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Telo
A Gaulish God: The Slinger
Telo is a Gaulish god known from two inscriptions found at Périgueux, France. He is also the tutelary deity of Toulouse, France and he may represent a protective deity. |
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Gaul: The Slinger
Telo is a god known from two inscriptions found at Périgueux in the Dordogne, France (CIL XIII 00948, 00952). Though many websites ascribe Telo as a female deity, he is undoubtedly masculine, for the inscriptions invoke him as deo Teloni (the god, Telo[s]). Telo is also the tutelary deity of the city of Toulouse in France (which in Roman times was named Telo). Both inscriptions from Périgueux invoke Telo along with a female goddess, Stanna whose name suggests that she might have posessed a protective function.
Etymologically Telo's name is difficult to interpret, though it is probably deried from the reconstructed proto-Celtic roots: *telmi- (sling; which in turn is related to the Middle Breton talm [sling, lightning strike]) and *telno- strap. There is also the tego- root of *tego-slowgo- (household) which gives us the Old Cymric telu (retinue) and the Modern Cymric teulu (household, family). Thus the name contains both the connotations of casting or throwing and the concept of family and protector. Though the exact meaning of the name remains mysterious we do seem to have a protective deity represented here. For the moment, however a posible literal interpretation of the name would be: 'The Slinger'.
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