Many neopagans and modern Goddess worshipers mistakenly equate the triadic nature of some Celtic Goddesses with the Triple Goddess concept first popularized by Robert Graves in his book, The White Goddess. Graves stated that Goddesses were frequently found in triplets as Maiden, Mother and Crone. But there is nothing found in the ancient stories of Celtic Goddesses to indicate that they were known as Maiden, Mother and Crone.
Quite the contrary – though the Celts had a number of both triadic Goddesses and Gods, they did not represent stages of life. Instead these triple deities were seen to represent the mysterious nature of the cosmos. They expressed and ruled over the more mystical aspects and truths of life rather than the mundane and practical ruled over by the deities connected to geographical locations.
Celtic mythology reveals their understanding of the mysterious quality of the universe. They recognized that there is a deeper reality just beyond our everyday physical reality; that there is a limit to human consciousness; ultimately it will encounter the unknown and the unknowable.
In general the Celtic imagination was filled with the number three as a sacred number – the three-fold Celtic spiral know as the Triskel, the Triadic, verse in three parts used to pass on knowledge and wisdom, and the three loops comprising the Celtic knot to name a few.
Three has a special place in many world cultures. Three is the first number that moves beyond the one of individuality and the two of duality. Three takes our minds beyond duality into a unity of otherness. Four brings us back to earth as it represents the four cardinal points. In addition beyond three we are able to divide the numbers into various groups, groups which are part of the duality of life. Therefore three is the number of the great mystery which will be forever beyond human comprehension. In viewing their Goddesses and Gods with three names or three aspects the Celts were alluding to this great unknown from which we come and to which we return.
Brigid, an ancient and important important Celtic Goddess, is the most well-known of the Triple Goddesses. She was worshipped from Ireland all the way to Gaul. According to the 10th century research of Cormac’s Glossary, there existed three Brigids, all sisters. This is in accord with the three aspects of life over which Brigid reigns – as poetess, as smith, and as healer. Her multiplicity does not imply different stages of human life but does imply that She was a master of many arts, arts important to our well-being.
From the first century AD we find the earliest depictions of the Triple Goddess in Celtic art. These are the reliefs of three well- dressed women known as The Matronae, or the Mothers. Some of the figures appear to be married as seen by their head attire and some are not. They represent a Triple Goddess of Abundance as they are all holding flowers, fruit, wheat – the things of human sustenance. They are often given a secondary name beyond Matronae, a name which represents the local goddess of the land or a river.
And there are other sets of important Triple Goddesses. One of these sets deals with the physicality of our lives on earth, another triplicity presides over inspiration and creativity, and yet another deals with life and death.
The first is Anu – Danu – Tailtiu, a Triple Goddess of sustenance and abundance, of movement and change, and of strength and endurance. Though there is much disagreement among Celtic scholars as to whether or not Danu even existed or what Anu’s real name was or if in fact Anu was another name for the Morrigan, still reverence to their wisdom persists today.
The Paps of Anu are a pair of breast-shaped mountains near Killarney, Ireland. They are named after Anu and are topped with nipple-shaped cairns.
The second triad places Brigid, who Herself is a Triple Goddess, within a triplicity. Boann – Brigid – Ceridwen are the Triple Goddess of Creativity, Inspiration and Vision. This Triple Goddess governs our experiences of creative expression as we face life’s challenges.
The Morrigan can be seen as another Triple Goddess which includes Neaim, Badh, and Macha. These 
three aspects of The Morrigan guide us in aspects of fate and sovereignty, death and war, and rebirth. The Morrigan is a very difficult goddess to pin down. The multitude of different names and interpretations of The Morrigan can leave one’s head spinning in confusion. Yet Her place as an important Triple Goddess, expressing the enduring mystery of life and death cannot be denied.
The Celtic propensity for viewing their most mysterious Goddesses in triplicate form indicates a belief that the many comes from the One Source, simultaneously expressing oneness and individuality. The Celt’s Triple Goddesses guide us on our paths through the various aspects of life on Earth, while opening our hearts to the numinous beyond.
Sources: Jones Celtic Encyclopedia, Goddess Isis, The Morrigan,
Judith’s deck of Celtic Goddess Oracle Cards is available now. 
You can order your deck on Judith’s website. Experience the wisdom of the Celtic Goddesses!
