OOC: No real vicotry, although sometimes Mods give out awards when the NES dies. Don't you have a TV by your computer Cuivenen? I'm watching the skating right now while typing. Anyway, to the real purpose of this post:
IC:
Major Deities of Druidism
1. Lugh of the Long Hand
The greatest and most revered of the Celtic pantheon. He is known as "The G-d of all Talents." The legend that gives Lugh of the Long Hand this reputation dates back to the old myths of when the deities of the Celtic pantheon conquerred the Emerald Isle for themselves. The camp of the Tuatha Dé Dannan, also simply the Tuatha Dé (name of the deities of the Celtic Pantheon), stood out on one side of the battlefield, and their enemies on the other. It was at this time that Lugh came to the camp seeking to join the Tuatha Dé. The guards asked him what he could do. The guards and Lugh then went through a long back and forth going over wether or not the Tuatha Dé had someone with super strength, great cunning, and much more. By the end Lugh had nothing that they did not already have. Then Lugh said, "But do you have someone who can do all of these?" The answer was no, and Lugh was let in. He would quickly rise to the top of the ranks. Lugh is very popular among the Druids, upper classes, and peasents, although not as much among the merchants and sailors.
2. Manannan Mac Lir
G-d of the sea, patron of sailors and merchants, Manannan Mac Lir is one of the favored deities in the ever more sea and trade focused Eire. His followers are known for their almost fanatical level of dedication. When a party of Manannnan's devotees were the first to discover a new isle in the Irish Sea, they named it after their patron as the Isle of Manannan Mac Lir, or simply the Isle of Man. An odd facet of the Manannan worshipers is the obsession with cats, particularly the breed they raise Manx Cats, recognizable for having no tails. Mannanan is the favorite of merchants, sailors, and fishermen, there is also a cult that seems to have grown around him in the seaside towns including some of the most important druids and bards.
3. Brighid
Less important than Lugh of the Long Hand and Mannanan Mac Lir, Brighid is still a very important deity because of her being favored among women, farmers, and sheap, goat, and cow herds. Brighid is the patron of herders and protector of women, particularly pregnant women and mothers. She is also the goddess of fire and has strong connection to the harvest and growing. She is not publicly worshiped too much in the north and center of Eire with most of the worship confined to the home, but in the south of the island she is loved enough to rival Lugh for being the most important.
