Celtic Gods: The Gaulish and Brythonic God, Rigisamus (The Most Kingly)

Rigisamus
A Brythonic and Gaulish God: The Most Kingly

Rigisamus is a Gaulish and Brythonic God known from an inscription found at Bourges, France and an inscription found at West Coker, England. He is invoked as an epithet of Roman Mars, though which aspect of Mars he represents remains unknown.



Synonyms:
Gaul, Bryth: The Most Kingly

Rigisamus is known from two inscriptions, the first of which comes from Bourges, Cher, France (CIL XIII 01190) where Rigisamus is invoked as an epithet of Roman Mars. The second inscription comes from the Romano-British villa at West Coker, Somerset [RIB 187] where it was inscribed on a bronze ansate plate and reads DEO MARTI RIGISAMO IVENTIVS SABINVS VSLM (To the god Martius Rigisamus, Juventius Sabinus willingly and deservedly fulfils his vow). Thus it would appear that Rigisamus was an epithet of the Roman Mars. Whether he represented a native deity syncretized with Mars or an aspect of Roman Mars that reflected an aspect of a native deity will remain a matter of conjecture.

The name Rigisamus is derived from the reconstructed proto-Celtic roots: *rīg- (king) and the particle *-samo- (most) which is related to the root samali- (similar). Thus Rigisamus can be interpreted as 'Most Kingly'. It may be that this epithet of Mars is related to the epithet Rigæ (King) and represent an aspect of the Celtic 'Mars'.



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