Ancient Iberian Mythology Thread

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Paleo Balearic Religion:

It is from the sixth century BC. C.. when the Taula enclosures appear, which allow us to learn some aspects about the religiosity of this culture. The rituals that took place in these enclosures were completed with fire (large hearths have been documented inside the enclosure), wine (remains of large concentrations of amphora fragments) and liturgical banquets (presence of a large amount of skeletal remains of domestic goats). ).


In relation to the central element of the enclosure, the Taula, there are several proposals about the meaning and at the same time the type of cult of this time. Some researchers propose that the taula is related to a divinity linked to the bull and therefore schematically represents its shape.14 Others see in the enclosure a building of clear Punic influence and in the taula an altar, a place of worship for the divinities. 15​


Within these enclosures, some figurines of divinities have been documented, some of them imported from other places in the Mediterranean, among which that of an Egyptian Imhotep in Torre d'en Galmés stands out. In addition, incense burners representing the Punic divinity Tanit have also been documented in different areas. Finally, we should mention the discovery of three epigraphs in the Son Catlar enclosure that refer to three divinities: Baal, Caelestis and the god of the Full Moon. All these elements suggest a Talayotic religiosity that was quite permeable and highly influenced by nearby cultures, but which at the same time maintained strong peculiarities.

It is from 600-550 BC when the large necropolises of hypogea with a complex plan that we currently know, such as those of Calas Coves, Cala Morell, etc. appear. Despite the abundant location of these places, the information we have about them is meagre. funerary rituals of this era, due to the repeated occupation of the caves throughout history as a place to keep livestock, as a summer resort, etc. has caused the archaeological materials to disappear. One of the places that will allow us to understand part of the funerary rituals of this era are the two hypogeums excavated a few years ago in the canal of the Ciudadela orchards, next to the port where a large amount of materials were documented.

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Lusitanian Gods:

The Lusitanian people adopted Celtic and Roman cults while influencing these cultures with their own creeds. The supreme god was Endovelicus, god of the sun and health, although he formed a triumvirate with Ataegina, goddess of rebirth and nature, and Runesocesius, god of javelins.
It was customary among the Lusitanians to celebrate animal and human sacrifices in honor of their gods, and like so many other pagan cults of the time, the main purposes of their religion were to pray for health and protection for oneself and to curse others.



Ares: god of horses. To avoid confusion with other homonymous gods, such as the Greek or Spartan, it is common for him to be called Ares Lusitani.
Ataecina (Portuguese and Spanish 'Atégina'): goddess of rebirth (spring), fertility, nature and medicine; as well as the moon in Lusitania. Its name comes from the Celtic Ate + Gena, whose meaning is "reborn."
Counting on the goat as a sacred animal, it had a cult of devotion invoked when someone needed a cure or wanted to launch a plague (or even lead to death) on another person.
She was venerated in Lusitania and Bética, with sanctuaries dedicated in Elvas (Portugal), and Mérida and Cáceres (Spain), highlighting her proximity to the Guadiana River. She was one of the main goddesses worshiped in Myrtilis (today Mértola, Portugal), Pax Julia (Beja, Portugal) and especially in Turobriga (Aroche, province of Huelva), this on the southern limit of the region called Baeturia Celticorum or Celtic Beturia.
During the period of Roman domination there was a relationship between this goddess and Proserpina, a fact that is revealed in various inscriptions that read ATAEGINA TURIBRIGENSIS PROSERPINA (Atégina, the Proserpina turibrigense).
Bandagona: of unknown domain, she was a goddess of the Lusitanian Celts.
Bormanico: god of hot water springs.
Caricocecus: god of war, equivalent to the Roman Mars and the Greek Ares. It was customary among the Lusitanians to cut off the right hand of prisoners and consecrate it to Cariocecus; as well as performing human sacrifices, during which the priest would make a cut in the victim's stomach to make predictions about the future through the appearance of the viscera, as well as observing the way the corpse fell to the ground after the sacrifice. The Greek Strabo confirms that they offered a goat, prisoners and horses.
Duberdicus: god of fountains and water.
Navia: goddess of rivers and water.
Runesocesius: god of javelins, possessor of a mysterious nature and a martial nature.
Sucellus or Sucellos: Celtic god of agriculture, forests and alcoholic beverages; husband of Nantosuelta.
He is usually depicted as a bearded, middle-aged man holding a long-handled hammer, although perhaps it is a beer barrel anchored to a pole. If he is represented with his wife, they are accompanied by various symbols associated with prosperity and domesticity.

