#gaulish religion

[justdreamsandmusic]

[faith-of-the-wheel]

Paxuson Part 1: Introduction and Comparison of Cognates

A god of bidirectionality, of liminanlity, paths, doorways, travelers, wealth, shepherds, animals, and fertility. His name means "protector" and his direct linguistic cognates are Pan and Pushan.

Pan, Lord of the Wilds

Pan is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, rustic music and impromptus, and companion of the nymphs. He is also recognized as the god of fields, groves, wooded glens, and often affiliated with sex; because of this, Pan is connected to fertility and the season of spring. His origin and source of worship was in Arcadia, an isolated mountainous region of the Peloponnese whose culture is . It is believed that Hermes was originally an epithet of Pan who split off early on and becomes a separate deity associated with boundaries, roads, travelers, merchants, thieves, athletes, shepherds, commerce, cunning, and messages.

Both Hermes and Pan have myths putting in them in relation to Apollon. Hermes is characterized as being nurtured by Apollon who acts as a sort of patron to the young god. Pan and Apollon had a famed music competition in the myth of Midas. Given that we have established Apollon as a cognate of Rudlos, lets keep this in mind.

Pushan by OverlySarcasticProductions

Pushan, The Far-Roaming Shepherd

God of meetings, marriages, journeys, roads, fertility, sheep, and cattle. He is called to stir sexual desire in the bride on her wedding day. He is often seen as a solar deity, although this is connected to his shepherd aspect pretty explicitly.

He was a psychopomp, conducting souls to the other world. He protects travelers from bandits and wild beasts, and protects men from being exploited by other men. He is a supportive guide, a "good" god, leading his adherents towards rich pastures and wealth. His chariot is pulled by goats.

While there are multiple versions of the tale, it is commonly said that Rudra knocks out Pushan's teeth at the Daksha yajna, although he doesn't seem to be the target of his rage.

Cernunnos, The Horned Lord

Cernunnos, A Gaulic deity, whose name is probably more accurately rendered as *Karnonos, meaning "Horned Lord". Through the Pillar of the Boatmen, the name "Cernunnos" has been used to identify the members of an iconographic cluster, consisting of depictions of an antlered god (often aged and with crossed legs) associated with torcs, ram-horned (or ram-headed) serpents, symbols of fertility, and wild beasts (especially deer).

Ceisiwr Serith has an excellent dissection of symbols and character in his Youtube video essay, Cernunnos: Looking Every Which Way. Cernunnos has been variously interpreted as a god of fertility, of the underworld, wealth and trade, and of bi-directionality. Cernunnos has been tentatively linked with Conall Cernach, a hero of medieval Irish mythology, and some later depictions of cross-legged and horned figures in medieval art.

Kurunta, The Deer Hunter

His name seems to be cognate with Hittite Kurunta. His sacred animal is the stag, although this was not exclusive to him. He is commonly depicted standing on a stag, and Hittite texts identify the god standing on the stag as the god of the countryside. In Yazilikaya, a tutelary god of nature (likely Kurunta as the god is accompanied by the antler sign) is depicted with only a crook. There are also parallels with Kurunta following behind a storm god, as seen in a sea of Mursili III and a relief from Aleppo. There are also depictions of Kurunta holding a bow and arrows, which outside of due to him being a tutelary god also connects him to hunting. The hunting aspect was also emphasized by Tudhaliya IV.

Pashupati, Shiva of the Animals

Over in India, particularly in the east, another cognate of Rudlos, The mighty Rudra, is widely known by his epithet and avatar, Pashupati, who may be related to Paxuson. The name means "Lord of the Animals". While he may be related to the pre-Indo-Aryan deity depicted on the eponymous Pashupati seal of the Indus Valley Civilization discovered in modern day Pakistan, I believe he may be a reflex, or at least influenced by, the PIE deity in question.

In the Atharvaveda, the fourth Veda and one of the later additions to Vedic literature, Rudra is described to be the lord of the bipeds and the quadrupeds, including creatures that inhabited the earth, woods, the waters, and the skies. His lordship over cattle and other beasts denoted both a benevolent and destructive role; he slew animals that incurred his wrath, but was also kind to those who propitiated him, blessing them with health and prosperity. He is also seen a tutelary deity, of the nation of Nepal in particular.

[jasper-pagan-witch]

Here's a funny story:

Before I worshiped Cernunnos proper, I was fairly certain he was hanging around, but I didn't know if I was ready to work with him on account of...well, his whole thing being incredibly research-intensive.

So what did my ass do? I created secular altars for money magic and death magic. You know, two of the big things that Cernunnos does. Anyway, Cernunnos moved in shortly afterwards, because like...goddamn, man, I was not fucking paying attention.

[hidekomoon]

tagged by @hitmewithlghtning - List 5 topics you can talk on for an hour without preparing any material! thank youuu

We Are Lady Parts

Pre-Raphaelite art

the representation of witches from the Malleus Maleficarum to today

Paramore (both the music and the behind the scenes drama)

The Handmaiden

tagging: @micamicster @gayjomarch @shesnake @elletao @tvmilfs @userparamore

[musingmelsuinesmelancholy]

Healing grace

Resplendent in purity

To me, I ask, turn your face

As you did before

That from malefic embrace

I will be free

In springs glacé

I wash myself clean

It’s hard for me to turn to prayer when something is wrong. Always felt a kind of weakness to me, still does. Embarrassing in a way, to lay myself bare before a divinity. Why would they care? They’d just want me to figure it out on me own. Slowly, I’m learning that’s not true….

Spirituality is not a replacement for medical care. Seeking solace in Her has been one of the few things that’ve actually aided me in emotional distress. Since being assaulted I’ve not felt clean- in body or spirit. I can’t say I feel that way anymore.

[riotcowgrrl]

Penny Lamb as a Gaulish/Celtic polytheist worshipping Sucellos, God of luck. I see the vision.

Penny Lamb as a hellenic polytheist worshipping lady Tyche (goddess of luck) do you see the vision

[thevixenwitch]

Sources for Celtic History and Paganism!

So today I was reading Ancient Fire: An Introduction to Gaulish Celtic Polytheism by Segomâros Widugeni when it struck me just how many of the sources were the type of thing that wouldn't necessarily come up on a regular search, particularly some out-of-print books, a lot of which are actually available on the Internet Archive! I took some time to take note of each listed source, and tried to see if I could find the right place to request them from (in the case of a handful of articles and theses), find PDF links where they did already exist, basically whatever I could! Some books are available to buy, most secondhand, and while most are available on Amazon, I won't be linking those here. I'd encourage anyone shopping to consider an alternative option if they can! Now, I haven't read through all of these, but the moment I found at least one of them seems to be impossible to find, I was reminded of the dangers of dying media. So I wanted to put these together so anyone could use them. Not every resource listed is in English. Anyway, on to the list~

Cernunnos: Looking a Different Way

By Ceisiwr Serith

https://ceisiwrserith.com/therest/Cernunnos/cernunnospaper.htm

Cernunnos Origin and Transformation of A Celtic Divinity

By Phyllis Fray Bober

https://www.scribd.com/document/460345187/cernunnos-origin-and-transformation-of-a-celtic-divinity-phyllis-fray-bober

Basic Celtic Deity Types

by Alexei Kondratiev

https://naomh-na-tursan.livejournal.com/5752.html

Deep Ancestors: Practicing the Religion of the Proto-Indo-Europeans

Book by Ceisiwr Serith

https://www.scribd.com/document/362472999/Deep-Ancestors-Practicing-the-Religion-of-the-Proto-Indo-Europeans

The Gods of the Celts and the Indo-Europeans

Book by Garrett S. Olmsted

https://www.academia.edu/38135817/The_Gods_of_the_Celts_and_the_Indo_Europeans_revised_2019_

Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend

Book by Miranda Aldhouse-Green

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/dictionary-of-celtic-myth-and-legend_miranda-aldhouse-green/543335/#edition=5215209&idiq=16154030

The Book of The Great Queen: The Many Faces of the Morrigan from Ancient Legends to Modern Devotions

Book by Morpheus Ravenna Further

to tongu do dia toinges mo thuath [“Mi a dyngaf dynged it”], &c.

