Gaulish prayers to the Gods, including English translations:
A prayer to Andrastá. It is inspired by the prayer to Her from Queen Boudica, recounted by Tacitus and Dio. It is to protect against abusive men, before going into battle:
Uo·canû·suî etic uediû
anderî do·anderâi
AndrastâAre Carnicobis Cobûi
Caletâi comagiâi
Riiotâi·c do toutâiUritu Uirûs
Cambûs gragnîs
Etic SacrolîtûsRiganî po dîuedom
AndrastâI thank and I call to you
As woman to woman
I pray to you, AndrastâFor carnyx-sounded victory
hard protection
And freedom to the peopleAgainst men
(that are) Crooked, vile,
and abusiveForever queen,
Andrastâ
váletíim do·tí Ciððoníe !
vediíú ducaseti·ío·mi av glendosí dacron
leuseti coracon imon ver drommení tundíás
ad counú sámú moros exmuχtos
iððoc bvetidHail to you, Cissonios !
I pray that you lead me from the shore of weeping
May you steer my coracle over crest of wave
To the peaceful haven of the tranquil sea
So mote it be¹
(in bratu do Dīanmani̯ū)
A simple Gaulish recitation for lighting the candle and incense at the altar:
pápí tenetos, esi lenððus
d·olíú íálú, esi dviíoð déví
eðði mantalonOf each fire, you are the light
For all prayers, you are the Gods' smoke
It is The Way
(in bratu do Dīanmani̯ū who collaborated etic Segomârû whose own, longer prayer inspired this one.)
clinutoves a Tarane etic·tu a Cernunne, a ollodevus·c veronadus, a·sví·c talamítis a·sví·c andernadus, clinudve.
“Hear you, Taranus, and you Cernunnos, and all the celestial Gods; and you earthly and you infernal ones—hear you all!”³
bvet·id víron iníannon cridiíobi
etic nerton iníannon lamabi
etic comlanatus iníannon tangvadbi
iđđoc bvet·idMay there be Truth in our hearts,
and strength in our arms,
and fulfillment of duty in our tongues
So mote it be²
These prayers were composed by Dianmanorix and Segomâros Widugeni. Most are pretty general, so you can switch out various gods, idioms, phrases, etc. to fit personalized prayers, or keep them how they are.
Belene, slanios clamacon, Nectonie, toutorîx.
Pettiumi te, slanesios etic anegesios carbon etic anatiin.Belenos, Saviour of the sick, Nectionos, King of the tribe.
I pray to you, heal and protect my body and soul.
Camule, Moltopennos, auete cingeton, auete nemetês cingeton, tigerne wikocerdânon ollos.
Pettiûmi coriesio boudion mon wikocerdin.Camulos, Ram headed one, protector of Warriors/Soldiers, Guardian/Protector is the Warrior's grove, lord of all Martial Arts.
I pray that you put victory on my Martial Arts.
Carnone, Tigerne caiton, dîclâwete cingi, dêwe arelayeto marwon etic detyo ulânon. Coriumî braton tei, are dacnîmin etic diclawiyin cingi, etic anextlon.
Carnonos, Lord of the Woods/forest, Opener of the Way, God who guides the dead and gives us prosperity. I give you my thanks, for teaching/showing and opening the Way, and protection.
Pettiûmi dîclâwiesio cinigi
Cathuboduâ Matre Boduânon, Rîganâ eti Gâlâ Cathi, Slaniâ Cingeton.
Pettiûmi coriesiâ nerton uer me, coriesiâ slaniin uer me monc, eti coriesiâ arelaiîmin trei ollon mon dîon.
Serûs coriâmi dileston te, eti serûs coriâmi adbertûs te.
Ma suantetutu te, pettiûmi gabiesiâ soadberton. Ma suantetutu te, pettiûmi coriesiâ danun me.Cathubodâ Mother of Ravens, Queen and Rage/Courage of Battle, Savior of Soldiers.
I pray that-you-put strength upon me, that-you-put safety upon me and-mine, and that-you-put guidance upon me through all of my days.
Long I put loyalty to-you, and long I put offerings to-you.
If it-would-please you, I pray, that-you-take this-offering. If it-would-please you, I pray, that-you-put gift to-me.
Lenû, Exsonbinû, Anextle Trougacon, Gaisodêwe: pettiûmi coriesio iacciin nertonc are sindiû eti baragion.
Lenus, Brave/fearless one, protector of the injured, spear god. I pray that you give me rest and strength for today and tomorrow.
