Celtic Gods: The Hypothetical Brythonic Goddess, Tamesis (Dark Flow)

Tamesis
A Brythonic Goddess, also known as Temesia, Temesis: Dark Flow

Tamesis (Temesia, Temesis) is a hypothetical Brythonic goddess derived from the name of the river Thames, several Welsh rivers and the river Scheldt (originally Tamise) of Antwerp. the Netherlands. In Celtic times, all rivers had patron deities and the Thames would be no different. The name of the goddess can be re-constructed as 'Tamesis'; goddess of flooding rivers.



Synonyms: Temesia, Temesis
Bryth: Dark Flow

Tamesis is a hypothetical goddess based on the assumption that the Thames once had a patron goddess. Based on the English and Cymric names of the river (Thames and Tafwys, respectively) an attempt has been made to derive the original Brythonic form which is though to be something like Tamesis or Temesis which might make the deity of the river Temesia/Tamesia. This is a name that is also preserved in the French name for the Scheldt river of Antwerp (the Tamise).

Tamesis' name is etymologically related to the name of the flood-plain god Temavus and can be derived from the reconstructed proto-Celtic lexical elements: *temeno- (dark) and *si-l-e/o- (drip, flow). Thus Tamesis is the 'Dark Flow'. The dark flow being the waters that would burst the banks of the Thames in winter to inundate the flood plains beyond.

The same etymology also lies behind the names of the rivers Taf, Teifi, Tywi (which are derived from the same Cymric root as Tafwys) and the Teme. These all being large waterways liable to frequent flooding. A similar etymology also lies behind the name of the goddess Temusio.



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