CELTIC GOD - CERNUNNOS God of fertility, wealth, and the underworld Cernunnos is a horned god associated with fertility, the underworld, and wealth, and especially associated with horned animals like the bull, stag, and a ram-headed serpent. Cerunnos is born at the winter solstice and dies at the summer solstice. Cernunnos was also portrayed as the god of the animal realm. he was called upon to assure favorable hunting conditions. Most remarkably, Cernunnos was a shape-shifter, with the ability to take on the form of a snake, a wolf – or more commonly, his native stag. Cernunnos was a horned god, one of the most ancient Celtic deities. He is known to have predated the Roman influence in western Europe, with images from as early as the fourth century BC.

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In essence, he was a nature god, symbolizing fertility and plenty. He was also lord of the animals and typical representations show him squatting on the ground, surrounded by the beasts of the forest.

Abundance was symbolized by sacks of money or cornucopias, which were placed on his lap, and his role as a fertility god was often emphasized by the presence of a ram-horned snake. He is portrayed in this way on the Gundestrup Cauldron.

Cernunnos was usually depicted with antlers, although images with other animal horns can occasionally be found. On some shrines, the antlers were removable, indicating that the god may have been the focus of seasonal rituals, reflecting the annual growth and shedding of horns. In Irish legend, Cernunnos is associated with the father-god known as the Dagda, and there may also be links with the classical cult of Pan.

The Old God sleeps
down in the dark, moist,
odorous underfoot,
Waiting for us
To put down our roots.

C. Hue Bumgarner-Kirby, Cernnunos Sleeps