogi are more like the tales of epic heroes, rather than of deities. That said, I think the firm distinction we make between deity and not-deity is probably, itself, more of a modern invention--I don't know that it would have mattered all that much to the ancients. As you say, regardless of whether these figures were seen as deities in the contemporary sense, their lore is inextricably bound to the Welsh landscape and its history. Great video!

I love your channel and that of Celtic Source, both interesting and informative. I have always thought of the Mabinogi characters as Welsh deities. I have made up some stories of my own for my granddaughter as bedtime stories (as well as telling her the classics).

Good content very informative history fascinates me and very much and ancient peoples had to worship something but we have no evidence as to what or whom so they very well could have been Gods we will never know for sure

Hello! Your video came up as a recommended one for me, and I'm so glad it did. I know nothing about Tiktok, I'm too old, lol, but I'm a Druid and much of my practice involves Cerridwen. I am guilty of using the term Celtic pantheon when I mean the Tuatha de Dannan, though I know better. I appreciate finding your channel and learning!

I tend to view godhood as a status that can be attained. The lines between the ancestors (including cultural ancestors/heroes), the Good Neighbors/spirits, and and the gods are blurry as it is. If the Welsh gods work anything like the Irish, then based on the story of Don (first Milesian to die in Ireland, who then became the god of death), even if they weren’t originally gods, based on their worship and people’s experiences, they are now. I have a working theory that the gods associated with culture (as opposed to those personifying elements of nature), originated in ancestor veneration. As the stories of especially notable or beloved ancestors were passed through generations, the stories evolved and veneration grew until the ancestor achieved godhood and took on the elements ascribed to them, and probably influencing what those attributions are in interactions with their followers. It’s why I call the gods the Oldest Ancestors

Excellent video and fascinating subject (one of my favorites)! I believe that these entities, deities, or whatever you want to consider or call them are aspects of mankind. In other words, they are powers created by our ancestors. This does not make them less powerful or change anything at all for me; I see their veneration of them as a deep (and sometimes) appreciation of our humanity and our place within our world. However, my understanding is a malleable one and I don't consider any differencing opinion as somehow less or affecting ones workings with those beings. In the end, I personally consider them deities, albeit with my own understanding as stated above. Again, nice work and I do hope to hear more from you! Thanks!

I'm an animist, first and foremost, so I view 'Gods', as just other spiritual beings. As spirits, or fae, etc are also spiritual beings. Some spirits have more influence/power, some want to interact... some live smaller more humble and private existences. I see the word Deity as an unnecessary separation from 'spirit', so the idea of Welsh entities of lore being gods or not as a little moot. Just as I see the term as moot for other 'pantheons'. I suppose if pressed I might say that certain powerful beings like Hekate, or Ceridwen could be classified as 'gods' to differentiate them from nature spirits, or ancestral spirits... but I don't really find the classifications particularly useful in my personal practice, only useful when communicating with people who do have a more polytheistic spirituality. No idea if any of that made sense... lol

Loved your book. Loving the videos.

Very interesting, diolch! ☺️❤️

One would need to specify the criteria for what constitutes a god or deity versus other types or ranks of powerful spirit to answer the question. What constitutes a deity varies from one mythos to another. _Some_ of the Welsh figures are at least echoes of what were once venerated as divinities of some form (as can be seen in a handful of names or places that were clearly associated with veneration, such as Mabon and Modron). Whether they regarded them as cosmic powers or something of a smaller, local scale, is a bit more difficult to answer, given the lack of information. _Some_ of them were certainly something akin to potent place-spirits, rather than a universal force or presence; which comes down to the particulars of each figure. That said, I think that people sometimes go too far in assuming one mythos' figure to be cognate to another from other, even related, mythologies. While there are linguistic cognates between some Brythonnic, Gaelic, and Gaulic entities, for example, the tones, deeds, functions, and roles, sometimes are less directly equivalent regardless of the name (Nudd and Nuada, for example). The cultures did not all necessarily value the same things in the same hierarchy of value, besides having different relationships to different aspects of reality (eg, the sea plays a very different role to inland Gaul than to Britain).

I wish could know more from before Roman or Christian times just to know if they are similar or vastly different from the stories and lore that was written. Very interesting tho. It seems that there wasn't many Welsh "god's or goddesses" then? Was that because of maybe being more about venerating the rivers streams woods etc

I think Religious Experience, IS the only Valid Way of Saying whether they are gods or not, example I have had 2 Major Expierences with the Norse Gods, Thor and Freya, So to me, Absolutely They are Gods and Goddesses, And when I was a Christian, I had Expierences with Jesus, You see these Expierences are the only thing which Truly Validate The Spiritual World, Druids and Norse Priests didn't sit in cloisters Reading Books to find the Gods, no They Felt them, Saw them in Dreams and Visions

My thoughts on this is this. All gods and godesses stem from the first civilisation,Sumer. The gods and godessess are ancient higher beings that came to earth from heaven. God is the divine source, the creator energy. Most gods and godesses come from the Annunaki or the Elochim.

