|
Cuntinus
A Gaulish God: Hound of the City or Protective Hound
Cuntinus is Gaulish god known from the region of Tales near Nice in France and represents the tutelary deity of the Cuntinii tribe of the region. He is equated with Mars and Segomo making Cuntinus a protective deity of the region and the tribe bearing his name. |
|
Gaul: Hound of the City or Protective Hound
Cuntinus is a deity known from the region of Tales in the Alpes Maritimes near Nice, France where he was invoked (CIL V 7868) as Mars Segomo Cuntinus. It seems that in the pre-Roman period the people of Tales were called the Cuntinii (ie the people of Cuntinus) a deity who lent his name to the present-day town of Contes.
Some have proposed that the name Cuntinus is derived from the Greek roots cuon (dog) and ktenos (herd) which would give the name 'herd-dog' equivalent to modern sheep-dog. However, a similar but more probable derivation of the name can be obtained from the Celtic elements cu (dog) and dîn or dun (fortification or protection) which would render the name 'Hound of the fort or city' or 'protective hound'. This interpretation seems more probable given the equation of Cuntinus with Mars and Segomo, both warrior deities. Cuntinus may have been the genius locus of the region, his role as protecitve deity.
If you would like to try the foods of the time of the ancient Celts, then why not have a look at the ancient recipes section of this site. For the foods of the time when some of these tales were written down, take a look at the Medieval recipes section of the site and, in particular, the recipes from The Forme of Cury.
Couldn't find what you were looking for? Search the web:
