Toutatis

Toutatis is a god of the Celtic mythology. He is generally regarded as actual tribal god ( Touto - tati -s " father of the tribe / people" ) seen as fatherly leader in war and peace. Sometimes it is assumed that presentations of the Gallic gods of war to show with ram's horns or accompanied by a boar Toutatis.

After the interpretatio romana the Romans resembled the Celtic gods and cults of their own. Teutates stands as a nickname for Mars and Mercury. From Rocky Wood / Barkway ( Hertfordshire ), a whole Votivschatz of seven thin, leaf -shaped silver plates came, for example, together with a bronze statuette of Mars to light, of which the largest labeled " Marti Toutati " is ( now in the British Museum ).

It is a long series of similar deities like Toutais, Teutanus, Toutiorix or Toutanos known, which appear as epithets of the Celtic Mars, Mercury, Apollo and Jupiter.

Human sacrifice

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus ( 39-65 ) mentions in his Pharsalia three Gallic gods, Toutatis, Taranis Esus and that must be satisfied by human sacrifice. The most famous commentary are the Bernese Lukan - scholia.

The main commentator these scholia confirmed that it is Teutates / Mercurius. For him, a human being must be held to suffocation in a cauldron full head first. A later hand added that Toutatis / Mars will appeased " with terrible blood " because fights come by inspiration of this same deity into existence.

This differential equation of Toutatis with Mars or Mercury is commonly found in the interpretations Gallica, since there is not a congruent connection between Gallic / Celtic and Greek / Roman gods. The ancient classical authors on the one hand and the Gauls on the other hand look for the common denominator of the gods, who was found in this case in the fertility and prosperity of both Roman Göttheiten component.

Inscriptions

In the Roman period inscriptions Toutatis is mentioned several times, with different forms of names and identifications occur with Roman deities. Despite the similar names, the four gods are not identical to each other.

• Mars Toutates

Two inscriptions from Britain called the Mars Toutates. An inscription from Seckau in Styria just mentions a number of epithets: MARTI LATOBIO MARMOGIO TOVTATI Sinati MOGENIO, with Toutatis is written here is less between the lines and was probably added later, and an inscription from Rome called the TOVTATI MEDVRINI. An inscription from the province of Dacia ultimately still calls the Mars Toutaticus. The name is interpreted as "people of the Father" ( < * Touto - tatis, to air Tuath, . Cymric tud "people". ). The name Medurinus "judge" is also equated with the Irish god Midir.

• Teutanus

Teutanus or Jupiter Teutanus was the tribal god of the late Celtic Eravisci who owned their oppidum on the southern slopes of Gellért Hill in Budapest. The Romans called this mountain probably Mons Teutanus. The Eravisci dedicated to Jupiter Optimus Maximus (IOM ) Teutanus Conservator and Juno Regina ( " queen Juno " ) each year on June 11, an inscription. The name means King Teutanus; according to the Germanic language: Gothic thiudans on. þjóðann " king, ruler ". Many researchers have the name Teutanus understood as epichoric (local) name of God in the past and equated it with the Gallic Toutates. This approach is controversial today.

• Mercurius Toutenus

The Vangiones worshiped the Mercurius Toutenus, as two inscriptions show.

• Apollo Toutiorix

An inscription from Wiesbaden ( Aquae Mattiacorum ), a Roman spa and health resort is dedicated to Apollo Toutiorix. The name can indeed be interpreted as a "people's king" (of westindogermanisch * touta, "people, tribe" ), but as was the Gallic Apollo the god of healing baths, a translation could be possible as a " healer king". This also fits the dedication to Apollo Virotutis "Men healer" of Savoy.

Cultural History

More recently, Toutatis is mainly known by the exclamation " When Toutatis! " Asterix the Gaul from comics.