Celtic Gods: The Gaulish god, Nabelcus (Wounder of Heaven)

Nabelcus
A Gaulish God: Wounder of Heaven

Nabelcus is a Gaulish god known from three inscriptions from France where he is equated with Roman Mars. He seems to be a lightning god of high places and a deity of the 'protector of the tribe' type.



Synonyms:
Gaul: Wounder of Heaven

Nabelcus is a Gaulish deity known from three inscriptions found at Chateuneuf-Miravail, Alpes de Haute-Provence (ILGN 222); Monieux in the Vaucluse (CIL XII 1169) and Saint-Ddider (CIL XII 1170), again in the Vaucluse region of France. In all cases he is assimilated by interpretato Romana with the Roman deity, Mars. From the surviving inscriptions Nabelcus seems to be associated with mountainous regions and high places.

Unfortunately, beyond his name nothing is known of this deity and his attributes and even the name has proved difficult to interpret. Based on the reconstructed proto-Celtic vocabulary it may be broken down into the components *nemos- (heaven, sky; a word that also provides the root for the cognate Cymric word nef/naf) and the equivalent proto Indo-European root *nebh- (cloud). The second element in the name can be linked to the proto-Celtic root elko- (bad) which is derived from the proto Indo-European root *elk-es- (wound). Thus the name can be interpreted as 'Wounder of Heaven'. If the etymology is correct this might indicate that Nabelcus was a lightning god and a deity of the 'protector of the tribe' type. Which would indicate why he was associated with 'high places'. The lightning bolt is also the sky's equivalent of the warrior's spear and would explain his assimilation into the cult of Roman Mars.



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