TUATHA DA DANAAN (CELTIC GODS)
Classification: Extra-Dimensionals/Immortals
Location: Avalon, a realm similar to Asgard or Olympus, connected tangentially to the hill Tara in Ireland on Earth and to the underworld of Annwyn as well as to a series of other smaller faerie worlds. Collectively, these realms are known as Otherworld.
Known Members: (in the MU)
Angus,
Anpao,
Arawn,
Arianhrod,
Badb/Andraste,
Boann, Bodb
(The Red
Lord),
Brigit,
Caber,
Cernunnos,
Conor,
Crom?,
Cuthbadth,
Dagda, Danu
(Gaea), Niamh
(Lady
of the Lake),
Leir, Lud,
Lug,
Macha,
Midir,
Morrigan,
Nemain,
Nuada/Nuadhu,
Oghma,
Rhiannon,
Scathach,
Taranis;
Fuamnach
(a deified mortal);
Cuchulain
(demi-god)
(allegedly)
Ludi,
Nauda (see comments)
Affiliations: Thor, Odin, The Asgardians (former enemies)
Enemies: Fomorians/The Fomor
First Appearance: (mentioned) King Conan#2 (June, 1980), (seen) Thor I#386 (December, 1987)
Powers/Abilities: The Danaans (Celtic Gods) seem to possess many things in common with the Asgardians and the Olympians. They are three times denser than human beings (contributing to their superhuman strength and endurance) and have certain abilities to tap into certain elemental and cosmic energies in the form of magic.
Traits: The Danaans all have remarkable longevity. They seem to have stopped aging upon reaching adulthood, but they may not be as immortal as the Olympian Gods.
History: (Marvel Comics Presents#108 (fb) ) - The Tuatha Da Danaan are the descendants of the goddess Danu. They have been at war with their Fomorian ancestors and relatives ever since they competed for worship rights from the ancient Fir Bholg tribes of Ireland. Their leader, Nuadhu (see COMMENTS) led them into battle at Magh Tuiredh, but lost his hand in battle. They were subsequently victorious, but Nuadhu was unable to reign with this disability and had to resign his leadership of the gods.
(Celtic Myth) - The Danaans, however, chose Bres from among them own to lead them. Bres, however, was half-Fomorian (his mother being one of the Danaans) and soon ended up turning over Ancient Ireland and Avalon back to his father's relatives, the Fomore. Nuadhu had his hand restored for one of silver by Dian Cecht the leech (healer) and led the Danaans into battle once more. This time, they completely eradicated the Fomore from Earth and exiled them and Bres to another dimension. Nuadhu turned over leadership of the Celtic Gods to The Dagda.
(Thor I#386) - The Celtic God Leir encounters the Asgardian god Thor who has pursued a griffin-like creature into Avalon where it kills a Danaan family. Because of an ages old enmity between the Celts and the Vikings, the two rehash old feuds as Leir accuses Thor for the deaths. The creature then returns to prove Thor's innocence as Leir and Thor destroy the beast.
(Thor I#398-399, West Coast Avengers II#41, Thor I#400) - Feeling he owes Thor a debt, Leir later leads an army of Danaans to Asgard's defense against the Egyptian god Seth.
(Marvel Comics Presents#30/4) - Leir defeated a Troll summoned by the Fomorians. Dagda attempted to dissuade Leir from seeking vengeance and potentially reigniting a war between the Danaans and the Fomor. Leir went off to battle anyway, but Dagda summoned a swarm of insects to disrupt the fight, causing both sides to retreat to their own land.
(Thor I#417/2, 418/2) - Dagda located Asgard, while it was adrift in the Negative Zone. Leir, who had fallen in love with Sif, jumped through the portal to find her, and Caber followed to keep Leir out of too much trouble. After the obligatory pointless struggle with other Asgardians, Caber, Leir, and Sif left for Earth to locate Thor.
(Thor I#423) - Caber, Leir, and Sif arrived on Earth and learned that Thor was off on a mission in space.
(Thor I#425) - Caber, Leir, and Sif traveled to the Black Galaxy and located Thor. They returned to Asgard with he and Hercules and participated in the battle against Surtur and Ymir.
