Gallic Gods and Goddesses in Celtic Mythology

The Celtic God, Sucellus. (Photo Source: Mensagenscoamor)

INDEPHEDIA.com - In human life, gods (masculine) and goddesses (feminine) are supernatural entities that control natural elements or certain aspects.

In some parts of the world at his time there were people who believed in the existence of gods, both in the form of humans, animals and others.

The Celts, for example, also left remnants of their mythology in the form of writings and archaeological findings.

Like other European tribes of the Iron Age, the early Celts had religious and mythological structures, such as these of their gods.

The mythology of the Celtic peoples who were colonized by the Romans (such as the Gauls and Celtiberians), could not survive in the Roman Empire due to the spread of Christianity.

Nevertheless, many contemporary Roman and Christian sources are historical sources that record the existence of Celtic mythology.

Roman-Celtic gods and goddesses, according to Wikibooks, are found in Gaul (France, Belgium, the Alps and Northern Italy) as well as in other areas of Continental Europe (Spain, Switzerland, Austria and others).

Written sources for these gods, mainly from the Greek and Roman periods. These sources were written around the 4th century BC to the 2nd century AD.

Other evidence for these gods comes from archaeology. The main archaeological finds are swords and other weapons, such as trophies and cauldrons, pins, coins and others. Some of the more interesting pieces of evidence are statues of gods and goddesses.

When Julius Caesar conquered Gaul, he observed the religion of the Gauls, and gave the Gallic gods Roman names instead of the original Gallic names.

Caesar gave names such as Mercury, Mars, Apollo, Jupiter, Minerva and Dis Pater to the Gallic gods and goddesses.

When the Roman Republic conquered Gaul, the Rhineland and Britain, they didn't just spread Roman culture and religion.

Many members of the empire, from both Roman and non-Roman backgrounds, either adopted or continued to worship the Celtic gods and goddesses.

It was not until the period of the Roman Empire that other names for these gods appeared, which are found on statues and monuments and inscriptions. The names, however, were Romano-Celtic names and were written in Latin letters.

The Celts did not have their own written language. Even with the names of the Gauls, Roman writers still equated them with the names of Roman gods.

Many of the Gallic gods and goddesses were not worshiped by the entire Gaul people and were only worshiped in certain areas by certain Gallic tribes.

Some Gallic gods were worshiped more widely than others, and many others were worshiped elsewhere under different names.

The Celts only had a writing system after the 3rd century AD. Therefore, the names of the Gallic gods and goddesses as we know them, are of Latin or Greek origin.

One of the Gallic gods known for their strength was Ogmios. The Romans associated Ogmios with Hercules.

Therefore, the Romans depicted Ogmios as wearing a lion's skin and carrying a club and arrows.

Ogmios is also shown as an old man who is followed by a horde of people with their ears tied to his mouth by means of gold chains.

This shows that he was the god of eloquence, so he could captivate people with his words.

Ogmios is also identified with the Irish god Ogma (Oghma). Ogma is the son of the goddess Danu or Dagda. He is also the god of speech and poetry. (*)