eponess@yahoo.com
Re: A Celtic God named 'Bel'?
Jenny
jennyg@compuserve.com
Sun Mar 14 13:53:05 1999
: Just surfing the web today, when I come across an article *br*: about Bealtinne.  The article was okay, until I read about *br*: the origins.  The author claimed that the name meant 'good *br*: fire' and was further linked to a Celtic god Bel or Beli, *br*: whose name meant 'good' or 'bright'.*p*Hi Epona,*p*You're right, there is no Celtic god named "Bel".  "Bel" means "bright" or "lucky", and Beltane translates as "bright/lucky fire".*p*There is a Welsh deity (??) named Beli Mawr, but he has no connection to Beltane -- the Welsh called May Day "Calan Mai", not Beltane.*p*Beli Mawr ("the Great") was supposedly the ruler of Britain, defeated by the Roman emporer Maxen in 383 CE.  All of the early Welsh dynasties claim descent from Beli, and this has led some scholars to suppose that he may be an "ancestor god".  Additionally Arianrod is once (in the Triads of Britain) said to be the daughter of Beli Mawr (though normally she's described as the daughter of the goddess Donn).*p*Belenus ("the Bright One") is a title used in amongst the Continental Celts.  A number of Romano-Celtic inscriptions used it as a "surname" for various deities (like Apollo Belenus).  It may have been the name of an actual Celtic deity;  we're not sure.  But, again, Belenus has no connection to Beltane.*p*Jenny*br*
A Celtic God named 'Bel'?
Epona na Donnaigh
321
Sun Mar 14 12:45:43 1999