(Thor I#426) - Leir challenged Thor for the right to Sif's hand. Sif, needing no one to fight her battles, challenged Leir herself--and defeated him. Leir returned to Avalon in disgrace.
(Marvel Comics Presents#105-108) - A Celtic God calling himself Nauda of the Silver Hand uses three stones imbued with power that he had hidden on Earth to escape the underworld. Even using a band of loyal followers to attempt to conquer the Earth, he is confronted by the Young Gods and seemingly destroyed.
(Infinity Gauntlet#2-4) - The leader of the Celtic Gods, Nuada, meets with Odin and the heads of the other pantheons in Asgard to discuss the mystery of several disappearances in their realms and on Earth. Unaware that it is the act of the Eternal Thanos using the Infinity Gauntlet, Nuada is briefly stranded on Asgard as Thanos is defeated by Adam Warlock leading the heroes of Earth.
(Dr. Strange Annual#3) - Cernunnos, Morrigan, and Taranis granted power to Kyllian in exchange for his accepting an oath to oppose evil. Kyllian then served as an apprentice to Dr. Strange, and later became known as Wildpride.
Comments: Marvel has always done a great job in its adaptations and depictions of the Olympian and Asgardian gods, but their conception of the Celtic gods has a lot of faults in it, especially where Nuadhu is concerned. It's not their fault though. Celtic Myth obviously has none of the clarity, definition or recognition of the Greek Myths.
A number of the Celtic Gods are referenced in the Hyborian era, by Conan and others, especially the Cimmerians. How this fits into this history will likely remain undetermined. The Hyborians worshipped Crom and his subordinates, including Father Lir and his son Mannanan, as well as the war goddess Morrigan (often in the same breath as Macha and Nemain). Conan the Barbarian I#74 on page 23 notes that Mannanan and Lir served as gods of the sea, and were passed down to the Cimmerians from the Atlanteans. Conan the Barbarian I#117 establishes that the Cimmerians imagined the avatar of death as a warrior maiden with a golden spear. Badb, Dagda, and Dian Cecht have been referenced in the Hyborian Age as well. A god called Arawn, Lord of the Dark Forest, appeared in Conan the Barbarian I#135, but other than the name, there seems to be no detectable connection to the Celtic god. Of all of those mentioned, only Crom and Arawn have been seen.
Some of this information has been supplemented by info from various websites, such as the Dictionary of Pagan Gods and Goddesses.
The Danaans (Celtic Gods) were also worshipped by the ancient
Britons, Welsh and Gauls and even had some roles in Arthurian Legend.
Morgan Le Fay was supposed to be half-faerie,
and the faeries of Irish legend were also descended from the Fomore as were
the Danaans. (see also Clarifications under Otherworld).
Merlin/Merlyn was a descendant of the
Celtic gods, although other sources claim him to be the son of a demon--there's
a fine line between god and demon in the Marvel Universe, so I don't think
these two definitions are mutually exclusive. There continues to be confusion
over whether the one from Otherworld is the same as from Arthurian Legend.
I vote "yes."
Want more confusion? Let's throw in the Druid Gods.
In the Gargoyle limited series, we learn of:
--Hu, Sun God of the Druids
The Druid (Dr. Druid) limited series also mentions:
--Macha--
--Nemain
Straight from the keyboard of
William:
"Macha is actually synonymous with Morrigan,
but she was also cognate with Maev, Medb and Morgan Le Fay (three mortals
in three different time periods)."
"Nemain was, briefly put, the berserker form
of Morrigan. In short, if Morrigan was Jen Walters, Nemain was her She-Hulk.
On the battlefield, Morrigan would enter into a bloodlust and transform into
Nemain. Since Morrigan was already large enough to straddle the Unius river,
Nemain would be a lot more bigger and a lot more savage than anything else
in Celtic myth."
The Druid gods are Celtic Gods. When I "scrape off the druid confusion" I take the names and histories and leave behind the chants, beliefs, superstitions, rituals, extraneous names, etc. etc. The druids changed their beliefs and rituals often, but at their core, they were the only worshippers of the Celtic Gods left after King Arthur introduced Christianity to the region. The druids were still around in some much diminished capacity into the time of Robin Hood and even King Henry The Eighth.
All of the Walkers of Otherworld are mortals; some of whom are even ancestors of King Arthur. Sounds a lot as if this is Marvel's version of a Celtic Valhalla for fallen Celtic warriors.
