Alaunus

Alaunus or Alaunius is in the Celtic mythology, the name of a deity of the Gauls. She is described as solar, healing and divination deity.

Mythology and Etymology

The name was Alaunus especially in dedicatory inscriptions in the area of ​​today's France, for example, found in Notre- Dame-des- Anges at Lurs (department Alpes- de -Haute- Provence) in the Greek spelling Αλα [ υ ] νειουι and in Nîmes; However Alaunus ' worship is attested by inscriptions for the German city of Mannheim. In this inscription from Gallo-Roman times Alaunus was set equal to the genius of the Mercury.

Alaunus likely the tribal god of the Alauni, a part of the Noric, have been. It is unclear whether the name of God is derived from the name of the tribe or, conversely, the Alauni named themselves after their chief god.

Alaunus is probably related to the Welsh word Alaw (" harmony "). The proto- Indo-European root * alamo (" treasure ", " wealth " ) is to be found in it possibly.