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Ocelus
A Brythonic God, also known as Ocaere: The Harrower
Ocelus (Ocaere) is a Brythonic god known from a three British inscriptions where he is equated with Roman Mars. As Ocaere he is known from Portugal. He is a god of healing and of agriculture, equating with the rural aspects of Mars. |
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Bryth: The Harrower
Ocelus is a Brythonic deity known from three inscriptions in Britain. The first of these, from Venta Silurum (The Market Town of the Silures) in Caerwent, Gwent reads: DEO MARTI OCELO AEL AGVSTINVS OP VSLM (For the god Mars Ocelus Aelius Augustinus the Optio, willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow). Another inscription seen on a statue base from Caerwent reads: DEO MARTI LENO SIVE OCELO VELLAVN ET NVM AVG M NONIVS ROMANVS OB IMMVNITAT COLLEGNI D D S D GLABRIONE ET HOMVLO COS X K SEPT (For the god Mars Lenus or Ocelus Vellaunus and the Spirit of the Emperor, Marcus Nonius Romanus, due to the privileges granted him by the guild [of magistrates], dedicated this out of his own funds, ten days before the Kalends of September when Glabrio and Homulus were consuls). The third inscription comes from LVGVVALIVM (Stanegate Fort and Town Carlisle, Cumbria) and reads: DEO MARTI OCELO ET NVMINI IMP ALEXANDRI AVG ET IVL MAMAEAE MATR CASTR ET SENATVS ET PATR ET TOTI DOMVI DIVINAE (To the god Mars Ocelus and the Divine Spirits of Imperator Alexander Augustus and Julia Mamaea, Mother of the Camps and of the Senate and of the Fatherland and of the entire Divine House).
In two of the inscriptions Ocelus is equated with Roman Mars by interpretato Romana though the deity is also equated with Vellaunus and invoked along with Mars Lenus. It is interesting that in Gaulish context Vellaunus is equated with Mercury which would indicate that Ocelus might also share some of the features of Roman Mercury as the patron of merchants. However, if this is the case, then it does not seem to make much sense that Ocelus is also invoked as an aspect of Mars. However, Mars was originally an agrarian deity; the god of fertility and vegetation and the protector of cattle. This association between the two deities would make sense in the contexts of Caerwent and Stonegate, Carlisle which were both market settlements and may indicate that they had important cattle markets.
The name of Ocelus is etymologically related to that of the Celtiberian deity, Ocaere who is known from a temple dedicated to him at S. João do Campo, Portugal. Here rows of ploughs were left as votive offerings. This would seem to have some bearing on the meaning of Ocelus' name which can be related to the reconstructed proto-Celtic root *okitā- (harrow) which, is a function, like ploughing involved in the tilling of soil. This links directly to the agrarian aspects of Mars and the bringing of products to market.
Another feature of Ocelus is indicated by the remains of a statue found at Caerwent. Only the base remains, where two pairs of feet are seen: one pair human and the other pair belonging to a goose. This would indicate that the cult of Ocelus is also associated with healing, which again would fit in with Ocelus' equation with Mars.
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.
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