as they are known to us, just as they resemble the Irish divinities in having been later regarded as mortals, magicians, and fairies, so they resemble them in their functions, dimly as these are perceived. They are associated with Elysium, they are lords of fertility and growth, of the sea, of the arts of culture and of war. The prominent position of certain goddesses may point to what has already been discovered of them in Gaul and Ireland—their pre-eminence and independence. But, like the divinities of Gaul and Ireland, those of Wales were mainly local in character, and only in a few cases attained a wider popularity and cult.
Certain British gods mentioned on inscriptions may be identified with some of those just considered—Nodons with Nudd or Lludd, Belenos with Belinus or Beli, Maponos with Mabon, Taranos (in continental inscriptions only), with a Taran mentioned in Kulhwych.448 Others are referred to in classical writings—Andrasta, a goddess of victory, to whom Boudicca prayed;449 Sul, a goddess of hot springs, equated with Minerva at Bath.450 Inscriptions also mention Epona, the horse-goddess; Brigantia, perhaps a form of Brigit; Belisama (the Mersey in Ptolemy),451 a goddess in Gaulish inscriptions. Others refer to the group goddesses, the Matres. Some gods are equated with Mars—Camulos, known also on the Continent and perhaps the same as Cumal, father of Fionn; Belatucadros, "comely in slaughter"; Cocidius, Corotiacus, Barrex, and Totatis (perhaps Lucan's Teutates). Others are equated with Apollo in his character as a god of healing—Anextiomarus, Grannos (at Musselburgh and in many continental inscriptions), Arvalus, Mogons, etc. Most of these and many others found on isolated inscriptions were probably local in character, though some, occurring also on the Continent, had attained a wider popularity.452 But some of the inscriptions referring to the latter may be due to Gaulish soldiers quartered in Britain.
COMPARATIVE TABLE OF DIVINITIES WITH SIMILAR NAMES IN IRELAND, BRITAIN, AND GAUL.
Italics denote names found in Inscriptions.
| IRELAND. | BRITAIN. | GAUL. |
| Anextiomarus | Anextiomarus | |
| Anu | Anna (?) | Anoniredi, "chariot of Anu" |
| Badb | Bodua | |
| Beli, Belinus | Belenos | |
| Belisama | Belisama | |
| Brigit | Brigantia | Brigindu |
| Bron | Bran | Brennus (?) |
| Buanann | Buanu | |
| Cumal | Camulos | Camulos |
| Danu | Dôn | |
| Epona | Epona | |
| Goibniu | Govannon | |
| Grannos | Grannos | |
| Ler | Llyr | |
| Lug | Llew or Lleu (?) | Lugus, Lugores |
| Mabon, Maponos | Maponos | |
| Manannan | Manawyddan | |
| Matres | Matres | |
| Mider | Medros (?) | |
| Modron | Matrona (?) | |
| Nemon | Nemetona | |
| Nét | Neton | |
| Nuada | Nodons, Nudd | |
| Hael, Llûdd (?) | ||
| Ogma | Ogmíos | |
| Silvanus | Silvanus | |
| Taran | Taranis | |
| Totatis, Tutatis | Teutates |
CHAPTER VII.
THE CÚCHULAINN CYCLE.
The events of the Cúchulainn cycle are supposed to date from the beginning of the Christian era—King Conchobar's death synchronising with the crucifixion. But though some personages who are mentioned in the Annals figure in the tales, on the whole they deal with persons who never existed. They belong to a world of romance and myth, and embody the ideals of Celtic paganism, modified by Christian influences and those of classical tales and romantic sagas of other regions, mainly Scandinavian. The present form of the tales as they exist in the Book of the Dun Cow and the Book of Leinster must have been given them in the seventh or eighth century, but they embody materials of a far older date. At an early time the saga may have had a more or less definite form, but new tales were being constantly added to it, and some of the longer tales are composed of incidents which once had no connection with each other.
Cúchulainn is the central figure of the cycle, and its central episode is that of the Táin bó Cuailgne, or "Cattle Spoil of Cooley." Other personages are Conchobar and Dechtire, Ailill and Medb, Fergus, Conall Cernach, Cúroi, Deirdre, and the sons of Usnach. Some of these are of divine descent, some are perhaps euhemerised divinities; Conchobar is called día talmaide, "a terrestrial god," and Dechtire a goddess. The cycle opens with the birth of Conchobar, son of Cathbad and of Nessa, daughter of one of the Tuatha Dé Danann, though in an older rescension of the tale he is Nessa's son by the god Lug. During Conchobar's reign over Ulster Cúchulainn was born. He was son of Dechtire, either by Sualtaim,