By John Koch

https://www.academia.edu/7242277/Further_to_tongu_do_dia_toinges_mo_thuath_Mi_a_dyngaf_dynged_it_and_c

Goddesses in Celtic Religion Cult and Mythology: A Comparative Study of Ancient Ireland, Britain and Gaul

By Noémie Beck

http://theses.univ-lyon2.fr/documents/lyon2/2009/beck_n#p=0&a=title

The Integration of Mercury and Lugus: Myth and History in Late Iron Age and Early Roman Gaul

By Krista Ovist

https://archives.library.wales/index.php/integration-of-mercury-and-lugus

Lady with a Mead Cup: Ritual, Prophecy, and Lordship in the European Warband from La Tène to the Viking Age

Book by Michael J. Enright

How to Kill a Dragon: Aspects of Indo-European Poetics

Book by Calvert Watkins

https://ia801404.us.archive.org/view_archive.php?archive=/7/items/twain-mark-a-connecticut-yankee-in-king-arthurs-court/1-ptry.zip&file=How%20to%20Kill%20a%20Dragon%20-%20Aspects%20of%20Indo%20European%20Poetics.pdf

The Celtic Gauls: Gods, Rites and Sanctuaries

Book by Jean-Louis Brunaux

The Apple Branch: A Path to Celtic Ritual

Book by Alexei Kondratiev

https://archive.org/details/applebranchpatht0000kond

Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology

Book by James Mackillop

https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofcelt0000mack

The female deities of the Celtic religion: worship and mythology: a comparative study of ancient Ireland, Great Britain and Gaul

By Noémie Beck

https://theses.fr/2009LYO20084

Celtic Curses

Book by Bernard Mees

https://www.academia.edu/1012094/Celtic_Curses_Woodbridge_Boydell_2009

Guide to Irish Mythology

Book by Daragh Smyth

https://archive.org/details/guidetoirishmyth00smyt

The Sacred Isle

Book by Dáithí Ó hÓgáin

https://archive.org/details/sacredislebelief0000ohog

The Matronae and Matres: Breathing New Life into an Old Religion

By River Devora

http://polytheist.com/the-web-of-blessings/2015/08/12/the-matronae-and-matres-breathing-new-life-into-an-old-religion/

Interpretatio Romana and Matronae Iconography

By River Devora

http://polytheist.com/the-web-of-blessings/2015/08/31/interpretatio-romana-and-matronae-iconography/#:~:text=The%20overlay%20of%20interpretatio%20Romana,and%20plaques%20and%20glean%20valuable

Celtic chiefdom, Celtic state: the evolution of complex social systems in prehistoric Europe

By Arnold, Bettina and Gibson, D. Blair

https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/3086499

*butacos, *wossos, *geistlos, *ambactos. Celtic Socioeconomic Organisation in the European Iron Age. Studia Celtica 40, 2006: 23-41

By Raimund Karl

https://www.academia.edu/245239/_butacos_wossos_geistlos_ambactos_Celtic_Socioeconomic_Organisation_in_the_European_Iron_Age_Studia_Celtica_40_2006_23_41

The Ancient Celts

Book by Barry Cunliffe

https://archive.org/details/ancientcelts00cunl_0

Sengoidelc: Old Irish for Beginners

Book by David Stifter

https://archive.org/details/sengoidelcoldiri0000stif

Greek Kελτóς and Γαλάτης, Latin Gallus ‘Gaul’

By Kim McCone

https://spr.harrassowitz-library.com/article/spr/2006/1/6

Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales

Book by Alwyn and Brinley Rees

https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.36494

Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism

By Erynn Rowan Laurie, Kathryn Price NicDhàna, Aedh Rua Ó Mórríghan, Kym Lambert ní Dhoireann and John Machate, ed. by Erynn Rowan Laurie

https://web.archive.org/web/20080418025755/http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usma&c=trads&id=6645

Which witch is which? : a concise guide to Wiccan and Neo-Pagan paths and traditions

Book Compiled and Edited by Patricia Telesco

Sources for the Three Realms

By Annie Loughlin - original source link is dead, need help to locate!

Dictionnaire de la Langue Gauloise

Book by Xavier Delmarre

https://archive.org/details/dictionnairedelal00dela (referred to as “Essential for Gaulish Language study)

The Settling of the Manor of Tara

By R.I. Best

https://www.ucd.ie/tlh/trans/rib.eriu.4.001.t.text.html

The court of law in Iron Age ‚Celtic’ societies. In R. Karl & J. Leskovar (eds.), Interpretierte Eisenzeiten 3. Fallstudien, Methoden, Theorie. Tagungsbeiträge der 3. Linzer Gespräche zur interpretativen Eisenzeitarchäologie. Studien zur Kulturgeschichte von Oberösterreich Folge 22, Linz: Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum 2009: 135-60.

By Raimund Karl

https://www.academia.edu/245221/The_court_of_law_in_Iron_Age_Celtic_societies_In_R_Karl_and_J_Leskovar_eds_Interpretierte_Eisenzeiten_3_Fallstudien_Methoden_Theorie_Tagungsbeitr%C3%A4ge_der_3_Linzer_Gespr%C3%A4che_zur_interpretativen_Eisenzeitarch%C3%A4ologie_Studien_zur_Kulturgeschichte_von_Ober%C3%B6sterreich_Folge_22_Linz_Ober%C3%B6sterreichisches_Landesmuseum_2009_135_60

Matasović Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic

By Ranko Matasović

https://archive.org/details/matasovic-etymological-dictionary-of-proto-celtic

Hammer of the Gods: Anglo-Saxon Paganism in Modern Times Second Edition

Book by Swain Wodening

https://archive.org/details/hammerofgodsangl0000swai

Various Works by Christopher Scott Thompson - recommended re: honor in Gaulish society

https://cateransociety.wordpress.com/books/

A Handbook of the Scottish Gaelic World

Book by Michael Newton and Michael Steven Newton

Celtic Values

By Alexei Kondratiev

http://dagdacelt.freehostia.com/values.html

European paganism : the realities of cult from antiquity to the Middle Ages

By Ken Dowden

https://archive.org/details/europeanpaganism0000dowd

A Definitive Reconstructed Text of the Coligny Calendar

By Garrett Olmsted

https://www.academia.edu/62011364/A_Definitive_Reconstructed_Text_of_the_Coligny_Calendar

New Calendar of Gaulish Polytheism

By Jess via Nemeton Nigromanitcos

https://thebloodybones.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/new-calendar-of-gaulish-polytheism/#more-265

Calendar of Feast-Days of Deities

Via the blog Deo Mercutio

https://deomercurio.wordpress.com/calendar-of-feast-days-of-deities/

Altkeltische Sozialstrukturen

By Raimund Karl

https://homepage.univie.ac.at/Raimund.Karl/Sozialstrukturen.pdf

La Langue Gauloise

Book by Pierre-Yves Lambert

https://www.scribd.com/document/782869557/Lambert-1994-La-langue-gauloise-description-linguistique-commentaire-d-inscriptions-choisies

Death, War, and Sacrifice: Studies in Ideology & Practice

Book by Bruce Lincoln

The Gods of the Celts

Book by Miranda Aldhouse-Green

https://archive.org/details/godsofceltsar00mira

War Goddess The Morrigan And Her Germano Celtic Counterparts

Book by Angelique Gulermovich Epstein

https://archive.org/details/WarGoddessTheMorriganAndHerGermanoCelticCounterparts

Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss/Slaby

- Database of “almost all inscriptions ever recorded”

https://db.edcs.eu/epigr/hinweise/hinweis-en.html

A website on Gallo-Roman religion:

http://www.deomercurio.be/en/

A scholarly website with information on Epona:

https://epona.net/

[mask131]

The gods of Gaul: Introduction, or why it is so hard to find anything

As I announced, I open today a series of post covering what some can call the "Gaulish mythology": the gods and deities of Ancient Gaul. (Personal decision, I will try avoiding using the English adjective "Gaulish" because... I just do not like it. It sounds wrong. In French we have the adjectif "Gaulois" but "Gaulish"... sounds like ghoulish or garrish, no thank you. I'll use "of Gaul", much more poetic)

[EDIT: I have just found out one can use "Gallic" as a legitimate adjective in English and I am so happy because I much prefer this word to "Gaulish", so I'll be using Gallic from now on!]

If you are French, you are bound to have heard of them one way or another. Sure, we got the Greek and Roman gods coming from the South and covering up the land in temples and statues ; and sure we had some Germanic deities walking over the rivers and mountains from the North-East to leave holiday traditions and folk-beliefs... But the oldest gods of France, the true Antiquity of France, was Gaul. And then the Roman Gaul, and that's already where the problems start.

The mythology of Gaul is one of the various branches of the wide group known as Celtic mythology or Celtic gods. When it comes to Celtic deities, the most famous are those of the British Isles, due to being much more preserved (though heavily Christianized) - the gods of Ireland and the Welsh gods are typically the gods every know about when talking about Celtic deities. But there were Celts on the mainland, continental Celts - and Gaul was one of the most important group of continental Celts. So were their gods.

Then... why does nobody know anything about them?

This is what this introduction is about: how hard it actually is to reconstruct the religion of Gaul and understand its gods. Heck we can't ACTUALLY speak of a Gaulish mythology because... we have no myth! We have not preserved any full myth or complete legend from Ancient Gaul. The pantheon of Gaul is the Celtic pantheon we probably know the least about...

