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Riocalatis
A Gaulish God, also known as Ariocalatis: Lord of Liquor[-induced drunkenness]
Riocalatis (Ariocalatis) is a GAulish God known from a single inscription discovered in the Cumberland Quarries, England in 1875 where he is invoked along with two other native protective/warrior deities. He seems to be a warrior deity associated with the Celtic practice of mead-drinking before a battle. |
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Gaul: Lord of Liquor[-induced drunkenness]
Riocalatis is known from a single inscription discovered on a sandstone altarstone from the Cumberland Quarries, Cumberland in 1875 [RIB 1017] which reads: RIOCALAT ET TOVTAT MAR COCIDO VOTO FECIT VITALIS ([to] Riocalatis and Toutatis, Mars Cocidius, Vitalis made this vow). This is interesting in that it invokes Ricolatis along with two other deities Toutates and Mars Cocidius. These are both martial deities of the warrior type which would indicate that Ricolatis probably served a similar function as a true warrior god.
The name Riocalatis is derived from the reconstructed proto-Celtic roots: *arjo-k- (lord) and *lati- (liquor) and can be interpreted as 'Lord of Liquor[-induced drunkenness]'. Originally the name was probably *Arikolatis but the initial 'a' is a weak vowel and being essentially prosthetic has been lost. In respect Ricolatios would seem to fall into the classs of deities such as Dyfed, Brâg/Braciaca and the Irish goddess Maev, which are all gods named after beer/drunkenness/intoxication and are also all warrior deities. Thus it would seem that Ricolatis is another deity celebrating the ancient Celtic practice of becoming drunk before engaging in battle.
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