Author: * Marc Iceni -
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Date: Nov 2, 2005 - 17:25
Veles; Salvic god of crops, cattle, flocks and herds in general. also god of trade, commerce, wealth, sealer of business deals, the wilderness, pathways, roads, crossroads, bridges, the dead, the underworld, the winter solstice, divination and music.
Was also in earlier times the ruler of the hunt.
In later times repesented as a large man with the head of a bull. (can't find any information about his earlier appearance)
He certainly seems to be a Cernunnnos like figure.
Veles acts like an amalgam of Mercury. (flocks, herds, trade, widerness, roads, crossroads and bridges)
Apollo (music and divination)
Dionisus (agriculture)
and Pluto ( wealth, the dead and the underworld)
The traits of mercury seem to be particularly strong with Veles, and indeed for that matter, perhaps Cernunnos.
Mercury is the Roman god of transition (usually shown as a adolescent, itself a state of transition.) magic and the one who guides souls to the underworld.
Ceasar claimed that the gauls worshipped Mercury above all other gods. Could this have been Cernunnos?
Well, there could be a problem with this. Because mercury is often shown sitting next to one side (with Apollo often being on the other) of a larger Cernunnos.
Unless, perhaps, these gods are represented there in order to help display the full nature of Cernunnos himself.
There's no way to know for sure of course, but it might help explain why a god said to be worshipped above all others is shown smaller.
It's interesting to note that many of the rulerships of mercury and Apollo fall under the occupations of druids; shamans and bards etc.
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