Belenos

In the Celtic Mythology, the god Gallic Belenos (Latin Belenus ) is comparable with the Apollon of the the traditional Pantheon. It is sometimes indicated by the théonyme of Maponos , it has the same curative capacities as the Diancecht Irish. Its parèdre is the goddess Belisama, “the very brilliant one”.

It is a luminous god, whose name means “resplendent”, “bright”, its principal functions are medicine and arts. It is honoured at the time of the festival of Beltaine, which marks a rupture in the year, the passage of the dark season at the clear, luminous season. At the time of this festival, the Druide S achieved a ritual consisting in making pass the cattle between fires, by reciting incantations, to protect it from the epidemics.

Its worship seems to have been important in the whole of the Celtic world since inscriptions were found in Gaulle cisalpine, in Gaulle transalpine, Illyrie and Norique.

Its Irish equivalent is Bile , the father of Mile, king of the Milesiens, the last people to invade Ireland. Its Welsh equivalent is Beli . It is also necessary to bring Belenos closer to Germanic the Baldr (root IE *bhel- “shining, luminous”).

Irish Bile appears at the end of the second battle of Mac Tureadh ( Cath Maighe Tuireadh ), like does it Baldr in the Scandinavian Mythologie: The gods are weakened and a new generation ensures the revival of the world. This passage of the Lebor Gabála Érenn represents the Irish version of the Indo-European eschatology (cf Ragnarök, Mahâbhârata). The Christian retranscription of the Irish myths simply scrambled the tracks, making arrival of the men mortals the ultimate goal of the history.

Belenos was melted in the gréco-Roman Apollon, preserving only its solar aspect. This role of saver whom still his Irish equivalent has did not resist the Gallo-Roman syncretism.

Celtic Mythology ~ Beltaine ~ Calendar of Coligny
Irish Celtic Mythology ~ Diancecht
Belisama ~ Borvo ~ Grannos

Random links:

Belenos

Related articles