Reading through Y Mabinogi, they seemed a bit like the heroes and demigods of Greek myth. I see it as a bit of an extension of ancestor worship and the apotheosis you'd mentioned. Possibly an extension of archetypes as Carl Jung would describe. Things like King, Queen, Warrior, Magician, Hero, Villain, Lovers, Trickster, Dark, Light, Sun, Moon, etc

I don't know if They are, if They originally were. I do believe in the results of apotheosis and think that, at least energetically, this is explicative of how Welsh Creatures assurged as Gods and Goddesses if They weren't already. Then, there's the Sidhe's side of it. Are They Gods/esses ? Same question mark. To me though, it doesn't matter. I respect all as if They are 💛 Congrats on your Book!!

It’s always seemed that with most of my deity’s there is more of a mental connection where they influence me and I influence them back, both shaping one another. I definitely think they were at least partially manifested by people. But, I also work with Lilith and she is completely different. I don’t see fuzzy outlines, colors or auras, or slight sensations when they are here like with my other deities. I don’t feel as tho she watches me from afar or is kinda half there, although it sometimes feels like she sends me messages from afar. When she’s here I get a very intense feeling on my body that I cannot miss, when I see her it is clear images of her, she’s either fully here or not here, and I do not feel like we influence each other as much as we simply converse directly. Maybe it’s simply an aspect of being around for a long time, longer than we seem to have record of, but according to her she existed before humans evolved enough to worship anyone. And because of how distinct and unique she is and with such a clouded history of where she came from, I have to believe her. So I think deities can be a mixed bag, they are created/manifested/evolved in possibly many different ways

Also could the gods and godessess be frequencies or energies? These are what we use to manifest. And perhaps the ancients personified these energies to make it easier for humans to understand. Paul Anthony Wallis and also Atlantean gardens are good to explain mysticism snd our origins.. Also remember that in antiquity the victors controlled the narrative. The gods and godessess are demi gods in my view. The divine energy is all powerful. Please would you do a vid about the portal in Nevern please. Diolch. X

I don't know enough to say one way or the other, I don't think. However, I have recently become aware of how much my thinking around what a god is, has still been influenced by Christianity. I left a christian cult a few years ago, and I'm still finding areas where my thoughts are still influenced unconsciously by those twisted tenets. If we put aside the definition of god as being like the Abrahamic conception, unique, all powerful, perfect etc, then it's entirely possible that there are many more gods than we previously imagined. I like the idea that people can define their own path, and if they choose to worship a certain entity then functionally that entity is a god, regardless if it has traditionally been seen as one.

I feel this is a serpent and the egg situation. Did we invent the gods or were they always here? Does it matter when we can feel guidance from them? If we feel that our spirits are real, shouldn't the gods be too? I feel that gods are spirits of place that have been elevated and carried by tribes of people from ancient times. Also, nothing exists in a vacuum. People mingled and shared their gods creating a common gnosis. These beings, weather created or always present, would have various stories and miracles attached to them and that to would become shared. I mean, the existence of Thor can be understood from an archeological perspective. Thor is the lightnight that struck the oak tree, witch then exploded and people were able to bring the flaming branches to there people, thus making communities adventagious. Various deities can be linked back to there simbols. Crow divine are typically psychopomps because ancient people would see the eating of the dead flesh and how that would be carried away and understood as a form of0 rebirth. The body and soul from what I understand were much more connected to one another before Christian perceptions split the two to allow for a redemption arch in a person's life after death. But, even if gods can be "explained" that doesn't make them human inventions. Humans may have discoverer the gods though careful observation of the natural world around them. Animisim being the basis of most world accepting religions. Of course, these are my conjectures. No one needs to ascribe to them. They are just how I feel after considering this topic for many years.

I firmly believe Rome destroyed Brythonic culture and paganism. What was left was the western Britons speaking Brythonic but they lost most of their religion and Druids. We were left with a heavily Romanized Britannia. So Wales is one of the only places where the Native people embraced Christianity in their own time by their own choice. Celtic Christianity appears to have been adapted to fit the Briton’s needs rather than the opposite which happened nearly everywhere else.

they´re probably heroes and witches that did something spectacular and were thus remembered and elevated above mere mortals.. their memory was kept alive by telling stories about their life.. it´s the exact same thing in every culture.. when they say that every hill and lake has a story, that´s what they mean (local legends that have become known in larger areas).. in certain cultures (like my own) each stretch of the river has their own deity, know why, because some family or witch lived there (it´s ancestor worship basically). in the pagan (natural) mindset almost anything can gain the deity / god status, from the smallest of things (spider) to the more obvious options (the sun, duh).. i think it´s commonly understood that the priestcentric / pantheonic thinking (humanized families of gods) became much later (if it ever really existed for the "common man"), thus the "real gods" would be the ones found in your local surroundings / the natural world.. whatever might hold your fancy or be important to you / your family.. you know both different and the same for each individual (the sun is the same for everyone but we all experience her in our own way).

