Editing Belisama

{{Short description|Celtic goddess}}
{{For|the exoplanet|HD 8574 b}}
{{Redirect|Belisana|the spider genus|Belisana (spider)}}

'''Belisama''' ([[Gaulish language|Gaulish]] ''Belesama''; epigraphically {{lang|xtg-Grek|Bηλησαμα}}) is a [[Celtic mythology|Celtic]] [[goddess]]. She was identified by Roman commentators with [[Minerva]] by ''[[interpretatio romana]]''.

== Name ==
[[File:Dédicace de Segomaros (inscription gallo-grecque).png|thumb|photograph of the "Segomaros" inscription]]The Gaulish [[theonym]] ''Belesama'' has been traditionally interpreted as meaning 'the very bright', stemming from the [[Indo-European]] root ''*bʰelH-'' ('white, shining'; cf. Lith. ''báltas'' 'white', Greek φαλόσ ''phalós'' 'white', Arm. ''bal'' 'pallor', goth. ''bala'' 'grey') attached to the superlative suffix *-''isamā''. As for ''[[Belenos]]'', however, this theory has come under increasing criticism in contemporary scholarship.{{sfn|Schrijver|1999|pp=29–30}}{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|pp=71–72}}

[[Xavier Delamarre]] notes that the proposed [[cognate]]s stemming from ''*bʰelH-'' do not seem to connote 'shining', but rather 'white, grey, pale', and proposes to derive the name from the Gaulish root ''belo''- ('strong, powerful'), rendering ''Belesama'' as 'the very strong' (cf. Sanskrit ''baliṣṭhaḥ'' 'the strongest').{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|pp=71–72}} Alternatively, [[Peter Schrijver]] has conjectured a connection with the stem for '[[henbane]]', *''beles''-, attached to an unknown suffix -''ma'', by comparing the name with the Gaulish theonym ''Belisa-maros''. According to him, this is "formally attractive and semantically possible (if *''Belesama'' = Lat. ''Minerva medica'') but not supported by direct evidence".{{sfn|Schrijver|1999|p=|pp=30–31}}

The toponyms [[Beleymas]], [[Bellême]], [[Balesmes-sur-Marne|Balesmes]], [[Blesmes]], [[Blismes]], and [[Velesmes-Essarts|Velesmes]] are based on the theonym.{{sfn|Schrijver|1999|p=29}}{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|pp=71–72}} The name also appears in various river names of Gauls and Britain, including ''Belisama'' ([[River Ribble]]) and ''Le Blima'' ([[Tarn (department)|Tarn]]).{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|pp=71–72}}<ref name="MacKillop">{{Harvnb|MacKillop|2004}}, s.v. ''Belisama''.</ref> The [[Galatian language|Galatian]] personal name ''Blesamius'', from an earlier *''Belesamios'', may also be added to the comparison.{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|pp=71–72}}

==Attestations==
[[File:Saint-Lizier - Pont de Saint-Lizier - 20110309 (1).jpg|thumb|photograph of the Saint-Lizier inscription]]
A [[Gaulish language|Gaulish]] inscription found at [[Vaison-la-Romaine]] in [[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur|Provence]] ([[Recueil des inscriptions gauloises|RIG]] G-172) shows that a ''[[nemeton]]'' was dedicated to her:<ref>Michel Lejeune. ''Recueil des Inscriptions Gauloises (RIG)'' '''1''': Inscriptions Gallo-Grèques. G-153.</ref>
: ''СΕΓΟΜΑΡΟС/ ΟΥΙΛΛΟΝΕΟС/ ΤΟΟΥΤΙΟΥС/ ΝΑΜΑΥСΑΤΙС/ ΕΙѠΡΟΥ ΒΗΛΗ/СΑΜΙ СΟСΙΝ/ ΝΕΜΗΤΟΝ''
: ''Segomaros Ouilloneos tooutious Namausatis eiōrou Bēlēsami sosin nemēton''
: "Segomarus Uilloneos, citizen [''toutius''] of [[Nîmes|Namausus]], dedicated this sanctuary to Belesama"{{Sfn|Schrijver|1999|p=29}}{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|p=300}}
The identification with Minerva in [[Gallo-Roman religion]] is established in a  [[Latin]] inscription from [[Saint-Lizier]] (anciently ''Consoranni''),  Ariège department ([[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum|CIL]] XIII, 8):<ref>[[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum]] (CIL) '''13''': ''Tres Galliae et Germanae.'' 0008</ref>
:''Minervae / Belisamae / sacrum / Q(uintus) Valerius / Montan[us] / [e]x v[oto?]''

The presence of the goddess in [[Ancient Britain]] is more difficult to establish. Based on [[Ptolemy]]'s reference to a "Belisama estuary" (Βελισαμα), [[River Ribble]] in England seems to have been known by the name ''Belisama'' in [[Roman Britain|Roman]] times.{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|pp=71–72}}<ref name="MacKillop" /><ref>[[Ronald Hutton]] (1991). ''The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles.'' Oxford: Blackwell. p. 218. Hutton also suggests that the name of [[Samlesbury]] may derive from a corruption of the name.</ref>

== Theories ==
The attestation of the theonym as a river name may indicate that she was a lake- and river-goddess.<ref name="MacKillop" /> Belisama has also been speculatively claimed as companion of [[Belenos]], whose name seems to contain the same root.{{Sfn|Birkhan|1997|p=613}}

==See also==
* [[178 Belisana]], asteroid named after the goddess

==References==
{{reflist}}
;Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last=Birkhan |first=Helmut|title=Kelten: Versuch einer Gesamtdarstellung ihrer Kultur |date=1997 |publisher=Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften |isbn=978-3-7001-2609-6|author-link=Helmut Birkhan}}
* {{Cite book|last=Birkhan|first=Helmut|title=Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2006|isbn=978-1-85109-440-0|editor-last=Koch|editor-first=John T.|chapter=Belenos/Belinos|author-link=Helmut Birkhan}}
* {{Cite book|last=Delamarre|first=Xavier|title=Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental|publisher=Errance|year=2003|isbn=9782877723695|author-link=Xavier Delamarre}}
* {{Cite book|last=MacKillop|first=James|title=A dictionary of Celtic mythology|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2004|isbn=0-19-860967-1|author-link=James MacKillop (author)}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Schrijver|first=Peter|year=1999|title=On Henbane and Early European Narcotics|journal=Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie|volume=51|issue=1|pages=17–45|doi=10.1515/zcph.1999.51.1.17|s2cid=162678252 |issn=1865-889X|author-link=Peter Schrijver}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{wiktionary|Belisama}}
{{Commons category|Belisama}}

{{Celtic mythology (ancient)}}

[[Category:Gaulish goddesses]]
[[Category:Sea and river goddesses]]
[[Category:Minerva]]