The OHotMU Master Edition names Danu as Leir's father, an error as Danu is a goddess. The same mistake was made in Leir's Update '89 entry, and the corrections page for Update '89#8 admitted the error.
Another problem exists with Samhain. Many people wrongly think that there was a Celtic god named Samhain, but there was not. Samhain was the name of a festival, not a god. An entity calling itself Samhain appeared in Vision and Scarlet Witch I#1 and Vision and Scarlet Witch II#5, and his alleged alternate Earth counterpart appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Annual#3.
Could the Bane be the modern counterpart of the Red Branch?
--Will U
Profile by William Uchtman and Snood.
Clarifications:
The Tuatha de Danan, a race of wolf-people encountered by Mirage (Dani Moonstar) and Wolfsbane @ Marvel Comics Presents#22/3, appear to be an offshoot of the primary race of gods. Origins and connections are unclear, but there are no werewolf types in the Celtic Gods.
In the Marvel Universe, Otherworld is the extradimensional realm to which Merlyn, Arthur Pendragon, and others of Camelot (including Camelot itself), and the majority of the faery-folk, etc. from Celtic Mythology moved centuries ago. It is connected to Avalon, although exact boundaries, etc. are lacking. Annwn/Annwyn, has also been seen, as the home of the Red Lord, @ Knights of Pendragon II#5.
In the first Black
Knight limited series (August, 1990), Morgan le Fay and Mordred sent a group
of demons (possibly Fomorians) to attack the people of Arizona, around the
London Bridge. These demons included "Cernunnos,
Taranis, and Morrigan".
I don't think Morgan and Mordred were powerful enough to enslave and transform
the Celtic Gods, so I think they were more likely demons and/or Fomorians,
given the names of the gods, for whatever reason.
Rhiannon is obviously the inspiration for
the Fleetwood Mac song by the same name.
In the Ultraverse, there is a Rhiannon, aka Rita Desmond,
whom I believe is supposed to be the Celtic Goddess. She is seen in Night
Man#1, and named in NightM#4. Whatever her origins, she is distinct from
the Earth Prime version.
The Fomor are the same as the Fomorians, @ Avengers I#225, 226, Avengers III#1, Black Knight first limited series, MCP#30/4, and a few others.
Info from the Library/Dictionary site is represented in inset.
Andraste-see Badb
Angus
(ANGUS OF THE BRUGH, also OENGUS OF THE BRUIG) is the God of Youth. He is
the son of Dagda and Boann. He out shone the Dagda's other children by Morrigan.
His closest Olympian counterpart would be Apollo, although in Ireland he
was the counterpart of Cupid. .
Angus' kisses turn into singing birds, and the music he plays irresistibly
draws all who hear.
--Angus has been seen in the MU only off at a distance. Dagda directed him
to summon the warriors to assist Leir in an assault on the Fomorians
--Marvel Comics Presents#30/4
Anpao
was the god of death; the son of Mider and Fuamnach, and the brother of Cernunnos
and Arawn.
He has not yet appeared in the Marvel Universe.
Arawn
is the god of the dead and ruler of the underworld of Annwn/Annwyn. He is
the nephew of Bodb Derg; brother of Anpao and Cernunnos.
As noted earlier, a god called Arawn, Lord of the Dark Forest, appeared in
Conan the Barbarian I#135, but other than the name, no detectable connection
to the Celtic god appears.
Arianrhod "Silver Wheel," "High Fruitful Mother." One of the Three Virgins
of Britain, her palace is Caer Arianrhod, the Celtic name for the Aurora
Borealis.
She has not appeared in the Marvel Universe.
Badb
is a war-goddess, and is the daughter
of Dagda and Morrigan, and the sister of Bodb Derg, Brigit, Mider, Oghma,
and Rhiannon. She followed her mother (Morrigan) into battle; She is also
known as Andraste ("victory").
"A" for Badb/Andraste; O for Bodb Derg--keep this straight, b/c there
may be a quiz!
In the MU, she was invoked by Doctor Druid in Avengers
Spotlight#37, and again as one of the three goddesses that granted power
to Druid during his brief transformation before his death. Her alternate
Earth counterpart was seen in Guardians of the Galaxy Annual#3.
