Velunia
Attested: Velunia at position 191 in the Ravenna Cosmography; inscription VELUNIATE
Where: Carriden fort, near Bo'Ness, Firth of Forth, in a logical position to have been a command post for the Antonine Wall.
Name origin: For the much-discussed name element *vellaunus, Delamarre (2003) came down firmly on a meaning like ‘commanding’. PIE *wal- ‘to be strong’ left descendants all over Europe, including Irish follnathir ‘rules’, Dutch bevelen and German befehlen ‘to order, to command’, Old English befeolan ‘to commit’, Icelandic fela ‘to assign’, modern English prevail, and personal names such as Waldemar, Vladimir, and Ronald. *Velunion on Hadrian's Wall was probably the same word.
Notes: Later names recorded there (Kinneil/Cenail/Penguaul/Peanfahel/Penneltun and Carriden/Karreden/Kair Eden) show no real continuity with the Roman form, but testify to Scotland's multiple languages. The mention of vikani on that inscription suggests that this site was a trading post, and the name Dannoni nearby hints at a vicus magister or portreeve persisting there after the Roman departure. The idea that Vellaunus was a Celtic god should not be taken seriously.
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Last edited 16 August 2024 to main Menu