Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

48 BehanzinBehanzinFish god. Fon [Benin, West Africa]. Invoked byfishermen to ensure plentiful catches.BelGeneric title meaning “lord.” Mesopotamian(Babylonian-Akkadian). The Babylonian godMARDUK was often addressed as Bel, and thename occurs in the Vetus Testamentum. The NewYear festival of akitu in Babylon included a ceremonyof “leading Bel by the hand.” The name alsoappears at Palmyra as the tutelary creator godwhose attributes include lightning and an eagle.BelatucadrosWar god. Celtic (British). According to someauthors he is the horned god of the north equatingto CERNUNNOS. The Romans syncretizedhim with the god MARS.BELENUSORIGIN Celtic (Continental European and probablyIrish). Pastoral deity concerned with light,solar worship and healing.KNOWN PERIOD OF WORSHIP prehistoric timesuntil Christianization (circa AD 400) and insome circumstances much later.SYNONYMS Apollo Belenus; Bile (Irish).CENTER(S) OF CULT mainly sanctuaries in northernItaly (Aquileia) and southwestern Gaul(Aquitaine).ART REFERENCES horse statuettes; stone carvingsand reliefs.LITERARY SOURCES Books of Invasions; Cycles ofKings; Roman writers—Tertullian, Herodian,Ausonius; votive inscriptions.Considered to be one of the oldest of the Celticgods thus far recognized. Celebrated long into theChristian era in the festival of Beltine or Cetshamain,set on May 1, the start of the “warm season.” Therites involved lighting huge bonfires and drivingcattle between them as a protection against disease.It marked the season when cattle were liberatedafter winter to graze the open pastures.Belenus bears many similarities with the Greekdeity APOLLO as a god of light, sun and healing.Though appearing more often as a purely Celticgod, he was sometimes worshiped as ApolloBelenus, for example at the thermal springsanctuary at St. Sabine [Côte d’Or], and in thisguise became associated with horses which arewell-attested as sun symbols in the Celtic BronzeAge. Model horses were found at the Gaul site.Ausonius, a fourth century poet from the Bordeauxregion, mentions Belenus sanctuaries inAquitaine. Tertullian refers to them in Austria,Herodian places others in northern Italy.Belet-Ili (lady of the gods)Mother goddess. Mesopotamian (Babylonian-Akkadian). Known in Babylon and probably modeledon NINHURSAG˜A.Belet-SeriChthonic underworld goddess. Mesopotamian(Babylonian-Akkadian). The recorder of the deadentering the otherworld. Known as the “Scribe ofthe Earth.”BeliliGoddess. Mesopotamian (Babylonian-Akkadian).See GEŠTIN-ANA.Bella PennuSun god. Indian (Khond). A local deity in theOrissa province synonymous with BOORA PENNU.