Editing Camulus

{{Short description|Celtic deity}}
{{Redirect|Camulos|the populated place in [[Ventura County, California]]|Rancho Camulos}}
{{For|the character in the science fiction series ''Stargate SG-1''|Goa'uld characters in Stargate#Camulus}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

'''Camulus''' or '''Camulos''' is a [[Celts|Celtic]] [[deity]] who was identified with [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]] via ''[[Interpretatio graeca|interpretatio romana]]''.<ref name="dictionary">{{cite book |entry=Camulus |title=A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology |publisher=Oxford University Press |orig-year=1998 |publication-date=2004}}</ref> Camulus was an important god of [[Roman Britain]] and [[Gaul]], especially among the [[Belgae]] and the [[Remi]],<ref name="dictionary"/> Gaulish tribes that originate from the areas of modern day Belgium, Luxembourg, Northern France and parts of Germany and the Netherlands. 

== Name ==
The etymology of the name is uncertain. It has been compared with the [[Old Irish]] {{lang|sga|cumall}}, meaning 'champion'.{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|p=101}}

==Attestations==
Evidence of Camulus' popularity can be seen in several place-names, notably [[Camulodunum]].<ref name="dictionary"/>

Camulus is named in combination with Mars in inscriptions coming from Reims,<ref>''ILTG'' 351; ''AE'' 1935, 00064  [In] honor[em d(omus) d(ivinae)] / [3] Martis Cam[uli 3] / [Iucundiniu[s 3] / [Laurenti]um Lavinat[ium</ref> [[Arlon]],<ref>''[[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum|CIL]]'' 13 3980 : Marti / Camulo / Lellius / Settus / v(otum) [s(olvit)] l(ibens) m(erito)</ref> [[Kruishoutem]],<ref>''AE'' 1992, 01244 : Deo Marti Camulo / Verecundus Fructi / v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito)</ref> [[Rindern]],<ref>''CIL'' 13 8701 : Marti Camulo / sacrum pro / salute [Neronis] <nowiki><<Tiberii>></nowiki> / Claudi Caesaris / [A]ug(usti) Germanici Imp(eratoris) / [c]ives Remi qui / [t]emplum constitu/erunt</ref> [[Mainz]],<ref>''CIL'' 13 11818 : Marti / Camulo / sacrum / [ // Fronto / T[3]oni f(ilius) / d(onum) d(edit)</ref> [[Bar Hill Fort]] near the [[Antonine Wall]],<ref>''CIL'' 7 1103 : Deo Mar(ti) / Camulo / [m]ilites coh(ortis) [I] / Hamioru[m] / [2]CIV[1]SC[2] / [2]IVI[3]</ref> [[Sarmizegetusa, Hunedoara|Sarmizegetusa]],<ref>''AE'' 1998, 01100 : Invicto / Mithrae / Marti Camulo / Mercurio / Rosmertae / Q(uintus) Axius Aeli/anus v(ir) e(gregius) / proc(urator) Aug[g](ustorum) / Ioni(us)</ref> and [[Southwark|Southwark, London]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Moritix Londiniensium: A Recent Epigraphic Find in London |url=http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/114233/1/moritexBES.pdf |via=University College London |work=The British Epigraphy Society Newsletter |issue=8 |date=Autumn 2002 |pages=10–13 |access-date=9 July 2018}}</ref><ref>''AE'' 2002, 882: Num(inibus) Augg(ustorum) / deo Marti Ca/mulo Tiberini/us Celerianus / c(ivis) Bell(ovacus) / moritix / Londiniensi/um / primus [3] / [3]VA[</ref>

The town [[Camulodunum]] (now [[Colchester]]) in [[Essex]] may have been named after him (and is the conjectured basis for the legendary city of [[Camelot]]).<ref name="encyc">{{cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of Mythology: Classical, Celtic, Norse |author= Arthur Cotterell |year=1997 |publisher=Anness Publishing Ltd}}</ref> Camulodunum is a [[Latinisation of names|Latinised form]] of the [[Brittonic languages|Brittonic]] ''Camulodūnon'' from ''Camulos'' plus ''[[Dun (fortification)|dūnon]]'' "(hill)fort, stronghold", a reference to the town's extensive [[Iron Age]] earthwork defences.<ref>{{cite book |author=Crummy, Philip |year=1997 |title=City of Victory: The story of Colchester - Britain's first Roman town |publisher=Colchester Archaeological Trust |isbn=1 897719 04 3 }}</ref>

==Theories==
Attempts from the 20th&nbsp;century and earlier to link the name ''Camulus'' with the [[nursery rhyme]] character [[Old King Cole]], and with Irish mythological [[Cumhall]], the hero [[Fionn mac Cumhaill|Fionn]]'s father, have been rejected by contemporary scholars.<ref name="dictionary"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
;Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
*{{Cite book|last=Delamarre|first=Xavier|title=Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental|year=2003|publisher=Errance|isbn=9782877723695|author-link=Xavier Delamarre}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal |last=Lindsay |first=Jack |title=Camulos and Belenos |journal=Latomus |volume=20 |issue=4 |date=1961 |pages=731–43 |jstor=41522086}}.

{{Celtic mythology (ancient)}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Gaulish gods]]
[[Category:War gods]]
[[Category:Roman Colchester]]


{{celt-myth-stub}}