Gods & Goddesses

Good God!: Sucellus

One of the gods that fits well with Mabon is Sucellus (also known as Sucellos), the god of wine and crops – two main components of many Mabon celebration feasts.

Although originally a Celtic god of agriculture, forests, fertility, and of alcoholic drinks of the Gauls, his cult flourished with the Gallo-Romans and in Britain. The Encyclopaedia Britannica refers to him as “a humble but powerful guardian … protecting and blessing marginalized communities” which included the working class. “He was seen as the guardian of crops, ensuring their growth and protection from harm.”

Sucellus was depicted as a robust bearded man of middle age, carrying a large mallet and sometimes a saucer or a cask of liquid. Because he protected flocks from wolves, he wears a wolf skin. Other sources mention he is jovial and has a dog by his side. Nantosuelta, the Celtic goddess of nature, fire, and fertility is seen accompanying him at times.

According to Segomâros Widugeni, a leader in Gaulish Polytheism, “Sucellus Silvanus [Silvanus, the god of forests and boundaries, is Sucellus’s Roman counterpart; the two deities began to merge and intertwine.] is a humble god. He was above all a god of peasants and slaves, of people who had neither the money nor the prestige to offer him magnificent monuments. His importance, therefore, like that of Venus, the Mother Goddesses, or Epona, is much greater than the number of inscriptions or temples dedicated to him might suggest. He protects the areas that lie at the margins of society – woods and wild places – but also fields and vineyards. Many inscriptions in his honour have been found near mines and quarries. In fine, he guarantees the protection and prosperity of the working class at large.”

By symbolizing “the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature,” oldworldgods.com notes Sucellus’ influence extends to the fields which sustain his followers. He guards the crops to ensure a good harvest, thus symbolizing abundance, which is celebrated at Mabon.  

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All my life I have known magic was real. As an eclectic solitary practitioner, I travel the country in a converted school bus and share magick with those I meet. Find me at https://thewitchonwheels.com/ and on Facebook