Eleven inscriptions have been found that mention Sucellus, being assimilated to the god Silvanus in the one found in Augusta Rauricorum (present-day Augst):


In honor(em) /
d(omus) d(ivinae) deo Su/
cello Silva(ano) /
Spart(us) l(ocus) d(atus) d(ecreto) d(ecurionum)
(In honor of the divine house, it was given to the god Sucelo-Silvano Esparto by decree of the decurions)
Its name comes from the Gaelic -cellos ('he who strikes'), derived from *-kel-do-s; from which also comes the Latin word per-cellere ('beat down'), the Greek klao ('break') and the Lithuanian kálti ('forge'). Adding the prefix su-, which means 'good' or 'good', its meaning would be 'he who strikes well', a very appropriate name for a god armed with a hammer.


Tongoenabiagus: god of the source of promises.
Trebaruna: goddess of the home, battles and death.
Turiacus: god of power among the Grovo tribe.
From the Latin name TVRIACVS, the root "tur" (from "tor") suggests the meaning of "king" or "lord."

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Cernunnos:

Cernunnos or Cernunnus is a horned god from the Celtic realm of anthropomorphic representation with large antlers imitating that of a deer or other species, and who is usually accompanied by animals, particularly snakes, wolves, bears or bulls. It was venerated within the ambiguous Celtic culture, which is why it spread throughout Britain, Gaul, Germany and various Western European regions. Its strange and archaic name corresponds to the Latinization of the Gaulish original, which would be related to the proto-Celtic term "Karno/Karwo", 'antler' or 'horn', so the theonym is descriptive, it means "he who has horns." ». Its attributions were fertility, regeneration and abundance, aspects related to primitive gods, of dark origin and with an animistic, chthonic and agricultural character. Consequently, its expansion and importance in the Gallo-Celtic sphere is demonstrated by its presence in multiple objects.

Its presence in Europe would prove a continuity from the Iron Age to the imperial era. In this regard, we have the earliest evidence in a petroglyph from the 17th century. iv a. C. found in Val Camonica, Italian Alps, with the usual anthropomorphic appearance and antlers. Another discovery shows a figure attributable to Cernunnos in the famous Gundestrup Cauldron, in Denmark. It is a silver ritual container dated between the 2nd and 3rd centuries. ii–i a. C. and where the god appears seated with deer horns, with a torc around his neck and surrounded by animals. In a more dubious way, a figure with snakes in each hand has been related to the well-known Snake Sorcerer's Stone (Ormhäxan or Smisstenen) found in Gotland.


Another series of inscriptions with variants of the name Cernunnos were found in the town of Pollenza, in Italy; in Rosia Montana, Romania; as well as the one found in Seinsel-Rëlent, Germany, where a Deo Cernunico appears and the one found in Greek from Montagnac, France, where you can read: "Alletenos [dedicated this] to Karnonos de Alisonteas." In Hispanic territory, a stele appeared in the Alcudia Valley, Ciudad Real, recently related to divinity, which must be linked to the Celtic Oreta presence in that area; More doubtful seems the supposed representation of a horned figure on a ceramic vessel found in Numancia, Soria, which would delve into the relationship with this Celtic divinity.



Portrait of Cernunnos in a relief present on the Navigators' Pillar (1st century AD) University of Cologne and German Archaeological Institute (DAI) Source: https://arachne.uni-koeln.de

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Gods of War:

Cariocecus:

The divinity Cairiogiegus, also called Cariecus and Cariociegus, is attested to be an epithet given to Mars in the Iberian Peninsula, more specifically in the area between the Miño and Limia rivers. The nature of this divinity is completely unknown beyond syncretism with the Roman god.