Why? A few reasons.

Reason number one, and the most important: We have no record of what the Gauls believed. Or almost none. Because the people of Gaul did not write their religion.

This is the biggest obstacle in the research for the gods of Gaul. It was known that the art of writing was, in the society of Gaul, an elite art that was not for the common folks and used only for very important occasions. The druids were the ones who knew how to read and write, and they kept this prerogative - it was something the upper-class (nobility, rulers) could know, but not always. Writing was considered something powerful, sacred and magical not to be used recklessly or carelessly. As a result, the culture of Gaul was a heavily oral one, and their religion and myths were preserved in an oral fashion. Resulting in a great lack of written sources comng directly from the Gallic tribes... We do have written and engraved fragments, but they are pieces of a puzzle we need to reconstruct. We have votive offerings with prayers and demands inscribed on it - and while they can give us the names of some deities, they don't explain much about them. We have sculptures and visual representations of the deities on pillars and cups and jewels and cauldrons - but they are just visuals and symbols without names. We have calendars - but again, these are just fragments. We have names and images, and we need to make sense out of it all.

To try to find the explanations behind these fragments, comparisons to other Celtic religions and mythologies are of course needed - since they are all branches of a same tree. The same way Germanic mythology can be understood by looking at the Norse one, the same way Etruscan, Greek and Roman mythologies answer each other, the mythology and religion of Gaul has echoes with the Celtic deities of the Isles (though staying quite different from each other). The other comparison needed to put things back into context is reason number 2...

Reason number two: The Romans were there.

Everybody knows that the death of Ancient Gaul was the Roman Empire. Every French student learns the date of Alesia, the battle that symbolized the Roman victory over the Gallic forces. Gaul was conquered by the Romans and became one of the most famous and important provinces of the Roman Empire: it was the Gallo-Roman era.

The Romans were FASCINATED by Gaul. Really. They couldn't stop writing about them, in either admiration or hate. As a result, since we lack direct Gallic sources, most of what we know about Ancient Gaul comes from the Romans. And you can guess why it is a problem. Some records of their religion were written in hatred - after all, they were the barbarian ennemies that Romans were fighting against and needed to dominate. As such, they contain several elements that can be put in doubt (notably numerous references to brutal and violent human sacrifices - real depictions of blood-cults, or exaggeratons and inventions to depict the gods of Gaul as demonic monstrosities?) But even the positive and admirative, or neutral, records are biased because Romans kept comparing the religion of the Gauls to their own, and using the names of Roman deities to designate the gods of Gaul...

Leading to the other big problem when studying the gods of Gaul: the Roman syncretism. The Gallo-Roman era saw a boom in the depictions and representations of the Gallic gods... But in their syncretized form, fused with and assimilated to the Roman gods. As such we have lots of representations and descriptions of the "Jupiter of Gaul", of the "Mercury of Gaul", of the "Gallic Mars" or "Gallic Minerva". But it is extremely hard to identify what was imported Roman elements, what was a pure Gallic element under a Roman name, and what was born of the fusion of Gallic and Roman traditions...

Finally, reason number three: Gaul itself had a very complicated approach to its own gods.

We know there are "pan-gallic" gods, as in gods that were respected and honored by ALL the people of Gaul, forming the cohesion of the nation. But... Gaul wasn't actually a nation. It was very much like the many city-states of Greece: Ancient Gaul was unified by common traditions, a common society, a common religion and a common language... But Gaul was a tribal area divided into tribes, clans and villages, each with their own variations on the laws, each with their own customs and each with their own spin on religion. As a result, while there are a handful of "great gods" common to all the communities of Gaul, there are hundreds and hundreds of local gods that only existed in a specific area or around a specific town ; and given there were also many local twists and spins on the "great gods", it becomes extremely hard to know which divine name is a local deity, a great-common god, a local variation on a deity, or just a common nickname shared by different deities... If you find a local god, it can be indeed a local, unique deity ; or it can be an alternate identity of a shared divine archetype ; or it can be a god we know elsewhere but that goes by a different name here.

To tell you how fragmented Gaul was: Gaul was never a unified nation with one king or ruler. The greatest and largest division you can make identifies three Gauls. Cisalpine Gaul, the Gaul located in Northern Italy, conquered by the Romans in the second century BCE, and thus known as "the Gaul in toga" for being the most Roman of the three. Then there was the "Gaul in breeches" (la Gaule en braies), which borders the Mediterranean sea, spanning between the Alps and the Pyrenean mountains, and which was conquered in the 117 BCE (becoming the province of Narbonne). And finally the "Hairy Gaul", which stayed an independant territory until Cesar conquered it. And the Hairy Gaul itself was divided into three great areas each very different from each other: the Aquitaine Gaul, located south of the Garonne ; the Celtic Gaul located between the Garonne and the Marne (became the Gaul of Lyon after the Roman conquest) ; and finally the Belgian Gaul, located between the Marne and the Rhine. And this all is the largest division you can make, not counting all the smaller clans and tribes in which each area was divided. And all offering just as many local gods or local facets of a god...

And if it wasn't hard enough: given all the sculptures and visuals depictions of the gods of Gaul are very "late" in the context of the history of Gaul... It seems that the gods of Gaul were originally "abstract" or at least not depicted in any concrete form, and that it was only in a late development, shortly before the Roman invasions, that people of Gaul decided to offer engravings and statues to their gods, alternating between humanoid and animal forms.

All of this put together explains why the gods of Gaul are so mysterious today.

[marsprincess889]

@ignisgena

Attempt 2 at tagging you and posting the reading with it(after too many attempts at answering your ask) hope this works.

Edit, after this finally posted: I cannot believe that I could not post because if a single gif... took it out and it posted immediately. Why is tumblr so...

Thank you for participating in my game🤍 and thank you for waiting.

As you chose to keep your chart private but the reading public, I want to avoid mentioning your placements or chart. If you do want more detailed explanations as to why I chose these goddesses, you can message me. Hope this is informative and substantial regardless🤍

Your divine archetype:

👑The wise conqueror_ power of cunning and discrimination🗡🐍

Your Goddesses:

The Morrígan_ Irish Goddess of war, battle, fate, sovereignty and death.

She was said to watch soldiers as a crow, or appear washing the armor of a warrior about to fall.

She inspires terror in the enemy and courage in her followers.

Morrígan is widely considered to be a triple goddess, containing three separates_ Badb, Macha and Nemain within her. The bames and identities of those three vary, depending on which kind of religion(or how old of a religion) is in question, but the above listing might be the most common one.

Without mentioning placements here, there is a strong theme of ruling and dominion in your chart_ your moon(and atmakaraka), your ascendant, your ketu and your rahu conjunct mercury nakshatras are all associated with it. Sovereighnty goddesses are not uncommon in Celtic mythology, but Morrígan in partcular is about conquering and bravery in battle. She's also the goddess who has to get her way, one way or another, and is associated with inevitability.

There's a strory of her with a mighty hero named Chu Chulainn.

She met him while he was defending Ulster from Queen Maeve. She fell in love with him and tried to seduce him before battle, but he refused.

Morrígan then took the form of an eel, tripping him in a fjord. The hero struck her, wounding her briefly.

Next, she transformed into a wolf, driving cattle towards him, but he used his slingshot to blind her in one eye.

After that, Morrígan became a cow, leading a stampede. Chu Chulainn hit her with a stone, breaking her leg and weakening her enough for her to retreat.

After the battle, Chu Chulainn came across an old woman, not noticing she had an injured leg and a blind eye because of his weariness.

She offered him milk, which he took, and blessed the old woman.

Unknowingly, he healed Morrígan's injuries and she regained her strength.

Before his final battle, he was an old woman scrubbing bloodied armor.

When he was mortally wounded, he tied himself to a boulder to intimidate his enemies. A crow landed on him, and he passed away.

As much as your chart has associations with strength, conquering, power and dominion, it's not a particularly direct or overt aggression that is influencing that. The power of subtlety and details is the force that nontheless still grants that power. Moreover, multiple placements in your charts indicate bravery. There's also the house in which your Rahu and Mercury sit(and their nakshatra) that points towards the destiny of a ruler.

A theme that is present in your chart is that of healing, which at first glance might contrast with all that powerful energy, but a ruler needs wisdom to choose subtlety when needed and knowledge to apply it. Your Ketu and Sun placements in particular refer to that.

Sirona_ Gaulish goddess of healing, spring waters, associated with snakes, snake eggs and stars. Sirona's healing power is connected to water and its cleansing properties. She was worshipped among Gallo-Celtic tribes and in Roman Britain. She was also recognized aa goddess of abundance, carrying the horn of plenty in some of her depictions.

