Danu

Watercolour on papyrus, 12 x 16 Inches), 2023

Danu (also known as Dana, Ana, Anu, and Annan), the Primordial Celtic Goddess of Nature and fertility was one of the most ancient and revered goddesses in Ireland and Wales.  Danu is often depicted as a powerful and revered figure and is associated with fertility, the natural world, and magic. She was believed to have been the mother of all Irish gods and that she endowed them with supernatural power and ability.  The goddess Danu was also believed to be the mother of the Tuatha Dé Danann, or the “tribe of Danu'', a group of supernatural or “fairy'' people who were skilled in magic and the arts.

Behind Danu is an English Whitebeam (Sorbus Anglica), a shrub or small tree found in several widely scattered sites in south-west England, Wales, and around Killarney in south-west Ireland.  English Whitebeam has most recently been assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2016 and is listed as Near Threatened.