Rigisamus

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Rigisamus , also Rigisamos , was a deity in Celtic mythology who, according to the Interpretatio Romana, was equated with Mars .

Mythology and Etymology

Rigisamus is mentioned in two inscriptions, one in Bourges ( Cher department , Region Center-Val de Loire in France) and the other in West Cocker (in Yeovil , district of South Somerset in England) together with a picture of God, and the following text:

Deodorant Marti | Rigisamo | Iu (v) entius | Sabinus | v (otum) s (olvit) l (aetus) l (ibens) m (erito)
("Juventius Sabinus gladly and deservedly fulfilled the vow for the god Mars Rigisamus")

The name Rigisamus is derived from a reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root * rīg ("king", "royal") and a second, * -samo , * samali ("unique"). Rigisamus would therefore mean "the most royal", "king of kings". The Irish word rí [ R'iː ] and the Gallic rix [ rīg-s ] (both also mean “king”) are directly related to this .

It is not known which properties of Mars are attributed to Rigisamus.

See also

literature

  • Helmut Birkhan : Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-7001-2609-3 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ CIL 13, 1190 : Marti | Rigisamo | Ti (berius) Iul (ius) Eunus | ex vis {s} u "to Mars Rigisamus (consecrated it) Tiberius Iulius Eunus after a vision".
  2. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-7001-2609-3 , p. 638.
  3. ^ Roman Inscriptions of Britain 1, 187.