--Avengers Spotlight#37 (mentioned), Druid#1 (mentioned)
Boann
is a river goddess (goddess of the Boyne river), daughter of Labraidh &
Condatis, sister of Morrigan. The Dagda seduced her so she could be mother
of Oenghus (Anghus).
She has not been seen in the Marvel Universe.
Bodb Derg, aka Bodb
the Red and the Red
Lord, is the son of Dagda and
Morrigan, and the uncle of Donn Mac Midhir (Arawn), god of the dead. He's
also been referred to as "the Horned One." In Ireland, he was worshipped as
the god of goats and sheep, but during the Roman occupation of Britain, he
was revered as god of war as well, possibly out of some some confusion with
Badb (Andraste), his sister, the war-goddess. Bodb became King of Eire after
the Dagda departed Earth, an action which irked Llyr, the sea-god, who
wanted part of Eire, but Bodb staved off hostilities by giving him one of
his mortal step-daughters as a bride. Bodb's armies, the Red Branch, later
defended Ulster alongside the demi-god CuChulainn. In recent years, Bodb has
been revered and worshipped by the Bane, enemy of the Knights of Pendragon.
-- Knights of Pendragon I#15 (Knights of Pendragon I#15, 17
Brigit is the goddess of wisdom, and is the daughter of Dagda and Morrigan, as well as the sister of Andraste, Bodb Derg, Mider, Oghma, and Rhiannon. (see also comments on the Druid Gods)
Comments: She has not been seen in the Marvel Universe, but she may be the same as Cerridwen, who has at least been mentioned. As pointed out by Carycomix, Brigit may the patron goddess of the lycanthropic Tuatha de Danan.
Caber may or may not be based on the god Lugh (see below), as he has
no known comparison in Celtic Mythology.
He has a profile in the OHotMU Master Edition.
In the MU he is the god of speed and bards.
--Thor I#398 (Thor I#398-399, 400, Marvel Comics Presents#30/4, Thor I#417/2, 418/2, 423, 425, 426
Cerridwen was actually more of a witchcraft goddess figuring prominently
in the Tale of Talesin. Her husband is named Tegid Voel in the myth; Cerridwen
was supposedly Brigid in a mortal incarnation, her daughter or a contemporary
of Arthur.
----she possessed the Cauldron of Knowledge of Inspiration.
In the Marvel Universe, she is mentioned only as one of the
goddesses worshipped by the Druids. She is listed as the wife of Hu.
--Gargoyle#2 (mentioned)
Cernunnos, a horned/antlered stag-god worshipped in both Britain and France, was god of the hunt, the harvest, fertility, virility and sometimes of the underworld as well. The Romans identified him with Mercury as a 'psychopompos' or leader of souls to the underworld, sometimes in the company of a ram-headed serpent and a stag. Extremely popular among the Celts, the Druids encouraged the worship of Cernunnos, attempting to replace the plethora of local deities and spirits with a national religion. The Celts were so enamored of Cernunnos that his dark cult was a serious obstacle to the spread of Christianity. His exact location in the family tree of the Celtic Gods is unrevealed, but he could theoretically be the son of Gwydion, the Chieftain of the Gods of Gaul, who was once exiled to earth in the form of a stag.
Cernunnos sometimes appears as a stag-headed man. In recent years, he was
one of the three who granted power to Kyllian. There is some indication he
was worshipped as early as the Hyborian Age.
-- (name) King Conan#2, (actual) Dr. Strange III Annual#3
Conor
is actually a King of Ireland (possibly deified after death)
and ancestor of all Connors.
He has been seen in the MU only off at a distance. Dagda directed him to
summon the warriors to assist Leir in an assault on the Fomorians
--Marvel Comics Presents#30/4
Crom-the Hyborian God worshipped by Conan may be based on the Irish pagan deity Crom Cruaich or Cremm Crioch
Cuchulain - a demi-god, son of Lugh and Deichtire, active as a hero on Earth in the 6th Century.
His Earth-616 counterpart has yet to be seen, but info on his legend, and his Earth-Guardians counterpart can be found here: Cuchulain
Cuthbadth is another mortal, who was presumably (at
least in the Marvel Universe), deified.
