Belenus Belenus

Belenus - Definition and Overview

In Celtic mythology, Belenus (also Belinus, Belenos, Belinos, Belinu, Bellinus, Belus, Bel) was a deity worshipped in Gaul, Britain and Celtic areas of Italy and Austria. He had shrines from Aquilea on the Adriatic to Inveresk in Scotland. His name means "shining one" and he is associated with fire and healing. He may be the same deity as Belatu-Cadros. In the Roman period he was identified with Apollo. His wife was Belisama.

The name of the ancient British king Cunobelinus means "hound of Belenus".

The Irish festival of Beltaine, Irish deity Bile ("sacred tree") and Welsh ancestor-deity Beli are probably derived from Belenus. The legendary kings Belinus and Heli in Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain are probably also derived from this god.

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