Alcis (gods)

Alcis were a pair of young male brothers worshipped by the Naharvali, a tribe of ancient Germanic peoples.

Name

According to some scholars,[1][2] the name Alcis should be interpreted as a Latinized form of Proto-Germanic *algiz or *alhiz, meaning 'elk' or 'stag' (cf. Old Norse elgr, Old English eolh, Old High German elaho 'elk').[3][4] This would make the Alcis brothers the elk or stag gods.[1] The name *algiz ultimately stems from the Proto-Indo-European root for 'deer', *h₁elḱis or *h₁olḱis.[3][4]

Alci(s) is also the title of an East Germanic priest recorded by Roman historian Tacitus (ca. 56–120 CE).[2]

Overview

According to Tacitus, the Alcis were a deity worshiped by the Naharvali.[1][5] The Roman historian states that their worship took place in a sacred grove, with a priest dressed in women's clothing presiding. The god(s) were given the name Alcis, and venerated as young men and brothers, but no images of the gods were used. A similarity with Castor and Pollux is noted by Tacitus, though he states the cult was indigenous, not derived from an outside influence.[6]

Among these last is shown a grove of immemorial sanctity. A priest in female attire has the charge of it. But the deities are described in Roman language as Castor and Pollux. Such, indeed, are the attributes of the divinity, the name being Alcis. They have no images, or, indeed, any vestige of foreign superstition, but it is as brothers and as youths that the deities are worshipped.

— Tacitus. Ch.43.[7]

See also

References
  1. Lurker 2004, p. 8.
  2. Rübekeil 2017, p. 990.
  3. Orel 2003, p. 14.
  4. Kroonen 2013, p. 21.
  5. Smith 1880, p. 104  [text] A deity among the Naharvali, and ancient tribe. Grimm (Deutsche Mythol. p.39) considers Alcis in the passage of Tacitus to be the genitive of Alx, which, according to him, signifies a sacred grove, and is connected with the Greek άλσοε. Another Alcis occurs in Apollodorus, ii, 1 § 5. [L. S.] (Leonhard Schmitz)
  6. Tacitus 1916, p. 22, 125.
  7. Tacitus 1916, p. 22.

Sources
  • Kroonen, Guus (2013). Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic. Brill. ISBN 9789004183407.
  • Lurker, Manfred (2004). The Routledge Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-34018-2.
  • Orel, Vladimir E. (2003). A Handbook of Germanic Etymology. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-12875-0.
  • Rübekeil, Ludwig (2017). "The dialectology of Germanic". In Klein, Jared; Joseph, Brian; Fritz, Matthias (eds.). Handbook of Comparative and Historical Indo-European Linguistics. 2. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11-054243-1.
  • Smith, William, ed. (1880), "Alcis", Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, John Murray, 1
  • Tacitus, Cornelius (1916), Reed Staurt, Duane (ed.), Tacitus - The Germania, with introduction and notes (in Latin and English), Macmillan

Further reading


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