I am wondering because I have traced my ancestors up to 400 AD with Coel Hen, but then discovered in Lawrence Gardner's book on the Grail, that Coel Hen is traced up to Bran and Joseph of Arimathea with Arthurian characters like Perceval, Gwain mixed in there. So where did the actual people end and the stories begin??????? I have heard that people in Nordic countries have Thor as a first ancestor and in Hawaii many chiefs claim to have Pele as an ancestor. The Dieties have always given authority to rule in many cultures. The Earth Goddess of Sovereignty in her aspect as Lady of the Lake bestows Excalibur upon Arthur. The Goddess in her maiden, mother, and crone aspects appear constantly in the stories of the Mabinogion and tests the Hero or King. Caitlin Mathews discusses this topic quite a bit and wrote two books about the divine feminine in the Mabinogion. (King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land, the Divine Feminine in the Mabinogion and also one on Mabon....)

As a rather non-religious Druid, it is an academic question for me. I'm with Hutton in that there is no solid evidence for Welsh deities. There are plenty of characters in other stories that have magical powers or are considered to be "of the Fae" who are not considered deities. Is it not the case that the Irish myths were also written down by monks from a similar oral tradition? In these we are clearly told that certain characters are deities, others with superhuman powers, like Cúchulain, most definitely are not. There is no clearly defined pantheon as in Greek and Norse cultures, which leads me to conclude that the Faery Faith worked differently - Evans-Wentz notes the similarity with Breton ancestor veneration (again not gods). As you rightly point out, we are not bound by ancient tradition. Our pagan practice is not only relatively modern, but a living tradition, and it is totally valid for practitioners to work with whatever beings or archetypes they see fit, quite frankly. In my personal practice I often meet beings who don't fit with anyone's preconceived notions; in public ceremony I find generalising "spirit" is more inclusive - the religious can visualise their favourite deity, but people like me don't have to. For me, calling the characters in the Mabinogion deities seems like an over-simplification.

I think they are, like all those who are considered deities around this world, what I would call watchers or Arc Angels...if we are going to go for a more traditional sense. Ceridwen, for example, is someone I deeply love and adore but she is one of the primary watchers over the Celts. Leading and guiding them to be better people. But that's just what I understand to be true. Who knows though.

Diolch yn fawr i hyn fideo. Dwi'n wedi meddwl am hyn lawer yn ddiweddar. Dwi'n newydd i Paganiaeth a dwi ddim yn siŵr os dwi'n credu yn ar wahân, corfforol duwiau eto. Dwi'n wedi fod yn Cristion fel plentyn, a dwi'n wedi brwydro gyda crefydd erioed ers gadael yn. Ond Paganiaeth iawn siarad i fi, a dwi'n caru fod yn mwy yn cyffwrdd gyda fy hynafiaid. Ond hyd dw i ddim yn siŵr os dwi'n credu yn duwiau. Dw i'n credu yn y byd a dwi'n credu yn symbolaeth a dwi'n credu hynny'r byd yn dal y pŵer o'r duwiau ond dwi'n jyst dim nabod os dwi'n credu yn y corfforol duwiau. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Serch, bydda i'n dweud, dwi'n wedi siarad gyda Beli Mawr am y gyntaf amser ar Calan Mai a mae wedi anyhygoel. Dwi wedi iawn teimlo ar heddwch a fel dwi'n wedi gwir fod yn gwrando i. Dwi'n wedi teimlo fel ei wedi cael ymateb i fi. Dwi'n bendant yn dechrau i credu... 🥰♥️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (Dwi'n dysgu Cymraeg felly mae'n ddrwg gen i o unrhyw camgymeriadau!)

'I see you not commenting, how dare you!' you can't make me comment dammit!... oh... wait. Dammit.

Because of Judaeo-Christian traditions many of the deities were demonized or at the very least de-deified because of monotheism. So, not surprising that they aren't mentioned as gods/goddesses.

Llew Llaw Gyffes Irish Lugh Gaulish Lugus Gaulish was the the main religion of the Celts before they where forced to move further West to Britain you could say Welsh is the final edition? 🤔

Oh - you're talking an awful lot of sense here!

I believe they could be in fact Gods. At least devine 💗

So good. Thank you.