She's a goddess with numerous associations and while that makes her similar to vatious other deities, it also makes her distinct and unique. Her cult was primarily centers around springs, baths, healing waters, wells, flowing and reserved water. Her name has a similar meaning to "the great star". Despite this, she was also asociated with the Sun. Either way, the connection to water, serpents, snake eggs and healing is consistent.

Most think that the star she represents is the evening/morning star (Venus).

Cailleach_ Celtic Goddess of the winter, nature's cycles, death and transformation, "the divine hag" who has control over weather. Her name means "old woman" in old Gaelic and it comes from the word Caillech, a word meaning "the veiled one".

Her skin was said to be grey or pale blue, her teeth_ red, wearing clothes adorned with sculls. She was believed to have had a hand in shaping the landscape.

Cailleach's symbols are an owl, a cauldron, a staff. She represents the "winter" stage in the cycle of life, setting the foundation for renewal.

According to a Celtic myth, Cailleach was the one who formed the world. First, she created the vast waters. Then, she shaped the land by throwing stones and boulders from her apron, that's how valleys and mountains came to be. Next she planted the seeds that would grow into various plants and trees. After that she breathed life into animals. Lastly, she formed the humans out of clay and breathed life into them.

This myth makes her associated with the feminine power of creation and destruction, of being the force that's in control of that cycle.

There are a few major and minor placements in your chart that form an overall energy that can be resonant to this goddess. The archetype of the winter goddesses, in general, might be of interest to you.

European winter goddesses were usually represented as scary hag figures who often had association with death, but they also could take the form of a beautiful young woman. That is not necessarily the case with Cailleach, but with Alpine goddesses Berchta(or Perchta) and Holda(or Frau Holle) it is.

They were said to love cleanliness and tidyness, bringing to mind the sometimes strict, sometimes loving grandmother figures.

In case you want an explanation on why I brought up this archetype you can dm me.

I'd advise to look more into these goddesses yourself, as this is just an overview. If you want to research others, you can look into goddesses of rulership, sovereignty, bravery, war, wisdom, healing, transformation and autonomy.

...

This is it, hope you find this accurate

Please, leave a feedback in the asks after reading💕 it does not have to be long at all, just honest, and you can dm me if you have questions, and if you want to.

[flowersandfigtrees]

Epithets, Explained

Introduction

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I’m just making this post to help explain exactly what epithets are, how they’re used, and the different types. I know that for beginners, getting a hold of all the terms used in relation to deity worship and/or work can be tough, and I’ve seen this subject trip people up in the past when they read about certain deities or translations of ancient texts.

For a quick definition, epithets are “an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned”. In relation to epithets of deities, you might also see them called ‘surnames’ and they're basically nicknames or bynames to refer to specific aspects or forms of a deity. Typically, they’re used alongside the actual name of the deity but there’s also plenty of times where only the epithet is used, such as calling Apollo by simply “Phoebus” and not “Phoebus Apollo” or calling Athena by only saying “Pallas”. This happens a lot in texts like the Iliad or the Aeneid where using the full name paired with the epithet every time would eventually end up sounding too repetitive but also, to ancient people, certain epithets would have been easily recognizable on their own and they wouldn’t need to have the actual name given. They can come before or after a deity’s actual name, order doesn’t really matter, it’s just whatever grammar rules you’re following.

Types & Examples

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Generally speaking, there are four main types of epithets used in polytheistic religions: regional, functional, syncretic/fusion, and poetic. And just as a note; most of my religious experience is with Greek, Roman, and Gaulish religions so that’s where I’m gonna be getting most, if not all, of the examples used below.

The categories are, for the most part, arbirtrary but can be helpful when understanding epithets in a general sense when you come across them. Some types overlap with each other, for example, Dionysos Melanaigis (lit. Dionysos of the black goatskin) refers jointly to a functional/cultic role his worship played in a ritual during the Apaturia festival in Athens AND to a story in myth where he wears a black goat skin and comes to the aid of a guy named Melanthus (which is the mythic explanation for why he’s worshipped during Apaturia) but it makes Melanaigis a regional epithet (only used in Athens), a functional cult epithet (was only during rites to him for a specific event) and a mythic epithet (as it refers to a specific mythic event). Similarly, there's examples with Apollo; Delphios Apollo refers to both the form of Apollo specifically in Delphi (regional epithet) AND to Apollo in his function as an oracular deity of prophecy (functional), and Pythian Apollo refers to Apollo around the area where he slayed the mythical Python (so both a reference to myth as well as regional, in this case referring to the area around Delphi) and also functional, since it can refer to his oracular function.

Additionally, epithets can be shared by multiple deities, “Phoebus” was used to refer to both Apollo and Helios, “Antheia” was both the name of a standalone deity as well as an epithet to Hera and Aphrodite, “Bacchus” was an epithet for the Etruscan god Fufluns and to Dionysus and would eventually become to go-to byname for Dionysos in Rome. There are also epithets such as “Aetnaeus” which refers to any number of deities associated with Mount Etna, including Zeus and Hephaestus, and “Eleutherios” which could refer to Dionysos, Zeus, or Eros.

i. Regional Epithets

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The first type is regional or locative/toponymic epithets. These are used when referencing a form of a deity that is unique to a certain place for whatever reason or originated there. Sometimes deities will have unique local forms because of the inevitable variations of religion in any given culture (no religion is or was a monolith) and there may or may not be pseudo-historical/mythical reasons for the specific local variation. But it's pretty much just saying “the form of this deity that resides in Town A” or “the form of this deity representing a specific thing they did at this site”, examples include:

➻ Diana Nemorensis — literally: “Diana of Nemi”, used specifically to refer to her cult at Lake Nemi and was the form of Diana celebrated there during Nemoralia.

➻ Apollo Palatinus and Apollo Delphios — literally: “Apollo on the Palatine” referring to the temple built to him on the Palatine Hill in Rome by Augustus, this form of Apollo was also Augustus’ personal protector. Apollo Delphios was mentioned earlier but it refers to the oracular-centric form of Apollo in Delphi.

➻ Artemis Ephesus — literally: “Artemis of Ephesus”, refers to a form of Artemis unique to the city of Ephesus who had a very different representation to the other forms of Artemis. This manifestation of her was transported to multiple other cities such as Massalia and it was a form that was a sort of mother-goddess.

➻ Zeus & Hephaestus Aetnaeus — literally: “of Mount Etna”, for Zeus it refers to the form of him which has a small shrine and festival there and for Hephaestus, it refers to where he has his workshop.

ii. Functional Epithets

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These epithets are ones that reference a specific (often cultic) function of the god. Many deities have multiple roles or concepts they embody and have domain over, so epithets can be used to zero-in on just the side of a deity relevant to why you’re praying to them or giving offerings. There are also festival-specific epithets which can be used on specific festivals in honor of that aspect of the given deity. Some examples include:

➻ Hercules Olivarius & Hercules Augusti — literally: “Hercules of the Olive Merchants”, referring specifically to his ability to guard the olive industry in Rome and also “Hercules of the Emperor” which was used to refer to the aspect of Hercules that guarded Roman emperors. (Gotta say, if I had to choose, it's Olive-Merchant Hercules every time for me)

➻ Hermes & Apollo Theoxenios — literally: “of the Theoxenia festival” and was the name used to invoke both Hermes and Apollo during that specific festival.

➻ Aphrodite Areia — literally: “Warlike Aphrodite” or “Aphrodite of War”, used to call specifically on Aphrodite’s war function.

➻ Apollo Acestor & Apollo Kataibates — literally: “Apollo the Healer”, was used when calling on Apollo to aid in healing, and Apollo Kataibatês literally meant “Apollo, Protector of Travelers” (also used for for Hermes) and was used by people to thank him for a safe journey or to ask for protection on a journey they were about to take.

➻ Poseidon Isthmia — literally: “Poseidon of the Isthmian Games” which was used only to call on him during this athletic festival.

➻ Ceres Legifera — literally: “Ceres, Keeper of the Laws (of marriage)”, was used to invoke her in marriage processions and during the confarreatio (a type of Roman marriage ritual where the couple eats a cake made with sacred wheat)

iii. Syncretic Epithets

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Another form of epithets are those that serve to equate or combine deities. Oftentimes, foreign deities from one culture may transform into epithets of deities from other cultures or two deities within a single culture might be combined into one. This was especially common with Iron-Age Celtic deities in places that adopted aspects of Roman and Greek religion due to being governed by or just from existing in close proximity to them. Within Greek religion, it was common for more “archaic” or minor deities to become epithets of deities that held more cultural prominence. Some examples include:

➻ Apollo Grannus, Apollo Maponos, & Apollo Belenos — Grannus, Maponos, and Belenos were all standalone deities in Gaulish culture that became associated with Apollo once Roman religious influence spread. Each has their own unique nuance but all seem to be related to Apollo’s healing function

➻ Mars Condatis & Mars Toutatis — Both Condatis and Toutatis are also independently attested Celtic gods and both were interpreted to be a form of Mars. Through some of his Celtic epithets, Mars gained a traditionally uncharacteristic healing function.

