Getting Started With Celtic Gods Under Roman Rule
I’ve always been fascinated by how Celtic gods got mixed into the Roman Empire’s religious scene. Last month I decided to actually test out 5 basic approaches regular folks could use, no fancy degrees required. Grabbed my notebook and headed to the library first thing Tuesday morning.
Strategy 1: Hunting Down Hybrid Statues
Went straight to the archaeology section looking for Celtic-Roman fusion artifacts. Took me three hours flipping through dusty museum catalogs before spotting something interesting – a statue of Mercury with deer antlers instead of wings! Scribbled down the museum name and inventory number before the librarian kicked me out at closing time.
Strategy 2: Chasing Roman Roadside Shrines
Thursday was field trip day. Drove two hours to where old Roman roads used to run, keeping eyes peeled for carved rocks near crossroads. Almost gave up till I stumbled upon this mossy stone block behind a gas station – clear carving of a horse goddess next to Latin letters saying “VOTUM SOLVIT”. Nearly dropped my thermos coffee!
Strategy 3: Local Folklore Treasure Hunt
Next Sunday visited this tiny village near Hadrian’s Wall. Bought old Mrs. Higgins three cups of tea at the pub while she rattled off stories about “the lady in the well”. Took me two days to connect her tale to ancient Sulis worship – the Romans renamed her Minerva but locals never stopped tossing coins down wells!
Strategy 4: Comparing Roman Soldier Letters
Hit a wall mid-week trying to find personal accounts. The university archive guy totally saved me – showed me these leathery letters from Roman troops stationed in Gaul. Couldn’t believe my eyes reading this soldier bitching about having to give offerings to “some hairy forest god called Cernunnos” instead of Jupiter!
Strategy 5: Mapping Temple Locations
Got colored pins and a big map last Friday. Marked every known temple location from Britain to Turkey. Spotted a killer pattern – shrines to Epona (Celtic horse goddess) kept popping up near Roman cavalry bases! My kitchen table looked like a rainbow exploded by Saturday night.
Putting It All Together
Finished my notes Sunday evening with coffee stains all over the pages. The wildest discovery? Romans didn’t erase Celtic gods – they just slapped Roman names on them and kept worshiping! Those soldiers were basically doing exactly what I did: mixing their old gods with new ones like some ancient mashup playlist.
