Aengus

Culture: Irish (Celtic)   Also called: Aengus Óg ("young Aengus"), Mac Óc

Aengus is a god of love, youth and poetic inspiration, son of the Dagda and Boann, whose dwelling at Brú na Bóinne (Newgrange) he is said to have won from his father through a clever legal trick involving "a day and a night," which, phrased that way, meant forever. His love story with Cáer, whom he pursued in swan form, is among Irish myth's most romantic tales.

Associations

Romantic love, youth, poetic and artistic inspiration, cleverness.

Ways people honor him (modern)

• Write or share a love poem or letter
• Approach romance with both sincerity and a little cleverness
• Keep fresh flowers on the altar
• Read the Aislinge Óenguso (the Dream of Aengus) for his courtship of Cáer

Approach any deity with respect and do your own research. Practices vary widely between traditions, and modern devotional practice often goes beyond what survives in ancient sources.