Calas

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Welsh

Meaning: “Solidity.”

Pronunciation: (CAH-lass)

Nicknames: Cal, Cala, Cali

Calas comes from the same root as caled, Welsh for “hard,” and means “solidity.”

As an element, calas is the source of form, differentiation, manifestation, and stability. Its image in nature is stone.

Druid Revival lore contains a set of three elements that first appears in Iolo Morganwg’s writings. Whether it’s an invention of Iolo’s or a surviving scrap of some older teaching is anyone’s guess, but the three elements have been part of Druid Revival teaching ever since his time. Their names are Nwyfre, Gwyar, and Calas.

Gwyar

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Welsh

Meaning: “Blood; flow, fluidity.”

Pronunciation: (GOO-yar)

Nicknames: Yari, Gw

Gwyar literally means “blood” in old Welsh, but its more general meaning is “flow” or “fluidity.”

As an element, gwyar is the source of change, motion, growth, and decay. Its image in nature is running water.

Druid Revival lore contains a set of three elements that first appears in Iolo Morganwg’s writings. Whether it’s an invention of Iolo’s or a surviving scrap of some older teaching is anyone’s guess, but the three elements have been part of Druid Revival teaching ever since his time. Their names are Nwyfre, Gwyar, and Calas.

Nwyvre

swiftly runs the Sun in the sky

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Welsh

Meaning: “Sky; energy.”

Pronunciation: (NOOiv-ruh)

Nicknames: Nw, Noo

Detail: Variation of Nwyfre. Nwyfre appears to be connected to the somewhat familiar Middle Welsh word nwyf meaning “energy” or “vigour”.

Nwyfre itself is demonstrated as a poetic word in various medieval Welsh manuscripts, where it means “sky” or “heaven” or “firmament”, and figuratively the “ether”.

As an element, nwyfre is the source of life and consciousness, and modern Druids often refer to it simply as the life force. Its image in nature is blue sky.

Druid Revival lore contains a set of three elements that first appears in Iolo Morganwg’s writings. Whether it’s an invention of Iolo’s or a surviving scrap of some older teaching is anyone’s guess, but the three elements have been part of Druid Revival teaching ever since his time. Their names are Nwyfre, Gwyar, and Calas.

In the Book of Taliesin:

Welsh: “atwyn heul yn ehwybyr yn nwyfre”

English: “swiftly runs the Sun in the sky”

Peolive

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Norwegian

Meaning: “Descended from stone.”

Pronunciation: (peh-oo-LEE-veh)

Nicknames: Liv, Livi, Pilvi, Pelle, Ole, Olive

Detail: Combination of per, from the Greek petros “stone, rock”, and oliv, form of Olaf, from the Old Norse AnulaiƀaR meaning “ancestor’s descendent”

Wolfgang

Gender: Masculine

Origin: Germanic

Meaning: “Wolf path.”

Pronunciation: Eng (WUWLF-gang); Ger (VAWLF-gahng)

Nicknames: Wolf

Detail: Derived from the Germanic elements wulf meaning “wolf” and gang “path”. Famous bearer of this name was Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Oxana

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Greek

Meaning: “Hospitality.”

Pronunciation: (ahks-AH-nah)

Nicknames: Ox, Oxi, Oka, Xana, Xani

Ukrainian form of the Greek Xenia, meaning “hospitality “.

Xenia was a 5^th century saint.

Female Variations:

• Aksinya (Russian)
• Ksenia (Polish)
• Ksenija (Slovene, Croatian)
• Oksana (Ukrainian, Russian)
• Oxana (Ukrainian, Russian)
• Senja (Finnish)
• Xena (Modern)
• Xene (Greek)
• Xenia (Greek)
• Zena (English)
• Zenia (English)

Uther

Gender: Masculine

Origin: Celtic

Meaning: “the terrible.”

Pronunciation: (OO-thur)

Nicknames: Utho

Detail: Possibly of Celtic origin and means “the terrible”.

In Celtic mythology, Uther Pendragon is Arthur‘s father in the Arthurian ledgends.

Annevieve

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Hebrew / Gaulish

Meaning: “Graceful woman.”

Pronunciation: (AN-uh-veev)

Nicknames: Anne, Vivi, Neve, Nevi

Details: Combination of Anne names and Genevieve. Anne being derived from the Hebrew name Channah which meant “favour” or “grace”; and Genevieve from Genovefa, a Gaulish name possibly meaning “tribe woman”.

Fenrir

Gender: Masculine

Origin: Old Norse

Pronunciation: (FEHN-rir)

Nicknames: Fen, Fenno

Detail: The meaning Fenrir is disputed on is thought to be the Old Norse “fen-dweller”. Another idea is the short form of Fenrisúlfr. Which means “Fenris-wolf”, derived from the name Fenris combined with Old Norse úlfr “wolf.” The etymology of the name Fenris is uncertain; it is thought that it is derived from Old Norse fen “moor, marsh, swamp” and Old Norse hris “brushwood, shrub.”

In Norse mythology, Fenrir is a monstrous wolf and is foretold to kill the god Odin during the events of Ragnarök (the end of the world).

J. K. Rowling also uses the name for one of her werewolf characters, Fenrir Greyback, in the popular Harry Potter series.

Draco

Gender: Masculine

Origin: Greek

Meaning: “Dragon, serpent.”

Pronunciation: (DRAY-koh)

Nicknames: Dra

Detail: From the Greek name Drakon which meant “dragon, serpent”.

In the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, Draco Malfoy is a popular character.

This was the name of a 7th-century BC Athenian legislator.

This is also the name of a constellation in the northern sky.

Vlada

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Slavic

Meaning: “Rule.”

Pronunciation: (VLAH-duh)

Details: Old short form of Slavic names beginning with the element volod meaning “rule”.

Vlad Dracula, a 15th-century prince of Wallachia, was Bram Stoker’s inspiration for the name of his vampire, Count Dracula.

Olga

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Norse

Meaning: “Holy, blessed.”

Pronunciation: (OL-gah); (AWL-gah)

Nicknames: Oli, Ola, Olgi, Olya

Details: Russian form of Helga. From the from Old Norse name Helgi, derived from heilagr meaning “holy, blessed”.

The 10th-century Saint Olga was the wife of Igor I.

Opaline

Gender: Feminine

Origin: Sanskrit

Meaning: “Jewel, gem.”

Pronunciation: (OH-puh-leen); (OH-puh-line)

Nicknames: Opal, Opie

Detail: The word derives from Sanskrit upala meaning “jewel”, which also gave the Greek opallios, the Latin opalus, and the English opal.

The opal is an iridescent gemstone, popular for many centuries. It is the birthstone of October.