Belenus was one of the most ancient and widespread Celtic
deities. He was not only worshiped in Celtic Britain, but also in Gaul,
Austria, Italy, and Spain. Belenus ("bright one") likely gave his
name to the fire festival of Beltane, which was originally linked with his
cult. Although the Celtics also associated him with pastoralism, healing, and
fountains, the Romans connected Belenus as the god of light with their light
god Apollo.
His consort or wife was Belisama ("summer
bright"), the goddess of fire, bodies of water, and metalworking. She
shared common traits with the goddess Brigid, as well as the Roman goddess
Minerva. Many inscriptions bearing the name "Belisama Minerva"
reflect the blending of deities and traditions that often occurred in
Roman-occupied lands.
No myths of Belenus or Belisama have survived to modern
times. Their names have been found only in classical texts and stone
inscriptions, suggesting the presence of sanctuaries. The names of geographic
features also hint at the existence of their cults.
Belenus and Bile Belenus is often mistakenly associated with
Bile, an archaic Irish master god of life and death, due to the similarity of
their names. However, as Belenus was a bright god of light and Bile was a dark
god associated with death and the underworld, it is highly unlikely that these
two deities were ever one and the same. The Welsh god Beli Mawr may have
actually been a later version of Belenus. However, Beli Mawr may have also been
a historical person, specifically, one of the kings of early Britain. Several
lines of Welsh ancestry lead back to Beli Mawr.
River of Belisama Many Celtic goddesses were linked to
various bodies Ptolemy described a "Belisama Aest" in his mapping of
northern Britain, leading some to think he was talking about the Mersey River.
However, since his map was not completely accurate, some scholars hold the view
that the Ribble River in Lancashire, England, was being referred to.
No comments:
Post a Comment