He has been seen in the MU only off at a distance. Dagda directed him to
summon the warriors to assist Leir in an assault on the Fomorians
--Marvel Comics Presents#30/4
Dagda--(mentioned) Savage Tales I#4, (seen) Thor I#398 (Thor I#398-399, Marvel Comics Presents#30/4, Thor I#417, Dr. Strange Annual#3
see also comments.
Danu was Mother Earth and most likely an alias for Gaea, who admitted in Thor I#301 that she was the Mother Earth for all the other realms of gods. Danu is not among her OHotMU aliases, but then Marvel was not expecting storylines with the Celtic Gods to come up. As Danu, Gaea was worshipped by the Picts as early as the time of Valusia, per King Kull III#2, and was mentioned during the Hyborian Age in King Conan#2 and circa Conan the Savage#5, a sisterhood of priestesses serving Danu appeared.
DIAN CECHT
Dian Cecht built the Silver Hand for Nauda/Nuada after he
lost his own hand in battle to the Fomor.
--Marvel Comics Presents#108/2(fb)
Fuamnach, actually a deified mortal, she may have served as the goddess
of marriage. She is the daughter of Beothach and great-great-great granddaughter
of Nemedh (leader of the Nemedians, and ancestor of the Fir Bholg tribes
of Ireland). When she became immortal, she cast spells keeping her husband
Mider from committing any other romances out of wedlock. She was more like
Hera than Morrigan. She is the mother of Anpao and
Cernunnos by Mider.
She has not appeared in the Marvel Universe.
Lud?
--This may be a name for Nuadhu, or the Olympian Neptune. The demon
Ludi claims to be this god..
Lug
also Lugh, Lleu - A sun god and a hero
god, young, strong, radiant with hair of gold, master of all arts, skills
and crafts. One day Lug arrived at the court of the Dagda and demanded to
be admitted to the company of the gods. The gatekeeper asked him what he
could do. For every skill or art Lug named, the gatekeeper replied that there
was already one among the company who had mastered it. Lug at last pointed
out that they had no one who had mastered them all, and so gained a place
among the deities, eventually leading them to victory in the second battle
of Moytura against the Fomorian invaders. (The Fomorians were a race of monsters
who challenged the gods for supremacy in the first and second battles of
Moytura.) The Romans identified Lug with Mercury. The most popular and widely
worshipped of the Celtic gods, Lug's name in its various forms was taken
by the cities of Lyons, Loudun, Laon, Leon, Lieden, Leignitz, Carlisle and
Vienna.
-no appearance in the MU, unless he is
Caber.
Macha is actually synonymous with Morrigan, but she was also cognate with Maev, Medb and Morgan Le Fay (three mortals in three different time periods).
She is mentioned/invoked frequently by Conan and others in the Hyborian era. She was also invoked by Doctor Druid in Avengers Spotlight#37. Otherwise, she has not been seen in the Earth-616 universe, though her alternate Earth counterpart was seen in Guardians of the Galaxy Annual#3.
Midir
was the god of the Underworld/Annwyn; He is the son of Dagda and
Morrigan, and (according to some sources) the father of Anpao and Cernunnos.
He is the brother of Andraste, Bodb Derg, Brigit, Ohgma, and Rhiannon.
Midir was not an underworld god like Hades; he was ruler of
the faeries, elves and leprechauns that lived there; they were distant relatives.
He was sort of the elf king.
Midir has not appeared in the Marvel Universe.
Morrigan (image above) was a darker more bloodthirsty of Hera. A river-goddess originally (goddess of the river Unius), she later served as goddess of war and death. She was so large that she straddled a river between her legs and washed off the armor of dead warriors. Dagda took her as his wife although he also had fidelities with other goddesses. She was mother of Andraste, Bodb Derg, Brigit, Mider, Oghma, and Rhiannon. She may be the sister of Boann.
In the Marvel Universe, she was invoked for power by Doctor
Druid in Avengers Spotlight#37. She was also one of the three who granted
power to Kyllian. She was commonly invoked in the Hyborian era. Her alternate
Earth counterpart was seen in Guardians of the Galaxy Annual#3.
