When I first began walking this path — and helping to create it — I remember how overwhelming it felt to look upon the long list of deities within Gaulish Paganism. There were so many names, so many aspects of life represented, that it raised a natural question: how do we decide which deities to incorporate into Bessus Nouiogalation (BNG)?
I myself am a follower of Sucellos and Nantosuelts, another founding member is devoted to Taranis, and another to Carnonos, and so on. It would have been easy to simply include all of our personal favorites and call that our pantheon. But that approach felt too limited. If we were building a new bessus — a new custom, a new toutâ (tribe) — then it needed to be something with deeper meaning, something that reflected not just our individual devotions, but the spirit of the tribe itself.
And then, out of nowhere, Ogmios called to us. He became the voice of our work — the one who guided our words, our inspiration, and our devotion. From there, we began to think of how the ancient tribes may have related to their gods. Each toutâ likely had its own divine patrons: a Toutatis to guard the people, Materês to give life, Regentiâ the ancestors, and others who represented the shared virtues of the community.
It was from that reflection that our core Toutâdêuoi emerged — those who form the heart of our daily rites.
- Ogmios, the first ancestor of the Galatîs, the speaker and guide.
- Toutatis, the protector of the tribe.
- Suleuiâs, the wise guides and keepers of right.
- Materês, the life givers and knowers of fate.
- Regentiâ, the honored ancestors.
- Celtînâ, the mother of virtue.
- Carnonos, the guardian between worlds and guide of many ways.
Many of these gods and goddesses were completely new to me, and to us. I didn’t know their stories, their symbols, or how to connect with them. But as time went on, I began to see that these deities are not far from us at all. They are animistic and symbolic, deeply woven into the rhythms of home, self, tribe, and the paths we walk. They are ancestral in a mythological sense, the living currents that have always been. Of course, our devotion doesn’t end with these few. Within our custom, there are many other Deuoi who hold their own sacred places—gods and goddesses who guide us through the seasons, who stand beside us in moments of magic, who embody the virtues we strive for, and who dwell within the natural forces that surround us.
Some Deuoi belong intimately to the tribe (the list above)—they are the core Toutâdêuoi, those whose presence defines and sustains the identity of Bessus Nouiogalation (BNG). Others, while still part of the tribe’s spiritual life, reach beyond it—they are more cosmic, seasonal, personal, or situational, touching wider aspects of life, nature, and spirit that transcend the boundaries of the tribe itself.
Together they form the living web of our devotion, from the hearth to the horizon.
For all initiated members of BNG, these daily rites form a shared rhythm — a way to remain connected with these tribal deities and with each other. It’s important for each of us to know their names and the invocations that call to them, for they represent the common spiritual ground of our community.
That said, your own household devotions may — and should — grow beyond this list. Over time, you might find other deities from the broader Gaulish pantheon, or from your own cultural and ancestral background, who speak to you. That is the natural flowering of practice. But for the tribe as a whole, these rites to the core Toutâdêuoi serve as our foundation — a place where all of us can meet, no matter where our paths lead.
Through these small daily gestures — the offering, the invocation, the quiet moment of reflection — we strengthen our dêuocariâ (piety), nurture Sumatreiâ (good relationship), and keep the flame of Gala alive within ourselves and our community.
Bessus Nouiogalation 