Belenus

Belenus, also known as Belinus, Belenos, Belanus Bel or Beli Mawr, is a sun god in Celtic mythology. In the III century, he was the patron deity of the Italian city of Aquileia. Called the "Beautiful and Resplendent" (or "The Resplendent God"), was one of the oldest and most widely cult Celtic deities and is associated with the ancient fire festival and the modern festival (sabbat) of Beltane. He was associated with with horses (as can be seen in the offerings of clay horse figurines in the sanctuary of Belenos in Sainte-Sabine in Burgundy) and also with the wheel. Possibly, like Apollo, with whom he was identified in the Historia Augusta, Belenos was thought to move the sun through the heavens by carrying it in a horse-drawn chariot.

Historical cult

There are 51 known inscriptions dedicated to Belenus, mainly concentrated in Cisalpine Gaul (Aquilea/Carni), Noricum and Narbonenian Gaul, but also extending much further afield to Celtic Britain and Iberia. The images of Belenus a He is sometimes shown accompanied by a woman, believed to be the Gallic deity Belisama.

Tertullian, writing around 200 AD. C., identifies Belenus as the national god of Noricum. Inscriptions dedicated to Belenus are concentrated in the eastern Alps and Cisalpine Gaul, but there is evidence that the god's popularity expanded in the Roman period. The emperors Diocletian and Maximian of the III century each dedicated an inscription to Belenus in the region of Aquileia. Six other votive inscriptions of Belenus were discovered at Altinum, Concordia and Iulium Carnicum. Soldiers of Maximinus the Thracian, who besieged Aquileia in 238, reported seeing an apparition of the god defending the city from the air.

Belenus or Belinus meant bright, resplendent and designated a god of Light, the Sun and Fire (all renewing energies). Belenus was both the Irish and Gaulish and Asturian name. The Romans gathered under the name of Apollo several Gallic gods especially in charge of the baths.

Known to the Irish, his name would go down in medieval novels. The "Baltené" were one of the great Irish festivals that were celebrated on May 1 and came from the cult of this divinity. She was associated as a companion to the goddess Sirona.

In Asturias his name has been reflected in the local toponymy. Thus, in the council of Ponga there is the town of San Juan de Beleño and in Gijón there is Muries de Beloño, whose names derive from the Celtic god.

Belenos was also confused with other gods such as Grannus (the brilliant one) venerated in several places, Siannus, patron of the Mont-Doré baths in Puy de Dôme and Borvo.

Likewise, it was known by other names such as:

• Grannios y Borno de la celtia continental
• Balor and Beltayne of Irish Celtia
• Beli and Balor of Gallic Celts
• Bel and Belenos of the Celts of Mann Island
• Bile and Belenos of Scottish Celts

Comics

• Belenus became the name of modern popular knowledge along with the deity Tutatis thanks to the comics of Astérix, the work of Goscinny and Uderzo.
• The name, by its meaning, is given to a character of accentuated importance in the comic "5 elements", by Jesús García Ferrer (Jesulink).

Music

• The Salduie band launched a dedicated theme of this deity called The Belenus Fires
• Bëlenus is a pop/rock band from Jerez de la Frontera
• The band Eluveitie launches a song in which reference is made to this deity. The song is called Belenos