Aengus

Aengus was a god of Celtic folklore and also an Ascended Master. Aengus appears in Celtic folklore and is also known as Oengus and as Maccan Og (the young boy or son). He was born of the gods The Dagda and Boann and appears in five myths of the Irish Texts and was said to have lived by the River Boyne at Newgrange. In Scottish Myths he was the husband of Brigid and the son of the Fairy Queen of Winter, Beira.

Aengus’s physical description is depicted in Scottish folklore...

"Then Angus mounted his white steed and rode eastward...He was clad in raiment of shining gold, and from his shoulders hung his royal robe of crimson which the wind uplifted and spread out in gleaming splendour athwart the sky."

A bard composed the following song about Angus:

Angus hath come - the young the fair,

The blue-eyed god with golden hair - The god who to the world doth bring,

Other depictions of Aengus describe him as a horseman, a sailor, an expert in arms and that he was mighty and stern.

Moraltach or the Great Fury was his sword and it was given to him by Manannan Mac Lir. Along with a sword called Beagaltach or the little fury and two spears of power (Gae Buide and Gae Derg) he gave his sword to his foster son Diamund Ua Duibhne.

Scottish folklore tells of a golden harp which had silver strings and when it was played maidens and youths would follow the music through the woods.

When Aengus kisses his lovers the kisses become invisible birds that would follow his lovers home, singing love songs and whispering memories in their ears. One tale tells of him turning his kisses into four birds who followed Cairbre around mocking him everyday before the sun rose. The Druids enchant a tree with a song causing it to grow higher than all trees and stop the birds.

Scottish folklore says Aengus was the fairest son of the Beira who rule over winter, He had a dream of Brigid which compelled him to search for her. The Fairy Queen had envied Brigid’s beauty and held her prisoner. The Fairy Queen forced Brigid to do impossible tasks. Aengus searches on his white horse by borrowing three days from August so he can search for her. He finds her in the underground palace as spring begins. When they meet it is Imbolc and life returns to the land, flowers begin to show and the grass starts to grow. Brigid’s ragged clothes turn into shimmering white robes and her hair is dressed with flowers.

Aengus marries Brigid, however they are interrupted by Beira who chases them on her black horse with storm clouds. Biera returns to the Well of Youth as she has become old and weak. She falls asleep and Aengus a Brigid become the King and Queen of the summer.

Irish folklore Aengus’ tale begins with an affair between The Dagda and the goddess of the river, Boann. The Dagda has the sun be still so Aengus is conceived, gestated and born all in one day to hide the pregnancy.

When Aengus becomes an adult he evicts The Dagda from Bru Na Boinne (in the Boyne Valley where Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth are) The Dagda has divided his land between his other children, however there is nothing left for Aengus. Aengus asks the Dagda if he can live in Bru na Boinne for a day and a night. A day and a night is also the same as all time in the Celtic language. In this way Aengus takes Bry na Boinne from the Dagda forever.. In another version of this tale the Dagda helps his son to take Bru na Boine with the same trick from Elcmar.

My favourite tale of Aengus is when he falls in love with a girl he dreams about. His mother, Boann (goddess of the River Boyne), a cow goddess (her milk formed the Milky Way), the Dagda and King Bodb Derg of Munster all search for her. This takes a few years before King Bodb Derg finds her.

Aengus goes to the Dragon’s Mouth lake and finds Caer Ibormeith amongst 150 girls who are in chains. All the girls are turned into swans for a year every second Samhain. If Aengus can tell which swan is Caer then he is told can marry her. Aengus turns himself into a swan so he can be with her. They both fly away together and their song can put all those who hear it to sleep for three days and nights.

Aengus’ place in the Celtic pantheon is a deity of love, poetry and youth. He was crafty, charming and inspiring. He was also called the “young one” and was said to be very handsome.