Aernus
Encyclopedia
Aernus was a theonym used for a god
in the Celtiberian
pantheon . The use of this theonym was confined to worship
in the vicinity of Bragança . Around this area, a number of inscriptions to a god
hailed by this name have been recorded . One inscription, found in Castro de Avelãs
, Bragança , was dedicated by the ‘ordo Zoelarum,’ and this leads Tranoy and Roux to conclude that this god
was probably the protector of the Zoelae
. Another inscription was also found in Castro de Avelãs
, while yet another was found in Malta in Macedo de Cavaleiros
, also in the District of Bragança . While epigraphic evidence
for Aernus is scarce, its concentration in a reduced territory in association with homogenous aspects of material culture indicates to Olivares a homogeneity in the cultural area of the Zoelae
. The meaning
of the name is still unknown but compare the Proto-Indo-European root
s *aper- ‘behind, at the back’ and *āpero- ‘bank
’ with the regular phonological developments in Celtic.
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
in the Celtiberian
Celtiberians
The Celtiberians were Celtic-speaking people of the Iberian Peninsula in the final centuries BC. The group used the Celtic Celtiberian language.Archaeologically, the Celtiberians participated in the Hallstatt culture in what is now north-central Spain...
pantheon . The use of this theonym was confined to worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
in the vicinity of Bragança . Around this area, a number of inscriptions to a god
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
hailed by this name have been recorded . One inscription, found in Castro de Avelãs
Castro de Avelãs
Castro de Avelãs is a Portuguese parish in the municipality of Bragança. The population in 2001 is 483, its density is 34.8/km² and the area is 13.87 km²....
, Bragança , was dedicated by the ‘ordo Zoelarum,’ and this leads Tranoy and Roux to conclude that this god
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
was probably the protector of the Zoelae
Zoelae
The Zoelae were an ancient Celtic tribe of Gallaecia, living in the north of modern Portugal, in the province of Trás-os-Montes, between the mountains of Serra da Nogueira and the mountains of Mogadouro.-External links:*...
. Another inscription was also found in Castro de Avelãs
Castro de Avelãs
Castro de Avelãs is a Portuguese parish in the municipality of Bragança. The population in 2001 is 483, its density is 34.8/km² and the area is 13.87 km²....
, while yet another was found in Malta in Macedo de Cavaleiros
Macedo de Cavaleiros
Macedo de Cavaleiros is a municipality in northeastern Portugal, in Bragança District.-History:During antiquity, the region was occupied by the Celts, then Romans and finally the Arab forces of the Umayyad Caliphate, who dominated the region until the Christian Reconquista...
, also in the District of Bragança . While epigraphic evidence
Epigraphy
Epigraphy Epigraphy Epigraphy (from the , literally "on-writing", is the study of inscriptions or epigraphs as writing; that is, the science of identifying the graphemes and of classifying their use as to cultural context and date, elucidating their meaning and assessing what conclusions can be...
for Aernus is scarce, its concentration in a reduced territory in association with homogenous aspects of material culture indicates to Olivares a homogeneity in the cultural area of the Zoelae
Zoelae
The Zoelae were an ancient Celtic tribe of Gallaecia, living in the north of modern Portugal, in the province of Trás-os-Montes, between the mountains of Serra da Nogueira and the mountains of Mogadouro.-External links:*...
. The meaning
Semantics
Semantics is the study of meaning. It focuses on the relation between signifiers, such as words, phrases, signs and symbols, and what they stand for, their denotata....
of the name is still unknown but compare the Proto-Indo-European root
Proto-Indo-European root
The roots of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language are basic parts of words that carry a lexical meaning, so-called morphemes. PIE roots always have verbal meaning like "to eat" or "to run", as opposed to nouns , adjectives , or other parts of speech. Roots never occur alone in the language...
s *aper- ‘behind, at the back’ and *āpero- ‘bank
Bank (geography)
A geographic bank has four definitions and applications:# Limnology: The shoreline of a pond, swamp, estuary, reservoir, or lake. The grade can vary from vertical to a shallow slope....
’ with the regular phonological developments in Celtic.