Editing Borvo

{{Short description|Gaulish god of healing springs}}
'''Borvo''' or '''Bormo''' ([[Gaulish language|Gaulish]]: *''Borwō'', ''Bormō'') was an ancient Celtic god of healing [[Spring (hydrology)|springs]] worshipped in [[Gaul]] and [[Gallaecia]].<ref name="MacKillop">{{Harvnb|MacKillop|2004}}, s.v. ''Borvo''.</ref>{{Sfn|Busse|vaan de Weil|2006|pp=230–231}} He was sometimes identified with the Graeco-Roman god [[Apollo]], although his cult had preserved a high degree of autonomy during the [[Roman period]].<ref>{{harvnb|Green|1986|p=162|ps=: "Borvo, like Belenus, appears more often by himself than linked with Apollo, emphasising the essentially Celtic nature of the cult."}}</ref>

== Name ==
{{wiktionary|Borvo}}
The [[Gaulish language|Gaulish]] [[theonym]] ''Boruō'' means '[[hot spring]]', 'warm source'. It stems from the [[Proto-Celtic language|Proto-Celtic]] verbal root *''berw''- ('boil, brew'; cf. [[Old Irish]] ''berbaid'', [[Middle Welsh]] ''berwi''), itself from [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] *''bʰerw''- ('boil, brew'; cf. Latin ''ferueō'' 'to be intensely hot, boil', Sanskrit ''bhurváni'' 'agitated, wild').{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|p=83}}{{Sfn|Matasović|2009|p=63}} The ''Bhearú'' river ([[River Barrow]]) in Ireland has also been linked to this Celtic root.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Monnier|first=Nolwena|date=2019|title=Nommer la nature : toponymie de la nature dans la Topographia Hibernica de Gerald of Wales|journal=Études irlandaises|issue=44–1|pages=31–46|doi=10.4000/etudesirlandaises.6884|issn=0183-973X|doi-access=free}}</ref>

The variant ''Bormō'' could have emerged from a difference in [[Suffix|suffixes]] or from [[dissimilation]].{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|p=83}}{{Sfn|Busse|vaan de Weil|2006|pp=230–231}} Known derivates include ''Bormanicus'' ([[Vizela|Caldas de Vizela]]), from an earlier *''Borwānicos'', and ''Bormanus'' or ''Borbanus'' ([[Aix-en-Diois]], [[Aix-en-Provence]]), from an earlier *''Borwānos''.{{sfn|Charrière|1975|pp=130–131}}<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Quintela|first=Marco|date=2005|title=Celtic Elements in Northwestern Spain in Pre-Roman times|journal=E-Keltoi: Journal of Interdisciplinary Celtic Studies|volume=6|issue=1|issn=1540-4889}}</ref> A goddess named ''Boruoboendoa'', perhaps reflecting the Gaulish theonym *''Buruo-bouinduā'' or *''Buruo-bō-uinduā'', has also been found in [[Utrecht]].{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|pp=79, 83}}

The toponyms [[Bourbon-l'Archambault]], [[Bourbon-Lancy]], [[Bourbonne-les-Bains]], [[Boulbon]], [[Bormes-les-Mimosas|Bormes]], [[Bourbriac]], [[La Bourboule]] and [[Worms, Germany|Worms]] are derived from ''Borvo'' or from its variant ''Bormo''.{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|p=83}}{{Sfn|Busse|vaan de Weil|2006|pp=230–231}}{{sfn|Charrière|1975|pp=130–131}} The names of various small rivers in France, such as ''Bourbouillon'', ''Bourban'', and ''Bourbière'', also stem from the theonym.{{sfn|Charrière|1975|pp=130–131}}

==Centres of worship==
[[File:Dédicace Apolo borvo et damona Bourbonne 13497.jpg|thumb|Dedication to Borvo and Damona ]]
In [[Gaul]], he was particularly worshipped at [[Bourbonne-les-Bains]], in the territory of the [[Lingones]], where ten inscriptions are recorded. Two other inscriptions are recorded, one (CIL 13, 02901) from [[Entrains-sur-Nohain]]<ref name="CIL13">[[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum]] (CIL), '''13''': ''Tres Galliae et Germanae''.</ref> and the other (CIL 12, 02443) from  [[Aix-en-Savoie]] in [[Gallia Narbonensis]].<ref>[[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum]] (CIL), '''12''': ''Gallia Narbonensis''.</ref> Votive tablets inscribed ‘Borvo’ show that the offerers desired healing for themselves or others.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite book|last=MacCulloch|first=J. A.|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/rac/rac06.htm|title=The Religion of the Ancient Celts|year=1911|pages=}}</ref> Many of the sites where offerings to Borvo have been found are in [[Gaul]]: inscriptions to him have been found in [[Drôme]] at [[Aix-en-Diois]], [[Bouches-du-Rhône]] at [[Aix-en-Provence]], [[Gers]] at [[Auch]], [[Allier]] at [[Bourbon-l'Archambault]], [[Savoie]] at [[Aix-les-Bains]], [[Saône-et-Loire]] at [[Bourbon-Lancy]], in [[Savoie]] at [[Aix-les-Bains]], [[Haute-Marne]] at [[Bourbonne-les-Bains]] and in [[Nièvre]] at [[Entrains-sur-Nohain]].<ref name="autogenerated2">{{Cite web|title=Société de Mythologie Française (SMF)|url=http://www.mythofrancaise.asso.fr/mythes/themes/divcelt2.htm|url-status=live|access-date=17 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030207000105/http://www.mythofrancaise.asso.fr/mythes/themes/divcelt2.htm|archive-date=2003-02-07}}</ref> 

