NAME Vellaunos
GENDER M
CATEGORY deity
TYPE war god
CULTURE Gallic - Senones tribe
COUNTRY France
TERRITORY Gaul
CENTERS Vellaunodunum (Chateau-Landon or Montargis)
AGE Iron
DATES BC 6th c
REMARKS The war god Vellaunos was venerated at
Vellaunodunum (fortress of Vellaunos) in the territory of
the Senones tribe who settled there in BC 6th century.
NAME Velleda
EPITHET The Seer
ALTERNATIVE Veleda
GENDER F
CATEGORY vate
TYPE prophet
CULTURE Germani - Bructeri tribe
COUNTRY Germany / France
TERRITORY Gaul
AGE Iron
DATES AD 1st c / AD 68
SEE ALSO Civilis
REMARKS When Nero died in AD 68, chaos reigned
throughout the Roman Empire. The druids of Gaul called for
a holy war and Velleda, a Celtic vate who was hiding among
the Bructeri tribe of northern Germany, saw a chance to
take revenge on the people who were trying to destroy her
religion and kill off its leaders.
Velleda headed south into Gaul and took up with one of
the leaders of the revolt named Civilis. She rode at his
side as his virgin prophet and a representative of the
druidic order. Traitors among the Celtic people who had
grown soft on Roman luxuries caused the revolt to fail, and
the Celtic way of life lost its prominence in Gaul.
Velleda went home to her tribe and was reported to
have been the negotiator for her people with the Romans.
She lived at the top of a high tower and the Roman
ambassadors had to send their messages to her and receive
their answers through a relative.
The new Celtic leaders adopted the dress, language,
religion and way of life of the Roman colonists. The
Celtic gods and goddesses had to adapt to the male-oriented
attitude of the Romans and the heroes and warriors were
slowly replaced with an inferior breed of people who were
happy to enjoy the luxuries offered in exchange for wearing
the yoke of Rome.
NAME Vellocatos
GENDER M
CATEGORY warrior
TYPE shield bearer
CULTURE Briton - Brigantes tribe
COUNTRY England
REGION Yorkshire
TERRITORY Lloegr
AGE Iron
DATES AD 1st c
RELATIVES Cartimandua (consort)
ENEMIES Venutius
SEE ALSO Cartimandua / Venutios
REMARKS Vellocatos was Venutios's shield bearer until
Cartimandua seduced him to become her lover.
NAME Venutios
GENDER M
CATEGORY hero / warrior / Brenin
TYPE chariot warrior / head chieftain
CULTURE Pictish - Brigantes tribe / Briton
COUNTRY England
REGION Yorkshire
TERRITORY Lloegr
SITES Stanwick / York (Eboracum)
AGE Iron
DATES AD 1st c / AD 71
RELATIVES Cartimandua (wife)
ENEMIES Cartimandua / Vellocatos / Rome
SEE ALSO Cartimandua / Vellocatos
REMARKS Venutios fought against his wife and Rome when
she tried to make the Brigantes tribe a protectorate of
Rome. Venutios eventually won over a large portion of the
tribe and drove Cartimandua and her lover to seek
protection from the Romans.
In AD 71, Venutios lost a decisive battle to the
Romans at York. This was the end of an independent way of
life for his tribe and removed the last major obstacle to
the Roman control of England.
NAME Veraudinus
GENDER M
CATEGORY deity
TYPE sun god
CULTURE Belgae - Treveri and Mediomatrici tribes
COUNTRY Luxembourg
TERRITORY Gaul / Belgica
SITES Widdenberg
AGE Iron
DATES BC 1st c
RELATIVES Inciona (consort)
SEE ALSO Inciona
REMARKS Veraudinus was a sun god and consort to the
Treveri goddess Inciona who was venerated at Widdenberg in
Luxembourg. The Treveri and the Mediomatrici were settled
by BC 9th century.
