Gods and heroes of the old Celts
Long ago, the Celts told rich tales of gods, heroes and fairy folk, and this word search gathers them. You'll be finding the father-god DAGDA, the warrior goddess MORRIGAN, the bright god LUGH, the goddess BRIGID, and the magical TUATHA Dé Danann, children of the goddess DANU.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the legends change every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a longer-word challenge once the diagonals and backwards words appear on Hard.
Druids, heroes and the fairy folk
Celtic legend is full of magic and adventure, and the words are here. The wise DRUID tends the sacred OAK, the great hero CUCHULAINN and the leader FINN mac Cumhaill fight legendary battles, and the king NUADA and the god AENGUS appear in many a tale. There's the horned god CERNUNNOS, the magic CAULDRON, the shape-shifting SELKIE and POOKA, and the fairy people — the FAE and the SIDHE — along with the festival of SAMHAIN, the crow BRAN, and the magical isle of AVALON.
Stories kept alive by word of mouth
The Celts lived across ancient Ireland, Britain and beyond, and they didn't write their myths down — the wise DRUID priests kept the stories, history and law in their memory and passed them on by heart. Much of what we know was only written centuries later by monks, which is why so many Celtic tales have a dreamlike, ever-changing feel, full of magic mists and shape-shifting. The OAK tree was especially sacred; the very word 'druid' is thought to be linked to it.
These legends still shape the world today. The festival of SAMHAIN, marking summer's end when the doorway to the fairy SIDHE was said to open, is the ancestor of modern Halloween. The shape-shifting SELKIE (a seal that becomes human) and the mischievous POOKA still appear in Irish and Scottish folklore, and the magical isle of AVALON wove its way into the later legends of King Arthur. Spotting heroes like CUCHULAINN and FINN is a great way into a mythology topic — and a reminder of how stories survive when they're loved enough to be retold.
Great for a mythology topic
It's a great fit for a mythology lesson — Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words. Play online, print a PDF pack, or use Make Your Own to build a grid from your own Celtic names.
Frequently asked questions
What's in the Celtic mythology word search?
Gods, heroes and magic of the Celts — the Dagda, Morrigan, Lugh and Brigid, heroes like Cuchulainn and Finn, druids and the sacred oak, plus the fairy folk (the Sidhe and Fae), the Pooka, Selkie and the festival of Samhain. Each puzzle uses a fresh mix.
Which Celtic figures can you find?
Gods like the DAGDA, MORRIGAN, LUGH, BRIGID and DANU, heroes CUCHULAINN and FINN, the wise DRUID and sacred OAK, plus the fairy folk (the SIDHE and FAE), the POOKA, SELKIE and the festival of SAMHAIN.
Is it good for a mythology topic?
Great fit for a mythology lesson. Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words.