On Ancient Celtic Astrology and Naked Eye Astronomy – The Gundestrup Cauldron
By Michel-Gérald Boutet, 2017
The Gundestrup Cauldron Astronomical Plates - Iconography
Inner Panel One
A bull representing the “heat of the day,” and Samoindon, “summer’s end.”
The Stag for Sidos, “deer,” the fall constellations of Virgo and Libra. The torque necklace in the sitting horned-gods right hand for Cantos, “ring,” represents
Cantli prinnios, the constellation of Libra, literally meaning: “arborescence, or constellation, of the circle, of buckling, of the song, of the commemoration pillar.”
- The horned seated figure, Cernunnos, with the deer antlers for Libra, Scales, holding the serpent (the sub constellations of Serpens caput and cauda) for Scorpio.
- A lion or leopard atop a wolf for the winter solstice period of twelve days. Dumanni Prinnios, the constellation of Sagittarius, literally standing for “arborescence of darkening.”
- A boy riding a sturgeon or a dolphin for Capricorn.
- Two opposing lions for the vernal point, or spring equinox. A bull representing
the return of warm days. - In the background, trefoil plants for the threefold aspects of nature; plants ending
their annual growth cycle for Giamos / giemos < gemos, “winter;” connoting “shoots,” for vegetative; Giiemorotlio > geamhradh, “shoots-cycle;” dark half-year (Autumn + winter-time) or vegetative period.