NAME Verbeia
ALTERNATIVE Verbela
GENDER F
SYMBOL snake
CATEGORY deity
TYPE healer water goddess
CULTURE Pictish - Brigantes tribe
COUNTRY England
REGION Yorkshire / Wharfedale
TERRITORY Lloegr
LANDMARKS springs / Wharfe river
SITES Ilkley
AGE Bronze / Iron
DATES BC 13th c / BC 6th c / AD 1st c
REMARKS A sculpture depicts the water goddess Verbeia as
having a large head and wearing a pleated cloak with snakes
in an abstract zigzag pattern down her arms.
Verbeia was venerated at Ilkley where there were
springs and also at the nearby river Wharfe. This was the
territory of the Brigantes tribe who may have arrived in
two waves from the continent during BC 13th and BC 6th
centuries and were still there during the Roman invasion in
AD 1st century.
NAME Vercassivellaunus
ALTERNATIVE Vercassibelaunos
GENDER M
CATEGORY warrior / chieftain
TYPE horse warrior / freedom fighter / war leader
CULTURE Gallic - Arverni tribe
COUNTRY France
TERRITORY Gaul
SITES Alesia (Alise Ste Reine)
AGE Iron
DATES BC 1st c / BC 52 ca.
BATTLES Alesia
RELATIVES Vercingetorix (father-in-law)
ENEMIES Rome
SEE ALSO Comm / Vercingetorix
REMARKS Vercassivellaunus led his warriors in an attack
against the rear of the Roman forces when they were sieging
the Mandubians' oppidum of Alesia and had trapped
Vercingetorix and his warriors inside.
The only hope that Vercingetorix and his warriors had
of surviving was that these forces under the war leader
Comm would succeed in opening a pathway so they could
escape to fight another day.
Comm sent Vercassivellaunus and his warriors to a hill
near the besieged oppidum where they remained hidden until
midday, then charged the Roman siege works. They threw
earth against the walls so they could climb over the
rampart. Caesar sent six cohorts against them and slowly
drove them back in a great battle in which
Vercassivellaunus was captured.
NAME Vercingetorix
EPITHET The Head Chieftain over Warriors
GENDER M
CATEGORY hero / warrior / Brenin
TYPE horse warrior / freedom fighter / war leader
CULTURE Gallic - Arverni tribe
COUNTRY France
LANDMARKS Allier / Garonne (Garumna)
SITES Alesia (Alise Ste Reine)
CENTERS Gergovia
AGE Iron
DATES BC 1st c / BC 52 / BC 46 (executed)
BATTLES Alesia
RELATIVES Celtillos (father); Gobannitio (uncle);
Vercassivellaunus (son-in-law)
ENEMIES Gobannitio / Rome
SEE ALSO Celtillos / Comm / Conconnetodumnus / Cotuatos /
Lucterios / Vercassivellaunus
REMARKS When Vercingetorix heard of the attack on the
Romans by Cotuatos and Conconnetodumnus, he set about
recruiting tribes. His uncle and other Roman lackeys in
the tribe tried to prevent him from gathering an army but
in the end they were expelled. The Senones, Parisii,
Pictones, Cadurci, Turoni, Aulerci, Lemovices and Andes
tribes, plus those of the west coast, all voted for him to
be the supreme commander.
By BC 52 Vercingetorix had raised a large army of
horse warriors and sent Lucterios to recruit the Ruteni,
Gabali and Nitiobriges tribes. The Bituriges joined also,
and his combined forces harried the Roman food supply,
burned their own town, destroyed bridges and rallied the
Gauls to help free themselves. Vercingetorix's force
defeated Caesar at Gergovia, then even the Ædui and the
Bellovaci entered into the rebellion. Again Vercingetorix
used his horse warriors to cut grain supplies and sent
troops to harass the tribes that were friendly to Rome.
In desperation, Caesar again went to the Germani and
they began to harass Vercingetorix's horse warriors which
forced him to withdraw into the Mandubii oppidum at Alesia.
