Flidais

[DandelionDame]

Over the past month or so, I can't seem to get Flidais (Irish Goddess of Woodlands & Forests - it's said that she rode in a chariot pulled by deer) out of my head! I keep assuming it's kind of your basic, fleeting deity infatuation thing, but the intensity isn't really going away. Just for possibly useless background info, I live in a very woodsy town, and my house is surrounded by lots of trees. And I'm very seriously thinking of taking the big Dedication plunge!

I guess the point of starting this thread (I looked through all of the previous thread titles in this here section and didn't find anything on her) is this: is anyone here a Flidais dedicant? Or even just worked with her ever at all? Any encounters of any sort are welcomed here - I'd love to read your stories, if you're willing to share! I hope to share some of my own some day!

[mothwench]

i've never heard of her, and i don't work with the irish pantheon at all. but i do have a thing for forests and especially deer, this autumn i found a buck shed (an antler) in the woods, left on the path just for me! :floating:

edited to add: i did a google search on her... what can i say, you got me interested. :lol: anyway, i thought it was interesting that this website http://www.shee-eire.com/Magic&Mythology/Gods&Goddess/Celtic/Goddess/Flidais/Page1.htm states she is the goddess of wild animals, sexual passion and lust. i remember someone asking a while ago about a female counterpart to pan... i think, this would be her. ;)

[Nantonos]

Over the past month or so, I can't seem to get Flidais (Irish Goddess of Woodlands & Forests - it's said that she rode in a chariot pulled by deer) out of my head!

Not that I can help with your other questions, but check out this picture (http://www.madelf.net/ladyoftheforest.html) and a little information (http://www.geocities.com/patrickbrown40/flidais.htm).

[DandelionDame]

i've never heard of her, and i don't work with the irish pantheon at all. but i do have a thing for forests and especially deer, this autumn i found a buck shed (an antler) in the woods, left on the path just for me! :floating:

Oh, that is so neat! Maybe that's her equivalent of a post-it note to give her a call! ;) I can definitely see how she'd be on par with Pan in some respects.

Thank you both for your replies! About the Cattle Raid tale, that's about the only relatively in-depth mention of her I've come across in Irish myths, though admittedly I've got lots more reading to do. Strange (or maybe not so strange so much as puzzling) that they don't say how she died! She died and Fergus was sad. That's the only problem with being so Irish pantheon-focused - there are only a couple of goddesses that have a good amount written down about them, like Morrigan and Brighid - many of the rest are mentioned briefly and that's about it. Then again, who doesn't love the gals with a little mystery about them? :)

[mothwench]

eh. what do you think it's like working with the scottish pantheon? :lol: i know what you mean.

[DandelionDame]

eh. what do you think it's like working with the scottish pantheon? :lol: i know what you mean.
The Scots seem like they'd be a hoot to work with! But yeah, I guess you don't really stumble across lots of specifically Scottish deity stories, huh? I've been thinking that some day I'd love to explore that pantheon in depth too. We've got our work cut out for us, don't we?:hehehehe:

[mothwench]

:uhhuhuh: we sure do!
welcome to MW, by the way. :elf:

[Nantonos]

About the Cattle Raid tale, that's about the only relatively in-depth mention of her I've come across in Irish myths, though admittedly I've got lots more reading to do. Strange (or maybe not so strange so much as puzzling) that they don't say how she died! She died and Fergus was sad. That's the only problem with being so Irish pantheon-focused - there are only a couple of goddesses that have a good amount written down about them,

I am not really sure how people get a forest deity from the Cattle-raid story - a story involving a human who had a lot of cattle. Yes, there are some hints of a general prosperity myth, but where are the wild animals? Where does the cart pulled by deer come from? Why is this a goddess rather than a hero/heroine?

[DandelionDame]

Thanks, mothwench! I love it here!



I am not really sure how people get a forest deity from the Cattle-raid story - a story involving a human who had a lot of cattle. Yes, there are some hints of a general prosperity myth, but where are the wild animals? Where does the cart pulled by deer come from? Why is this a goddess rather than a hero/heroine?
That is a mighty good point. I had thought that she was considered a goddess pre-Cattle Raid tale, so any Foresty attributes would have come before that. But I don't know for sure by any means.

