Celtic Gods: The Gaulish God, Nerius (Noble Lord)

Nerius
A Gaulish God, Nerius: Noble Lord

Nerius is a Gaulish god known from six inscriptions found in France. He is also the tutelary god of Neriomagos (Néris-le-Bains) where he was associated with the local springs. He may have been a local healer deity.



Synonyms:
Gaul: Noble Lord

Nerius is known from six inscriptions one found at Haegen, Bas-Rhin, France where he is invoked along with Bugius as well as five inscriptions found at Néris-le-Bains, Allier, France.

At modern-day Néris-le-Bains the tale of the town itself is inextricably linked with its thermal springs, which in early Celtic times seem to have been linked with the deity Nerios. Eventually a township arose at the crossroads between two main roads and this was given the name Neriomagos (Nerios' Marketplace). During the Roman period the village grew into the town and the waters of Nerios (who was now Romanized to Nerius) were collected for therapeutic purposes as well as being piped into the city's two spas. Subsequent to the Roman period Neriomagos became Néris-le-Bains, though the town still maintains an element of the name of the deity after whom it was initially named.

The name Nerius is probably related to the reconstructed proto-Celtic roots: *nero- (hero) and *naro- (noble) with the masculine ending -os thus it can be rendered as 'Noble Lord'. The association with healing springs would indicate that he was a healer deity though this association can be little more than speculation.



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