Editing Ialonus Contrebis

{{short description|God of clearings and/or meadows}}
In [[Celtic polytheism|ancient Celtic religion]], '''Ialonus Contrebis''' or '''Ialonus''' or '''Gontrebis''' was a god (or perhaps two related gods) worshipped in what are now [[Lancashire]] and [[Provence]]. Ialonus is thought to be the god of clearings and/or meadows.

== Name ==
The name ''Ialonus'', which may have designated a god of clearing, derives from the Celtic stem ''ialo(n)''- ('cleared place, clearing'; cf. Middle Welsh ''ial'' 'clearing', ''an-ial'' 'wasteland').{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|p=186}}<ref>{{harvnb|Matasović|2009}}, s.v. ''*yalo-''.</ref> The stem ''ialon''- also had the meaning 'village' in [[Gaulish]]. In the words of [[Xavier Delamarre]], "In forest-covered Gaul, a village was essentially established by clearing a wood."{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|p=186}}

The name ''Contrebis'' is based on the prefix ''con''- ('with, together') attached to the root ''-treb''- ('settlement'; cf. Old Irish ''treb'', Middle Welsh ''tref'', Old Breton ''treff'' 'town, dwelling-place'). It can be compared with the [[Celtiberian language|Celtiberian]] place name ''Contrebia'', meaning 'conurbation'.{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|p=301}}{{sfn|Matasović|2009|p=388}}

== Cult ==
He is known from three dedicatory inscriptions. One, at [[Lancaster Roman Fort|Lancaster]], was dedicated (in the dative) to ''Deo Ialono Contre Sanctissimo'' ("to the holiest god Ialonus Contre[bis]");<ref>{{RIB|600}}</ref> another, at [[Over Burrow Roman Fort|Overborough or Over Burrow]] near [[Kirkby Lonsdale]], to ''Deo San Gontrebi'' ("to the holy god Gontrebis").<ref>{{RIB|610}}</ref> In the third inscription, found at [[Nîmes]] in [[Provence]], Ialonus was invoked in conjunction with the goddess [[Fortuna|Fortune]].<ref>''L'Arbre Celtique.'' [http://www.arbre-celtique.com/approfondissements/divinites/inventaire-div/div_liste.php?nomdiv=Ialonus Ialonus]</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Trebaruna]]
* [[Trebopala]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{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}}
*{{Cite book|last=Matasović|first=Ranko|title=Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic|year=2009|publisher=Brill|isbn=9789004173361|author-link=Ranko Matasović}}
* Miranda Green (1997). ''Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend.'' Thames and Hudson Ltd, London.

{{Celtic mythology (ancient)}}

[[Category:Gods of the ancient Britons]]
[[Category:Tutelary deities]]