➻ Sulis Minerva — Sulis is a Brythonic healing goddess and through her identification with Minerva, enjoyed a pretty large cult in Roman Britain.

➻ Poseidon Erechtheus — a fusion of Poseidon and a mythical king of Athens who was most likely a minor deity at some point. It would go on to be used as a name for Poseidon when in relation to Athens.

➻ Dionysos Zagreus — This is an equation that happened mostly in Orphism and other mystic cults but the earliest evidence suggests that Zagreus was originally a standalone deity or an aspect of Hades which later became an aspect of Dionysos.

➻ Mars Quirinus — Quirinus simultaneously became an epithet to Mars and also maintained an independent presence in Roman religion. It’s partly through his identification with Mars that the latter started to be more warlike as opposed to an agricultural deity.

➻ Pallas Athena — In some tellings, notably in pseudo-Apollodorus’ “Bibliotheca”, this name is the result of Athena taking the name of a Titaness named Pallas, daughter of Triton. Could also be a fusion of Athena and the giant named Pallas.

➻ Serapis/Osorapis/Userhapi — Userhapi and Oserapis are transliterations of the coptic name for Osiris-Apis which became Hellenized as “Serapis” under the Ptolemaic dynasty. It is the result of identifying Apis (a sacred bull turned deity during the Second Dynasty) and the Egyptian god Osiris.

iv. Poetic Epithets

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Poetic (or literary) epithets are, well, epithets just used poetically in ancient literature. They don’t refer to cult or ritual functions and usually either are physical descriptors, compliments, or mythic achievements. It can also include any epithets used to describe mythic standing in relation to other gods, such Ovid calling Aurora “Pallantias” to signify that in his telling, she’s the daughter of the titan Pallas. They can be used in a devotional sense and in a more solely creative one to evoke a certain feeling from the reader and set a scene and they may be referred to as “Homeric epithets” as well since many come from Homeric works. Another function of Homeric epithets can be to help a line of poetry satisfy the line/format requirements of dactylic hexameter. Here's a nifty overview of the grammatical and descriptive purposes for various epithets in the Iliad and Odyssey. If you’ve ever read ancient epic poetry then you’ve encountered loads of poetic epithets, examples including:

➻ Eos Rhododactylos: literally “Rosy-Fingered Eos”, Eos Erigenia: literally “Early-Born Eos”

➻ Aphrodite Philommeides: literally “Laughter-Loving Aphrodite”, Aphrodite Eustephanos: literally “Richly-Crowned Aphrodite”

➻ Artemis Khrysenios: literally “Artemis Who Holds Golden Reins”, Artemis Keladeinos: literally “Strong-Voiced Artemis”

➻ Hermes Argeiphontes: literally “Hermes, Slayer of Argos” (a shepherd he killed in myth), Hermes Kharidotes: literally “Hermes, Giver of Joy”

➻ Hades Polysemantor: literally “Hades, Ruler of Many”, Hades Nekron Soter: literally “Hades, the Savior of the Dead"

Using Epithets

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When it comes to using epithets in your practice, it's largely a personal choice. By no means is it something that you MUST do but, it's also not something that doesn't have a place in modern polytheism. I, for one, tend to find that it can connect my worship to a certain form/aspect of a deity (for instance, Apollo) more quickly or serve to "set the mood" more effectively. I tend to pray to epithets of him for his healing/protective/oracular roles, however, I'm not as personally connected to his musical/artistic roles so on the relatively rare occasions that I find myself wanting to invoke those aspects, using epithets related to that makes me feel closer to them. They can also be used to enhance prayers if you're someone who enjoys having very artistic wording or just wants to glorify the deity you're praying to.

Another way I like to use epithets is to create my own to use in prayers or as a devotional activity. This could mean creating new poetic epithets as compliments to a deity, creating an epithet to invoke them at a local place, or even making an epithet for a role they have in your UPG but do not traditionally have. I usually try to make them in various forms of Ancient Greek, Latin, Gaulish, or in English but you could utilize any language you feel like, it doesn't need to be the language of the ancient culture(s) where the deity was worshipped. And importantly, it doesn't need to perfect. I am certainly not fluent in any form of Ancient Greek or in Latin so it can take a while to get the correct (or even just loosely acceptable) grammatical set-up and lots of comparison with actual ancient epithets. Just for some examples, here's some epithets I've created for various deities:

➻ Dionysos Tautoteus: literally "Dionysus of Identity" but I made it to refer to him as a protector/affirmer of self-identification in relation to sexuality and/or gender.

➻ Eos Dendrokhoria & Eos Anthestephanos: literally "Eos who Dances in the Trees" to refer to when the sunrise is barely visible above the tree line (I usually pray to her at dawn and there's a forest in that direction from my house lol) and the second is literally "Flower-Crowned Eos", just a reference to her being traditionally described as wearing flowers.

➻ Sirona Lindaia: literally "Sirona of the Lake" which I made to use when praying or giving offering to her at lakes, pretty self-explanatory but I also have made a bunch of others for her such as Sirona Nantaia (Sirona of the Stream), Sirona Natrix (Sirona of the Snake), and Sirona Dumnorigana (Sirona, the Queen of the Depths).

Some Useful Resources for Epithets

For most Greek deities, you can find lists of epithets to them online on places such as Theoi.com, within classical texts such as various Homeric Hymns, epics, histories, etc. Theoi is a great site in general, however it can occasionally lack further explanation and context for epithets so if you find that one isn't clarified enough, try searching it up independently.

Wiktionary.com is actually a really great free resource for looking up etymology and the ways different words are/were used in various languages.

For other languages, check things such as epigraphy [for example, CIL databases (Latin) or this EDH CIL database (across the Roman sphere), RIB databases (Roman Britain), IG databases (Greek)], curse tablets, papyri, etymological dictionaries or regular dictionaries. These can be really useful for obvious reasons. For non-Latin Italic languages and ancient Celtic languages, I tend to use etymological/reconstructed dictionaries this for Celtic languages and this for Etruscan. But again, you can make epithets just in the language you already speak, there's no need for them to be in some ancient or reconstructed one. Its literally whatever you want.

This was originally a blogpost of mine on the P&W Amino but has been reformatted for (and reshared) here since amino is heading towards its inevitable end... rip

[audreyscribes]

What are some special qualities that Celtic (Tuatha/Gaulish/Welsh/other religions that fall under such a banner) demigods would have opposed to their Greek/Roman counterparts?

Alright before I go and answer this, I wanna put a DISCLAIMER:  I am not of Celtic descent nor was I raised with Celtic influences or culture in my life. I am only an amateur enjoyer of celtic mythology that I have occasionally picked up and looked at over time. My answers are a reflection of my own knowledge and interpretation for this ask. This will not a representation of the culture or mythology. It will be a very personal opinion. 

Also for intents and purposes, I will be comparing contents and contexts of Celtic mythology against/with Greek/Roman mythology for examples and references. I will also be using the Celtics as the general group name for simplicity sake. I know there is differences according to each religion/aspects so I apologize in advance. I wanna say that this will be my own take on what fictionized Celtic demigods would be like because based on what I could find so far, Celtic demigods don’t really have anything like supernatural powers or anything….well if they’re really demigods; since a lot of Celtic/Welsh mythology was rewritten during the Christianity take over and the Celtic/Welsh deities became ‘mortals’ as kings, queens, or what you could say as Celtic demigods. For example, Cu Chulainn could be considered as a demigod of Lugh? But there is evidence that he is Lugh as an incarnation? That said, neither do any Greek demigods really nor were recorded to have inherent large powers either. So in terms of ‘special qualities’ may be have will be an inspired take or be theorized in the realm of like the PJO books where those demigods do inherent powers according to their godly parents’ domains, while taking in the culture, stories, and mythology from the source and adjusting accordingly. 

Celtic deities and their ‘domains’ aren’t as the same in context as say Greek gods. This is due to the culture and belief that the Celtics have in what was most important to them and how it was important for them. Moreover, the Celtic deities don’t appear as rigid in function as gods, compared to the Greeks and Romans. So in terms of powers and how it applies to the demigod is also different then Greek demigods. 

For example, a lot of deities had some connection or are part of warfare. Like Lugh and Teutates  are all what you could call as Gods of War, but despite Caesar and the Ancient Romans trying to codify them into their own mythology, they could not seamlessly replace them with Mars, unlike Ares. 

This is because Lugh is the god of Justice, War, Kingship, Craftsmen, skills, trade, and harvests; Teutates is the god of the tribe. Lugh is considered a king and it wasn’t unheard for them going out to war on the battlefield than to say ‘command’ most of the time, and Teutates and Lugh were warriors then soldiers, who were also ‘protector of the tribe’. 

