Matunos

Matunus or Matunos is an ancient Celtic god.

Name

The theonym Matunus may be derived from the Gaulish noun matu- meaning 'bear'.[1]

Cult

He was worshipped in Roman Britain and altar-stones raised to him have been recovered in the United Kingdom, such as at High Rochester (1265 [AD213]) and at Risingham.[2]

A similarly named Gaulish god, Matutinus, is attested in at least three inscriptions from Switzerland; in all three he is identified with Mercury, and in one he is also identified with Cissonius.[3]

The god may be parallel with Mercury Artaius, who might also have ursine connotations.

Sources

  1. ^ Delamarre 2003, p. 221.
  2. ^ BREMENIVM Roman Fort & Marching Camps, High Rochester, Northumberland, Museum of Antiquities, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.
  3. ^ Nicole Jufer & Thierry Luginbühl. 2001. Les dieux gaulois : répertoire des noms de divinités celtiques connus par l'épigraphie, les textes antiques et la toponymie. Editions Errance, Paris.

References

  • Delamarre, Xavier (2003). Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental. Errance. ISBN 9782877723695.
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