Matunos
title: "Matunos" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["gods-of-the-ancient-britons", "animal-gods"] topic_path: "general/gods-of-the-ancient-britons" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matunos" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
Matunus or Matunos is an ancient Celtic god.
Name
The theonym Matunus may be derived from the Gaulish noun matu- meaning 'bear'.
Cult
He was worshipped in Roman Britain and altar-stones raised to him have been recovered in the United Kingdom, such as at High Rochester (1265 [AD213]) and at Risingham.
A similarly named Gaulish god, Matutinus, is attested in at least three inscriptions from Switzerland; in all three he is identified with Mercury, and in one he is also identified with Cissonius.
The god may be parallel with Mercury Artaius, who might also have ursine connotations.
Sources
References
References
- BREMENIVM Roman Fort & Marching Camps, High Rochester, Northumberland, Museum of Antiquities, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.
- Nicole Jufer & Thierry Luginbühl. 2001. ''Les dieux gaulois : répertoire des noms de divinités celtiques connus par l'épigraphie, les textes antiques et la toponymie.'' Editions Errance, Paris.
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