BLOG TOUR ~ ALL'S FAIR IN VANITIES WAR, BY ELIZABETH MARX

Welcome to today's stop on the All's Fair in Vanities War blog tour.  I have a guest post from author Elizabeth Marx, followed by a giveaway of the book, along with bookmarks. Enjoy!

Top Ten Celtic Gods

1. Ankou is the death omen. He is a tall haggard looking figure with long white hair or a skeleton with a revolving head that sees all. He collects the souls of the dead and puts them into his spectral cart that two ghostly figures pull on foot.


2. Belenus is one of the most widely worshiped Celtic deities. The great fire festival of Beltane on May 1st is to commemorate him, and cattle are walked through pyres to cleanse and protect them before put out to pasture for the summer. His name means bright, brilliant, or shining one. Belenus or Bel is not a sun god; there is no evidence of sun worship of any kind among the Celts, where the day began at sunset.
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3. Cernunnos is known as the stag lord or the great horned one. Because he is half-man half-stag he is usually portrayed seated and crossed-legged and surrounded by other animals, especially the snake. There are no snakes in Ireland because Cernunnos took them from Ireland and uses them at his will. He carries the snake in one hand representing knowledge and in the other the torque, the symbol of Celtic nobility in the other. He says things like, “I am the fair among the flowers.”


4. Dis Pater is the god of the underworld and would be the modern equivalent to our devil. Although in ancient to be the guardian of the underground meant you were quite wealthy as that was where gems and resources where buried.


5. Genii Cucullati are called the hooded ones because all you can see of their faces are their blue-black eyes and jagged teeth. They are flesh eaters whose black tongues emit the scent of rotting meat. They speak in a language older than Gaelic and are usually depicted as a triad of either males or females.


6. Intarabus is a god depicted as a beardless man with long hair draped with a wolf skin. His name means between two rivers.


7. Lugus or Lugh is the god of creation and learning. His name means to swear an oath and he is the god who defeated Balor the Evil Eye. He is known as a great leader of men and fearless.


8. Luxovius is the god of a city’s water. He is the deity of light and curative waters two elements that are linked in Celtic mythology. He is often depicted as a water wheel.


9. Oengus is the divine son and the god of youth, an eternally youthful spirit found at Newgrange. He is usually portrayed as a lover and a trickster.


10. Sucellus is the god of love and time. He was powerful and widely worshiped throughout the Celtic world. He reigned over agriculture and alcoholic drinks, and is often depicted with a mallet and libation saucer indicative of his power to protect and provide. He is often shown with a cask of wine symbolizing his serving at OtherWorldly feasts.

(My apologies to Ms. Marx, who had provided pictures to accompany the descriptions. My internet and computer have had major issues, and I was unable to attach the pictures.)

GIVEAWAY

The author is giving two winners an ecopy of her book. All you have to do is comment below. I will use random.org to select two winners. She has also provided bookmarks to give away. I will also use random.org to select five winners for the bookmarks. Please be sure to leave an email address.

 GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY

The guidelines for the grand prize are as follows:

A $50 Amazon giftcard is up for grabs. To enter:

You must "LIKE" The Seer's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/TheSeers7DeadlyFairyTales), then post one of her best lines from All's Fair in Vanities War on the wall.

You can find all of the stops by going here.