Celtic Gods: The Brythonic God, Belatucaurus (Lover of Death)

Belatucaurus
A Brythonic God, also known as Belatucairus, Belatocairus , Balitucaurus: Lover of Death

This Brythonic god is known from several inscriptions fround in North-West England. In one inscripton he is equated with Roman Mars and this, along with the interpretation of his name as 'Lover of Death' indicates that he was a warrior and battle deity.



Synonyms: Belatucairus, Belatocairus, Balitucaurus
Bryth: Lover of Death

A Brythonic deity, Belatucaurus is known from the regions of Cumberland and Westmoreland in the North-West; a region that overlaps with the similarly-named god, Belatucadros.

Inscriptions to Belatucaurus has been found at Hexham, Northumberland [AE 1929, 127] and Old Carlisle, where a small red-sandstone altar was bound bearing the partial inscription DEO BELATVCAVRO ...CIPA.... The same god, invoked as Belatucairus is known from on an altarstone from Old Penrith, Cumberland [Brit. ix (1977), 474, no. 8] as well as an inscription found at Carvoran, Northumberland which reads D[E]O MARTI BELATVCAIRO (to the God Mars Belatucairus); this being the only inscription found thus far where this deity is equated by Interpretator Romana with Roman Mars.

As Belatocairo, this god is invoked at Kirkbride, near Bowness-on-Solway, Cumbria, which reads: DEO BELATOCAIRO PEISIVS M SOLVIT VOTVM L M. A similarly-named god, invoked as Balitucaurus is also invoked at on an altarstone found at Corvoran, Northumberland DEO BALITICAVRO VOTV (For the god Baliticaurus an offering).

Belatucaurus' name can be interpreted using the reconstructed proto-Celtic lexical elements: *belatu (death) and *karo- (love) along with the masculine ending -os. Thus Belatucadros can be interpreted as 'Lover Death' a fitting epithet for a deity equated with Roman Mars.



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