Judith Shaw, a graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, has been interested in myth, culture and mystical studies all her life. Not long after graduating from SFAI, while living in Greece, Judith began exploring the Goddess in her artwork. She continues to be inspired by the Goddess in all of Her manifestations. Originally from New Orleans, Judith now makes her home in New Mexico where she paints and sells real estate part-time. She is currently hard at work on a deck of Goddess cards. Give yourself the gift of one of Judith’s prints and paintings, priced from $25 – $3000.
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love it Judith, as always … very resonant with my understandings of the Triplicity, with lots more lovely Goddess stories. I feel a special connection with Boann because of Bru-na-Boinne being the home of the Triple Spiral, which came to me at some point along my journey as I strove to understand and develop the Triple Goddess as Creative Dynamic of the Cosmos. I didn’t know about this triad: Boann – Brigid – Ceridwen. Thank you.
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Glenys, I also feel a special connection with Boann and with Bru-na-Boinne. I began exploring the Celtic Triple Spiral visually long before I started actually researching and studying Celtic mythology. I hope to be able to visit Bru-na-Boinne someday soon and feel its power.
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Birth, Death, and Regeneration. Perhaps the original trinity?
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Carol, Sounds right to me – embodied in The Morrigan and of course the Triple Spiral!
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Beautiful! A non-linear way to contemplate the three and the goddesses! Thank you!
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And love the images, especially the three green shoots arising from the ground of the triangle!
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Thanks Elizabeth – that painting began with my planting of sunflower seeds which sprouted first in small pots in front of my living room window. The sprouts inspired me then to do a small drawing which led to a small painting which led to this large painting all entwined within Sacred Geometry.
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Thank you for pointing out that the Maiden-Mother-Crone triple goddess was invented by Graves in 1948 and is not ancient. Thanks also for for showing us the triplicities of Celtic goddesses who were sometimes sisters. And triple thanks for your wonderful illustrations! Do we all have the triplicities within us? I think perhaps we do.
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Actually she can be seen in echoes in the Arthurian Grail. This does not negate all the other manifestation mentioned. Robert Graves obviously got a lot wrong but as a true poet of her word what his blah blah blah mind of the academic got wrong his inherent understanding of the “White Goddess” he got right… The passing seasons were noticed in the joy of a little girl, the full life of a woman, and the leafless sickle moon wrapped in her blanket of night. No she was celebrated.
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Barbara, I first learned that it was Graves who invented the Maiden-Mother-Crone concept during my research for this article. I have always kind of hated the concept and have really resisted the Crone label. When I learned how it originated then I understood – of course, who but a man who cast an elder woman in such an ugly light….. We do not become Crones – We become Wise Women
I think perhaps you are right about having the triplicities within us – shivers – your thought just gave rise to an amazing image within my mind’s eye – thanks
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I am also glad to read that the Maiden Mother Crone thing is not ancient wisdom as I’ve never liked it either! Judith Shaw, I’m always pleased when I see your name come up at the top of a FAR post because I know I’ll read something interesting.
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senlowes – amazing how much that concept has invaded our consciousness. I think perhaps many people are uncomfortable with it. And thanks so much for reading my posts.
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Sacred Geometry has tremendous depth of meaning as geometry, not just the image of something but what it reminds us of. I was following the outlines of the star flowers at the top of the page here and I noticed how the outline of one petal doubles as the petal of another flower – if that isn’t love, I don’t know what love could be. Thanks so much, Judith, for sharing your work here so generously at FAR.
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Sarah, I love your term for the flowers found within the Flower of Life – “star flowers.” Yes Sacred Geometry is so deep and leads us to a contemplation of the Divine. I heard one time (no idea if this is true or not) that within “the Field” (as described in quantum theory physics) the pattern discovered there that is the first to emerge into physicality is the Seed of Life. It’s all interconnected and like you say what is that if not love. I also have this concept in my mind that gravity, which is still not understood by our science, is in fact love.
Also I am personally so grateful to the FAR community. We might disagree at times but we always come together with love. It is a safe haven for us in these difficult days.
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Yes, Judith. Your final statement is so true. FAR is a safe haven for us in these difficult days.
It’s interesting to me how important it seems to many women that Robert Graves created the Maiden, Mother, Crone triad. Or that Gerarld Gardner came up with Wicca. For me, these facts don’t necessarily undermine the validity of the concepts. They work for me; maybe they don’t work for you. That’s what I love about paganism. There is no catechism.
