THE ORIENTATION OF LUGDUNUM CONUENARUM AND THE CELTIC FEASTS MARKING THE START OF THE SEASONS IN ANCIENT GAUL

Abstract

There is a long-lasting debate, started in the nineteenth century by d‟Arbois de Jubainville and Jullian, among others, regarding the pan-Celtic nature of the mid-season (or rather, start of season) feasts known from the Mediaeval Ireland (set on 1 st November, February, May and August). D‟Arbois indicated that one of these feasts coincided with the festival celebrated during Roman times at Lugdunum (Lyon) on August 1 st from 12 BC onwards. We recently verified that the orientation of the earlier parts of this Roman colony were laid out facing the sunrise on this date since its foundation in 43 BC, prior to any possible link with Augus- tus. This fact prompted us to investigate the orientation of other Roman cities in Gaul, particularly those named Lugdunum which still contain Roman buildings capable of being measured. The most complex of the- se is Lugdunum Conuerarum (present-day Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges). With a Celtic name and mixed Aquitaine-Latin culture, it is oriented towards the sunrise on February 1 st . Other cities in Gaul and Hispania have also been considered, which have similar orientations. We therefore verify the pan-Celtic character of the mid-season feasts. Finally, we present the hypothesis that the conversion of these feasts from a luni-solar calendar to the solar Julian calendar took place in the centre of Gaul at some time between the reigns of Cae- sar and Augustus. At a later stage, this model would be exported by early Christianity into Ireland, then serving as an interpretative inspiration for scholars such as d‟Arbois de Jubainville and others.