(^302) A Wiccan Bible
King of Ireland, he and his kith and kin took
arms against the King and his army.
Branwen—Female—Central Europe
Father: Llyr
Mother: Iweridd
Husband: Matholwch (King of Ireland)
Animal associations: Crow, Raven
‘White raven’—Welsh goddess, sister of
Bran the Blessed, who tells us that when a
marriage has become abusive, it is acceptable
to rely on kith and kin for help because it might
be their will to do so. See Bran the Blessed.
Bres—Male—Central Europe
Wife: Brigid
Irish god of fertility. He was a horrible
leader who at one point raised taxes so high
that his people starved. After being dethroned,
he raised an army to regain his kingdom. His
attempt failed and he was taken prisoner. In
exchange for his life, he offered to instruct the
people of Ireland in the art of farming and
negotiating with Nature. They accepted, and
we receive an interesting observation on the
quality of leadership or any specific job. Al-
though Bres made a horrible leader, he was a
splendid teacher. Ireland quickly became a fer-
tile land under his guidance.
Bridhid—See Brigid
Brigantia—Female—Central Europe
Animal association: Cattle
Plant association: Mountain Ash (Rowan)
Celtic fresh water goddess from whom the
Braint and Brent rivers were named. She be-
came the patron of cattle and the folk who tend
them by a combination of factors, first by the
practice of raising cattle close to large supplies
of fresh water, and second by Roman occupa-
tion. The Romans associated her with Caelestis
thus creating ‘Caelestis Brigantia.’
Brigid—Female—Central Europe
(Also known as Brighid, Brigindo, Brigit)
Father: Dagda
Mother: Boann
Husband: Bres
Animal associations: Boar, Cat, Cock, Sheep
(ewe),Snake
Plant associations: Blackberry, Mountain Ash
(Rowan)
Holiday: Imbolg
Celtic Triple Goddess of inspiration: fire of
inspiration (patron of poetry and poets), fire
of the hearth/home (patron of fertility and
healing), and fire of the forge (patron of
metalsmiths and craft folk). Although a sepa-
rate name may have been used for each aspect
at one time, those associations have been lost.
Brihaspati—Male—Near East
(Also known as Brahmanaspati)
Wife: Tara
Hindu personification and priest of prayer,
chant, and mantra. His words are said to have
brought about the creation of the world.
Britannia—Female—Central Europe
British personification of Britain.
Bubatis—Female—Africa (?)/Mediterranean (?)
Animal association: Cat
A goddess that seems to appear only in
Neo-Pagan lore where she is said to be a Greek
cat goddess. I am unable to locate historic cites
other than those to the popularity of cat statu-
ary and the goddess Bast/Bastet in the ruins of
Tell-Basta (formerly the town/city of Bubatis).
Buddha, The—Male—Near East/Central Asia
(Also known as Gautama, Siddhartha)
Father: Immaculate Conception
Mother: Queen Maya
Wife: Yasodhara
Plant associations: Acacia, Amaranth, Bay,
Bodhi, Frangipani, Vine (grape)
The word Buddha is more of a title than a
name, meaning the ‘Enlightened One.’ This
particular Enlightened One was an Indian man
named Siddhartha. Born about 550 B.C.E.,
Siddhartha founded modern Buddhism after
abandoning his son Rahula (on the day Rahula
z WB Chap 17.p65 302 7/11/2003, 6:04 PM
barré
(Barré)
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