Glanis was a

Gaul Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

ish god associated with a healing spring at the town of Glanum in the

Alpilles The Alpilles ( , ) is a small range of low mountains in Provence, southern France, located about south of Avignon. Geography The range is an extension of the much larger Luberon range. Although it is not high – some 498 m (1,634 ft) ...

mountains of

Provence Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...

in southern

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 ...

. There are cisterns at the site of the springs where pilgrims may have bathed. Near one of them an altar to Glanis and the Glanicae was set up. The Glanicae were a triad of local mother goddesses associated with the healing springs. The town, where a shrine to Glanis was erected in the 4th century BC, was itself named after the god. When it became a colony of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

, the Romans followed their usual practice by absorbing Glanis into their pantheon in the form of Valetudo. The worship of Glanis/Valetudo ended with the rise of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

and the destruction of Glanum in 270 AD.H. Rolland, "Un temple de Valetudo à Glanum", ''Revue Archéologique'' (1955: II. 98-106.)

References

* Green., Miranda. ''Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend.'' Thames and Hudson Ltd. London. 1997. Gaulish gods Health gods Water gods {{celt-myth-stub

See also

References