Esus

Esus ( Hesus also, Aesus ) was a Celtic god of trade and the ways rarely seen as a war god who was worshiped by the Gauls.

Mythology

The identification of Esus with a Roman deity is unclear. The Roman poet Lucan placed it next to Toutatis and Taranis as a one of the three main Gallic gods. Later Lucan commentators put him to the Roman Mercurius same. It is unclear whether even the Roman conqueror of Gaul, Gaius Iulius Caesar, referred as the most revered god of the Gauls on Esus in his description of Mercurius '. In the Bernese Lukan - scholia Esus is also compared to Mars. His name is possibly together with the Gallic tribe of Esuvier, their tribal god maybe he was. It is also unclear whether an inscription from Hültenhausen that calls a Mercurio Esunertus, is a variant of Esus, most likely, these are the name of the founder. Interesting is a grave inscription from Caesarea, near the present-day Cherchell in Algeria, which is called a Esus - next to an inscription from Paris, the only epigraphic testimony Esus.

Cult practice

After the Bernese Lukan - scholia Esus was especially the god of merchants, which in the eyes of the Romans " inhuman altars " were dedicated and to honor people were hanged on trees " until the meat becomes loose from the bones ." It is not entirely clear what kind of sacrifice was meant hereby, whether executed man found on trees displayed or she hangs on the tree itself, or were about even bisected by rebounding branches. In general, the source location to the actual cult of Esus is but scanty and difficult to assess, so that hardly a satisfactory picture of the actual function of the god and his cult can be reconstructed.

Iconography

Only a representation of Esus - on the stele of Nautae Parisiaci - is named in inscriptions as clearly ESVS. Since the relief on the Trier Mercurius altar of this is very similar to the identification seems secure as Esus. Both representations can be seen a baumfällende deity and in the branches are a bull and three and two cranes seen, the latter being seen in Paris on its own relief and is labeled with Tarvos Trigaranus. On the Trier consecration stone are also on the other sides Mercurius and a companion as well as another unnamed goddess to see. However, the Esus - myth, which is shown here, as well as the character of Esus not delivered.

Difficulties of the etymology

Highly controversial is the interpretation of the name Esus. Thus one often finds an interpretation as "Lord", eg Bernhard Maier,. An affinity for Latin and Etruscan erus ( " Mr ", " lord " ) with long " ē ", but also on venet. aisu ( " deity " ) with a short "e" indicates. D. F. L. Belloguet suspected a relationship with the root As ( "life" ) (as in the Indo -Iranian Asura and the Nordic Aesir ). R. Nedoma derives the name from the proto- Indo-European root - ice ( " anger, passion " ) and H. d' Arbois de Jubainville guessed the meaning of " anger, haste ". J. Vendryes derives the name, however, of Esu ("good" ), while D. Martin and his derivation of Breton ( h) euzuz meaning " terrible " quasi represents the exact opposite. Other less well-known interpretations derived from kelt. (v ) esu (" Good ", cf Vendryes ), is (" Request"), proto- Indo-European Ais ( " honor, respect " ) or Italic Aisus, Esus ("God " ) (cf. Belloguet ).

Esoteric

The Welsh author Iolo Morganwg, who is considered the father of modern Druids, sat Esus with the legendary figure " Hu - gadarn " to " Hu - Hesus " equal and identified him with Jesus Christ and the legendary founder of the Druid worship and inventor of the Ogham script. Other Neopagan authors identify Esus with the Irish legendary figure Easar and worship him as hunting or fire god (after an uncertain etymology from Indo-European * AIDH (" fire " ) ).

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