Lenû, Exsonbinû, Anextle Trougacon, Gaisodêwe: pettiûmi coriesio samos nertonc are sindiû eti baragion eti iacciâ wer S_________, trebâtiâ in _________.
Lenus, Brave/fearless one, protector of the injured, spear god. I pray that you give rest, strength and health upon _______ from ________.
Magusene, auete wiron, lorgowice, nertodêwe, pennocalete.Demmî son au dileston te.
Koryeso pettiin ton segi in duci edûmiid coetic te. Pettiûmi coriesio sunerton eti dagatrâwiin sindiu.Magusenos, protector of man, club wielder, god of strength, unyielding one. I give this out of loyalty to you.
May you put a portion of your power as I eat it along with you. I pray that you give me strength and good training on this day.
Ogmie, dêwe melissoiextês, eurises uercantlon, tigerne uissôs
Pettiumi coriesio ianodagon peillin etic melissoiextin.Ogmios, god of sweet speech, giver of teaching/education, lord/master of knowledge.
I pray you that you put excellent understanding and sweet speech/eloquence to me
Tarani, dêwe rotâs, natrigorgete, auete doniûs.
Pettiûmi coriesio naudon uritt dîtrebnin etic anxsinon.Taranis, wheel god, serpent slayer, protector of humankind.
I pray that you protect me against chaos and danger.
Sironâ, Slaniâ Clamacon, Anextlon Andounânon, Natrîgâ Noxti.
Esîtu si glanâtiâ dubron ibemosios, esîtu glanîmâ salâs, esîtu andounâ ulânon.
Pettiûmi te, slanesiâ, noibosagesiâ, glanâsiâ sodubron, glanâtutuio ollon encentios entrâ soanton noibon.Sironâ, Healer/Savior of the Sick, Protection of Wells, Serpent of the Night.
You are She who purifies the water we drink, you are the purification/cleansing of-impurity, you are the spring/well of fulfillment.
I pray you, that you safeguard, make sacred, and purify/cleanse this water, that it-may-cleanse/purify all that-come into these holy precincts.
Pettiûmi coriesia samos nertonc are sindiû eti baragion eti iacciâ wer _________, trebâtiâ in _________.
I pray that you give rest, strength and health upon _______ from ________..
Visuciu, Excingiorigiatis, Pettiûmi dacnîesio cingon me.
Coriumî braton tei, are dacnîmin etic diclawiyin cingi, etic anextlon.Visucius, King of Battles, I pray you show me the way.
I GIVE YOU thanks for showing me the way and protection.
A bedtime prayer to Cissonios was conceptualized by Dīanmani̯os working from Delamarre’s interpretation of Cissonios as *cit-souno- ‘qui apporte des rêves’ (He Who brings dreams). Cissonios had a Mercurial cult throughout the Keltiké that De Bernardo Stempel views as economic. She proposes a different analysis of His name, relating it to the root *kistā ‘woven basket’—in reference to vessels for goods, perhaps like the cornucopia that adorns one of His altars.
In Old Irish, ces (< *kistā) could also refer to a coracle (boat). This could certainly be fitting for a God of travels and commerce. Dīanmani̯os also reminded me how Nodens, God of the Sea, had an incubatory cult (beds in His temple for worshippers to rest, for the purpose of dreaming and healing).
Finally, we found prayers in Carmina Gadelica that feature maritime symbolism and imagery for sleep and dreams—this is the source of the terminology I used for this prayer.
All of this together led me to an “inter alia” interpretation of Cissonios that weaves these threads into one: A God of journeying, Who leads our barque to the peaceful Sea of Dreams.
Inspired from Acallam na Senórach: Fírinde inár croidhedhaibh ocus nertt inár lámhaibh, ocus comall inár tengthaibh
Translated from Livy’s invocation: Audi, Iuppiter, et tu, Iane Quirine, dique omnes caelestes, vosque terrestres vosque inferni, audite, which was translated into English by Martiana.
I translated this one because:
You'll notice I “translated” the Gods being invoked. This is not necessary. One can perfectly pray to Jupiter and Janus in Gaulish as well. But I figured, as long as I'm translating, I may as well do “translatio” for Gods that Gaulish pagans might want to pray to.
(Routine disclaimer: This is not to say that Taranus and Cernunnos are “the same” as Jupiter or Janus, or equivalent, or even interchangeable by any means. But They have relevant correspondences for the purposes of this invocation.)