Belisama

Belisama (Gaulish Belesama; epigraphically ) is a Celtic goddess. She was equated by Roman commentators with Minerva by interpretatio romana.

== Name == thumb|photograph of the "Segomaros" inscriptionThe Gaulish theonym Belesama has been traditionally interpreted as meaning 'the very bright', stemming from the Indo-European root *bʰelH- ('white, shining'; cf. Lith. báltas 'white', Greek φαλόσ phalós 'white', Arm. bal 'pallor', goth. bala 'grey') attached to the superlative suffix *-isamā. As for Belenos, however, this theory has come under increasing criticism in contemporary scholarship.