Belenos: The Shining Deity of Celtic Belief
Belenos, also recognized by various names such as Belen, Belenus, Belinus, Bellinus, and Bélénos, is a noteworthy figure within Celtic mythology. Considered one of the significant high gods in this belief system, he is widely acknowledged across the entire Celtic realm and is linked to various geographical locations and personal names across those regions. His symbols, which include a horse and a wheel, depict his essence as ‘The Shining God’, suggesting the potential link to solar worship.
Belenos is among the most universally revered Celtic deities, with his presence documented throughout Italy, particularly in Cis-Alpine Gaul, as well as in Gaul itself, Britain, and Ireland. In Britain, the name Bellinus has been identified at Binchester (Vinovia) in County Durham, stemming from the god name Belenus, with the native Brythonic variant being Belenus. Inscriptions referencing this name have also surfaced in Maryport. This illustrates the reverence held for the cult of Belenus among the continental Brythons, with its recognition spanning various Classical Literary references. The poet Ausonius, active in the late 4th century AD, makes note of shrines dedicated to Belenus in Aquitania. Additionally, Tertullian mentions Belenus’ worship within the Norican Alps, while Herodian refers to it in his historical accounts from North Italy. In Irish tradition, Beli, or Bilé, is notably regarded as ‘The Father of Gods and Men’.
The Celtic festival of Beltane, celebrated on May 1st, which translates to ‘the fires of Bel’, is highly likely rooted in the reverence for this deity. During the Beltane festivities, fires were ignited to bolster the sun’s warmth, believed to have transformative properties where cattle were often passed between the flames before being released into fresh spring pastures. This association leads to the inference that Beli may have once been a deity of fire and sunlight, complementing his classical ties to Apollo. Originally seen as a pastoral figure, his connections to livestock and agriculture are particularly emphasized, as the festival marked the time for moving herds to elevated grazing lands.
Belenos is symbolically represented by a horse, exemplified by clay horse figurines presented at his shrine in Sainte-Sabine, Burgundy. Additionally, the Wheel, famously depicted on the Gundestrup Cauldron, serves as another significant symbol linked to him.
In Ireland, Bilé is associated with death and is the spouse of the goddess Dana. A notable narrative, ‘Lludd and Llefelys’, illustrates Beli as Belen o Lŷn, the offspring of Manogan and the parent of Lludd and Llefelys. Both Beli and Lludd have contributed their names to locales in London; Billingsgate is derived from Beli, while Ludgate comes from Lludd. Furthermore, Beli’s name is apparent in the title of Cunobelinos—a prominent Brythonic chieftain that existed prior to the Roman occupation—whose name translates to ‘hound of Bel’.
Within Gaulish mythology, Belenus was associated with the goddess Belisama, his consort. Contrarily, some theories linking Beli Mawr from Cymric tradition to Belenos’s etymology seem implausible. Although there was a migration of the Brythons to early and middle Cymric, it seems more probable for them to have emerged with the names Belen or Belyn. The name Belen is observed in the Cymric version (Cynfelen) of Cunobelinos, leader of the Catuvellauni tribe—the very name suggesting ‘The Host of Belinos’, while Cassivellaunos translates to ‘The Devotee of Belenos’. Notably, a character, ‘Belen o Leyn’, is referenced in triad 62 of the Trioedd Ynys Prydain, preserved to this day in the place-name Tyddyn Belyn located near Tudweilog, Llŷn Peninsula.
In conclusion, the name Belenos traces its origins to proto-Celtic roots, combining *belo- (meaning bright or shining), the divine particle -n-, and -os as a masculine ending, thus solidifying Belenos as ‘The Shining God’.
