Taranis

Symbol: thunderbolt; solar wheel

Culture: Celtic

Overview

Taranis is a thunder deity in Celtic mythology. Direct historical knowledge of Taranis is scarce; almost all information about him comes from accounts written by the ancient Romans. Taranis is often associated with the Greek god Zeus, the Roman Jupiter, and the Germanic Thor—all thunder gods in their respective cultures. Roman sources describe Taranis as a member of a powerful trio of Celtic gods who were said to demand specific types of human sacrifices. While evidence suggests the Celts did engage in human sacrifice, modern historians question some accounts linked to Taranis as a form of ancient propaganda.

In Mythology

The Celts were a collection of ancient peoples who first appeared in central Europe more than three thousand years ago. The Celts were not a unified people, but rather consisted of different tribes tied together by a common language and religious beliefs. They first showed up in the archaeological record about 1300 BCE in the area of modern-day Germany. From there, they moved west, eventually spreading throughout Europe and the British Isles. By the first century BCE, the Celts came into conflict with the expanding Roman Empire. The superior Roman military nearly wiped out the Celts on the European continent. Celtic culture survived primarily in northern Britain and Ireland.

The Celtic tribes shared a common language, but did not have their own writing systems. As a result, the Celts passed down their religious traditions and mythology orally. Written accounts of Taranis and other Celtic deities come primarily from the conquering Romans. The earliest known reference to Taranis came from Julius Caesar in the mid-first century BCE. Caesar led the military campaign against the Celts in Gaul, a region in western Europe. He described the Celtic deities with their Roman names, referring to Taranis as Jupiter carrying a lightning bolt and great wheel that created thunder when thrown through the sky.

The name Taranis is not found in archaeological evidence from the time of the ancient Celts. The name was given to the deity by the Roman poet Lucan a century after Caesar’s campaigns in Gaul. However, ancient inscriptions found on Celtic altars do refer to a Tanarus or a Taranucno. In modern Welsh, a language descended from the language of the Celts, the root word taran means “thunder.”

Taranis was associated with lightning, thunder, and fire in the sky. Ancient coins and statues portray the deity as holding a thunderbolt and carrying a wheel. The wheel was an important symbol to the ancient Celts. It represented the solar cycle or the wheel of the year. A wheel with four spokes symbolized the four seasons—more specifically, the spring and autumn equinoxes and the summer and winter solstices. A wheel with eight spokes also represented four important festivals held at the midpoints of the seasons. For example, the festival of Samhain was held around October 31 and was one of the inspirations for modern Halloween.

Statues and carvings of Taranis found on the European continent often portrayed him as a Roman god and referred to him as Jupiter or other Roman deities. However, the inclusion of the solar wheel in these depictions clearly identifies him as a Celtic deity. Images of a figure holding the solar wheel have been found on many Celtic artifacts. Archeologists have also identified at least seven stone altars with inscriptions dedicated to the “Thunderer,” a likely reference to Taranis. The altars have been found in the Balkans, Germany, France, and England.

Origins & Cults

While historians and archeologists agree that Taranis was viewed as a thunder god by the Celts, his importance in Celtic mythology has been open to debate. To some, the scarcity of altars and direct references to Taranis suggests that he was a minor deity. However, others note that since altars to Taranis have been found over such a wide geographic area, he must have held a place of significant importance. Most Roman accounts of Taranis paint him as a major deity, although these accounts were often written by authors who had no direct contact with the Celts.

Julius Caesar did encounter the Celts in Gaul, but since he considered them an enemy to be defeated, his writings often portray them as a barbaric people. Caesar’s accounts claim the Celts appeased Taranis with human sacrifices. He described a method in which the Celts placed their victims inside a large wooden statue in the shape of a human. The victims were then burned alive in this giant “wicker man.” This same method was described by Greek historian Strabo who lived during the early years of the Roman Empire.

Lucan describes the Celts as worshiping Taranis with “horrid shrines” and “cruel altars.” He placed Taranis as one of three major Celtic deities, along with the protector god Toutatis and the woodcutter god Esus. Lucan claimed that the Celtic trio of deities demanded human sacrifices to be performed according to specific rituals. The Celts were said to appease Toutatis by drowning sacrificial victims. Esus was placated by stabbing victims and hanging them from a tree. Victims to Taranis were burned alive in a wooden vessel.

Archeological evidence has shown that the Celts did practice human sacrifice. Bodies have been found in Britain and Denmark that show signs of a ritual death. However, historians question the authenticity of the Roman accounts of Celtic rituals. The Romans undoubtedly would have wanted to portray their enemy in the most unflattering manner to contrast them with the “civilized” ways of Rome. Because Taranis was associated with thunder and fire, it is possible the Celts did burn victims as sacrifices to him. However, references to a wicker man have never been found in any other source apart from Caesar and Strabo. Furthermore, experts doubt a wicker man would have been a realistic way to carry out a ritual sacrifice. The wooden frame would not have been strong enough to hold the victims inside and would likely collapse well before the flames could consume the structure.

Bibliography

Blank, Bill. “Taranis: The Thunderer.” The Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, www.druidry.org/library/gods-goddesses/taranis-thunderer. Accessed 18 Mar. 2019.

Borsje, Jacqueline. “Human Sacrifice in Medieval Irish Literature.” The Strange World of Human Sacrifice, edited by Jan Bremmer. Peeters Publishers, 2007, pp. 31–54.

Cartwright, Mark. “Celts.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, 18 Jan. 2012, www.ancient.eu/celt/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2019.

“Celtic Mythology.” Myth Encyclopedia, www.mythencyclopedia.com/Ca-Cr/Celtic-Mythology.html. Accessed 18 Mar. 2019.

“Did the Celts or Druids Perform Human Sacrifice?” Celtic Studies Resources, www.digitalmedievalist.com/opinionated-celtic-faqs/human-sacrifice/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2019.

Green, Miranda. “Taranis: The Thunderer.” The Gods of the Celts. 1986. History Press, 2011, pp. 62–65.

Mandal, Dattatreya. “15 Major Ancient Celtic Gods and Goddesses You Should Know About.” Realm of History, 2 July 2018, www.realmofhistory.com/2018/07/02/ancient-celtic-gods-goddesses-facts/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2019.

“Taranis—The Celtic Thunder God.” Balkan Celts, January 2019, balkancelts.wordpress.com/2012/08/20/taranis-the-thunder-god/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2019.