[mothwench]

it is strange. she's also described as one of the deities on this site http://www.geocities.com/cas111jd/celts/minordeities/celts17.htm , one i quite like and would like to think is credible...
here's a link to the main. http://www.geocities.com/cas111jd/celts/index.htm
use the top bar with the drop down menues for navigation, the first table of links on the main page doesn't work.
any opinions about the site, nantonos?

[Nantonos]

it is strange. she's also described as one of the deities on this site http://www.geocities.com/cas111jd/celts/minordeities/celts17.htm , one i quite like and would like to think is credible...
here's a link to the main. http://www.geocities.com/cas111jd/celts/index.htm
use the top bar with the drop down menues for navigation, the first table of links on the main page doesn't work.
any opinions about the site, nantonos?

The link to the big list got me worried, because the Web is ful lof deity lists with howling errors that get copied from site to site with no checking. In this case, the list does focus on one 'pantheon'; but it still has no sources listed. Its not possible to develop further based on what is there, or to check its historical authenticity.

The content seems ok, for Flidais, but how to tell apart from internal consistency?

The site does have useful material, such as this list of Celtic names and places (http://www.geocities.com/cas111jd/celts/celttrib.html). I also read with interest the page about Cernunnos (http://www.geocities.com/cas111jd/celts/gaulish/gaul_cernunnos.htm), good of its type but with a little Wiccan back-fill and again with no references. The entry on Epona (http://www.geocities.com/cas111jd/celts/minordeities/celts16.html) was also reasonable.

So from what I can tell, this is an ok site; but I was able to tell that only by looking at entries where I had already studied the subject. Some of the etymology is questionable, but overall its a reasonable site.

[mothwench]

The link to the big list got me worried, because the Web is ful lof deity lists with howling errors that get copied from site to site with no checking.
lol, yeah this is the reason i asked. thanks for the input. :)

[Laureth]

I am not really sure how people get a forest deity from the Cattle-raid story - a story involving a human who had a lot of cattle. Yes, there are some hints of a general prosperity myth, but where are the wild animals? Where does the cart pulled by deer come from? Why is this a goddess rather than a hero/heroine?

Its *very* difficult to find info on my lady. She is one of the sovereignity goddesses of early Ireland, most likely of the Co. Mayo area. She has her own book Tain bo Flidias, but I've not been able to get my hands on one yet. There were woodlands near quite a few of the raths of the early heroes, though, after all Fionn mac Cumhaill found his wife in one too.

I can tell you that a great deal of my lore on her is from snatches of books here and there, and my own intuitive journeys with her as one of the two deities I've worked with for over 6-7 years now. She's more timid than most, and not very clear to understand in any kind of trance work. She's damn close to more than completely wild herself, as if when she drowned (Fergus drowned her in a fit of jealousy which he seriously regretted later), she became more like the deer she loves so well. Deer are her fairy cattle, or so I've found it to be. I can try and look up exact details but they are scarce.

So, in brief, she is a goddess because she was part of the land before the invasions, she's associated with woodlands because of her love for the deer and other small creatures, and quite possibly may have some more connection with deer (like Fionn's wife). The other thing she is associated with is lust. More like a Celtic Freya than a Celtic Artemis, IMO.

hope this helps :)
~Laureth
(yes, I'm new)

[mothwench]

:foh: that was an interesting read, thanks laureth. i just tried a google search on tain bo flidais, and it came up with only two results, both in russian. :wtf: is that weird or what? it was in reference to celtic myth, though, cause i could make out the words cattle raid of cooley.

[DandelionDame]

Laureth!
I'd just about given up on finding out anything at all on sweet Flidais (beyond the aforementioned links and vague google searches), so thank you so very much for posting. I would love to read more, if you're willing to share! Like how did you initially get in touch with her, what kinds of things does she seem to like, and so on... If you don't want to post, I check my PM regularly - or if it's too personal, that's completely understandable! Just thought I would ask. I still keep thinking about her.

And I had no idea that Fergus had drowned her, the rat bastard. I'll definitely be searching for that book, too.

