indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Meaning & History
Derived from Proto-Celtic teutā- meaning "people" or "tribe", likely inferring he was a protector of a people or tribe.In Celtic mythology he was a god worshipped in ancient Gaul and Britain. Today, he is best known under the name Toutatis, through the Gaulish oath/catchphrase 'By Toutatis!', invented for the Asterix comics by Goscinny and Uderzo. The spelling Toutatis, however, is authentic and attested by about ten ancient inscriptions. Teutates was one of three Celtic gods mentioned by the Roman poet Lucan in the 1st century AD. Some scholars attest he was a cognate of Mercury, while others say that each tribe had its own toutatis.