Cernunnos

C3E1R1N1U1N1N1O1S1

proper noun

A deity, usually depicted as a man with antlers, associated with stags, horned serpents, dogs and bulls.

RareScrabble 11

Meanings

proper noun

alternative Carnonos

  1. historicalGallo-Roman religion; Celtic religion; Gallo-Roman religion; Celtic religionlifestyleA deity, usually depicted as a man with antlers, associated with stags, horned serpents, dogs and bulls.

    2004, Philip Carr-Gomm, Stephanie Carr-Gomm, Druid Craft Tarot, Connections Book Publishing, page 146, Here we see an image of Cernunnos - the Lord of the Animals, the wild Herdsman and Hunter.

    2 more examples

    Cernunnos is one of the oldest of the old gods.[…]Often attacked by the forces of the early Christian Church, Cernunnos was misconstrued as demonic and the lord of sorcerers and witches during the Middle Ages.

    2003, Arthur Rowan, The Lore of the Bard, Llewellyn Publications, page 242

    2012, Aislin, Ashling Wicca, Book 1, Lulu.com, page 60, This leads to the natural conclusion that Cernunnos was more than a fertility god and more than simply the consort of the Goddess. In the Ashling Wicca tradition, Cernunnos is seen as a god of initiation, of change, and of following a new path.

Origin

  1. Gaulish*Karnonos
  2. LatinCernunnus
  3. EnglishCernunnos

Learned borrowing from Latin Cernunnus, itself from Gaulish *Karnonos.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French Cernunnos
  • CernunnosGallo-Roman and Celtic deity associated with certain animals
German Cernunnos
  • CernunnosGallo-Roman and Celtic deity associated with certain animals
Italian Cernunno
  • CernunnoGallo-Roman and Celtic deity associated with certain animals
Cite this entry
APA

Cernunnos. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cernunnos

MLA

“Cernunnos.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cernunnos. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Cernunnos,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cernunnos.

Source: Cernunnos on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.