This divinity is another example of the so-called "indigenous Mars", that is, we are facing a warrior divinity of many that have been found on the peninsula such as Cosus or Bandua, all of them warriors. Regarding what Strabo wrote about the Ares of the Lusitanians, there are studies that have related him more to Cosus but he could also have referred to Cariocecus, since he has the same attributes.


In conclusion, we do not know anything about Cariocecus beyond its relationship with war. Its connection with the sacrifices of goats, horses and prisoners is highly possible (in fact, these animals were sacrificed to many Indo-European war gods). Even so, this is one of many gods of which we only have a brief reference.

Cosus:

Also called Cossuenidoiedius and Cossuesegidiaecus, he is the supralocal god of war of the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. We know the little we know about Cosus thanks to epigraphy and its assimilation with Mars, which is why it is believed that Cosus is the Ares that Strabo tells us about in his Geography:


«They feed mainly on goat meat and sacrifice a goat, prisoners of war and horses to Ares. They also make hecatombs in the Hellenic way (…). They carry out contests without weapons and with armor and on horseback, including boxing, running, combat in skirmishes and in bands" (III, 3, 7).


If we take into account Strabo's vision, this type of sacrifice and its description was a way of reaffirming the barbarity of foreign peoples, but there is still some truth in its description. We know that goats and horses were sacrifices made to mainly warrior gods and that the custom of sacrificing prisoners taken in battle to the god of war was also widespread in Gaul. For this reason, and even maintaining a certain caution, the sacrifices to Cosus would probably be these or very similar.


Strabo also tells us about the games and exercises that the northern tribes did, and due to the warrior character of Cosus and the fact that Ares was the patron of the warrior brotherhoods common throughout the Indo-European area, it is possible that these activities were dedicated to this god. or that they were part of the training of a warrior group of which Cosus would be the patron god. We know other attributes of Cosus thanks to what the epigraphy has left us. In the name Cossuesegidiaecus we find the root coso– and the root –seghseghi (to hold, conquer), which also appears in Celtic and Germanic as seghos (victory). This root puts Cosus in relation to the epithet Segomo of the god Mars and with the goddess Segomana, both gods who give victory. The relationship of segh– (to hold) could also be interpreted as an example of the power to immobilize enemies, characteristics shared by various gods of war.


Cosus is then a warrior god, violent, giver of victory and cause of immobilizing terror in the enemy. He is also probably the patron saint of the warriors and warrior brotherhoods of the north of the Iberian Peninsula.

Trebaruna:

He is an important divinity in the area of ​​Galicia and Portugal behind Ataecina and Endovélico. Her name comes from the Celtic and means something similar to "secret home", so it has been deduced that she could be a goddess in charge of protecting the home. Later, the Romans associated it with their goddess Victoria, which is known thanks to the dedication of a soldier studied by the specialist in Lusitanian mythology Leite de Vasconcelos.


Some authors have wanted to see in the symbolism of Trebaruna something more than the protection of the home, identifying it with the protection of an entire tribe or human group united by something more than blood ties. Trebaruna has been associated on several occasions with the Celtic goddess Morrigu as protectors of the clan, so we can see that this goddess also often appears linked to battle and war, to honorable death in combat.

Netón:

He was the solar god of war worshiped by both Iberians and Celts. We know about this god thanks to what Macrobius has left us written about him and the epigraphy. Macrobius refers to the god Neton like this:


"Also the Accitani, a people of Hispania, worship with the utmost devotion a statue of Mars adorned with rays, which they call Neton."


This assimilation with the god Mars shows us that Neton was a warrior god.


This statement is further supported by etymology and comparative mythology. The word Neto probably comes from the Celtic root “neto” meaning “warrior.” This origin of the word means that many experts have linked Neto with the Irish Net, an ancient war god. Netón was venerated in almost the entire peninsula: from Condeixa-a-Velha, in Trujillo and in Botorrita this god is attested in the bronze of the same name.