So if you were to write a Celtic equivalent to a child of Ares or Athena or any war god, they would be warriors rather than soldiers, that instead of protecting a state or place, they would be protecting their people; therefore they’re more outwardly protective and fight for their beliefs and responsibility for those under their care. 

I think the Cetic demigods have more access to magic then the Greeks/Romans? It feels like the Greeks and Romans demigods don’t really access the magical capabilities unless they’re designated as magical classes, like the children of Hecate or like Medea who is specifically a witch or like Circe. 

I wouldn’t say the Celtic deities can pull of magical miracles out of nowhere, since we gotta give magical training where it's due. Maybe asking for blessings or protections more often than not? Then again, that can be just rituals that are specifically Celtic.

Otherwise, there’s not really much of a difference in terms of abilities? If they’re a demigod child of an attribute god (light, fire, water, etc) they could have the ability of using that attribute. You just have to portray the attributes in the Celtic’s perspective or any other religion/culture. 

Though there is the angle where the Celtic demigods are actually their godly parents as incantations as demonstrated in Cu Chulainn and him being Lugh? If that makes any sense. Like the demigods are both their own person but they are also their parent god at the same time that is both them and also separate? 

And there’s also the aspect of celtic demigods being embolden by their feats and reputations, and that adding to their power. Like unlike Greek gods and demigods having epithets based on aspects, Celtic demigods take their feats and epithets and become them. Like Cu Chullainn’s journey from being born as Setanna and becoming and solidifying himself as Cu Chullainn.

This is probably not the answer you’re looking for but my Celtic mythology knowledge is not that in depth so I can’t pick out the nuances too much.  I can’t really answer it well enough but I tried.

[justdreamsandmusic]

[faith-of-the-wheel]

Rudlós part 2.5: Additional possible cognates

Some other possible reflexes of Rudlos are much harder to prove and provide, in my opinion, little additional detail. They might corroborate previously shown characteristics. Many of these are Celtic(Gaulic) deities who are poorly attested but whose symbology may be more helpful than the very poorly attested, but linguistically relevant, Rudianos/Rudiobus. Many continental Germanic and Celtic deities are represented by kennings and epithets, rather than their 'original' names. As Ceisiwr Serith (2009) suggests in his book about ancient PIE religion, this may have been common for many cultures descended from the PIE language groups; to utter the name of a god was to attract their attention, which was not always desired. And to shower one in descriptive epithets was to prove devotion and knowledge of them in prayer.

Faunus/Silvanus

The name Faunus is generally thought to stem from Proto-Italic *fawe or *fawono (variant *fawōn(jo)), cognate with Umbrian fons(foner) meaning 'merciful'. It may ultimately derive from PIE *bʰh₂u-n ('favourable'), which also reflects Old Irish búan ('good, favourable, firm') and Middle Welsh bun ('maiden, sweetheart').

Another theory(Briquel, 1974, and Sergent, 1991) contends that Faunus is the Latin outcome of PIE *dhau-no- ('the strangler', thus denoting the 'wolf'. Somehow.), a proposition suggested by the fact that the two Luperci ("wolf-men", from Latin lupus, 'wolf') are commonly treated as temporary priests of the god Faunus.

He strongly associated with Pan, and would alter be depicted in a similar manner. However, the oldest depictions do not ascribe bestial features to him at all. It is believed that he was worshiped by traditional Roman farmers in another capacity before he became a nature deity. He was associated directly by the ancient, and at times seemingly identical, Lupercus.

The name Silvānus is a derivation from Latin silva ('forest, wood'). It is cognate with the Latin words silvester ('wild, not cultivated'), silvicola ('inhabiting woodlands') or silvaticus ('of woodlands or scrub'). The earlier etymology of silva is unclear.

He was associated with Mars, who is also sometimes depicted wearing a wolf's pelt, and seeing as Cato refers to him consistently as Mars Silvanus, giving him a warlike, martial aspect, and a solid wolf connection. Silvanus as an aspect of Mars combined with his association with forests and glades, give context to the worship of Silvanus as the giver of the art of forest(read ambush/mobile stealthy) warfare. In particular, the initiation rituals of the Evocati appear to have referenced Silvanus as a protective god of raiding for women and cattle. Some have argued that this could be Etruscan influence but it would line up very well with our already established character of Rudlos as a god of aggressive warfare, wild nature, and the village plundering, cattle/women stealing Koryos/Mannerbund.

Hraste and Vukovic connect Faunus/Silvanus to Rudra/Shiva. To qoute:

" Contemporary history of religion affirms that Roman Faunus and Silvanus represent the same divinity. This article argues for the Indo-European parallel between Faunus/Silvanus and Vedic Rudra/Shiva based on several similarities. They both possess two names that should be interpreted thus: one as wild and savage (Silvanus/Rudra) and the other as favorable and propitious (Faunus/Shiva). The male divinity can appear in both the plural and the singular, or he can have a homonymous female counterpart (Faunus/Fauna/Fauni — Rudra/Rudrání/Rudrás). They have a cult and abode distinct from other gods, closely associated with woods and wilderness. They are in special relation to animals, cattle, in particular. They have common abilities, such as healing all creatures. Their destructive character puts them in relation to the god of war. Poetry is the function of Faunus while Rudra's sons, the Maruts, accompanying Indra on his martial exploits, sing hymns of praise"

Cocidius

Silvanus as been identified in Romano-British religion with a northern Brittonic deity, Cocidius. He was also equated with Mars, in his capacity as a god of war and hunting, and also with Silvanus, as a god of forests, groves and wild fields. He was most likely worshiped by lower-ranked Roman soldiers, as well as by the Britons for whom he was probably a tribal god(a Genius Loci). The name may be related to Brittonic cocco-('red'), suggesting that statues of the god might have been painted red, and connecting him to Celtic reflexes of Rudlos, Rudianos and Rudiobus. His epithet Vernostonus connects him to Alder trees, which are associated with poetry, and the gods Apollon and Odin, and Dyeus Pter.

*U̯ātonos by Senobessus Bolgon

Visucius/Cissonius/U̯ātonos

Delamarre suggests a couple of meanings for Visucius, ranging from ‘Crow’ or ‘Raven’ from *uisuco or *uesākos to ‘who knows’, ‘who foretells’’ or ‘who sees’, possibly derived from *witsu. Olmstead however argues that it could mean ‘the Worthy’, coming from *Wesu. While the etymology is controversial, they all seem to point back towards a Rudlos-cognate. He is likely connected to the 'Gaulish Mercury' whose identity remains complicated but very well could be a transplanted Wodanaz. Senobessus Bolgon, a blog dedicated to Gaulish Polytheism, has a great article on the reconstructed Gaulish U̯ātonos you can read here.

Visucius was connected by by the romans via interpretatio with Mercury, and according to Miranda Green via epigraphy recorded byJan de Vries, with Mars as well. His name and associations could indicate him being a psychopomp and a deity of eloquence, trade, traveling, knowledge, oaths, magic. Mercury was also associated with the god Lugus, who shares all of the above qualities. If Visucius is similar or identical to Lugus, we may be able to assume that he is also similar to Germanic Wotan/Odin. This is likely because of the cultural cross-pollination between eastern Gaulish and continental Germanic tribes.

Not nearly as much is to be said for Cissionius, other than that the name is almost as common as Visucius in Belgic regions.  According to Green, Cissionius also had a doublet goddess by the name of Cissionia, much like how Visucius had one called Visucia. For these reasons, as well as Senobessus Bolgon treats both Visucius and Cissionius as the same deity, as will we. 

Lugh, Cu Chulainn, Oisín and Fionn Mac Cumhaill.

I forgot to add these last time, but I've finally remembered to return to this post. Irish religion, especially the details of its deities, can be very hard to nail down due their euhemerization or christian alteration. However, I think aspects/cognates of Rudlos can most certainly be found in Ireland.

I previously spoken about the connection between Odin, Fenrir, Lugh and Cu Chulainn, in Rudlos Part 2, Comparison of Cognates, under the section about Odin. For ease however, I'm going to paste it below.

"I also think this relates to the myths of Fenrir and Irish Cú Chulainn, who parallel each other in some interesting ways. And keep in mind that Irish religion before christian influence would likely be among the most conservative traditions. Cú Chulainn took over the role of a guard dog as a lad, like Fenrir was taken to Asgard to live among the gods despite the punishment of his siblings. He needed to be submerged in three vats of water to quell his war rage where he was dangerous to friend and foe, and Fenrir was bound three times. When Cú Chulainn is killed, after tying himself to the standing stone/menhir, a figure of sovereignty similar to Tyr, Lugh "of the Long arm" cuts his head off, then the sword falls from Cú Chulainn and cuts Lugh's hand off just as Fenrir bites of Tyr's hand after being bound to a mountain.