Findings have also been uncovered in the [[Netherlands]] at [[Utrecht (city)|Utrecht]],<ref>Garrett S. Olmsted, "The gods of the Celts and the Indo-Europeans", page 427</ref> where he is called Boruoboendua Vabusoa Labbonus, and in [[Portugal]] at [[Vizela]] and at [[Idanha-a-Velha]], where he is called Borus and identified with [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]].<ref name="autogenerated2" /> At [[Aix-en-Provence]], he was referred to as Borbanus and Bormanus but at [[Vizela]] in [[Portugal]], he was hailed as Bormanicus,<ref name="autogenerated2" /> and at [[Burtscheid]] and at [[Worms, Germany|Worms]] in [[Germany]] as Borbetomagus.
==Divine entourage==
Borvo was frequently associated with a divine consort, usually [[Damona]] (Bourbonne, Bourbon-Lancy), but sometimes also [[Bormana]] when he was worshipped by the name Bormanus (Die,  Aix-en-Diois).<ref name="MacKillop2">{{Harvnb|MacKillop|2004}}, s.v. ''Borvo''.</ref>{{Sfn|Busse|vaan de Weil|2006|pp=230–231}} Bormana was in some areas worshipped independently of her male counterpart, such as at [[Saint-Vulbas]].<ref>Miranda Green. ''Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend.'' Thames and Hudson Ltd. London. 1997</ref>{{Sfn|Busse|vaan de Weil|2006|pp=230–231}}

{{Blockquote|text=Deo Apol/lini Borvoni / et Damonae / C(aius) Daminius / Ferox civis / Lingonus ex / voto|author=|title=|source=[[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum]] (CIL), '''13''': 05911. Bourbonne-les-Bains.}}

{{Blockquote|text=Bormano / et Borman[ae] / P(ublius) Sappinius / Eusebes v(otum) s(olvit) / l(ibens) m(erito)|author=|title=|source=[[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum]] (CIL), '''12''': 01561. Boubon-Lancy.}}

Borvo bore similarities to the goddess [[Sirona (goddess)|Sirona]], who was also a healing deity associated with mineral springs.<ref>Paul-Marie Duval. 1957-1993. ''Les dieux de la Gaule.'' Presses Universitaires de France / Éditions Payot. Paris.</ref> According to some scholars, Sirona may have been his mother.<ref name="MacKillop2" />

In other areas, Borvo's partner is the goddess [[Bormana]]. Bormana was, in some areas, worshipped independently of her male counterpart.<ref>Miranda Green. ''Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend.'' Thames and Hudson Ltd. London. 1997</ref> Gods like Borvo, and others, equated with Apollo, presided over healing springs, and they are usually associated with goddesses, as their husbands or sons.<ref name="autogenerated3">[http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/rac/rac15.htm The Religion of the Ancient Celts: Chapter XII. River and Well Worship<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He is found in [[Drôme]] at [[Aix-en-Diois]] with [[Bormana]] and in [[Saône-et-Loire]] at [[Bourbon-Lancy]] and in [[Haute-Marne]] at [[Bourbonne-les-Bains]] with [[Damona]] but he is accompanied by the ‘candid spirit’ [[Candidus (Celtic spirit)|Candidus]] in [[Nièvre]] at [[Entrains-sur-Nohain]].<ref name="autogenerated2" /> In the [[Netherlands]] at [[Utrecht (city)|Utrecht]] as Boruoboendua Vabusoa Lobbonus, he is found in the company of a [[Ogmios|Celtic Hercules]], [[Macusanus]] and [[Baldruus]].<ref name="autogenerated2" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
*{{Cite book|last1=Busse|first1=Peter E.|last2=vaan de Weil|first2=Caroline|title=Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia|date=2006|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-85109-440-0|editor-last=Koch|editor-first=John T.|pages=195–200|chapter=Borvo/Bormo/Bormanus|editor-link=John T. Koch}}
*{{Cite journal|last=Charrière|first=Georges|date=1975|title=La femme et l'équidé dans la mythologie française|journal=Revue de l'histoire des religions|volume=188|issue=2|pages=129–188|doi=10.3406/rhr.1975.6132 |issn=0035-1423|jstor=23668651}}
*{{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=Green|first=Miranda J.|title=The Gods of the Celts|date=1986|publisher=A. Sutton|isbn=978-0-389-20672-9|author-link=Miranda Aldhouse-Green}}
* {{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 book|last=Matasović|first=Ranko|title=Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic|year=2009|publisher=Brill|isbn=9789004173361|author-link=Ranko Matasović}}
{{refend}}

{{Celtic mythology (ancient)}}

[[Category:Gaulish gods]]
[[Category:Health gods]]
[[Category:Water gods]]
[[Category:Lusitanian gods]]
[[Category:Gallaecian gods]]