In ancient Celtic polytheism , Latis is the name of two Celtic deities worshipped in Roman Britain . One is a goddess (Dea Latis), the other a god (Deus Latis), and they are both known from a single inscription each.
Dea Latis
The dedication to Dea Latis was found at Birdoswald Roman Fort in Cumbria , England , in 1873. It reads simply:
DIE LATI
For the goddess Latis .[ 1]
The E is written as a ||. The stone is now in the Carlisle Museum.
She may have been associated with the nearby rivers.[ 2]
Deus Latis
The dedication to Deus Latis, recovered on an altar-stone at the Roman fort of Aballava , Burgh-by-Sands (also in Cumbria ) reads:
DEO LATI LVCIVS VRSEI
To the god Latis, Lucius Ursei [dedicates this]. [ 1]
The altar-stone to Deus Latis was found near an image of a horned god and another dedication to the god Belatucadros .
Etymology
The name 'Latis' may conceivably be related to the Proto-Celtic words *lati- meaning 'liquor', *lat- 'day', or *lāto- 'lust'.[ 3]
References
Further reading
ABALLAVA museum, Burgh by Sands, Cumbria, England .