Luxovius Explained

In Gallo-Roman religion, Luxovios, Latinized as Luxovius, was the god of the waters of Luxeuil, worshiped in Gaul. He was a consort of Bricta. The thermal spring sanctuary at Luxeuil provided evidence of the worship of other deities, including the sky-horseman who bears a solar wheel, and Sirona, another deity associated with healing springs.

Inscriptions

Luxovius is recorded in the following two inscriptions, both from Luxeuil-les-Bains :

[Lus]soio / et Brictae / Divixti/us Cons/tans / v(otum) s(olvit) (ibens) m(erito)"To Lusso(v)ios and Bricta, Divixtius Constans freely and deservedly fulfilled his vow." (CIL 13, 05425)

Luxovio / et Brixtae / G(aius) Iul(ius) Fir/manus / v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito)"To Luxovios and Brixta, Gaius Julius Firmans freely and deservedly fulfilled his vow." (AE 1951, 00231; CIL 13, 05426)

Etymology

The name Luxovios implies light symbolism. This may indicate that the god was a deity of both light and curative spring waters, two elements that were strongly linked in the Celtic world.^[1]

Bibliography

• Année Epigraphique volume 1951
• Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (CIL), volume 13, Tres Galliae
• Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend. Miranda Green. Thames and Hudson Ltd. London. 1997

Notes and References

1. • Zeidler . Jürgen . 2003 . On the etymology of Grannus . Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie . 53 . 1 . 87-88 . 10.1515/ZCPH.2003.77 . 0084-5302.