Pagan Portals - Gods and Goddesses of Ireland: A Guide to Irish Deities

I came to this book looking for a concise reference of the different gods and goddesses within the Celtic-Irish pantheon to explore in my own budding shaman practice. My expectation was met. The book divides the gods into three categories: Gods of the Thuathe De Dannan, Goddesses of the Thuathe De Dannan, and Other. They're listed alphabetically with each entry offering a brief overview of the roles they've played in the mythical fragments which remain. As an ignorant layman, I can't yet comment on how well her readings square up with what primary historical sources suggest, but I was impressed by her voice - she tried to present the facts, acknowledge the uncertainties, and offered ways forward with a dose of humility and self-skepticism. For example, in the entry on Aengus, she says, "His home is possibly the most famous of all the fairy mounds" and "Smyth conjectures Aengus was conceived at Samhain." She also divides the line between how modern practitioners have viewed a certain deity vs. what's actually in the extant texts - commendably without an ounce of derision or celebration. Each entry ends with the main qualities of the god and preferred offerings, plus references in other texts to particular deities. These references offer a spring-board for the inspired to do their own research. I haven't yet followed up these citations, so I can't speak on how accurate or useful they are. The reading is quite dry, but, hey, it's basically an encyclopedia. I wouldn't want it to waste precious time trying to woo me - I just want the essential. I would have some reservations buying such a slender text in print, but I think $5 on Kindle seems fine. If I stick with this, I see myself referring back to this again-and-again in the coming years, and for this I'm grateful.

An excellent, concise and practical resource for anyone seeking information on the Irish Dieties. The author does a wonderful job of providing insights into their origins, place in the lore and traditions. Each diety is listed with a suggestion as to ways to go or and their symbolism. The author even includes details on how they honor or connect to the deities they interact with. A must have for anyone wishing to learn more about Irish Gods and Goddesses.

In full disclosure, I have been so uniformly impressed by Morgan Daimler’s work in the past that I pre-ordered this book. I was not disappointed. This book is a brief reference to Irish deities that is separated into three sections: Tuatha Dé Danaan Gods, Goddesses and then the deities who are not related to the Tuatha Dé Danaan. It is set up in an encyclopedic fashion but does not pretend to be an exhaustive reference. At the same time, there are deities included who are not the ‘usual suspects’, deities who are not, perhaps as generally well known. True to her past performance, the author makes a point of providing a suggested bibliography for further information. This is a very accessible, easy read with very good information and I foresee this being a well-used reference for quick information for such things as ritual writing and memory refreshment.

The book is a scaled down list of Irish Gods and Goddesses but it's very informitive.

This book has been very important to my journey into Irish-Celtic Paganism. While I've checked this book out multiple times at my local library I only recently decided to purchase my own copy.

Very well written, an excellent quick resource. Gives an excellent overview ofthe Gods and Goddesses of Ireland, and Irish Mythology.

this is a good book to add to your irish section on the shelf ... informative - for the complainers - go ahead and complain once again, a good book and worth of picking up

It’s always hard when studying mythology to get to the core without wading through deep waters. With Morgan’s book it’s possible to sale and the surface is enjoyably clear.

Excellent detailed info!

Thank you for an excellent book. It was recommended to me through the Irish Pagan School and Morgan is a brilliant author.

Easy access guide to gods and goddess of Ireland a must have for any one!!! I bought it to use as a educational resource to grow my knowledge of Irish Deities. Really well referenced and a really good reference. It sits on my lounge room table 4easy access. Anything written by Morgan Daimler is always well researched, clearly written and engaging

This book is a clear and comprehensive documentation of the main gods and goddesses in Irish spirituality and lore. Including detail of where they appear in the tales and how they relate to one another. An easy to use quick reference guide, eminently useful when working with other texts.

I have just finished reading this and I also have a few other Pagan Portals books by Morgan Daimler related to Gaelic Polytheism (Irish Paganism). I would totally recommend her work to anyone looking for more information generally on the path of Irish Spirituality or specific Irish Gods/Goddesses! She also has another Pagan Portals one out soon about ODIN and a new one later this year on the Irish 'Other Crowd', 'The Good Neighbours' Yes I'm talking about Fairies (If Tinkerbell just popped into your head you are gravely mistaken!). Looking forward to them both! Also look out for Lora oBrien and Morpheus Ravenna!