Here's the really interesting thing, the myth of Fenrir and Tyr was made around the same time as the Ulfhednar were banned and considered outlaws in the Norse kingdoms. This may also explain why his father is the outlaw/trickster Loki and not the heavily wolf associated god of the Ulfhednar, Oðinn. From this point of view, Fenrir might even be a hypostasis of Oðinn in his berserker, frenzy aspect."

This would all seem to make Cu Chulainn a cognate of Rudlos. His name meaning "hound" and his berserker rage makes it particularly clear to me. He is traditionally thought to be an incarnation of Lugh, and he is son. Lugh himself is famed for his use of the spear, as is the Welsh Lleu Llaw Gyffes, but his other aspects give him much more in common with Dyeus or the Hellenic Athena. He is commonly thought to be the Irish expression of the pan-Celtic god Lugus, however this has been questioned.

Lugus has no widely accepted etymology, however he has been connected to Hamel and Maier proposed a derivation from proto-Celtic *lugus ("lynx"), perhaps used allusively to mean "warrior", but an article by John Carey found the evidence for the existence of such a word in proto-Celtic lacking. Other etymologies derive "Lugus" from the name of the Norse Loki,  proto-Celtic *luc- ("mouse" or "rat"), and Gaulish lougos ("raven").  You may note that mice and ravens are animals closely associated with Rudlos, as is being a warrior. However, aside from the spear connection, I feel there are no solid grounds to call Lugh, Lleu, or Lugus a cognate of Rudlos.

Fionn mac Cumhaill, who will be referenced further as Fionn, is the leader of the Fianna bands of young roving hunter-warriors(very Koryos sounding, no?), as well as being a seer and poet. His famous tale of catching the Salmon of Wisdom is quest to gain said wisdom from a source of water(symbolically representing chaos in early IE thought), not unlike Odin's and Rudra's. He is often depicted hunting with his hounds Bran and Sceólang, and fighting with his spear and sword, and is himself rather young. Macgnímartha Finn is specifically about his boyhood exploits, adding to his youthful association. Water drunk from his hands is also said to heal even the most severe wounds. He is also said to have been taught the art of war and hunting by a woman called Liath Luachra("Grey One of Luachair"), who bears some similar it Scathach and her relationship to Cu Chulainn.

In Old Irish, Finn/Fionn means "white, bright, lustrous; fair, light-hued (of complexion, hair, etc.); fair, handsome, bright, blessed; in moral sense, fair, just, true". It is cognate with Primitive Irish VENDO- (found in names from Ogam inscriptions), Welsh gwyn (cf. Gwyn ap Nudd), Cornish gwen, Breton gwenn, Continental Celtic and Common Brittonic*uindo- (a common element in personal and place names), and comes from the Proto-Celtic adjective masculine singular *windos. The name seems rather generic but does bring to mind the descriptors used for Hellenic Apollon, and occasional Vedic Rudra. In myth, his mother initially named him Deimne(literally "sureness" or "certainty", also a name that means a young male deer) and several legends tell how he gained the name Fionn when his hair turned prematurely white.

He is also married to Sadhbh, who is also called Sive, pronounced the same. We're gonna get into her very soon in the second part of Rtkona series, but suffice it to say she is pretty convincing cognate and particularly my theory that Rtkona and Rudlos are lovers.

They had a son together, Oisín, who was regarded in legend as the greatest poet of Ireland, a warrior of the Fianna in the Ossianic or Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. His name literally means "young deer", in refernce to his mother. He is also considered a demigod, and given the age of his character and mythos, he reinforces the divinity of his parents.

Lets circle back to Bran and Sceólang, whose names mean "Raven" and "Survivor" respectively. Bran is typically male, while Sceolang is typically female, but their are a few variations. The hounds' mother, Uirne, was transformed into a dog while pregnant, hence the canine birth of her twin children. While Uirne is returned to full humanity after giving birth to her pups, Bran and Sceólang remain hounds throughout the duration of their mythos. As Uirne is the sister of Fionn's mother Muirne, Bran and Sceólang would be their masters' cousins.

I think the arguement for the relation of Cu Chulainn, Fionn, and perhaps even Oison is rather strong and more than worth updating this post.

Orion(also Dionysus, sorta)

This one is also a stretch but I feel there are some shocking connections when you dig into it.

Orion was a Gigas huntsman, companion of the goddess Artemis, who Zeus (or maybe Artemis herself) placed among the stars as the constellation of Orion.

The stories of his birth are numerous, his death even more so. I will link his wikipedia article here, as it covers most of the relevant details of one does not wish to go through each individual account.

The parts of most importance are this:

He was blinded and regained his sight(think of Odin's lost eye)

The star Sirius is called his dog(In India, it was associated with Rudra), As are Canis Major and Canis Minor.

Went to Crete where he hunted with Artemis and her mother Leto, and threatened to kill every beast on Earth.

Gaia (Apollon in some versions, disapproving of his sister's relationship with a male) objected and sent a giant scorpion to kill Orion.

It succeeded in killing him, and after his death, the two goddesses asked Zeus to place Orion among the constellations.

In several versions, Eos(very ancient IE goddess) falls in love with him and takes him to Delos, where Artemis kills him.

In one version, he plans to marry Artemis, before Apollon orchestrates his death.

Artemis mourns him greatly

His name may come from the ancient Greek word oros, which means "mountain". It may also come from the word horion, which means "boundary" or "limit". Both seem fair origins and either could reasonably relate to an epithet of Rudlos. However, it has also been argued, very speculatively, that it come from Akkadian Uru-anna, meaning “heaven's light”.

Orion had a hero cult in the region of Boeotia(the area surrounding Thebes). The number of places associated with his birth suggest that it was widespread. Hyria, the most frequently mentioned, was in the center of Boeotia. A feast of Orion was held there as late as the Roman Empire. Maurice Bowra argues that Orion was a national hero of the Boeotians, much as Castor and Pollux were for the Dorians. He bases this claim on the Athenian epigram on the Battle of Coronea in which a hero gave the Boeotian army an oracle, then fought on their side and defeated the Athenians.

I want you to keep in mind the panhellenic hero cult of Herakles, who is widely regarded as a cognate of the IE thunder god, Perkwunos, was also believed to have been a historic mortal man and even had several graves where his body was believed to have been laid to rest. Orion also had a grave in Boeotia, at the foot of Mount Cerycius(Now Tanagra), enhancing his mountain connection. Indeed, if Orion was once Rudlos, it is very possible aspects of his myth and cult split off from him and on to other deities, namely his more establish but originally Anatolian cognate, Apollon. Dionysus was similarly euhemerized although this happened much later.

Also keep in mind, Orion is not a human, but a member of the Gigantes, often translated as Giants, although they were no more than a foot taller than the average Greek, not the monsters that snap trees like tooth-picks they are often depicted as. Gigantes were known for their size and strength, and were considered the children of Gaia. Orion himself was considered to be the pinnacle of mortal hunting ability, and incredibly strong. The current consensus, backed up by Homer, is that Orion's name, myth, and cult, predate the naming of the constellation.

In Dionysus (1976), Karl Kerényi portrays Orion as a shamanic hunting hero, surviving from Minoan times (hence his association with Crete). Kerényi derives Hyrieus (and Hyria) from the Cretan dialect word ὕρον hyron, meaning "beehive", which survives only in ancient dictionaries. From this association he turns Orion into a representative of the old mead-drinking cultures, overcome by the wine masters Oenopion and Oeneus. (The Greek for "wine" is oinos.) Fontenrose cites a source stating that Oenopion taught the Chians how to make wine before anybody else knew how.

In some versions, he is the son of Poseidon, who grants him the power to walk on water.

Joseph Fontenrose wrote Orion: the Myth of the Hunter and the Huntress (1981) to show Orion as the type specimen of a variety of grotesque hero. He views him as similar to Cú Chulainn, that is, stronger, larger, and more potent than ordinary men and the violent lover of the Divine Huntress.

The Boeotian school of epic poetry was primarily focused with the genealogies of the gods and heroes. Several other myths are attached to Orion in this way: A papyrus fragment of the Boeotian poet Corinna gives Orion fifty sons (a traditional number). This included the oracular hero Acraephen, who gave a response to Asopus regarding Asopus' daughters who were abducted by the gods. Corinna sang of Orion conquering and naming all the land of the dawn. Bowra argues that Orion was believed to have delivered oracles as well, probably at a different shrine.

The stories surrounding Orion resemble those of several other mythical hunters of the Boeotian region. The hunter Kephalos (Cephalus), for example, was also said to have been seduced by the goddess Eos. Another, Aktaion (Actaeon), was similarly killed by Artemis while out hunting. And finally, the earth-born Boeotian giant Tityos attempted to violate the goddess Leto(just as Orion assaulted Opis/Artemis) and was destroyed by Apollon and Artemis with their arrows.

