Belisama (Gaulish Belesama; epigraphically Bηλησαμα) is a Celtic goddess. She was identified by Roman commentators with Minerva by interpretatio romana.
The Gaulish theonym Belesama has been traditionally interpreted as meaning 'the very bright', stemming from the Indo-European root *bʰelH- ('white, shining'; cf. Lith. báltas 'white', Greek φαλόσ phalós 'white', Arm. bal 'pallor', goth. bala 'grey') attached to the superlative suffix *-isamā. As for Belenos, however, this theory has come under increasing criticism in contemporary scholarship.[1][2]
Xavier Delamarre notes that the proposed cognates stemming from *bʰelH- do not seem to connote 'shining', but rather 'white, grey, pale', and proposes to derive the name from the Gaulish root belo- ('strong, powerful'), rendering Belesama as 'the very strong' (cf. Sanskrit baliṣṭhaḥ 'the strongest').[2] Alternatively, Peter Schrijver has conjectured a connection with the stem for 'henbane', *beles-, attached to an unknown suffix -ma, by comparing the name with the Gaulish theonym Belisa-maros. According to him, this is "formally attractive and semantically possible (if *Belesama = Lat. Minerva medica) but not supported by direct evidence".[3]
The toponyms Beleymas, Bellême, Balesmes, Blesmes, Blismes, and Velesmes are based on the theonym.[4][2] The name also appears in various river names of Gauls and Britain, including Belisama (River Ribble) and Le Blima (Tarn).[2][5] The Galatian personal name Blesamius, from an earlier *Belesamios, may also be added to the comparison.[2]
A Gaulish inscription found at Vaison-la-Romaine in Provence (RIG G-172) shows that a nemeton was dedicated to her:[6]
The identification with Minerva in Gallo-Roman religion is established in a Latin inscription from Saint-Lizier (anciently Consoranni), Ariège department (CIL XIII, 8):[8]
The presence of the goddess in Ancient Britain is more difficult to establish. Based on Ptolemy's reference to a "Belisama estuary" (Βελισαμα), River Ribble in England seems to have been known by the name Belisama in Roman times.[2][5][9]
The attestation of the theonym as a river name may indicate that she was a lake- and river-goddess.[5] Belisama has also been speculatively claimed as companion of Belenos, whose name seems to contain the same root.[10]