Macha, Badb, and Anu are the daughters of Ernmas, an Irish mother Goddess, and Delbaeth, High King of Ireland. They are also the sisters of another triplicity of Goddesses: Banba, Eriu, and Fodla, Goddesses of Irish sovereignty. Where the latter three Goddesses embodied the sovereignty of Ireland, the former three protected it, through war but also through life. There are actually three Irish mythological figures named Macha, and only one is warlike: Macha Mong Ruadh (Macha of the red hair), who fought to become queen after her father the king had died. Another Macha, the wife of Nemed, who led the Nemedians into Ireland, died shortly after their arrival, but not before prophesying the arrival of the third Macha. This third Macha appeared one day at the home of a widowed farmer and became his wife, and he soon became very prosperous. When he wanted to attend the Assembly of Ulster, Macha did not want him to go, but relented on the condition that he not mention her name. Unfortunately, the farmer boasted to the King of Ulster that his wife was faster than the king’s horses, and she was dragged to Ulster to race against the horses. Macha was heavily pregnant with twins at the time, but she still managed to beat the horses. After crossing the finish line, she went into labor, delivered the twins, and then died. As her dying words, she cursed the men of Ulster, saying that in the time of their greatest difficulty, they too would suffer the pains of labor and childbirth.

Macha’s name, which means “plain” (as in flat land), resounds throughout Irish mythology and history. The first Macha, wife of Nemed, was buried at Ard Macha (hill of Macha), now known as Armagh. The place where the third Macha gave birth became the capital of Ulster, Emain Macha (Macha’s twins). The hero Cuchulainn is given a horse by Anu named Liath Macha (gray of Macha).

Badb, Macha, and Anu are the daughters of Ernmas, an Irish mother Goddess, and Delbaeth, High King of Ireland. They are also the sisters of another triplicity of Goddesses: Banba, Eriu, and Fodla, Goddesses of Irish sovereignty. Where the latter three Goddesses embodied the sovereignty of Ireland, the former three protected it, through war but also through life. Badb is said to have a cauldron similar to that of Cymidei Cymeinfoll, in that it can provide life to those who have died. Legend says that Badb will cause the end of the world some day when she lets the cauldron boil over and flood the world.

Badb’s name has been translated as either “crow” or “boiling,” both of which fit her mythology. Variations of her name include Badhbh, Bave, Baobh, Badhbh Chaointe (“weeping raven”), and Badb Catha (“battle crow”), and she was known in Gaul as Cathubodua, Cathubodva, Catubodua, or Cauth Bodva.

Domnu is the Celtic Goddess of the Fomorii. She was to them what the Goddess Danu was to the Tuatha de Danaan, who followed the Fomorii in controlling the land that would become Ireland. The Fomorii were often called “children of Domnu,” and were said to have come from the depths of the sea. Domnu’s name means “the deep.”

Arduinna is the Gaulish Goddess of the forest. The region of Western Europe known as the Ardennes shares her name, and was where her worship originated. Arduinna rode a wild boar through the forests, exacting a fine for animals killed there. When the Romans came to Gaul, she was associated with Diana, another forest Goddess. Arduinna’s name, which means “height,” is also seen as Ardwinna, Ardbinna, and Dea Arduinna.

The first year of her marriage was happy for Branwen, and she gave birth to a son, Gwern. However, things went downhill from there, and Branwen became more a slave than a queen. She taught a starling to speak and sent it across the sea to Bran. Bran immediately assembled an army and set sail for Ireland, taking Efnisien along. Matholwch tried to settle the disagreement with Bran amicably, but hot-tempered Efnisien broke the peace by casting the young Gwern into a fire. War erupted, and the Irish had the upper hand, because they had the cauldron that would resuscitate their warriors. Efnisien redeemed himself by throwing himself into the cauldron and breaking it, turning the tide for the Welsh. By the end of the war, all of the Irish except for five pregnant women had been killed. Of the Welsh, only Branwen and seven men remained. Bran had been fatally wounded, and he instructed his men to cut off his head, which stayed alive, and take it back to Wales. When Branwen and the men landed at Aber Alaw in Wales, she lamented over the destruction that had taken place because of her marriage, and she died of a broken heart.

Branwen’s grave, Bedd Branwen, can still be seen, marked with a standing stone. Excavations found that had indeed been burials there in the early Bronze Age. Branwen’s name, which means “blessed raven,” is also seen as Brangwaine.

Ilazki is the Basque Goddess of the moon. She is the daughter to Lur, the Goddess of the earth, and sister of Eguzki, Goddess of the sun. As the light of the night, Ilazki was believed to give light to the souls of the dead, and graves often had pictures of the moon on them. It was believed to be most favorable to die when the moon was in its first phase, so that the soul of the deceased would grow as the moon did. Ilazki’s name, which means “light of the dead,” is also seen as Illazki, Ilargi-Amandre (Lady Mother Moon), Ilargi, Ilargia, Illargui, Ile, Iretargi, Iretargui, Iratargi, Idargi, Argizagi, and Goikoa.