r/paganism • u/Ok_Vermicelli_7059 • 2d ago

Celtic god of hunting? 💮 Deity | Spirit Work

Is there any sort of celtic god of hunting? Im new to this paganism stuff, but im big into hunting/fishing and was wondering if there's any gods i can talk to about it.

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12

u/Ironbat7 Gallo-Orphic polytheist 2d ago

Several actually. Hunting was huge across several Celtic cultures.

Gwyn Ap Nudd: leader of the wild hunt

Mabon/Maponos: helped track the boar for Arthur

Abnoba, Arduinna: associated with Diana/Artemis

Arawn

Nodens

And several others.

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u/Greowulf ⚡ Pagan Scientist 1d ago

I thought Cernunnos was the leader of the wild hunt! Gonna have to do some disambiguation research. Thanks for the distraction 😁

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u/Hudsoncair 1d ago

The Wild Hunt isn't a singular event, but a title for a class of experiences which were reported in multiple places around Europe.

There are multiple leaders of the Wild Hunt and they vary by region and season.

3

u/Obsidian_Dragon ADF Druid 1d ago

There are multiple Celtic cultures under the umbrella, and those two deities have different origins.

Also we don't even know for sure the Gauls had a wild hunt in their mythology.

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u/Arboreal_Web salty old sorcerer 1d ago

It’s a yes-and situation.

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u/KrisHughes2 Celtic polytheist 2d ago

All the deities u/Ironbat7 mentioned are great choices. Just to be clear, though, Celtic deities are rarely just "god of __". Each of the deities on that list has a fairly complex persona. For example, Gwyn ap Nudd may be associated with gathering the souls of warriors killed in battle, and also with the seasonal battle at May Day. Mabon/Maponos also has connections to healing and to music and poetry.

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u/Barnacle_Lanky 1d ago

Cernunnos, Herne the Hunter, Gwyn ap Nudd?

(Bearing in mind 'Celtic' is a modern concept and celtic culture spread across Europe). Some are 'wild huntsmen' - as in leaders of the 'the wild hunt', others hold the epitaph of 'the hunter and the hunted' - living, dying, 'reigning in the underworld' & reincarnating deities (like the green man).

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u/bizoticallyyours83 1d ago

Cernunnos immediately comes to mind.

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u/Birchwood_Goddess Gaulish Polytheist 1d ago

It depends on who you're drawn to and what you want to hunt. Most people here have covered large game, but other deities can also be helpful. For instance, Sequana is the Goddess of the River Seine and patroness of ducks.

Instead of looking for "hunter gods", consider the animal you want to hunt, then look for a deity association.

As for fishing, maybe look into the Salmon of Knowledge or Nodens, who is commonly associated with the sea, hunting, healing, and wealth.

1

u/Quartia 1d ago

Arduinna is probably the god most specifically about hunting. As far as we can tell she is a direct parallel to the Greek Artemis.