Caesar surrounded the fort with ditches, ramparts,
palisades and siege works, thus entrapping Vercingetorix
and his warriors.
On the outside, a force of 30,000 warriors was
gathered together under the command of Comm of the
Atrebates. They attacked the Roman siege installations
from their side. The battle that was fought was a very
vicious one but when the Gauls heard that Vercassivellaunus
had been taken prisoner and his force beaten, the rest gave
up hope and retreated.
Vercingetorix called together his people and assured
them that the cause had been worthy one and they had fought
a glorious though unsuccessful war. He would sacrifice
himself for the sake of obtaining easier terms for his
people and they could either send him or his head to
Caesar.
The warriors made their decision and Vercingetorix
fixed his horse with its most elaborate trappings, dressed
himself in his most splendid attire, rode the magic spiral
thrice around the Roman camp and laid the sword of
independence to rest. After six years in a Roman jail, his
spirit was allowed to flee to Land of the Living in the The
Otherworld. With the loss at Alesia, the torch of
independence in Gaul was extinguished.
NAME Verica
GENDER M
CATEGORY warrior / Brenin
TYPE chariot warrior / head chieftain
CULTURE Belgae - Atrebates tribe
COUNTRY England
REGION Sussex
TERRITORY Lloegr
AGE Iron
DATES AD 1st c / AD 20-41 (leader) / AD 42
RELATIVES Comm (father); Tincommios and Eppillos
(brothers)
ENEMIES Epaticcos / Caratacus
SEE ALSO Caratacus / Comm / Epaticcos / Eppillos /
Tincommios
REMARKS In AD 20 Verica killed Epaticcos, a Catuvellauni
leader of the Atrebates, and made himself their new leader.
Verica ruled for 21 years until Caratacos, another
Catuvellauni, overran his territory in AD 42. He then fled
to Gaul where he begged Claudius for the Romans to help
him.
NAME Vernostonos
GENDER M
CATEGORY deity
TYPE god of alder trees
CULTURE Pictish - Brigantes tribe
COUNTRY England
REGION Durham
TERRITORY Lloegr
SITES Ebchester
AGE Bronze / Iron
DATES BC 13th c / AD 1st c
SEE ALSO Cocidos
REMARKS Vernostonos was a nature god associated with the
alder tree and was venerated in the county of Durham at a
site at Ebchester, in the territory of the Brigantes.
The Brigantes settled in England in BC 13th century
and they were still settled around Ebchester when the
Romans invaded in AD 1st century. The deity Cocidos was
also venerated at this site.
NAME Vindonnos
EPITHET Clear Light
ALTERNATIVE Vindonnus
GENDER M
CATEGORY deity
TYPE healer sun god
CULTURE Gallic - Mandubii tribe
COUNTRY France
REGION Cote d'Or
LANDMARKS Plateau Châtillon
SITES curative spring at Essarois
AGE Iron
DATES BC 6th c / BC 1st c
REMARKS Vindonnos was a sun god who was venerated at
Essarois near Châtillon-sur-Seine. He was especially
venerated by people with eye afflictions. Sacrifices
included oak and stone carvings of hands holding fruit,
cake and eyes. Bronze eyes showing they were diseased were
also found.
From BC 6th century the site was in the territory of
the Mandubii tribe when they pushed out the Sequani, and
the Mandubii were still there when the Romans invaded Gaul
in BC 1st century.
NAME Virgil
ALTERNATIVE Vergil
GENDER M
CATEGORY poet
TYPE popular poet
CULTURE Gallic - Andes tribe
COUNTRY Italy
REGION Mantua
TERRITORY Cisalpine Gaul
CENTERS Andes
AGE Iron
DATES BC 1st c / BC 70-19
SEE ALSO Gaius Valerius Catullus / Helvius Cinna
REMARKS Virgil was born in Andes in the Mantua region of
Italy. He wrote an epic poem (The Aeneid) which revolved
around the expropriation of the Celtic lands. He was
friends with two other Celtic poets: Gaius Valerius
Catullus and Helvius Cinna.
