Overview: Is Mabon a Celtic sun god or a harvest festival? Is he both or neither? This book takes a deep dive into the myths and origins of this enigmatic and multifaceted deity, bringing his neglected aspects to light while offering ways to work with him today.

From the Wild Hunt to the shores of the Otherworld, from Roman Gaul to southern Scotland, discover the many faces of Mabon.

Verdict: Growing up neither of those suggestions were true to me, in truth. For as I was told to believe, Mabon is not actually a Celtic sun god. Instead, Mabon is a Welsh god and, of course, a harvest festival that celebrates the autumn equinox. While the name Mabon is derived from the Welsh god Mabon ap Modron, he is not directly associated with the sun or the harvest in ancient Welsh tradition.

Anyway, that was my understanding of Mabon growing up, but what this new book Pagan Portals - Mabon: Discovering the Celtic God of Hunting, Healing and Harp by author Kelle BanDea effectively does is deep dive into the Celtic mythology behind Mabon, diligently unearthing the knowledge that has long since been afforded us, yet examining it all now through an academic, and yet wholly practical new lens.

Fleshing out the fabled history of the deity a little more for newcomers, Sophie Swan [Sea Witch Botanicals] says: Mabon (MAH-bon), otherwise known as Mabon ap Modron, is more than just a character in Welsh mythology. His name literally translates to ‘the divine son of a divine mother.’ Furthermore, this Mabon is scarcely mentioned beyond a singular tale in the Mabinogi (often called the Mabinogion), a medieval collection of Welsh prose from the 11th and 14th centuries.

The Mabinogi primarily features tales about mothers or goddesses who are separated from their sons, and their sons, who are destined for great leadership as heroes or kings. Considering this parallel to Mabon’s mythology, it seems quite possible that Mabon had something to do with the naming of the Mabinogi. While these tales likely could have been used in instructing sons of noble lineage on how to conduct themselves as men, it’s clear the stories had existed in the surrounding culture for much longer.

Indeed, Mabon ap Modron may be related to a Gaulish Celtic deity called Maponos, as both the names Mabon and Maponos mean ‘divine son,’ ‘divine youth,’ or ‘great son,’ where Modron simply means mother, or the aforementioned ‘divine mother.’

About the Author - Kelle is a neurodivergent writer of Traveller heritage. A long time pagan, she holds postgraduate degrees in Feminist Theology and Creative Writing, is a trained spiritual celebrant and psychotherapist. She writes a regular column at Feminism and Religion and has been published in various pagan and spiritual magazines. She also writes fantasy fiction under a pseudonym.

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