Taranis is the god of thunder in Celtic folklore, in the Iberian penninsula of the Gallaeci, and possibly the earlier Celtiberians, as well as of the Gauls, but also in the Rhineland and Danube regions, amongst others.
He was associated, as was the cyclops Brontes ("thunder") in Greek lore, with the wheel... i.e. the wheel of time. Apparently he controlled this by way of ritual matings with Diur, or the oak tree.
Taranis’ name and attributes are likely related to those of Thor, the Norse thunder god.
Many representations of a bearded god with a thunderbolt in one hand and a wheel in the other have been recovered from Gaul, where this deity apparently came to be syncretised with Jupiter.
Taranis was said to infiltrate the sky with thunderous energy when he became inebriated after drinking too much Celtic mead. As mead was often a constant during celebrations of marriage and battle victories, Taranis was a good-humored god and served as a figure of whole-hearted joy and zeal.
Some Roman sources associate Taranis with the Roman war god, Mars.
Taranis is commonly seen riding across the heavens in a chariot, his horses very much a part of his power – their galloping hooves would usually produce the crack of thunder and sparks of lightening in the skies...
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