Celtic Gods: The Gaulish God, Abianius, The River God
Abianius
A Gaulish god: The River God

This deity is known from three distinct inscriptions in France and from his name he may be a deity of navigation or trade.

Synonyms:
Gaul: The River God

Abianius is a god know from three inscriptions found at Rousillon, Vaucluse, France [CIL XII 6034]; Castelnau-du-Lez, Hérault, France [ILGN 666] and St-Rémy-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France [AE 1937,143]. No images of this deity exist and apart from his name nothing of his attributes have survived.

The god's name can be interpreted on the basis of the reconstructed proto-Celtic lexicon as being derived from the elements *abon (river) along with the deicitic particle -n- and the Latinized masculine ending -us. Thus abianius is the 'God of the River'.

As water and river deities are invariably female, Abianius cannot be the sacred deity of any particular river, which would lead to the possibility that he was a deity either of navigation or river trade (much of the trade and communication in the ancient world being conducted along riverways).




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