Editing Celts (section)

===Insular Celtic mythology===
Most surviving [[Celtic mythology]] belongs to the Insular Celtic peoples: [[Irish mythology]] has the largest written body of myths, followed by [[Welsh mythology]]. These were written down in the early Middle Ages, mainly by Christian scribes.

The supernatural race called the [[Tuatha Dé Danann]] are believed to represent the main Celtic gods of Ireland. Their traditional rivals are the [[Fomorians|Fomóire]], whom they defeat in the ''[[Cath Maige Tuired|Battle of Mag Tuired]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Koch |first=John T. |author-link=John T. Koch |title=Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia |date=2006 |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |page=1326}}</ref> [[Barry Cunliffe]] says the underlying structure in Irish myth was a dualism between the male tribal god and the female goddess of the land.<ref name="Cunliffe religion" /> [[The Dagda]] seems to have been the chief god and [[the Morrígan]] his consort, each of whom had other names.<ref name="Cunliffe religion" /> One common motif is the [[sovereignty goddess]], who represents the land and bestows sovereignty on a king by marrying him. The goddess [[Brigid]] was linked with nature as well as poetry, healing and smithing.<ref name="Sjoestedt" />

Some figures in medieval Insular Celtic myth have ancient continental parallels: Irish [[Lugh]] and Welsh [[Lleu]] are cognate with Lugus, [[Goibniu]] and [[Gofannon]] with Gobannos, [[Aengus|Macán]] and [[Mabon ap Modron|Mabon]] with Maponos, while [[Macha (Irish mythology)|Macha]] and [[Rhiannon]] may be counterparts of Epona.<ref name="Sjoestedt3">Sjoestedt (1940) pp. xiv–xvi.</ref>

In Insular Celtic myth, the [[Celtic Otherworld|Otherworld]] is a parallel realm where the gods dwell. Some mythical heroes visit it by entering ancient burial mounds or caves, by going under water or across the western sea, or after being offered a [[Silver Branch|silver apple branch]] by an Otherworld resident.<ref>{{cite book |last=Koch |first=John T. |author-link=John T. Koch |title=Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia |date=2006 |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |page=1671}}</ref> Irish myth says that the spirits of the dead travel to the house of [[Donn]] (''Tech Duinn''), a legendary ancestor; this echoes Caesar's comment that the Gauls believed they all descended from a god of the dead and underworld.<ref name="Cunliffe religion" />

Insular Celtic peoples celebrated four seasonal festivals, known to the Gaels as [[Beltaine]] (1 May), [[Lughnasa]] (1 August), [[Samhain]] (1 November) and [[Imbolc]] (1 February).<ref name="Cunliffe religion" />