The Irish Celtic Goddess Flidais, like the Greek
Goddess Artemis, is a goddess of the forests, woodlands, hunting
and wild things; ruler of wild beasts. Flidais is not only the
huntress of wild animals, she is also their protector. She is
known as mistress of stags; she has a chariot drawn by otherworldly
deer. It is also said that Flidais is a shape-shifter, a powerful
sexual figure, a healer of the sick, a provider, and a caretaker;
She is Foltchaoin, the soft-haired.
Flidais had bountiful cattle herds, with which she
provided food for the hungry. She also possessed a magical hornless
cow, Maol, the hornless, that could feed up to 300 people a day,
with her milk.
Flidais is variously referenced as having multiple
husbands, and as casting seductive eyes on a man who was not her
husband. In one story, she is Flidais the Queen of one of the
tribes of the god-folk (the Tuatha de Danaan), wife of Adammair,
the son of Fer Cuirp. She is said to be the mother of Nia Segamain,
Adammair's son.
Another story states that Flidais is the wife of
Ailill Finn (the fair-haired). But she loved Fergus, son of Rog,
because of the glorious tales about him. Ailill and Fergus battle
and Ailill is slain.Flidais then goes with Fergus, and they are
married. It is also said that Flidais was one of two people capable
of satisfying Fergus sexually by herself. Normally this was a
task for seven normal women.
She had many, many daughters, who were often powerful
warriors and sorceresses: BeChuille, Dianann, Iaran, Caevog, BeTeite,
and Fand, just to name a few. Fand was the wife of Manannan MacLir.
BeChuille and Dianann aided the Tuatha de Danaan against the Fomorians,
in the second Battle of Mag Tuired, by using their sorcery to
create illusions.
There is not a lot of information on Flidais. Her
stories can be found in the Heroic Romances of Ireland, The Driving
of the Cattle of Flidais. I chose the Celtic Goddess Flidais,
not only for the fact that she isn't "well" known, but
mainly for her nature and animal loving aspects. I found many
aspects of Flidais to be like that of my own. Mother, provider,
healer, caretaker, sexual being, protector and lover of nature
and animals, both wild and tamed.
