Editing Endovelicus

{{Short description|Pre-Roman god of the underworld, prophecy and Earth}}
'''Endovelicus''' ([[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: ''Endouellicus'', ''Endovélico''; [[Spanish language|Spanish]]: ''Endovélico'', ''Enobólico'') is one of the pre-Roman [[Lusitanians|Lusitanian]] and [[Celtiberians|Celtiberian]]  [[Deity|gods]] of the [[Iron Age]]. He was originally a [[chthonic]] god. He was the God/Lord of the Underworld and of health, prophecy and the earth, associated with vegetation and the afterlife. Later accepted by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] themselves, who assimilated it to [[Pluto (mythology)|Pluto]] or to [[Serapis]] and made him a relatively popular god.<ref>Monteiro Teixeira, Sílvia. 2014. Cultos e cultuantes no Sul do território actualmente português em época romana (sécs. I a. C. – III d. C.). Masters’ dissertation on Archaeology.. Lisboa: Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa.{{pn|date=October 2022}}</ref><ref>Encarnação, José d’. 2015. Divindades indígenas sob o domínio romano em Portugal. Second edition. Coimbra: Universidade de Coimbra.{{pn|date=October 2022}}</ref>

Endovelicus had a temple in São Miguel da Mota in [[Alentejo]], Portugal, and there are numerous inscriptions and ''ex-votos'' dedicated to him in the [[Museu Nacional de Etnologia|Ethnological Museum]] of [[Lisbon]]; possible toponyms include [[Andévalo]] in [[Spain]].<ref>Monteiro Teixeira, Sílvia. 2014. Cultos e cultuantes no Sul do território actualmente português em época romana (sécs. I a. C. – III d. C.). Masters’ dissertation on Archaeology.. Lisboa: Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa.{{pn|date=October 2022}}</ref><ref>Encarnação, José d’. 2015. Divindades indígenas sob o domínio romano em Portugal. Second edition. Coimbra: Universidade de Coimbra.{{pn|date=October 2022}}</ref> The cult of Endovelicus prevailed until the 5th century, just when Christianity was spreading in the region.

==Etymology==
In the last two centuries of scholarship, several etymologies have been proposed to Endovelicus's name.<ref>Monteiro Teixeira, Sílvia. 2014. Cultos e cultuantes no Sul do território actualmente português em época romana (sécs. I a. C. – III d. C.). Masters’ dissertation on Archaeology. Lisboa: Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa.{{pn|date=October 2022}}</ref><ref>Encarnação, José d’. 2015. Divindades indígenas sob o domínio romano em Portugal. Second edition. Coimbra: Universidade de Coimbra.{{pn|date=October 2022}}</ref>

In the 19th century, António da Visitação Freire classified it as a mixed [[Celt]]ic and [[Phoenicia]]n name, adapted to the [[Latin|Roman language]]. The ''End-'' radical would be from [[Celtic language]]s; ''[[Bel (god)|Bel]]'' (or ''Vel-'') would be Phoenician for 'Lord' and ''-Cus'' is a usual word termination in Latin. [[José Leite de Vasconcelos]] believed the word ''Endovellicus'' was an originally Celtic title ''Andevellicos'', meaning 'very good'.<ref>Vasconcellos, José Leite de. ''[https://archive.org/details/religiesdalusit01vascgoog/page/n157/mode/1up Religiões da Lusitania na parte que principalmente se refere a Portugal]''. Lisboa: Imprensa nacional, 1897. pp. 124-125.</ref>

An alternate reading derives the word ''velicus'' from the Celtic ''vailos'' ("[[wolf]]"). Wolves were symbolic animals to the god.<ref>{{cite book|last=Álvarez Sanchís|first=Jesús|title=Los Vettones|url=|date=2003|publisher=[[Real Academia de la Historia]]|isbn=9788495983169|page=320}}</ref>

Another, more recently proposed possibility suggests a loanword from [[proto-Basque]], from the ''*bels'' root. In this case the original name would have been ''*Endo-belles'', "most black", fitting his chthonic characteristics.<ref>Encarnação, José d’. 2015. Divindades indígenas sob o domínio romano em Portugal. Second edition. Coimbra: Universidade de Coimbra.{{pn|date=October 2022}}</ref>

== Temples and cult==
There were several places where researchers think his cult could be observed:

In the municipality of [[Alandroal]], there is the ''Santuário da Rocha da Mina'' (Mina's Rock Sanctuary); some authors classify it as a temple of Endovelicus. It is the only known place of this kind in Southern Portugal. Near the [[temple]], we can find the Lucefecit [[rivulet]] that has been associated with [[Lucifer]] since the [[Middle Ages]]. Lucifer was the name used by the [[Roman mythology|Romans]] for the [[Phosphorus (morning star)|Morning star]] and the goddess [[Venus (goddess)|Venus]]. Some authors{{who|date=February 2024}} connect the name of the rivulet with the meaning of the place as being the "Glimpse of Light". A kilometer away, there is a sacred fountain that is said to be more ancient than the temple; its waters are still considered [[medicine|medicinal]].

The temple is rocky and hemmed in by a rocky formation that protects the site and the chiselled flooring is often related to Roman sacrificial altars. This sort of monument is not uncommon in the North of Portugal and on the Spanish Meseta.

Leite de Vasconcelos mentions that the site was used by the inhabitants of the [[Roman Empire]] from all walks of life. Several inscriptions suggest that the temple of Endovelicus was used as an [[oracle]]. One of the inscriptions states: <small>EX IMPERATO AVERNO</small>. Leite de Vasconcelos translated this as “''segundo a determinação que emanou de baixo''" (by the determination that emanated from below) suggesting that there is a similarity to the [[Temple of Apollo (Delphi)|Temple of Apollo]] at [[Delphi]]. Steam would emanate from below, deep within the earth, and bestow clairvoyance. Vasconcelos also suggests that believers practiced the ''[[divination|incubatio]]'', sleeping at the site, hoping for [[dream]]s they could interpret later.