NAME Viriato
EPITHET The Terror of Rome
ALTERNATIVE Viratos / Viriathos
GENDER M
CATEGORY hero / warrior / chieftain
TYPE herder warrior / war leader
CULTURE Lusitanian confederation - Lusitani
COUNTRY Portugal / Spain
REGION Beira Alta / Castilla-y-Leon
LANDMARKS Duero river / Serra de Caramulo / Serra de
Estrela
SITES Numancia (Numantia) / Citânia de
Sanfins ?
CENTERS Viseu (headquarters ?) / Manteigas
AGE Iron
DATES BC 2nd c / BC 139 (asassinated)
RELATIVES Astolpas (father-in-law)
ENEMIES Rome
REMARKS Although several towns boast the birthplace of
Viriato, he was most likely born in the mountains of the
Serra de Estrela in eastern Portugal in the territory of
the Lusitani tribe.
Viriato was present during the siege of Numantia
(Numancia) in Spain near present-day Soria. He escaped
and fled to Portugal where he led a guerrilla war for nine
years against the Romans. Manteigas with its hot springs
in the Serra de Estrela was typical of the almost
inaccessible mountain sites he chose for refuge.
In Portugal, Viriato married a daughter of Astolpas, a
wealthy chieftain of a lowland farming tribe, thereby
securing links between them and the mountain pastoral
tribes. At the ceremony he and his new bride were showered
with fabulous gifts of gold. After the festivities they
returned to the mountains where they sacrificed much of
their booty to the goddess of war.
Viriato fought 8 major campaigns against the Romans
and was so successful that the Roman proconsul was forced
to reconcile a treaty with him. In the end, Viriato was
murdered by a traitor of his own people in the pay of the
Romans.
Viriato's name derives from the Celtic word Viriae
meaning arm-bands or bracelets. They were usually made of
gold or silver and were given as a reward for military
feats. A statue of a warrior wearing such bracelets was
found at the main entrance of the strategic Celtic hillfort
Citânia de Sanfins in Portugal.
NAME Viridomar
EPITHET Armoricus / Son of the Rhine
ALTERNATIVE Virdomarus
GENDER M
CATEGORY warrior / chieftain
TYPE mercenary
CULTURE Belgae - Gaesatae warrior
COUNTRY France or Belgium / Italy
TERRITORY Gaul / Belgica / Cisalpine Gaul
LANDMARKS Alps
SITES confluence of the Addua and the Po
AGE Iron
DATES BC 3rd c / BC 222 (died)
ENEMIES Claudius Marcellus
REMARKS The Belgae chieftain Viridomar led a force of
30,000 Gaesatae over the Alps and battled with the Romans
on the right bank of the Po near the mouth of the Addua
tributary. Claudius Marcellus challenged Viridomar to
single combat and Viridomar lost. Viridomar had the
epithets "Armoricus" and "Son of the Rhine".
NAME Viridomar
ALTERNATIVE Virdomarus
GENDER M
CATEGORY warrior / chieftain
TYPE horse warrior / freedom fighter / war leader
CULTURE Gallic - Ædui tribe
COUNTRY France / Switzerland
TERRITORY Gaul
SITES Alesia (Alise Ste Reine)
AGE Iron
DATES BC 1st c / BC 52
BATTLES Alesia
ENEMIES Rome
SEE ALSO Comm / Eporedorix / Vercassivellaunus /
Vercingetorix
REMARKS Viridomar led his warriors in an attack against
the rear of the Roman forces while they were sieging
Vercingetorix and his warriors at the Mandubii fortress of
Alesia.
The only hope Vercingetorix and his sieged warriors
had were the bands of warriors led by Eporedorix,
Vercassivellaunus and Viridomar under the war leader Comm.
