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Palu

Palu Info

by

Diane Neisius

The Goddess Palu is somewhat hard to 'grab' because there is not much proof about Her. Medieval texts from Ireland describe a Goddess Cairbre Cinn-Cait who has a cat's head or a cat monster Cath Palug [1]. From Roman times in South Wales bricks with cat gods on it are known. In this area the tribe of the 'Silures' had lived before the Roman occupation.
The name 'Palu' probably roots in the celtic word 'palugh' which means 'scratching, chomping, digging'. Readers who live with a cat may well imagine it as a good name for a Celtic Cat Goddess. :)
In more modern times one of the founders of the Fellowship of Isis, Lady Olivia Robertson, had a vision of Palu around the year 2000. The Goddess drew attention to herself and asked to be worshipped again. Olivia reported about at one of the annual meetings at that time.
Soon after the author of this text found the stone visible on the photo above when she did a walk in a forest near Remscheid (Germany). Some rock had broken down near the path and scattered a lot of smaller stones on it. One of the stones had a remarkable silouette of a sitting cat, two tips like ears and a rounded back like a sitting cat has one. Stripes of geological origin reminded to the pattern on a cat's fur.
Moreover, the base of the stone was almost perfect flat so the stone could stand upright, as rough as its shape may be. Was also sort of nice little menhir.
All in all a nice representation of a Celtic Goddess, and so it found its way towards the altar of the author. Since then it was dedicated to Palu and is invoked at the festivals of the celtic calendar.
Spiritual quality of Palu normally is gentle but if something is not right for Her she can also 'show her claws'.

References

[1] Olding, Frank: The Gods of Gwent: Iron age and Romano-British deities in south-east Wales. Paper, published 2023.