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In ancient Celtic religion, Rudianos was a war god worshiped in Gaul. In Roman times he was connected with Mars.

Name

He was invoked at Saint-Andéol-en-Quint[1] and Rochefort-Samson (Drôme), and at Saint-Michel-de-Valbonne. The name "Rudianos" means 'red',[2] reflecting the warlike nature of the god. At Saint-Michel-de-Valbonne there was also found a prehistoric image of a mounted war-god, dating to the 6th Century BC, who could perhaps be Rudianos himself. The menhir-shaped stone depicts a roughly incised figure of a horseman, with an enormous head, riding down five severed heads. The iconography is evocative of the head-hunting exploits of the Celts, who hung the heads of their battle victims from their saddles, according to classical writers.

References

  1. ^ Rémy, Bernard; Hainzmann, Manfred; Mathieu, Nicolas (2013), Hofeneder, Andreas; de Bernardo Stempel, Patrizia (eds.), "Épiclèses et épithètes de Mars chez les Voconces de Die", Théonymie celtique, cultes, interpretatio - Keltische Theonymie, Kulte, Interpretatio (1 ed.), Austrian Academy of Sciences Press, pp. 125–130, ISBN 978-3-7001-7369-4, JSTOR j.ctv8mdn28.12, retrieved 2023-06-23
  2. ^ Lurker, Manfred. The Routledge Dictionary Of Gods Goddesses Devils And Demons. Routledge. 2004. p. 162. ISBN 978-04-15340-18-2


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