NAME Viridovix
GENDER M
CATEGORY warrior / chieftain
TYPE war leader
CULTURE Armorican - Venelli tribe
COUNTRY France
REGION Normandy
LANDMARKS Orne river
AGE Iron
DATES BC 1st c / BC 56
ENEMIES Rome
REMARKS Viridovix waged a war against Rome with warriors
of the Aulerci, Eburovices and Lexovii tribes. The Roman
commander planted a spy among Viridovix's troops to spread
false rumors and make them believe the Romans were weak
from lack of food.
The Armoricans carried bundles of sticks up the hill
intending to light the walls of the Roman camp on fire. The
Romans waited until the exhausted warriors were almost to
the top of the hill, then rode out with their horse
warriors and slaughtered them.
NAME Virotutis
EPITHET Benefactor of Humanity
GENDER M
CATEGORY deity
TYPE sun god
CULTURE Gallic - Aulerci, Andes and Centrones tribes /
COUNTRY France
REGION Maine-et-Loire / Haute-Savoie
TERRITORY Gaul / Aremorica
LANDMARKS Loir / Loire / Alps
SITES Jublains / Fins d'Annecy
AGE Iron
DATES BC 1st c
REMARKS During BC 1st century, the sun god Virotutis was
venerated by the Aulerci, the Andes who had a site at
Jublains in Maine-et-Loire and the Centrones at Fins
d'Annecy in Haute-Savoie.
NAME Vismarus
GENDER M
CATEGORY warrior / chieftain
TYPE mercenary
CULTURE Gallic
COUNTRY France
TERRITORY Gaul
SITES Jean
AGE Iron
DATES BC 3rd c / BC 214
BATTLES Jean
REMARKS Vismarus was a Gallic mercenary who was killed
in the battle of Jean while fighting for the Carthaginian
Hasdrubal against Rome during the 2nd Punic War.
NAME Vitiris
ALTERNATIVE Vetus
GENDER M
SYMBOL boar / snake
CATEGORY deity
TYPE healer fertility god of war and the hunt
CULTURE Britons - Brigantes
COUNTRY England
REGION Yorkshire / Durham
TERRITORY Lloegr
LANDMARKS Wharfe
SITES Netherby
AGE Iron
DATES BC 1st c
REMARKS Vitiris was venerated at Netherby on the Wharfe
river in northern Yorkshire. The site was in the territory
of the Brigantes and was in use in BC 1st century. He was
associated with boars and snakes.
NAME Voricius
GENDER M
CATEGORY deity / warrior
TYPE healer god
CULTURE Gallic - Segusiavi tribe
COUNTRY France
REGION Allier
TERRITORY Gaul
LANDMARKS Allier river
SITES curative spring at Vichy
AGE Iron
DATES BC 1st c
REMARKS Voricius was a healing god who was depicted as a
warrior. He was probably a sun god and he was venerated at
the thermal springs at Vichy, especially by people with eye
afflictions.
NAME Vortigern
EPITHET The Great Chieftain
ALTERNATIVE Guortigernus / Gwrtheyrn / Uvertigernus /
Vertigernos / Vortigernos /
Wortigernos
GENDER M
CATEGORY warrior / Brenin
TYPE head chieftain
CULTURE Briton - Cantii tribe
COUNTRY England / Wales
REGION Kent / Gwynedd {Gwin-eth} / Clwyd {clud}
TERRITORY Gewissei / Gwynedd
SITES Mount Erith (Snowdon)
AGE Post-Roman
DATES AD 5th c / AD 449 (invited Saxon)
RELATIVES Renwein (wife); Vortimer, Katigern and Paschent
(sons)
ENEMIES Hengist / Renwein / Aurelius
SEE ALSO Aurelius / Myrddin / Vortimer
REMARKS Imperial Rome pulled their troops out of England
leaving the domesticated Britons at the mercy of the
unconquered Celts and Germani who were both in an expansion
stage of their culture.
Vortigern of Gewissei proved himself to be the most
powerful chieftain in Britain, ridding himself of
opposition which included the family of Constantine whom he
killed or drove out. In AD 449 Vortigern invited German
warriors under the command of two brothers: Hengist and
Horsa.
