Caturix

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Caturix (Gaulish for "battle king") was the war god of the Helvetii.

Names[edit]

Caturix became known as Mars Caturix in Gallo-Roman religion by interpretation as Mars. There was a temple dedicated to Mars Caturix in Aventicum, the capital of Roman Helvetia, another one in Nonfoux, Essertines-sur-Yverdon.

Other names (epitheta) of Caturix may have been Cicollus and Caisivus. Caturix has itself been interpreted as originating as an epithet of Toutatis.

Etymology[edit]

The Gaulish name catu-rix means 'battle-king' or 'battle-lord', stemming from Gaulish root catu- ('combat, battle') attached to rix ('king').[1][2] The root catu- is cognate to similar words in Celtic languages, including Old Irish cath ('battle, troop') and Old Welsh cad ('battle'),[3] and is attested in other Celtic personal names such as Catigern.[4][5]

The Gallic tribe of the Caturiges ('battle-kings'), settling in the area of modern Chorges (from Latin: Caturigumagus) was apparently named after the god. The capital of the Caturiges was called Eburodunum (modern Embrun), i.e. the same name as that of Yverdon, suggesting a close relationship between the Caturiges and the Helvetii.

Inscriptions[edit]

Five dedicatory inscriptions to Caturix were found in the area settled by the Helvetii, all of them close to Avenches (Aventicum) and Yverdon (Eburodunum). A sixth inscription has been found in isolation in Böckingen, Heilbronn, Germany.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Lambert 1994, p. 36.
  2. ^ Delamarre 2003, p. 111.
  3. ^ Pronk, Tijmen. "Proto-Indo-European *a". In: Indo-European Linguistics 7, 1 (2019): 127. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/22125892-00701002
  4. ^ Mallory, James. (2006). "Indo-European Warfare". In: Journal of Conflict Archaeology 2: 89. 10.1163/157407706778942312.
  5. ^ Russell, Paul. "Old Welsh Dinacat, Cunedag, Tutagual: Fossilized Phonology in Brittonic Personal Names". In: Indo-European Perspectives: Studies in Honour of Anna Morpugo Davies. Edited by J. H. W. Penney. Oxford University Press. 2004. pp. 447-460. ISBN 0-19-925892-9

Bibliography[edit]