[Laureth]

LOL...finals got me down so I have little time. More after this week.

The short version is she and my Norse patron, Freyja, seemed to have tried to grab me at the same time. It took me a bit of researching to find info on her though. She seems to like milk, deer, corn, the woods, baby animals and for some weird reason, roadkill. I've found one other pagan who like me found Flidias and seemed to take up blessing roadkill and giving the nature spirit a magical 'push' toward my Lady's realm. She's a Beltane goddess for me, and she also still loves and wants Fergus, rat bastard though he was, he made her chimes *ring*, lol. Yes, she is a goddess of some earthiness, and seems to have an almost animalistic outlook in her views on 'mating', or relationshjips, lol. Or at least so my divinations seem to indicate.

I know that's a bit fragmented and weird to boot, but I can't really say much else at the moment. Some of it is just from my personal meditations that she apeared in, others are from literary sources. My personal take is a synthesis of intuitive and glossing the texts I've found.

More later, back to final papers.....

[BrightAutumn]

Hi, Laureth,
I, too, am new. I have been personifying Flidais at Fantasy Faires for years now. I have researched her a bit, and in my recent travels, came across your post. I think the "book" you are referring to as "Tain Bo Flidais" translates as "The Cattle Raid of Flidais" and is a Heroic Irish legend. (http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/hroi/index.htm) There is also another site that may put it in perspective (http://www.mythicalireland.com/mythology/). I hope this helps you.
Its *very* difficult to find info on my lady. She is one of the sovereignity goddesses of early Ireland, most likely of the Co. Mayo area. She has her own book Tain bo Flidias, but I've not been able to get my hands on one yet.

[Nantonos]

:foh: that was an interesting read, thanks laureth. i just tried a google search on tain bo flidais, and it came up with only two results, both in russian. :wtf:

You will get better (well, more) results spelling it "Táin Bó Flidais"

[Shimmerpaw]

Okay this is my personal knowledge of the Goddess Flidais,not sure if it will help but here goes,she is a Goddess of the hunt,the forest,the wild,one myth even places her as the female leader of the wild hunt*in place of Herne or Cernunos maybe?*she is the maiden Goddess of sex and sensuality,protector of animals and animal lusts,she represents temptation and the urge to follow your instincts,she rests on the edge of desire,represents the epic journey between maiden and motherhood,the need to experiment and discover your own power,the virgin*to the celts a virgin was a woman who had her own power,money and belonged to no man,not necessarily virgin in the sexual sense* who flirts and plays make out games to see how deep this feeling will go,before we cry stop,she teaches us that not all casual sex,lusts are bad,that sometimes it is better to be learned than flounder in the dark,the virgin huntress*akin to Artemis,greek pantheon*in fact alot of the information I have found on her seems to have come from the Artemis/Diana myths,Call on her for animal protection spells and healing magics associated with the woods,herbs,plant,tree magic,she is also useful for dealing with feeling of betrayal in love,relationships,*most women who have been drowned by their lover would be I think :P*also call on her for confidence with a new lover or even dealing with pre-sex nerves,jitters,she will give any virgin confidence and the surety that they are giving their maiden/manhood at the correct time and for the right reasons,treat her as an elder more experienced sister and you're on about the right track,some find her aloof,even blood thirsty at times but the blood thirst stems from the fact that once all female magics were powered and cast by the power of the menstrual cycle,she is an empowered gentle but sometimes flighty Goddess for anyone to build a loving relationship with,male or female,Flidais has many gifts for those who walk into the green wood far enough to find her.....good journey :spinnysmi

[Meadhbh]

Some one said she might be connected with Pan. In a way it seems she might get on with Artemis as well. Both of them being goddesses of the hunt and all, speak of Artemis, one of Flidais's title's is mistress of stags. I'm not sure since I don't know all that much about greek gods, but isn't there a tie in some how. Her name means deer. Associated with the goddess Diana, she bears the epithet fine or beautiful-haired. She is said to be companied by a magickal cow, whose milk could sustain hundreds.Her husband is thought to be Adammair whose sexual appetite require seven women to satisfy it.