These two chieftains became very powerful and soon
were inviting more of their people to come and settle in
the new land. Vortigern married the daughter of Hengist
and the Britons became angry that the Saxons were being
favored over themselves. The Britons voted to give rule
over to Vortimer, Vortigern's son from a previous marriage,
who was anti-Saxon.
The tribes of Britons assembled under his son and
assumed the name Cymry (tribes that fight side by side).
Vortigern fought with the Saxons and when they lost the
fourth battle to the Cymry, he sought peace with his son.
Vortigern's Saxon wife Renwein poisoned Vortimer and
Vortigern again became the ruler and invited tribes of the
Germani once more to Britain.
This time the Germani came in a mighty force under
Hengist. He arranged an unarmed meeting between the
Britons and Saxons, then slaughtered most of the Britons.
Vortigern was also a target but he managed to escape and
flee to the territory of the Ordovices tribe in Gwynedd,
Wales.
Vortigern was told by his druid to build a fortress on
Mount Erith. The fortress kept falling apart and the
druids said they needed to sacrifice a fatherless boy. They
found such a young lad but he had the sight of prophecy and
explained that under the fortress lay two dragons in stone
caskets.
The young boy Myrddin explained that the red dragon
represented the warriors of Britain and the white dragon
represented the warriors of the Saxons. The red dragon was
under attack by the white dragon and this was causing the
fortress to fall. He then told Vortigern that the sons of
Constantine were sailing to Britain with a mighty force of
warriors and would assemble at Totnes in modern-day Devon.
It was not long before Aurelius attacked Vortigern's
fortress, destroying it by fire and killing Vortigern.
NAME Vortimer
EPITHET Supreme Chieftain / The Great Commander
ALTERNATIVE Gwerthefyr
GENDER M
CATEGORY hero / warrior / chieftain / Gwledig
TYPE horse warrior / war leader
CULTURE Cymry (tribes that fight side by side)
COUNTRY Wales / England
AGE Post-Roman
DATES AD 5th c
RELATIVES Vortigern (father); Katigern and Paschent
(brothers); Renwein (step-mother)
ENEMIES Saxons / Renwein
SEE ALSO Vortigern
REMARKS Vortimer, son of Vortigern, had strong anti-
Germani feelings, and the tribes of Wales and England
elected him the high chieftain. This was the time when the
name Cymry (tribes that fight side by side) came into
being.
Vortimer fought four major battles against the Saxons
and counted a victory in each. During the second battle,
his brother Katigern fought a single combat with Horsa and
both died of their wounds. During the fourth battle, the
Saxons left the country by boat and he and his father
negotiated a peace treaty.
Vortimer had all the land returned to his people and
order was restored. He died from a poisonous drink that
was prepared by his father's wife. He was buried at
Trinovantum and his father was convinced by his stepmother
to bring back the Saxons and other Germani tribes.
NAME Vosegos
ALTERNATIVE Vosegus
GENDER M
SYMBOL wolf
CATEGORY deity
TYPE god of nature
CULTURE Gallic - Lingones
COUNTRY France
TERRITORY Gaul
LANDMARKS Vosges Mountains / Moselle
SITES Le Donon
AGE Iron
DATES BC 6th c / BC 1st c
ACCESSORIES acorns / boar / hunting knife / nuts / pine
cones / sack / spear / wolf
REMARKS Vosegos was a nature god and carried the harvest
of the forest in his pouch. He wore a cape of wolfskin
which was a symbol of the moon goddess. He was the most
revered tribal hunter of the forest.
Vosegos also wore an assortment of animal heads and
carried a long-handled instrument that could be used for
dislodging nuts from the trees. A sculpture shows him
resting his right hand on the antlers of a young stag under
his protection. There is also some foliage on the same
relief, giving an early Green Man image.
The site is in an area which was controlled by the
Lingones who settled the area in BC 6th century and were
still there in BC 1st century when the Romans invaded.