In Castro of Ulaca in [[Province of Ávila]], a city of the [[Vettones]], a sanctuary dedicated to ''Vaelicus'' has been discovered. The name could be related to Endovelicus.

The most notable sanctuary hypothetically dedicated to Endovelicus, is the [[Panoias Sanctuary|Roman Sanctuary of Panóias]] in [[Vila Real, Portugal|Vila Real]], [[Trás-os-Montes (region)|Trás-os-Montes]], with a complex system of "sinks" bearing Roman inscriptions. Nearby, in Cabeço de São Miguel da Mota, another temple dedicated to Endovelicus was built and, on its ruins, the [[Alans]] built or readapted the previous temple, a sanctuary dedicated to [[Saint Michael]] (''São Miguel'' in Portuguese). The [[Islam|Muslims]] transformed the temple into a [[mosque]], and with the [[Reconquista]] the temple was once again made a [[Christianity|Christian temple]]. In 1559 the temple was still somewhat well preserved when the Cardinal Henrique ordered 96 marble columns to be removed from the place to build the ''Colégio do Espírito Santo'' in [[Évora]]. From the building only the staging remained. But archaeological forays have turned up [[pottery]] and [[amphora|amphorae]] as well as votive altars dedicated to Endovelicus, and lead to the discovery of several architectural elements, among them the "sinks" made in the rocks. The sinks suggests the existence of [[ritual|rituals]], [[animal sacrifice|animal sacrifices]] and, maybe, feasts of a ritual nature.

== See also ==
*[[Lusitanian mythology]]
*[[List of deities]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

*Loução, Paulo Alexandre: ''Portugal, Terra de Mistérios'', Ésquilo, 2000 (third edition; {{ISBN|972-8605-04-8}}).
* Vasconcellos, José Leite de. ''[https://archive.org/details/religiesdalusit01vascgoog/page/n143/mode/1up Religiões da Lusitania na parte que principalmente se refere a Portugal]''. Lisboa: Imprensa nacional, 1897. pp. 111-145.

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* Grenier, Albert. "Le dieu lusitanien Endovellicvs". In: ''Études Celtiques'', vol. 6, fascicule 1, 1952. pp. 195-197. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3406/ecelt.1952.1252; www.persee.fr/doc/ecelt_0373-1928_1952_num_6_1_1252
* Ledo Caballero, A. C. (2017). "Niger fluvius: aguas oscuras y dioses infernales. El caso de Endovélico". In: ''Hispania Sacra'', 69(139), 7–17. https://doi.org/10.3989/hs.2017.001
* Parrilla, José María González. "Endovélicus, un dios minero para una comarca". In: ''El Andévalo, paisajes y humanidad: Actas de las V Jornadas de Patrimonio del Andévalo. Valverde del Camino, 21, 22 y 23 de noviembre de 2014''. 2015, pp. 51-63. {{ISBN|978-84-8163-541-6}}.
* Ribeiro, José Cardim. "[https://www.academia.edu/81652953/O_Deus_Sanctus_Endovellicus_durante_a_romanidade_uma_interpretatio_local_de_Faunus_Silvanus_?f_ri=5327 O "Deus Sanctus Endovellicus" durante a romanidade ¿uma interpretatio local de "Faunus Silvanus"?]". In: ''Palaeohispánica: Revista sobre lenguas y culturas de la Hispania antigua'' (Ejemplar dedicado a: Actas del IX coloquio sobre lenguas y culturas paleohispánicas (Barcelona, 20-24 de octubre de 2004)), Nº. 5, 2005. pp. 721-766. {{ISSN|1578-5386}}.
* Schattner, Thomas; Guerra, Amílcar; Fabião, Carlos. "[http://hdl.handle.net/10451/10882 Die Idealköpfe des Endovellicus - ein Zwischenbilanz]". In: Gaggadis-Robin, V.; Hermary, A.; Reddé, M.; Sintes, C., ''Actes du X Colloque International sur l'Art provincial Roman''. Aix-en-Provence: 2009. pp. 483-494. {{ISBN?}}.

; On epigraphy:
* Gaspar, Catarina (2020). “The Endovellicus Sanctuary in Portugal: An Example of Language Variation Throughout Votive Inscriptions in Latin”. In: ''Acta Classica Universitatis Scientiarum Debreceniensis'' 55 (August): 59–73. https://doi.org/10.22315/ACD/2019/4.
* Ordozgoiti, David Serrano. "[https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=6827335 Ara de mármol en honor de Endovélico procedente de San Miguel de Mota (Évora)]". In: ''Boletín del Archivo Epigráfico'', Nº. 3, 2019, pp. 52-57. {{ISSN|2603-9117}}.
* Schattner, Thomas G. “Men, Women, Children, Animals: The Votive Statuary from the Sanctuary of Endovellicus at São Miguel Da Mota/Alandroal (Portugal)”. In: ''The Archaeology of Roman Portugal in Its Western Mediterranean Context''. Edited by Tesse D. Stek and André Carneiro, Oxbow Books, 2022. pp. 257–73. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv2v6pcq1.18. Accessed 21 Oct. 2022.

{{refend}}

{{Celtic mythology (ancient)}}

[[Category:Earth gods]]
[[Category:Health gods]]
[[Category:Lusitanian gods]]
[[Category:Gallaecian gods]]
[[Category:Oracular gods]]
[[Category:Roman gods]]
[[Category:Underworld gods]]