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Arvernus
A Gaulish deity, also known as Arvernorix: Lord/King of the Alder Grove
This deity is known from Puy-de-Dôme, France where he was the tutelary deity of the Arverni tribe and the spiritual embodiment of their territory as well as the tribe's protector. |
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Gaul: Lord/King of the Alder grove
The tutelary deity of the Arverni tribe in Gaul. He was equated with Mercury by the Romans and one of his sacred site was the mount of Dumus (modern-day Puy-de-Dôme). Inscriptions to this deity have been found at Cologne, Gripswald and Wenau in Germany as well as Roermond in the Netherlands (at all these sites he is invoked as Mercury Arvernus). In the Puy-de-Dôme, France he is invoked at Orcine and at Mozac (where he is invoked along with the genius locus of the place. Thus it has been suggested that the Puy-de-Dôme was a place of special significance for this deity.
As Arvernorix this deity is invoked at but a single site, Miltenberg in Germany where once again he is invoked as Mercury Arvernorix. The association of Arvernus with Mercury, the Roman god of trade and the transporter of messages is interesting. However, it is not possible to divine the god's attributes on the basis of this assimilation alone.
Based on the possible relationship between the middle syllable -vern- (with v representing w) and the Cymric word gwern it is possible that this stands for an alder grove (literally alders growing on marshy ground). The first syllable ar- existing in mayn words for 'high' (eg ardwo-) the name can be rendered as: 'Lord/King of the Alder Grove' (the rix ending for one Gaulish form of the name standing for 'king').
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