Celtic Gods: The Gaulish god, Cassibius (The Weaver)

Cassibius
A Gaulish God (also known as Casis and Cassis): The Weaver

Casisibuis (Casis, Cassis) is a Gaulish god known from a number of inscription on the border of Belgium and Germany. Many inscriptions have been found but little is known about this deity, however he may be a god with multiple aspects and could be the patron of serveral tribes woven together into one.



Synonyms: Casis, Cassis
Gaul: The Weaver

Cassibus is a rather mysterious Gaulish god, known from a number of inscriptions in north-western Gaul at the border between the Belgic tribes of Gaul and the Celtic tribes of Germania. In all, fourteen, inscriptions to this deity have been found. Inscriptions to dis Cas(s)ibus (the god Cassibus) having been found at Dalheim in Luxemburg [CIL XIII 04047]; Landstul, Germany [CIL XIII 06153]; Neustadt, Germany [CIL XIII 06116] with four inscriptions [AE 1928,187; AE 1928, 189, AE 1928, 188 and N 2] found at Trier, Germany. Other inscriptions invoking the god without an epithet as Cassibus were found at Miltenberg, Germany [CIL XIII 11770] and Oberklingen, Germany [CIL XIII 06430]. The remaining inscriptions invoking the deity as bonis Cas(s)ibus (the Good god, Cassibus) were found at: Hettingen, Germany [S51]; Gemarkung Hettingen, Germany [AE 1978, 532]; Mainz, Germany [CIL XIII 06668] and Marbach, Germany [AE 1969/70, 436]. There is also a deity invoked at Heddernheim, Germany [CIL XIII 07330] as deo Casio that probably represents the deity. An additonal inscription from Tirer [AE 1925, 80] also invokes this deity as dibus Casibus (the Cassibuian gods) indicating that the diety might have posessed a multiple aspect.

Despite the number of inscriptions dedicated to this god, no image of him and none of his attributes have survived. As a result we are left only with the god's name to glean some information about his attributes. Cassibus' name can be interpreted from the reconstructed proto-Celtic lexicon as being derived from: *kasso- (curly, woven, twisted) an element also seen in the name of the tribe Bodio-casses. The most likely interpretation would be 'the woven one' or 'the weaver', especially given the god's possible multiple nature. He could also be the patron of tribes who are 'woven' together from multiple peoples and this may be why he bears the epithet of 'good' or 'benificent'.



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