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Hi Nancy,
So true – no catechism in paganism. We don’t need to be upset with each other for having differing views on things. For me I never really resonated with the Maiden, Mother, Crone concept, though I always thought that it came from the very ancient times. So when I discovered that it had been first popularized by Graves I didn’t feel like such a rebel any longer.
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Judith – a wonderful post. thank you so much for sharing.
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Thanks for stopping by and reading.
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Reblogged this on Unexpectedly Magical and commented:
Very interestin!
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Jessica,
Thanks for sharing
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it’s indeed very interesting to hear but has anyone seen these in action, a lot of people read about it, hear about it, thought about it but have not felt it in person or witness the power I am proudly African and here we have the idols that functions LIVE
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I believe I may be related to Robert Graves (my mother’s maiden name).
I am reading The White Goddess now, I didn’t get from it that he believed the neopagan belief of the triplicity of goddesses reflected stages of life in ancient times, but then again, there is much to analyze in that work and it was during his later years…
I have been trying to connect with my lineage and finally got DNA testing.
I am a quarter Irish.
I am starting to see things more clearly.
Thank you for this article. It is extremely helpful to me at this stage of awakening to my own self and ancestry.
🙏🏻
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Brittany,
It is exciting to connect with the stories of our ancestors and feel the influences of our ancestors from long-ago. I have always been interested in ancient story and myth but only in the past 6 years have I delved deeply into the stories of my own ancestors, the Celts. Enjoy the journey as it is wonderful and enlightening.
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‘Paps’ in Irish refers to breasts that are full of milk, the breasts of a breast-feeding mother. Being near the paps of Anu is an overwhelming experience of love and gratitude for the sustenance and abundance of our precious earth, and an awareness of how I came to be here, through the continuous line of my maternal ancestors.
In Ireland the goddesses are embodied in the landscape and memorialised in the names of geographical features, just as features of landscape are living beings in the ancient Australian aboriginal culture (the oldest continuous culture in the world and one of the few I know something about).
I have read the FAR site for several years now and I do love and appreciate it. I value this community of women, and find it easier to trust your insights than I do with most other published material.
Judith, your work is wonderfully life enhancing.
I have a question for you. How is the goddess Aine (she is also the Faerie Queen of Kerry) connected with Anu or Danu? There should be an acute accent on the A in Aine.
Thank you so much to all.
I assume that anyone can comment. Please excuse me if this is not the case.
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HI Ann,
So sorry for the delay in responding. Your comment got buried in my inbox. And yes all comments are welcome here for sure. Thanks for being part of the FAR community
As to your question – I have not found any sources that connect Aine with Danu or Anu. Though I am certainly not the ultimate authority plus the Celtic myths are such an interlocking, confusing group of stories there might be some connection I’m unaware of. You can read my re-telling of Aine’s story here if you like. https://feminismandreligion.com/2013/07/31/aine-summer-goddess-of-love-light-and-fertility-by-judith-shaw/
You’ll see that she is considered a triadic goddess together with her two sisters, Fenne and Grainne.
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Dear Judith –
Thanks for this post which I have only just found – Covid lockdown has an upside in silence and leisure to look back and reflect.
Have you any information on the location and date of the stone relief of the three women? It’s an image I’ve never come across before – it looks at first as if it might be Roman but the imagery feels alien to their deeply masculine culture.
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Hi Joyce,
Sadly much has been lost concerning many of the Celtic goddesses and traditions. The Romans did graft their stories on top of the Celtic ones already existing so maybe some of the older energy survived in this stone relief.
Here’s a link which discusses the Matres and Matronae that might be helpful – but this author also mentions the scarcity of surviving information.
http://polytheist.com/the-web-of-blessings/2015/08/12/the-matronae-and-matres-breathing-new-life-into-an-old-religion/
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Just what I was looking for. Thank you. I have been studying a lot, having had a deep experience with Danu. I feel in my heart that Danu is the beginning, the entity of beginning, without gender, they disseminated themselves into manifestations of the cosmos, just as you allude to. I suspect that some form of Anu/Dana (life bringing), The Morrigan (death guardian), and Brigid (healing & regeneration), though with many name variations, form the initial feminine energy deities. Clearly others followed. These are just my thoughts, but I am curious as to what you think of them
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