Post by lorna on Jan 10, 2016 11:17:14 GMT -1
Helloa,
I've started experimenting with some deity sketches for individual pages for each god and goddess. After writing a 250 word piece (furthest below) for Belisama I realised this was too sketchy to be significant and any longer would have constituted an article, so I decided to cut down to @50 words. I think the 50 words should tell the reader the basics then they click on links to articles and devotional material from Brython members and links to other academic and on-line sources. It would be nice to track down (or draw if anyone has arty skills, mine are limited) a pic for each deity. Here are two eg.s for Belisama and Creiddylad. Let me know what you think. If these work we could share the other gods and goddesses between us?
~
Deity sketches @50 words
Belisama
Belisama ('Most Shining One' or 'Most Mighty One') is a Gallo-Brythonic goddess of light, fire, water, crafts and wisdom. Her worship is attested in Vaison-la-Romaine and Saint-Lizier. Ptolemy's reference (2AD) to the Ribble estuary as Belisama aest suggests she was the goddess of the river Ribble in Lancashire.
Creiddylad
Creiddylad (etymology unknown) is a Brythonic fertility goddess. In Culhwch and Olwen she appears as 'Creiddylad daughter of Lludd Llaw Eraint the most majestic maiden there ever was in the Three Islands of Britain' and the beloved of two rival lovers: Gwyn ap Nudd and Gwythyr ap Greidawl who battle for her every May Day.
~
Deity Sketch @250 words
Belisama
Belisama is a Gallo-Brythonic goddess. The root 'Bel' may be translated as 'bright' 'shining' 'mighty' or 'powerful' and 'isama' is a superlative. Full translations include 'Most Shining One,' 'the most shining, bright one,' and 'Most Mighty Queen' (from Riga Belisama).
A shrine to Belisama, dedicated by Gaul Segomaros, is recorded by a Gaulish inscription in Greek letters in Vaison-la-Romaine. A Latin inscription from Saint-Lizier identifies Belisama with Minerva. Belisama's name survives in French place-names: 'Belesmes, Beleymas, Belleme, Blesmes and Blismes.'
In Ptolemy's Geography (2AD) the Ribble estuary in Lancashire is recorded as 'Belisama aest'. This shows Belisama is the goddess of the Ribble. Ribchester, known during the Romano-British period as Bremetonacon 'the place by the roaring river', may have been a centre of Belisama's worship.
Lancashire folklorist John Harland connects Beltains (fires) and eating oat cakes on Halloween amongst inhabitants of the Ribble's banks in the 19th C with Belisama's worship as 'The Queen of Heaven'.
In Lancashire folklore Belisama takes on more sinister apparel. The Ribble (and hence Belisama) is believed to take a life every seven years and is connected with the malevolent water-spirits Peg O'Nell and Jinny Greenteeth.
In the present-day, Belisama is popular amongst pagans of various paths in Lancashire. Her worship as 'The Bright One' and 'Lady of Summer' is being revived in Britanny by Vivienne Crowley's group. No doubt other cults and individual worshippers exist.
SOURCES
Bernard Maier, Dictionary of Celtic Religion and Culture, (The Boydell Press, 1997)
James MacKillop, Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, (Oxford University Press, 1998)
John Harland, Lancashire Folklore, (Kessinger Publishing, 1867)
Nick Ford, ‘Ribchester (Bremetenacum Veteranorum): Place of the Roaring Water’ Lancashire’s Sacred Landscape, ed. Linda Sever (The History Press, 2010)
Vivienne Crowley, 'Midsummer Blessings of Belisama,' Patheos Pagan www.patheos.com/blogs/viviannecrowley/2015/06/midsummer-blessings-of-belisama/
I've started experimenting with some deity sketches for individual pages for each god and goddess. After writing a 250 word piece (furthest below) for Belisama I realised this was too sketchy to be significant and any longer would have constituted an article, so I decided to cut down to @50 words. I think the 50 words should tell the reader the basics then they click on links to articles and devotional material from Brython members and links to other academic and on-line sources. It would be nice to track down (or draw if anyone has arty skills, mine are limited) a pic for each deity. Here are two eg.s for Belisama and Creiddylad. Let me know what you think. If these work we could share the other gods and goddesses between us?
~
Deity sketches @50 words
Belisama
Belisama ('Most Shining One' or 'Most Mighty One') is a Gallo-Brythonic goddess of light, fire, water, crafts and wisdom. Her worship is attested in Vaison-la-Romaine and Saint-Lizier. Ptolemy's reference (2AD) to the Ribble estuary as Belisama aest suggests she was the goddess of the river Ribble in Lancashire.
Creiddylad
Creiddylad (etymology unknown) is a Brythonic fertility goddess. In Culhwch and Olwen she appears as 'Creiddylad daughter of Lludd Llaw Eraint the most majestic maiden there ever was in the Three Islands of Britain' and the beloved of two rival lovers: Gwyn ap Nudd and Gwythyr ap Greidawl who battle for her every May Day.
~
Deity Sketch @250 words
Belisama
Belisama is a Gallo-Brythonic goddess. The root 'Bel' may be translated as 'bright' 'shining' 'mighty' or 'powerful' and 'isama' is a superlative. Full translations include 'Most Shining One,' 'the most shining, bright one,' and 'Most Mighty Queen' (from Riga Belisama).
A shrine to Belisama, dedicated by Gaul Segomaros, is recorded by a Gaulish inscription in Greek letters in Vaison-la-Romaine. A Latin inscription from Saint-Lizier identifies Belisama with Minerva. Belisama's name survives in French place-names: 'Belesmes, Beleymas, Belleme, Blesmes and Blismes.'
In Ptolemy's Geography (2AD) the Ribble estuary in Lancashire is recorded as 'Belisama aest'. This shows Belisama is the goddess of the Ribble. Ribchester, known during the Romano-British period as Bremetonacon 'the place by the roaring river', may have been a centre of Belisama's worship.
Lancashire folklorist John Harland connects Beltains (fires) and eating oat cakes on Halloween amongst inhabitants of the Ribble's banks in the 19th C with Belisama's worship as 'The Queen of Heaven'.
In Lancashire folklore Belisama takes on more sinister apparel. The Ribble (and hence Belisama) is believed to take a life every seven years and is connected with the malevolent water-spirits Peg O'Nell and Jinny Greenteeth.
In the present-day, Belisama is popular amongst pagans of various paths in Lancashire. Her worship as 'The Bright One' and 'Lady of Summer' is being revived in Britanny by Vivienne Crowley's group. No doubt other cults and individual worshippers exist.
SOURCES
Bernard Maier, Dictionary of Celtic Religion and Culture, (The Boydell Press, 1997)
James MacKillop, Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, (Oxford University Press, 1998)
John Harland, Lancashire Folklore, (Kessinger Publishing, 1867)
Nick Ford, ‘Ribchester (Bremetenacum Veteranorum): Place of the Roaring Water’ Lancashire’s Sacred Landscape, ed. Linda Sever (The History Press, 2010)
Vivienne Crowley, 'Midsummer Blessings of Belisama,' Patheos Pagan www.patheos.com/blogs/viviannecrowley/2015/06/midsummer-blessings-of-belisama/