Gaulish Gods and Goddesses

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Gaulish Gods

 

 

Belenus (also Bel)

The god of light and the sun, also known as the Shining One. 
The most extensively worshipped Celtic god, he has particular authority for the welfare of sheep and cattle.
The Feast of Beltane means 'Fire of Bel'; he was later connected with the Greek god, Apollo.

 


Cernannos
 
God of life, fertility,animals, wealth and the underworld. Often shown as stag with antlers and a purse full of coins.
He was born at winter solstice, marries  the goddess of the moon at Beltane and dies at the summer solstice. Worshipped all over Gaul, Cernannos is identified as Herne, the hunter in Britain.  
With the Goddess of the moon, he jointly rules over the cycles of life, death and reincarnation.

 


Ogmios
 
God of scholars and eloquence.
Known in Ireland as Ogma. 
Ogmios is a hero god who invented the runic language of the Druids, the Ogham Staves. 
He is often shown as a bald old man, dressed in a lions skin. 
He is said to have gold chains hanging from his tongue, which are attached to the ears of his followers to give them wisdom.

 


Succuless
 
The Guardian of forests and the god of agriculture.  He also ferries the dead to the afterlife. 
Succuless is often portrayed with a huge hammer and has a dog by his side...  in this aspect he links with the Norse god, Thor and the Egyptian god, Anubis. 
His consort is Nansovelta,  whose symbol is a raven, thus giving connections to the Irish Morrigan.

 


Teranis
 
Whose name means "the thunderer". 
His symbol is the wheel,  representing the wheel of life and the lightning flash. 
Teranis is also identified as the Roman god, Jupiter and the Norse god, Thor.

 


Teutates
 
A God of war, fertility and wealth.
His name means "the God of the tribe" He was greatly worshipped when Human sacrifices were made.
Teutates was the Counterpart of the Roman god, Mars.

Gaulish Goddesses

 


Belisama

The goddess of light and fire, forging and craft; she is the wife of Belenus. 
She relates to the Roman goddess, Minerva.

 


Epona
 
Celtic-Roman goddess of healing, fertility and animals
Epona accompanies the soul on its final journey, beyond death.
She began as a Celtic horse godess, whose center of worship was in Gaul.
Her association with the horse made her a patron goddess of domestic animals, especially dogs and birds; through her function of protecting and nurturing them, she also became a goddess of healing and fertility.
Epona is usually depicted on horseback, often surrounded by horses, fruit, ears of corn and a cornucopia, or horn of plenty, which is her symbol.
 
The Celts also associated Epona with sacred waters and many of her shrines were situated close to thermal springs.
Perhaps for this reason, she sometimes appears naked, like a water nymph, and was occasionally seen as a patron goddess of springs, streams and rivers.
 
When the Romans conquered Gaul, they instantly took to Epona and the cavalry adopted her as their patroness.
They built shrines to her in their stables, which they decorated with roses.
 
Epona was the only Celtic goddess to be given her own temple in Rome, and even her own festival (on December 18th).
Through the Roman army, the worship of Epona spread across the Roman Empire and survived its fall.
She was worshipped right through until the 12th century.

 


Rosmerta

Goddess of fertility and wealth.
Her stick with two snakes, links her to Mercury, to whom she was supposed to be married. 
The cornucopia (another of her symbols) identifies her as a fertility goddess and thus connects her with Epona.

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