View source for Bricta

{{short description|Gaulish goddess}}
{{no footnotes|date=March 2013}}
In [[Gallo-Roman religion]], '''Bricta''' or '''Brixta''' was a [[Gaul]]ish [[goddess]] who was a consort of [[Luxovius]], god of the waters of [[Luxeuil-les-Bains]] (in antiquity, ''Luxovium''). It is highly possible the name is related to [[Perchta]], a later German fairy tale character, usually (though not always) described as an elderly witch queen, who has many regional names and variations amongst the Germanic Alpine peoples and seems to bear random traits associated with both the Celtic Beira/ Cailleach and the Norse/ Germanic Freyja. This would likely make Bricta the same deity as Beira.

==Inscriptions==
Bricta is recorded in the following inscriptions from Luxeuil-les-Bains :

:''[Lus]soio / et Brictae / Divixti/us Cons/tans / v(otum) s(olvit) <l=T>(ibens) m(erito)''
:"To Lusso(v)ios and Bricta, Divixtius Constans freely and deservedly fulfilled his vow." (CIL 13, 05425)
<!-- looks like Luxovios is an o-stem not a u-stem, no? -->

:''Luxovio / et Brixtae / G(aius) Iul(ius) Fir/manus / v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito)''
:"To Luxovios and Brixta, Gaius Julius Firmans freely and deservedly fulfilled his vow." 
(AE 1951, 00231; CIL 13, 05426)

==Etymology==

This [[Gaulish language|Gaulish]] [[wikt:theonym|theonym]] is derived from the word ''brixtom'' or ''brixta'' meaning magic. The word also appears on the inscription of [[Chamalières]]. (Delamarre pp.&nbsp;76–77 with references and comparative etymology)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

*''Année Epigraphique''; volume 1951.
*[[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum]] (CIL), volume 13, ''Tres Galliae.''
* Delamarre, X. (2003). ''Dictionnaire de la Langue Gauloise.'' 2nd edition. Paris, Editions Errance. {{ISBN|2-87772-237-6}}
<!-- page numbers are from first edition, need to update to second edition -->

 
{{Celtic mythology (ancient)}}

[[Category:Gaulish goddesses]]
[[Category:Water goddesses]]

{{celt-myth-stub}}