- Latis
In ancient
Celtic polytheism , Latis is the name of two Celtic deities worshipped inRoman Britain . One is a goddess (Dea Latis), the other a god (Deus Latis), and they are both known from a single inscription each.__NOTOC__Dea Latis
The dedication to Dea Latis was found at Birdoswald Roman Fort in
Cumbria ,England , in 1873. It reads simply::DIE LATI:"For the goddess Latis" [Collingwood, R.G. and Wright, R.P. (1965) "The Roman Inscriptions of Britain" (RIB) "Vol.I Inscriptions on Stone". Oxford. [http://www.roman-britain.org/places/camboglanna.htm#rib1897 RIB 1897, online at www.roman-britain.org] ]The E is written as a ||. The stone is now in the Carlisle Museum. She is known as the goddess of water and beer. [ [http://folkloreandmyth.netfirms.com/gods_goddesses.html Folklore and Legend - Gods and Goddesses ] ] She may have been associated with the nearby rivers. [Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend, Miranda J. Green, Thames and Hudson Ltd, London, 1997]
Deus Latis
The dedication to Deus Latis, recovered on an altar-stone at the Roman fort of
Aballava ,Burgh-by-Sands (also inCumbria ) reads::DEO LATI LVCIVS VRSEI:"To the god Latis, Lucius Ursei [dedicates this] ." ["Ibid." [http://www.roman-britain.org/places/aballava.htm#rib2043 RIB 2043, online at www.roman-britain.org] ]
The altar-stone to Deus Latis was found near an image of a horned god named
Belatucadros .Etymology
The name 'Latis' may conceivably be related to the Proto-Celtic words *"lati-" meaning 'liquor', *"lat-" 'day', or *"lāto-" 'lust'. [Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies,
University of Wales . " [http://www.wales.ac.uk/documents/external/cawcs/pcl-moe.pdf Proto-Celtic—English lexicon] ." (See also [http://www.wales.ac.uk/newpages/EXTERNAL/E4504.asp this page] for background and disclaimers.)]References
*ABALLAVA museum, Burgh by Sands, Cumbria,England .
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