According to the sources that have come down to us, we know that Neton is a god of solar character and was represented in the Iberian area, among Bastetans, as a god surrounded by rays, probably from the Sun. This astral character of the god of war is shared with several gods. of the peninsula like Tileno or Cosus. Due to its solar character and its warrior attributes, it is highly probable that the bull was the animal associated with this god.


As with the rest of the warrior gods, their cult is quite mysterious but we can assume that it would not be very different from that of the rest of the peninsular Celtic warrior deities.

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The sporadic presence of Germanic paganism and old traditions:

On a personal note, I am almost certain that paganism survived among the Visigoths when they arrived in the peninsula, as I say, more as a superstitious character in old beliefs, than as a ritualized cult similar to the primitive one of their first years. Interesting data in this regard are the numerous councils of Toledo in which the issue of the rise and rise of paganism among the Goths is discussed. We must also take into account the cultural syncretism inherent to coexistence. It is known, and this is reflected in the council of Toledo under the reign of King Egica, year 688. That in the 15th council he was forced to threaten all people who participated in those festivals or beliefs, even Goths. What makes one think is that really either some of the Goths still preserved their pagan traditions, or they participated in the ceremonies and beliefs of the natives.
The date here is very important, since the year 688 is very advanced in the world of Hispanic Visigothic history. Let us remember that in the year 711 the Muslims occupied the peninsula, and only a few years before (688), even paganism was a reality that survived and increased among the Goths judging by the laws written at the Toledo council. Stating that there was a cult of Odin / Wotan among the court Visigoths seems clearly excessive to me. Accepting that there was a legend-like belief with pagan roots, incorporated by the Christianity of the time, which had or had incorporated pagan characteristics of the old gods of the Gothic world, seems more than reasonable to me. Could it then be certain that the Visigoths worshiped Odin in Gothic "Castile"? Today and although I wrote the opposite in the past, it seems very unlikely to me. At least from the point of view of religion and worship similar to that of the Vikings in the 8th century.Although it is true that the largest area of ​​ethnic influence of the Visigoths was around the central area of ​​the peninsula, where the Toledo court was established, and therefore many of the beliefs and traditions came from these lands. Even so, I think that pan-Germanic paganism among the Goths, or other Germanic peoples who populated the peninsula, must be found in the seed of their race and their ancestral cultural heritage. When the Visigoths by bloodline had sought their archaic origins, they would have inevitably arrived at that line that united them with pagan gods very similar to the Scandinavian gods known during the early Middle Ages. Therefore, in the hypothetical case that an attempt was made to search for a pagan Visigothic cult in medieval Castile, this would inevitably involve emphasizing its Nordic heritage, and the old gods that gave rise to its race. Which possibly had never disappeared, but simply changed shape, becoming heroic archetypes from their stories and legends. Beings that showed young people attributes of honor, nobility and bravery as a behavioral pattern for a present life that took its origin from the characteristics of the old gods of yesteryear.





Alvar Ordoño 2017 - Recreador e investigador histórico de los grupos; BAIRA, REGNUM CASTELLAE, HISPANIA DE LOS VIKINGOS e HISPANIA GERMANORUM -

( Texto revisado y corregido en relación con el escrito en el 2008 de: culto a Wotan - Odin en la Castilla cristiana para la publicación online de Nueva Gothia )

https://nueva-gothia.blogspot.com/20...-articulo.html

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Phoenician Gods:

THE RELIGIOUSNESS IN THE PHOENICIAN WORLD OF THE SOUTH OF SPAINABSTRACT: This article studies the Phoenician religiosity in Andalu sia, fundamentally supported on thearchaeological data. It describes the Phoenician sanctuaries. All the informations of Greek and Latins authorsabout the sanctuary from Melqart of Cadiz are revised. Other Phoenician sanctuaries described are Castu lo, ElCarambolo, with its sacred objects, Carmona, Montemo lin, Coria del Rio, Monte Algaida, Torreparedones;deducing from the archaeological material the rituals of the sanctuaries.In the second place the images of the Phoenician gods which appeared are catalogued: Melqart, Eshmun, Ashtat,Dea Cae lestis, Adonis, Baal, Moloch; and the fantastic animals intro duced by the Phoenicians, griffi ns andsphinxes. Also, this article studies the myths the Phoenicians brought to the West. Finally the characteristics ofthe Phoenician religion in Andalusia are pointed out.

https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga...lo/2582210.pdf

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Navia:

NAVIA.- Indo-European pre-Celtic goddess. She is considered a goddess of fertility. Offerings of swords in his honor were found in river beds.
His name is found throughout the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula with the name of Nauia (north of the Miño), or its variant Nabia (to the south), with more than twenty epigraphs documenting his cult in the area that includes Galaicos, Lusitanos and Astures. The offerers are all indigenous, as reflected in the anthroponymy and as is the case with the rest of the divinities of the area.

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Achelóo:

Achelóo is an Iberian god of fertility and virility and is always symbolized with a bull-god. For the Iberians, the bull was a virile and warrior animal, in addition to being a brave and large animal and for this civilization it indicated that it was the Sun.

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Ilargi:

In Basque mythology, Ilargi or Ilargi amandre, . The moon illuminates the spirits of the dead. According to some linguists, the word 'ilargi' means: 'light of the dead'.


Worship of the moon, Ilargi, must have been well-rooted in the Basque people since Friday, the day of the week, is dedicated to it: “ostiral”. A variant to name the moon is 'irargi', where you can see this root 'ira'. Friday is a special day in the Basque week: it is the day on which witches and wizards meet. On Fridays, certain activities were also prohibited: starting to carry out important work, taking the flock to the mountains, taking honey from the hives, etc.


According to historians, Basque culture was fundamentally matriarchal, and to a certain extent, this has been the case until recently. From what we can see, the importance of the female divinities mentioned so far corroborates this fact.



(Eguzki, Ilargi and Amalur)

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Aldara, the deer-woman:

Aldara, the white deer, is the protagonist of "The Deer Maid" that Manuel Amor Meilán made known in Lugo's volume of the Geography of the Kingdom of Galicia.[1] It is about a young woman who transforms into a deer and is killed by her lover without him knowing.



A long time ago, in the castle of Doiras (Cervantes) lived a knight named Froiaz, with two children: Egas and Aldara. Aras, the son of another lord of a nearby castle fell in love with Aldara. Their love was reciprocated and with the parents' consent the wedding was announced. But one afternoon, Aldara disappeared from the castle, a crossbowman brought news saying that he had seen her heading towards the nearby stream in the middle of the morning. Father and brother, servants and squires, and even her lover accompanied by his people, went in search of her through mountains and forests, through huts and hamlets... After a few days of fruitless searches they considered the loss of Aldara definitive, imagining her badly injured by some wild boar, a bear or devoured by wolves.


Many years later Egas, while hunting in the Galo Monteiro mountain, saw a beautiful white deer. With a single, accurate shot he ended the animal's life, but he had not realized that it was impossible to take it to the castle due to its excessive weight (or perhaps because the snow made transportation difficult), so he cut off its front leg (to to indicate that the animal belonged to him or to show a trophy that demonstrated his feat). And when he went to show his father the leg of the doe, telling him about the success he had obtained, terrified, they saw how what Egas took out of the bag was a hand; a fine, white, soft hand; a hand of a noble maiden. And on one of the fingers of that hand shone a beautiful gold ring with a red stone.


Froiaz and Egas remembered that that was Aldara's ring. With a pained spirit they ran to the top of the mountain, towards the place where Egas had killed the deer. There they found Aldara's body, lying on the ground, with one hand missing.


According to legend, some mouro must have enchanted her in the form of a deer, and death was responsible for returning her to her natural state, a maiden. But the reason was never known.