In Scottish paganism,  Nicnevin is a transformative goddess of witchcraft/witches, necromancy, death, water, and the Queen of the Unseelie Court of the Fae in Alba, Scotland. Her most sacred day of the year is the Celtic sabbath, Samhainn(one of the many Scottish Gaels spellings), and because of this as well as her many associations across the Scottish high and
lowlands, her ability to transform into an older âhag witchâ or a younger, more beautiful woman, and her position as Queen of the Unseelie Court in Alba she is no Goddess to be reckoned with and alludes much mystery.
  So what is a pagan/paganism and, more specifically, what is Scottish paganism and who are the Scottish Pagans? Well, the modern definition of a pagan is someone who doesnât hold religious beliefs that adhere to the main world religions. However, in the past, it was used as a derogatory term to describe people that lived in a more rural or uncivilized way as well as those who were not Christian. Paganism is thus the practice of these people and is usually tied with the earth, polytheism, and religious practices that do not fit into
the mold of society. So, with those things in mind, Scottish pagans were and are people of Celtic blood who practice hard polytheism, animism, will usually hold a belief in the three realms(Land, Sea, and Sky), honor their ancestors and be in tune with their surroundings/nature. Scottish paganism is also more geographically specific seeing as the land itself is viewed as a representation and or home for the Gods, Goddesses, Sidth. Each clan/area of Scotland also had/have their own take on the Gods as well as their own way they practice(d) their religious systems. Though, despite the differences between the different areas of the country, the overall basic mythos, ethics, and ideologies were and are the same.
  Now, traditionally, Nicnevinâs sacred day of Samhainn(October 31/November 1st) is the last harvest of the Celtic cycle and a time to witness the end of summer and honor the darkening of the year. This day is also heavily stooped in supernatural antics, such as honoring the beloved dead/ancestors, the lowering of the veil that separates our world and the next, and the roaming of
spirits/fae who enjoy messing with anyone they choose. Nicnevinâs part to play in all of this is that of the role of a gate opener if you will, guiding her host of Unseelie fae and spirits into our world to revel in acts of chaos.
  As for her associations across Scotland, there are two main ones I shall focus on; The Cailleach from Scotland as a whole and Gyre-Carline, which is used in the lowlands. The Cailleach is a Scottish Hag Goddess who, like Nicnevin, can appear in an elderly like form or that of a younger woman and is almost unfathomable as she is one who creates, destroys, and divines. She is also associated with the darker part of the year and is said to form landscapes by
dropping boulders and stones from her apron. Another connection that can be made between Nicnevin and the Cailleach is that âNicâ means daughter of and âNevinâ mirroring the tallest mountain of Scotland, Ben Nevis, which is the seat of the Cailleach. So, perhaps Nicnevin is the daughter of the Cailleach or they may be one in the same and Nicnevin being one of the many names for the Crone goddess figure across Scotland. The Cailleach herself is also a tip of the hat to the value of wisdom and the elder years of our mortal lives and how much can be appreciated of those times. On the other hand, she is also associated with the Gyre-Carline. The Gyre-Carline is an ogress whose name, like Nicnevinâs, is used to refer to witches of elderly age and in places of
power thus linking her to the supernatural(Sir Walter Scott). She is also said to have a liking of good Christian menâs flesh(Dunbar) which is surely something that alludes to the fact that this Goddess is not one to be messed with.
  One last thing Nicnevin presides over is the Unseelie court of the Fae in Alba. In short the Unseelie court of Fae are the darker, merciless, and more mischievous faeries and tend to be avoided, as if anyone who does not hold knowledge of the denizens of the otherworld would want to encounter any of the fae, really. In folklore the fae, as a whole, are creatures of the supernatural like that posses powers beyond our imagination and also like to medal in human affairs. One example would be in the short tale of Tam Lin when Nicnevin or the âQueen of Fairiesâ appears to have the main man captive and tries to keep him from the woman who eventually rescues him from her company.
  Having all of these things in mind, Nicnevin is an otherworldly goddess of much mystery, beauty, wisdom, and power who spreads far and wide across the land of the Scots.
Sources:
âGoddess Nicneven.â Journeying to the Goddess. N.p., 31 Oct. 2012. Web. 02 Nov.
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âCrone Goddess.â Crone Goddess. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
âThe Goddess in the Landscape.â The Goddess in the Landscape. N.p., n.d. Web.
02 Nov. 2015.
âTregenda of the Old Goddess, Spirits, and Witches.â Tregenda of the Old
Goddess, Spirits, and Witches. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
âNaming the Goddess.â Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
Nicnevin Article; Sarah Anne Lawless
Caillech section; The Womenâs Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, Barbara G. Walker
Druid Thoughts: Pagan Portals Article - Loop of Brighid: Bride, the Cailleach and Nicnevin by
Christopher Scott Thompson
Nicnevin chapter in âNaming the Goddessâ - Pamela Norrrie
âHome.â Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
âGaol Naofa | Gaelic Polytheism.â Gaol Naofa | Gaelic Polytheism. N.p., n.d. Web.
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