The Euffigneix statue or God of Euffigneix is a

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

stone pillar statue found near Euffigneix, a commune of

Haute-Marne Haute-Marne (; English: Upper Marne) is a department in the Grand Est region of Northeastern France. Named after the river Marne, its prefecture is Chaumont. In 2019, it had a population of 172,512.France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The statue has been dated to the 1st century BC, within the

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization (cultural), Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire in Roman Gaul. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, Roman culture, language ...

period. The statue is a human bust with a large

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

of a

boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...

on its chest. The boar was a potent symbol for the Celts and the figure has been thought to represent a

Gaulish Gaulish is an extinct Celtic languages, Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, ...

boar-god, perhaps

Moccus Moccus or Moccos is a Celtic polytheism, Celtic god who is attested in one 2nd or 3rd century AD inscription from Langres, in which he is Interpretatio romana, identified with the Ancient Rome, Roman god Mercury (mythology), Mercury. Moccus has b ...

Discovery

The statue was apparently discovered by chance in 1922 by a farmer, when digging his horse out of some mud near Euffigneix. The statue was in a pit filled with bones. The find spot was not able to be securely located in 1930, when excavations were attempted by . These excavations found nothing. The statue is now at the

Musée des Antiquités Nationales The National Archaeological Museum (French: Musée d'Archéologie nationale) is a major French archaeology museum, covering pre-historic times to the Merovingian period (450–750). It is housed in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the '' ...

Description

The statue is made of

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

. It is cylindrical, somewhat squared around the torso. It measures 26cm tall and 18cm wide. It is broken at the top and bottom. Archaeologist Philip Kiernan has suggested it once bore the characteristic square base of the Iron Age Gallic '' buste-socles''. The reverse of the sculpture below the torc is also badly damaged. The statue is the bust of a young beardless man. His head, tilted slightly to the right, sits atop an armless torso. A

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

of a boar takes up the front of this torso. The boar is sideways, with its face towards the figure's head; it is muscular and bristling, with elongated ears. In place of a left arm, a large stylised eye has been carved onto on his side. Around the figure's neck is a

torc A torc, also spelled torq or torque, is a large rigid or stiff neck ring in metal, made either as a single piece or from strands twisted together. The great majority are open at the front, although some have hook and ring closures and a few hav ...

with ornate studs. His facial features are badly damaged. The mouth and lower part of the nose have been obliterated. The right eye is damaged. The sculptor has rendered his ears and eyes as heavy-set, but detailed and uncommonly well-proportioned. The top of the figure's head has been sheared off, leaving little of his hair except at the back of his head and in front of his ears. What survives of this hair reveals the care with which it was sculpted. The hair is tied into a

palmette The palmette is a motif in decorative art which, in its most characteristic expression, resembles the fan-shaped leaves of a palm tree. It has a far-reaching history, originating in ancient Egypt with a subsequent development through the art o ...

-shaped ponytail at the back of his head; long locks on either side reach to the figure's collarbone, tucked behind his ears and into his torc.

Interpretation

Eburovices hemi stater Gallica celtiques 1289 avers

The small size suggests that it was intended for a person or household, rather than larger-scale cult. The form of the statue has been described a trunk-like and its design as owing much to Celtic wood-carving. has suggested the statue is a copy in stone of an anthropomorphic wooden original. If so, the design is a lucky survival, as few examples of Celtic wood-carving have survived the centuries. The statue has been dated to early in the Roman occupation of Gaul, around the 1st century BC. Stone sculpture is much more common in this era, and the style of the facial features and boar-relief suggest such a date. The statue has been thought to represent a God mainly because of the large boar-relief on its chest. In Celtic art, human figures with abstract animal attributes are commonly associated with divinity. Boars were particularly venerated by the Celts. They were depicted in cult imagery with large ears and elaborate bristles. The boar god was called "

" by the Gallic tribe

Lingones The Lingones (Gaulish: 'the jumpers') were a Gallic tribe of the Iron Age and Roman periods. They dwelled in the region surrounding the present-day city of Langres, between the provinces of Gallia Lugdunensis and Gallia Belgica. Name A ...

and " Baco" by the Gauls of the

Chalon-sur-Saône Chalon-sur-Saône (, literally ''Chalon on Saône'') is a city in the Saône-et-Loire Departments of France, department in the Regions of France, region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefectu ...

region. Indeed, has pointed out that Euffigneix lies within the tribal territory of the Lingones, so the statue may be a representation of Moccus. The boar was a symbol of war, of wild nature, and of the hunt; the statue may therefore be of a god of war or a hunter-protector. However, interpretation is difficult. The statue is an isolated piece. Celtic bronze statuettes of boars sometimes served a religious function, but as household items they were sometimes simply prophylactic. The figure may rather be a representation of a Gaulish hero with a symbol of the hunt. The boar on this deity's chest has been likened to representations of boars on the coinage of the

Ambiani The Ambiani (Gaulish: ''Ambiāni'', 'those around') were a Belgic coastal tribe dwelling in the modern Picardy region during the Iron Age and Roman periods. They settled in the region between the 4th century and the second part of the 2nd centur ...

Veliocasses The Veliocasses or Velocasses (Gaulish: *''Weliocassēs'') were a Belgic or Gallic tribe of the La Tène and Roman periods, dwelling in the south of modern Seine-Maritime and in the north of Eure. Name They are mentioned as ''Veliocasses'' by ...

, and

Sequani The Sequani were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the upper river basin of the Arar river (Saône), the valley of the Doubs and the Jura Mountains during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Sequanos'' by Caesar (mid-1 ...

. A very similar arrangement, in which an upside-down boar appears on the neck of a torc-wearing human, is on a coin of the

Eburovices The Eburovīcēs or Aulercī Eburovīcēs (Gaulish: *''Eburouīcēs/Eburowīcēs'', 'those who vanquish by the yew') were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the modern Eure department during the Iron Age and the Roman period. They were part of the Aule ...

Évreux Évreux () is a commune in and the capital of the department of Eure, in the French region of Normandy. History Antiquity In late Antiquity, the town, attested in the fourth century AD, was named '' Mediolanum Aulercorum'', "the central town ...

. The eye on the left hand side has been suggested to be

apotropaic Apotropaic magic (From ) or protective magic is a type of magic intended to turn away harm or evil influences, as in deflecting misfortune or averting the evil eye. Apotropaic observances may also be practiced out of superstition or out of tr ...

, warding off the

evil eye The evil eye is a supernatural belief in a curse brought about by a malevolent glaring, glare, usually inspired by envy. Amulets to Apotropaic, protect against it have been found dating to around 5,000 years ago. It is found in many cultures i ...

; a representation of the presumed boar-god's omniscience; or part of another animal figure, whose muzzle is just visible.

References

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Discovery

Description

Interpretation

References

Further reading