--Dr. Strange Annual#3
Nemain,
whose name means Panic, is another War Goddess. She was, briefly put, the
berserker form of Morrigan. In short, if Morrigan was Jen Walters, Nemain
was her She-Hulk. On the battlefield, Morrigan would enter into a bloodlust
and transform into Nemain. Since Morrigan was already large enough to straddle
the Unius river, Nemain would be a lot more bigger and a lot more savage
than anything else in Celtic myth."
--She was frequently invoked by Conan and others in the Hyborian era.
Niamh-see the Lady of the Lake. some sources have listed her as a form of Badb.
aka Nuadhu:
In the MU, he acted as the Godhead to the Dannaans during a meeting of the
pantheons during the Infinity Gauntlet.
--Infinity Gauntlet#2
As early as the Hyborian era, @ 10,000 BC specifically, Nuaden Argatlam of the Silver Hand ( a little redundant) has been referenced, by the Ligurean Druid Diviatrix, @ the Black Sphinx of Nebthu, retold in King Conan#2.
It is not quite clear if
Nauda (MCP#105-109) or
Nuada (Infinity
Gauntlet#2) are supposed to be the mythological Nuadhu. Nauda obviously
has a knowledge of the Celtic Gods' history, but is a bit off in some of
the facts and motivations. He could be an imposter. On the other hand, if
it really is him, the Nuada who met with Odin may have been the deity known
as the Dagda (two titles for a immortal otherwise known as Eochaid Ollathir).
If that's not enough; if Nuada were Dagda, where would that leave Dagda who
saw battle against Seth? You see - mythological Nuadhu was rather like Ouranus
of the Greeks, while Dagda had a role like Zeus with some lineage between
them. Dagda is also a title; his real name being Eochaid Ollathir. Nuada
being a second title for the former Dagda. It remains to be seen as to how
Marvel may rectify this confusion.
My explanation? Nuadhu is the ancient Celtic God, the "Ouranos" as mentioned
above. Nauda of the Silver Hand is either a demonic being, a mortal, or the
dark side of the Celtic God Nuadhu. There is some magical connection, but
they are different beings. Dagda is similarly a separate being. To further
confuse things, some sources note Lud
(Ludi) as being derived from Nodens, aka Nuada.--Snood.
Oghma is the god of Labor, and the son of Dagda and Morrigan.
God of eloquence, inspiration, language, magic, music, physical strength, poets, writers. Invented the Ogam script alphabet and carried a huge club similar to Hercules'. Variants: Oghma, Ogmios, Grianainech (sun face), Cermait (honey-mouthed).
He has not been seen in the Marvel Universe.
Rhiannon is the goddess of horses, and is the daughter of Dagda and Morrigan,
and the sister of Andraste, Bodb, Brigit, Mider, and Oghma. She was also
known as Epona. A Hyborian Era character invokes Epona on page 32 of King
Conan#2.
The mainstream version has not been seen in the Marvel Universe, though she
was invoked by Agatha Harkness in Avengers West Coast#61.
Taranis (image
above) is a Celtic Storm God
In other sources he was just a name the Celtics gave to Zeus when the Romans
invade Briton. Nothing else.
In the Marvel Universe, though, he could be some sort of Thor/Hercules like
creation. He is the God of Thunder and the Elements. He was one of the three
who granted power to Kyllian.
--Dr. Strange Annual#3
Will speculates that Taranis is actually the
Dagda. Discussion of his connection
to Zeus/Jupiter, and other historical information can be found
here.}
Also: more info per Seth Richards:
"Taranis, Taranos, Taranus [W, Bret. taran,
thunder]. One of the three principal divinities, along with Esus and Teutates,
of Gaul and Britain, according to the Roman poet Lucan (1st cent. AD) in
his Pharsalia, on the subject of Julius Caesar's conquest 100 years earlier.
