Vosegus: a Gaulish god (The Sower)

Synonyms:
Gaul: The Sower

Vosegus is a god attested from five inscriptions; three in France and two in Germany. In Haardt, and Sliz, Germany he is invoked alone [AE 1938, 82 and CIL XIII 06080, respectively], whereas Gösdorf, Bas-Rhin, France he is invoked as Vosego Sil[vestri] (Vosegus Silvestris) [CIL XIII 06059], a name by which he is also invoked at Zinsweiler, Bas-Rhin, France [CIL XIII 06027]. In contrast, at Mont-Donon, Bas-Rhin, France he is invoked as Merc(urio) Vos(ego) (Mercury Vosegus) [CIL XIII 04550] and is invoked along with the Roman goddess, Hecate. Vosegus' epithet Silvestris (of the forests) is interesting, especially given that the forest this deity is associated with is the Vosges in France which is undoubtedly named after this god. Thus Vosegus is the tutelary deity of the Vosges region of France.

This deity obviously has a protective role in terms of the Vosges region, but apart from this his attributes remain unknown. The deity's name, however, can be interpreted on the basis of the reconstructed proto-Celtic lexical element: *seg-os- (seed) or *seq-(y)o- (sow) along with the initial particle *wo- and the Latinized masculine ending -us. Thus Vosegus' name can be interpreted as: 'He who Seeds' or 'The Sower' which would be apposite for a woodland deity. This interpretation of Vosegus' name may also explain why this deity is conflated with Mercury by Interpretato Romana as, though a patron of traders and merchants Mercury began as the god of grain trading and grain harvests. Was one of Vosegus' original functions as the god of grain? We may never now for certain, but it is an interesting possibility. Though as a protector of the Vosges forest part of Voesgus' function was probably to maintain the forest, thus he could have been the sower of new trees.

A large statue found in the Vosges region, at Reichshoffen nar Strasbourg (and shown above) may well represent this deity. The carving is of a male deity wearing a heavy Gallic cloak (a sagum). He carries a young wild boar tucked under his left hand. The cloak is attached with a clasp on the right shoulder which also bears a quiver full of arrows. In his right hand he holds a bow and by his feet stands a small dog (a feature of Gaulish Mercury). This is definitely a hunter and woodland god, hence the statue's association with Vosegus. The aspect is that of one who both hunts and protects the denizens of the forest which is his realm.

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