Now, as a Hellenist, I would argue the myth involving Apollon orchestrating Orion's death is one to be interpreted as illustrating the function of Apollon as the god who brings us back to reason. u/messageofapollo over on reddit made a small post in r/Hellenism that I feel sums up an excellent Hellenist reading of the story, which I will link here.

However, in the name of PIE reconstructionism I would also argue this interpretation of that same myth: It may also represent the cult of Apollon, who would become a symbol of Greek-ness(Hellenismos, if you will) itself and one of the most widely spread and consistent cults of Greece, overtaking what remained of Orion's and retaking what it had once been and much more. A cognate of Rudlos circumventing and usurping another cognate, albeit a small, euhemerized one, to great acclaim.

It also like to you to take a look at this article by Michael Janda, specifically section 2 which starts on page 4. It compares a myth of Rudra defending Ushas from Prajapati to the myth of Orion, specifically the version involving Eos. They're connections to the same stars, the same symbols, and a remarkably similar narrative. I do not agree with all of his conclusions, including his statement that a parallel between Greek and Indic sources = it's definitely PIE, but they're both archaic enough I'm also not too worried and about mutual influence. I don't think the PIE's drank wine either, although they almost certainly had some form of alcohol.

I'd also caution that while I see his point, I do not believe Artemis to be all that reflexive of the Dawn Goddess. Rather, I think the relevance is in her being his sister. And while Eos/Ushas and her earlier incarnations could have held a consistent nocturnal role, I don't see strong evidence for it.

Later in the article he makes an argument for the reflexive nature of Dionysus, which I feel is largely adequate. I'm not personally motivated much by Dionysus as a cognate, even if he indeed is. He has been altered so heavily I don't feel he adds much to the table.

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Let's take a step back, look at all the cognates. We have very well documented, direct attestations, in the Germanic, Vedic, and an Anatolian/Greek cognate that backs up both very well. A pair poorly understood potential cognates in the Roman tradition. A whole series of Celtic cognates, back up by linguistics, comparative mythology, and by Interpretatio romana. And a possible Greek reflex, not of Rudlos himself, but perhaps his relationship with Rtkona.

[that-cunning-witch]

Know any good sources on Celtic (specifically Gaulish practices)? I know it’s not your area, but you seem like someone who might know some people who dabble in that sort of stuff. The area I live in has some celtic archeological sites, but sadly not much is known about the local religion or culture. I am trying to put together a Romano-Celtic hearth cult, but it’s difficult finding practices and deities that feel right.

Gaul is a larger Celtic area of Western Europe (modern-day France and parts of modern-day Belgium, Germany, and Northern Italy). I say this because the Celts, when invaded by Rome, took in a lot of Roman religion including Hellenic and (rarely) Kemetic beliefs as well. When the Celts did this, so did the Gauls.

If it helps at all, the specifics you're looking into is called Gallo-Roman, which is part of the larger Romano-Celtic area.

This selective acculturation manifested in several ways. One of the main ways we see this is with the melding of Greco-Roman deities with Gaulish (Celtic) deities. Gaulish epithets for Roman gods (Jupiter Poeninus) and Roman epithets for Gaulish gods (Lenus Mars). Roman gods were given Gaulish god partners (Mercury and Rosmerta & Apollo and Sirona). Towards the east of the Gauls, many mysteries were formed, including one for the Greek hero Orpheus, the Iranian (or Persian) god Mithras, and the Egyptian goddess Isis. In other words, a whole lot of syncretism.

When it came to the Gauls (and the Celts overall) a main part of their belief system was the heavy use of animal imagery. More specifically, zoomorphic deities. However, we see a lot more human-looking representations of the gods because the Romans (and Greeks) weren't too keen on the idea (see Greco-Egyptian).

As for specifically Gallo-Roman hearth religious beliefs, the Lares (Lar singular) is a good place to start. They're the equivalent of Agathos Daimon in Greek religion (Hellenism). Essentially, they're personal household deities that are connected to the hearth.

A majority of the information we have about the Gaelic culture and the eventual melding of the Gallo-Roman culture stems from two sources: artifacts and Julius Ceasar, who wrote all about in what we now call the "Commentarii de Bello Gallico". The gods that he mentions the Gauls worship (like Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, and Minerva) aren't really the Roman gods that the Gauls are worshipping at that time but rather the closest thing Ceasar can connect. For example, Caesar may say that the Gauls worshipped Mars, when in reality they were worshipping Lenus, a healing god that quickly became associated with Mars because of Caesar and the Roman Empire. However, not all of them were caught. Gobannus is the most well-known example we have, with him being the equivalent to the Roman god Vulcan or the Greek god Hephaestus and yet Caesar makes no comment on the Gaulish god.

One other thing, the specific time we are taking a look at was prior to the overtaking by the Anglos, Saxons, and Jutes (aka pre-Anglo-Saxon times). Because of this, Germanic (Norse) gods weren't known to these people yet. Odin, Thor, and Freyja were unknown to them at this point in time.

Other than that, the last thing I can give to you are articles and books that I stumbled upon that may pique your interest. I do recommend a couple of Wikipedia links, but just know that I recommend using Wikipedia as a jumping-off point. Hope this helps! :^)

Becoming Roman: the origins of provincial civilization in Gaul -- Greg Woolf https://archive.org/details/becomingromanori0000wool

The gods of the Celts -- Miranda Green https://archive.org/details/godsofceltsar00mira

Gallo-Roman Religious Sculptures -- A.N. Newell https://www.jstor.org/stable/640758

Fifth-Century Gaul: A Crisis of Identity? -- John Drinkwater & Elton Hugh https://www.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam031/91018375.pdf

Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War: literally translated -- Frederick Holland Dewey, A.B. https://archive.org/details/caesarscommentar07caes

Category:Gaulish gods -- Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Gaulish_gods

Category:Gaulish goddesses -- Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Gaulish_goddesses

sources: https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/1999/1999.10.34/ http://www.deomercurio.be/en/dii.html https://www.britannica.com/topic/Celtic-religion/The-Celtic-gods https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lares https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lar-Roman-deities https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallo-Roman_culture https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallo-Roman_religion

[inversionimpulse]

man I am sick to death of cults as the drivers of horror(/horror-adjacent) plots. Like, I get it. Yeah. Cults. But it's always some rural village somewhere where even the leadership genuinely believes in their fucked up human sacrifice bullshit that for some reason isn't a pyramid scheme, with maybe a fig leaf towards actual cults in the recruitment methods that the writer probably read about in some social media trivia post.

It just ends up reading as some fucker going "OoooOOOOooh, isn't this foreign minority religion spooooky?" No, you xenophobic jackass!

And yes, of course, they are always committing murders and rape and sometimes they're neonazis or something, but like...

That's not an objective fact that the writer had to deal with. That's something the writer deliberately added, seemingly as a way to justify the foreign minority religion being ontologically evil

So what? A decent number of religions in real life had human sacrifice and other such terrible things, but that's appalling by our morality, not theirs, and even if we presume that ours is objective and superior... well, a bunch of moralist dickheads rolling in to pass judgement sure did nothing very good for the Aztec Empire, or the Gaulish druids, or anyone ever.

[xartus]

Quick easy Gaulpol tip:

Since the Gaulish religion was highly regionalized, most of it is lost to time. Most of the deities were tribal, and if not tribal, then regional. But no deity spanned the breadth of the Celtic-speaking lands

Toutatis is not exactly a god name but a title, the "tribal god". You can just pray and make offering to Toutatis and the one who oversees *your* tribe will hear

I was looking for a variant for a female tribal deity and I found one: Tutela (found on an inscription to Brigantia-Minerva) which has the same prefix- the "touta" or "tribe" prefix. This can easily be converted to Toutela

And this you have Toutatis and Toutela, the god and goddess of your tribe (Tow-ta-tis and Tow-tel-ah)

But what IS my tribe, you ask? Well, most of us don't know. These deities could, in my case, be the ones who are way far back in my ancestry. I mean really fucking far since the oldest lineage we can trace only goes back to the Anglo Saxons. Or they could be modern day tribal deities of your area or your chosen kin-group (like the queer community for example). Or they could be the deities of those who are without a tribe in the modern era, thus creating a tribe of their own

Tribes were loose and fluid, there could be spliter groups and mergers, and within them were family clans, lords and clients, lots of stuff. So really, don't think too hard about it. If you're doing Gaulpol, they know who you are long before you ever knew them!

EDIT: Forgot to mention that you can just make your own. Every group had a genesis, and it wasn't uncommon to send out a whole host of young people to new lands to form a splinter tribe and create their own identity from the inspiration and culture of the parent tribe. There is nothing stopping you. And even though we don't live in that system anymore, you can still build up such a social structure with the local spirits and your ancestors. They can at *least* be allies of yours if not fellow members