Celtic Mythology and Religion

90 CELTIC MYTHOLOGY AND RELIGION.
god of the deep sea, figured on a bronze plaque
as a Triton or Neptune borne by sea-horses and
surrounded by a laughing crowd of Nereids. This
deity is identified with the legendary Nudd, known
in Welsh fiction only as the father of famous sons
and in Irish story as King Nuada of the Silver Hand,
who fought the two battles of Moytura, and fell
in the second before " Balor of the Evil Eye," the
King of the Fomorians.
Passing, however, to the Welsh legends and myths
preserved in the " Ancient Books of Wales " and
in the prose " Mabinogion," we can easily eliminate
three principal families of deities, the children of
" Don," of *' Nudd," and of " Lir." Of these the
first
are purely Welsh, the second—the children of
Nudd—have Irish equivalents both in name and
office, while the children of Lir belong equally to
both nations. The family of Don is evidently
connected with the sky and its changes. He has
given his name in Welsh to the constellation of
Cassiopeia, called Llys Don, the court of Don.
The
milky way is named after his son, Gwydion, Caer
Gwydion, the city of Gwydion ; and his daughter
Arianrhod, " silver-circled," inhabits the bright
circle of stars which is called the Northern Crown.
With the name Don may be compared that of the
father of the Irish hero Diarmat, son of Donn.
Gwydion is the greatest of enchanters—a prince of
the powers of the air. He can change the forms
of trees, men, and animals, and along with " Math,