Toutatis
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- For the asteroid, see 4179 Toutatis.
The Celtic god Toutatis or Teutates was worshipped in ancient Gaul and Britain. On the basis of his name's etymology, he has been widely interpreted to be a tribal protector.[1] Today, he is best known under the name Toutatis (pronounced /towˈtaːtis/) through the Gaulish catchphrase "By Toutatis!", invented for the Asterix comics by Goscinni and Uderzo. The spelling Toutatis, however, is authentic and attested by about ten ancient inscriptions.[2] He is also known (under the spelling Teutates) from a passage in Lucan.
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[edit] Epigraphic evidence
Teutates was worshipped especially in Gaul and in Roman Britain. Inscriptions to him have been recovered in the United Kingdom, for example that at Cumberland Quarries (RIB 1017), dedicated to Jupiter Optimus Maximus and Mars Toutatis.[3] Two dedications have also been found in Noricum and Rome.[2]
[edit] Evidence from Pharsalia
Teutates was one of three Celtic gods mentioned by the Roman poet Lucan in the 1st century AD,[4] the other two being Esus ("lord") and Taranis ("thunderer"). According to later commentators, victims sacrificed to Teutates were killed by being plunged headfirst into a vat filled with an unspecified liquid. Present-day scholars frequently speak of ‘the toutates’ as plural, referring respectively to the patrons of the several tribes.[1] Of two later commentators on Lucan's text, one identifies Teutates with Mercury, the other with Mars.
[edit] Etymology
‘Teutates’ is widely thought to be derived from the Proto-Celtic *teutā- meaning ‘people’ or ‘tribe’.[5] It has been suggested that the name means ‘father of the tribe’ but if this were the case, the expected name would be *Toutāter (Proto-Celtic *teutā- plus *φatīr).[5][6]
[edit] Syncretism
As noted above, among a pair of later reviewers on Lucan's work, one identifies Teutates with Mercury and Esus with Mars. At times the Gaulish “Mercury” may have the characteristic of a warrior, while the Gaulish “Mars” as may act as a god of protection or healing.
Paul-Marie Duval argues that each tribe had its own toutatis; he further considers the Gaulish Mars the product of syncretism with the Celtic toutates, noting the great number of indigenous epithets under which Mars was worshipped.[1]
[edit] Sources
- ^ a b c Paul-Marie Duval. 1993. Les dieux de la Gaule. Éditions Payot, Paris. ISBN 2-228-88621-1
- ^ a b Listing for Toutatis from www.arbre-celtique.com.
- ^ Collingwood, R.G. and Wright, R.P. (1965) The Roman Inscriptions of Britain (RIB) Vol.I Inscriptions on Stone. Oxford. RIB 1897, online at www.roman-britain.org
- ^ Marcus Annaeus Lucanus. c.61-65 CE. Bellum civile, Book I, ll.498-501. Online translation
- ^ a b Proto-Celtic—English lexicon and English—Proto-Celtic lexicon. University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. (See also this page for background and disclaimers.) Cf. also the University of Leiden database.
- ^ Pierre-Henri Billy. 1993. Thesaurus linguae Gallicae. Olms-Weidmann. ISBN 3-487-09746-X.
- British Museum, London, England.
- Lancaster museum, Lancaster, England.
- Newcastle Museum of Antiquities, Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
- Penrith Museum, Penrith, England.
- Verovicium Roman Museum, Housesteads Fort, Northumberland, England.
- York Castle Museum, York, England.
