Vitiris: a Brythonic god, also known as Veterus, Viturus, Hvitiris (The Ancient One)

Synonyms: Veterus, Viturus, Hvitiris
Bryth: The Ancient One

Vitiris is a god attested from no fewer that 40 inscriptions; almost all of which originate from the area immediately surrounding Hadrian's Wall. The main cult center for this god seems to have been at Carvoran in Northumberland (the Magnis fort) where a number of inscribed altarstones have been found. One of the best of these bears the inscription [RIB 1796]: DEO VETIRI SANCTO ANDIATIS VSLM F (To the holy god Vetiris, Andiates has made this, willingly and deservedly fulfilling his vow) and [RIB 1796]: DEO SANCT VETERI • IVL • PASTOR IMAG • COH II DELMA V S L M (To the holy god Veterus, Julius Pastor, the Bearer of the Emperor's Image [for] the Second Cohort of Delmatians, willingly and deservedly fulfills a vow). Nine other inscriptions have also been found at this site. Inscriptions are also known from Thirwall Castle in Northumberland [RIB 1802]. Six inscribed altarstones have also been found at Chesternolm (Vindolanda), Northumbria; though as exemplified by this inscription [RIB 1697] DEO VETERI (To the god Veterus) the dedications are to a variant of Vitiris' name. The inscirption [Britannia x (1979), p.346, no.8] ARA VITVRVM (The temple of Viturus) indicates that this site once contained an altar to this deity.

Vitiris is also known from two inscriptions found at Ebchester (Vindomora), Northumberland [RIB 1103,1104]; a single inscription from South Shields, Tyne and Wear [AE 1987, 743] as well as two inscriptions [RIB 1087, 1088] from Lanchester Longovicium, Northumberland. Three inscriptions are known from Chester-le-Street, County Durham as exemplified by [RIB 1048]: DEABVS VITBVS VIAS VADRI (To the Vitirian gods, secure this traveller on his road.) [the other inscriptions being RIB 1046, 1047]. Three further inscriptions have been found at Benwell (Condercum), Northumberland [RIB 1335, 1336]. Three further inscriptions [RIB 1455, 1456, 1457] are known from Chesters (Cilvrnvm), Northumberland. Of the two inscriptions found at Carrawburgh (Brocolita), Northumberland [RIB 1548, 1549] one of these [RIB 1549] is proffered to a variant form of Vitiris DIBVS HVITERIBVS (To the Hviterian Gods). This Hv variant on the deity's name is also known from inscriptions found at Netherby in Cumbria [RIB 973], Carrawburgh in Northumberland [RIB 1549], Chesterholm in Northumberland [AE 1979, 392] and Housesteads in Northumberland [RIB 1603].

Of all the inscriptions, however, perhaps the most interesting is the one from the Castra Exploratorvm fort at Netherby Cumbria [RIB 971] DEO MOGONT[i] VITIRE SAN[cti] AEL[ius] SECVND[us] V S L M (To the venerable god Mogons Vitiris, Aelius Secundus willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow.) which conflates Vitiris with the god Mogons who would seem to be an archer/hunter deity. A silver plaque dedicated to Vete[ris] by Mocux[s]oma [RIB 2431.3] has also been found at Thistleton, Rutland (which is a very southerly location for a deity known almost exclusively from northern inscriptions).

Though no image of Vitiris has survived, some of the altars dedicated to him are decorated with serpents and boars. These are attributes of both hunter-type deities and the 'Horned God of the North' type deity. Who seems to be a warrior/protector of the tribe type deity. The deity is also invoked in both single and plural forms indicating that he was considered as a multiple (probably triple) deity. From the various invocations it seems that the god was particularly popular amongst men, especially the rank and file of the Roman army.

As a deity, however, Vitiris is, to say the least, something of an enigma. The centre of his worship and the attributes of his shrine strongly indicate that represents an aspect of the horned god of Northern Britain. However, about the only possible interpretation for Vitiris' name is derived from the Latin vetus (ancient). Thus it would seem that Vitiris is 'The Ancient One' which would possibly make him a counterpart of Ogmios; though it is possible that one of Ogmios' aspects is a horned deity. Whatever the true nature of the god, it would seem that Vitiris is a Latin epithet for a native north-British deity (as attested by the location of the sites dedicated to him and the iconography of his temples). The range of names for this deity probably originate from the semi-literate nature of his worshipers (mostly the ordinary soldiers) and he would seem to be an aspect of the protcetive hunter/warrior horned deity whose cult is specific to the north of Britain.

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