Belisama ( Gaulish Belesama ; epigraphically Bηλησαμα ) is a Celtic goddess . She was identified by Roman commentators with Minerva by interpretatio romana .
5-511: The Gaulish theonym Belesama has been traditionally interpreted as meaning 'the very bright', stemming from the Indo-European root *bʰelH- ('white, shining'; cf. Lith. báltas 'white', Greek φαλόσ phalós 'white', Arm. bal 'pallor', goth. bala 'grey') attached to the superlative suffix *- isamā . As for Belenos , however, this theory has come under increasing criticism in contemporary scholarship. Xavier Delamarre notes that
10-514: A "Belisama estuary" (Βελισαμα), River Ribble in England seems to have been known by the name Belisama in Roman times. The attestation of the theonym as a river name may indicate that she was a lake- and river-goddess. Belisama has also been speculatively claimed as companion of Belenos , whose name seems to contain the same root. Theonym Too Many Requests If you report this error to
15-623: The comparison. A Gaulish inscription found at Vaison-la-Romaine in Provence ( RIG G-172) shows that a nemeton was dedicated to her: The identification with Minerva in Gallo-Roman religion is established in a Latin inscription from Saint-Lizier (anciently Consoranni ), Ariège department ( CIL XIII, 8): The presence of the goddess in Ancient Britain is more difficult to establish. Based on Ptolemy 's reference to
20-594: The name with the Gaulish theonym Belisa-maros . According to him, this is "formally attractive and semantically possible (if * Belesama = Lat. Minerva medica ) but not supported by direct evidence". The toponyms Beleymas , Bellême , Balesmes , Blesmes , Blismes , and Velesmes are based on the theonym. The name also appears in various river names of Gauls and Britain, including Belisama ( River Ribble ) and Le Blima ( Tarn ). The Galatian personal name Blesamius , from an earlier * Belesamios , may also be added to
25-437: The proposed cognates stemming from *bʰelH- do not seem to connote 'shining', but rather 'white, grey, pale', and proposes to derive the name from the Gaulish root belo - ('strong, powerful'), rendering Belesama as 'the very strong' (cf. Sanskrit baliṣṭhaḥ 'the strongest'). Alternatively, Peter Schrijver has conjectured a connection with the stem for ' henbane ', * beles -, attached to an unknown suffix - ma , by comparing
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