While each of the deities was propitiated with human sacrifice, according
to Lucan, the cult of Taranis was crueller than that of the Scythian Diana;
victims could be burned alive in wooden vessels. Speculation on the death
of the 4th-cent. BC man found in Lindow bog in 1984 has suggested that he
may have been sacrificed to either Taranis or Teutates. A 9th-century commentary
on Lucan describes Taranis as 'master of war' and links him to Jupiter. But
from what we know, Taranis is only an embodiment of the natural force of
thunder and lacks the complexity and wide-ranging functions of the Roman
sky-god. Other commentators link Taranis to the Roman Dis Pater and to the
British Etharun and Etirun. Archaeological evidence does not, however, support
Lucan's contentions. The name of Taranis survives on only seven altars, and
although they range from Britain to the Balkans, their size and implied wealth
does not match that of gods like Gaulish Mercury, whose worship is much more
widespread. See Paul-Marie Duval, 'Teutates, Esus, Taranis', Etudes Celtiques,
8 (1958), 41-58; Miranda J. Green, 'Tanarus, Taranis and the Chester Altar',
Chester Archaeological Society, 65 (1982), 37-44." - p. 402, Oxford Dictionary
of Celtic Mythology, James Mackillop (ed.)
It's a short article, but that's about what is
known about him. Myself, I don't know anything more about him... I just simply
recognize him as distinct from the Dagda because the Celtic gods are one
of my favorite pantheons to study and while every resource I've found
on the gods usually has something to say about both, not one yet's linked
the two. I just named the source I did because it's pretty easily available
(if it's not at your local bookstore, it shouldn't be too hard to order,)
and the bibliography's a pretty thorough one, listing plenty of sources to
go to if you want to explore the subject beyond that, thus it's probably
one of the best works out there for a layman like me, as a good summary of
what's out there.
Appearances:
King Conan#2 (June, 1980) - Roy Thomas (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Ernie Chan (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Gargoyle#2 (July, 1985) - JM DeMatteis (writer), Mark Badger (artist), Carl Potts (editor)
Thor I#386 (December, 1987) - Tom DeFalco (writer), Ron Frenz (pencils), Brett Breeding (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Thor I#398 (December, 1988) - Tom DeFalco (writer), Ron Frenz (pencils), Don Heck (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Thor I#399 (January, 1989) - Tom DeFalco (writer), Ron Frenz (pencils), Romeo Tanghal (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
West Coast Avengers II#41 (February, 1989) - Tom DeFalco & Ralph Macchio (writers), Tom Morgan (artist), Howard Mackie (editor)
Thor I#400 (February, 1989) - Tom DeFalco (writer), Ron Frenz (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents#30 (October, 1989) - Sue Flaxman (writer), Tom Morgan (artist), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Thor I#417-418 (May-June, 1990) - Tom DeFalco (writer), Gary Hartle (pencils), Mike DeCarlo (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Avengers West Coast#61 (August, 1990) - Roy & Dann Thomas (writers), Paul Ryan (pencils), Dan Bulanadi (inks), Howard Mackie (editor)
Thor I#423 (late September, 1990) - Ron Frenz & Tom DeFalco (writers), Ron Frenz (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Avengers Spotlight#37 (October, 1990) - Roy & Dann Thomas (writers), Bob Hall (pencils), Win Mortimer (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Thor I#425 (late October, 1990) - Ron Frenz & Tom DeFalco (writers), Ron Frenz (pencils), Dan Bulanadi & Al Milgrom (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Thor I#426 (November, 1990) - Ron Frenz & Tom DeFalco (writers), Ron Frenz (pencils), Dan Panosian & Joe Sinnott (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents#105-108 (1992) - Gerry Conway & Eric Fein (writers), Tom Sutton (#105) & Scott Kolins (#106-108) (pencils), Jonathan Holdredge (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Knights of Pendragon I#15 (September, 1991) - Dan Abnett & John Tomlinson (writers), Gary Erskine (pencils), Bambos Georgiou (inks), Steve White (editor)
Infinity Gauntlet#2-4 (August-October, 1991) - Jim Starlin (writer), George Perez & Ron Lim (#4) (pencils), Joe Rubinstein & Bruce N. Golotoff (#4) (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Knights of Pendragon I#17 (November, 1991) - Dan Abnett & John Tomlinson (writers), Gary Erskine (pencils), Bambos Georgiou (inks), Steve White (editor)
Dr. Strange Annual#3 (1993) - Geof Isherwood (writer/pencils), Dave Simons (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Guardians of the Galaxy Annual#3 (1993) - Michael Gallagher (writer), Coleen Doran (pencils), Steve Montano (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Druid#1 (May, 1995) - Warren Ellis (writer), Leonardo Manco (artist)
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Last Updated: 07/16/04
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