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Pharsalia
editTaranis and Esus were famously associated with the deity Toutatis in the poem Pharsalia by the Roman poet Lucan.
Themes
editBarbaric nature of the Celts
editTriad of Gaulish deities
edit..."And those who pacify with blood accursed,
savage Teutates,
Hesus' horrid shrines,
and Taranis' altars,
cruel as were those loved
by Diana, goddess of the north."
Lucan alludes to the barbaric nature of the Celts, while describing the recall of Gaulish troops, following their decisive victory at the Battle of Pharsalus.
The Celts were accused of the propitiation of their gods by acts of human sacrifice.[a]
- Teutates favoured death by drowning, especially on 1st November.[b]
- Hesus favoured death by hanging.[c]
- Taranis favoured death by burning.[d]
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List of deities
editList of Celtic deities mentioned in the poem:
| Lucans name | Other names | Associations | Etymology |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teutates | Toutatis | God of the tribe. | PIE
*tewtéh₂ ("tribe"). Proto-Celtic *toutā ("tribe"). Old Irish túath ("tribe") |
| Hesus | Esus | God of the river. | PIE *eis ("energy, passion") |
| Taranis | Tanaris | God of thunder. | Proto-Celtic
*toranos ("thunder"). Welsh taran ("thunder"). Breton taran ("thunder"). |
| Diana, goddess of the north. |
Dana, Dānu. | Mother goddess of the Celt's, from whence the Danube derives its name.[e] |
Gaulish Deo ("god") Gaulish anawes ("wealth, abundance") |
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Lucan's sources
editSome historians consider the possibility that Lucan over-exaggerated the barbaric nature of the Celts, perhaps in order to justify the Roman annexation of their lands, and attempts to subjugate and Romanise them.
The source of Lucan's information is not known – Pharsalia was written about 100 years after the Battle of Pharsalus (9 August 48 BC). It is possible that oral tradition's about the pagan practices of the Gauls were well known in Roman society before Lucan wrote his epic poem. It might be expected that variants arose that were a mix of fact and fiction, designed to entertain and thrill an audience.
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Votive offerings
editAlthough it is true that the Celts did practice human sacrifice, it is unlikely that it was as barbaric as Lucan suggested. It is more likely to have taken the form of a votive offering, probably arranged by druid's, possibly in response to a natural or man made disaster, such as a famine or war. [f][g]
References
editCitations
edit- ^ "M. Annaeus Lucanus, Pharsalia, book 1, lines 396-552". Perseus Digital Library. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ MacKillop 2004, p. 404.
- ^ MacKillop 2004, pp. 194–195.
- ^ MacKillop 2004, p. 402.
- ^ Roberts 2015, p. 19.
- ^ Oliver 2020, p. 148.
Notes
edit- ^ See also: Persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire.
- ^
MacKillop – Dictionary of Celtic Mythology
Teutates ..."As Lucan reports, each divinity was propitiated with human sacrifice; and a 9th century commentary on Lucan claims that Teutates favoured drowning, especially on 1st November (Samhain) ...[2] - ^
MacKillop – Dictionary of Celtic Mythology
Esus, Hesus ..."Human sacrifices are suspended from trees and ritually wounded ...[3] - ^
MacKillop – Dictionary of Celtic Mythology
Taranis..."While each of the deities was propitiated with human sacrifice, according to Lucan, the cult of Taranis was crueler than that of the Scythian Diana; victims could be burned alive in wooden vessels ...[4] - ^ See also: Danube
- ^ Alice Roberts – The Celts...
..."Its a world shrouded in mystery, where watery places held sacred significance – where swords and shields were thrown into rivers, huge cauldrons thrown into lakes, and the bodies of kings, slain as sacrifices, were consigned to bogs ...[5] - ^ Neil Oliver – Wisdom of the Ancients
Battersea Shield..."It shows no signs of having being used in any fight and was, in all likelihood, made only as a votive offering by a warlord intent on giving thanks, or else asking for help... perhaps soon after some or other triumph, or in the face of disaster. ...[6]
Sources
edit- MacKillop, James (2004). Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198609674.
- Oliver, Neil (2020). Wisdom of the Ancients: Life lessons from our distant past. Bantam Press. ISBN 978-1787633094.
- Roberts, Alice (2015). The Celts: Search for a Civilisation. Heron Books. ISBN 978-1784293321.
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