Rigisamus, also Rigisamos, was a deity in Gaulish and Celtic mythology who, according to the Interpretatio Romana, was connected with Mars.
Mythology and Etymology
Rigisamus is mentioned in two inscriptions, one in
Bourges (Cher department, Region Center-Val de Loire in
France),
[: Marti | Rigisamo | Ti(berius) Iul(ius) Eunus | ex vis{s}u „dem Mars Rigisamus (hat es geweiht) Tiberius Iulius Eunus nach einer Vision“.] and the other in
West Coker (in
Yeovil, county of
Somerset in
England)
[Helmut Birkhan: Kelten. Versuch einer Gesamtdarstellung ihrer Kultur. Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien 1997, , S. 638.] together with a picture of God and the following text:
[ Roman Inscriptions of Britain 1, 187.]
- Deo Marti | Rigisamo | Iu (v) entius | Sabinus | v (otum) s (olvit) l (aetus) l (ibens) m (erito)
- ("Juventius Sabinus gladly and deservedly fulfilled the vow for the god Mars Rigisamus")
The name Rigisamus is derived from a reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root * rīg ("king", "royal") and a second, * -samo, * samali ("unique"). Rigisamus would therefore mean "the most royal", or "king of kings". The Irish word rí and the Gallic rix rīg-s (both also mean “king”) are directly related to this.
It is unknown which properties of Mars are attributed to Rigisamus.
See also
