Apollo: While not especially common in Roman art, Apollo was sometimes shown as a hnting god with animals in a motif known as The Master of Animals. Resembling images of Cernunnos flanked by stags and hounds, this style was known in the ancient Near East and India as well.

Then there is the horned serpent that seems to tag along wherever Cernunnos goes. A popular figure throughout many different cultures, the horned serpent usually has to do with a sky or storm god. Since Cernunnos is likely neither, the snake possibly has to do more with his chthonic nature. An illustration of the Green Knight by N. C. Wyeth What are Myths Involving Cernunnos? The image of horned gods wasn’t a new thing. In broader world mythology, horned gods were extremely popular. Whether ram, bull, or stag, horned gods took on many different shapes and forms. As time went on, however, the Celts began to interpret wealth in a different way. Trade throughout Europe increased, and the Celtic tribes began to measure wealth in gold rather than animals or food.Cernunnos" is believed by some Celticists to be an obscure epithet of a better attested Gaulish deity; perhaps the god described in the interpretatio Romana as Mercury or Dis Pater, [8] which are considered to share Cernunnos's psychopomp or chthonic associations. The name has only appeared once with an image, when it was inscribed on the Nautae Parisiaci (the sailors of the Parisii, who were a tribe of Gauls). [9] Otherwise, variations of the name Cernunnos has also been found in a Celtic inscription written in Greek characters at Montagnac, Hérault (as καρνονου, karnonou, in the dative case). [10] A Gallo-Latin adjective carnuātus, "horned", is also found. [11] Epigraphic evidence [ edit ] The Roman conquest of Celtic lands brought about a syncretism between Roman deities and Celtic deities. Cernunnos was sometimes identified with the Roman god Mercury, while Jupiter was associated with Taranis, the god of thunder. As for the Irish side of affairs, Cernunnos is also vaguely identified with Conall Cernach, the foster brother to the hero Cú Chulainn – with the Cernach epithet (sounding close to Cernunnos) alluding to ‘being victorious’ or ‘bearing a prominent growth’. Cernunnos was also associated with fertility and life. He was seen as a symbol of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Cernunnos was often depicted holding or wearing a torc, a symbol of wealth and power. He was sometimes shown holding a bag of coins or grain and a cornucopia, representing abundance and prosperity. Death and the Underworld Most historical linguists believe that the name on the Pillar of the Boatmen comes from a common root for “horn.”

This is usually interpreted as “angular” in the case of Conall Cernach. While this word can be related to that for horn, as shown by the fact that the English word “corner” is taken from the same root, it is not a definitive link.It is unusual for a god as wide-spread as Cernunnos appears to have been to have no such syncretization. There are no sources that clearly give a Roman equivalent for the horned god or describe him in Latinized terms. Mac Cana, Proinsias (1973) [1970]. Celtic Mythology. London: The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited. pp. 47–8. ISBN 0-600-00647-6. Cernunnos was a significant god to the ancient Celts prior to the introduction of Christianity. Depicted as a seated, cross-legged man with goat-like features, Cernunnos had power over fertility and nature. He is frequently associated with the woodwose or the wild man of wider European mythology. Other mythical figures associated with the woodwose include the Greek Pan, the Roman Silvanus, and the Sumerian Enkidu. The Herne the Hunter character of English folklore is a bit more debatable of a myth. He’s a spirit exclusive to Windsor Park and is likely just a local interpretation of the horned god Cernunnos if even that. Herne too has horns, though he’s known for his rebel-rousing more than anything. He first appears in William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor (1597). Cernunnos is one of the most iconic gods of the Celtic pantheon, but little is known about him beyond his name and his association with certain themes. However, some scholars have suggested that he may have been associated with shamanism and the spirit world, based on his association with the underworld and his antlers, which could symbolize a connection to the spirit realm.

Cernunnos has appeared in several video games: as a playable god in SMITE, a demon in the Megami Tensei series; and as a monster in Folklore; Some neopagan practitioners believe that Cernunnos represents a balance between masculine and feminine energies, and that he embodies the nurturing and protective qualities traditionally associated with the mother goddess. Similarly, the depictions of an antlered god can be found elsewhere in the Celtic wo

A Primal God Rooted in Europe’s History

Now, in an intriguing manner, depictions of snakes and even ram-horned snakes were found in northern-eastern Gaul – the very same area known for its association with the ancient cult of Cernunnos (or the Horned God). Cernunnos is listed as the first playable god in the prologue chapter of the computer game "These Doomed Isles". READ MORE: Roman Gods and Goddesses: The Names and Stories of 29 Ancient Roman Gods What are Cernunnos’ Powers? As the Horned God of Celtic polytheism, Cernunnos is often associated with the deity of animals, fertility, life, and even wealth (in his syncretic Romano-Celtic form, as we discussed earlier). Pertaining to animals and wildlife, Cernunnos has been offered poetic epithets like ‘Lord of Wild Things’ by many modern pagan movements. And from the historical perspective, the Horned God (or similar deities) was symbolically represented by the stag, along with a flurry of other critters, ranging from bulls, and boars to rats and dogs. Cernunnos is most commonly depicted as a horned god, with antlers or stag horns. He is often shown seated cross-legged, with his antlers or horns extending above his head. The antlers are a symbol of his connection to the wild and his role as a protector of animals. The horns also represent strength and power, making him a formidable figure. Lord of Wild Things