Wheel Pendant (Rouelle), Bronze

Wheel Pendant (Rouelle), Bronze

Diameter 20mm. Handcrafted from real bronze, delivery with leather thong and certificate.

This kind of amulet charms was used in the celtic iron age as well as in the time of the early Roman Empire. As religious gifts, the so-called "Rouelles" were deposited as sacrifices for the god Taranis. After the roman conquest, Taranis became identical to the roman god Jupiter, master of lightning and thunder.

In the roman provinces of celtic origin, a certain kind of cultic pillars was very popular, the Jupiter columns. The top of the pillars is crowned by Jupiter on a horseback, defeating a giant beneath his feet. Mostly Jupiter is depicted throwing some lightnings, carrying a wheel-shaped shield on his side. It is a nice example how the Roman Empire integrated the celtic population by accepting their cultural and religious identity. The Jupiter Columns were raised in the 2nd and 3rd century, so the old beliefes were alive for a very long period. 
In germanic mythology, Thor was deifyed as god of the weather, throwing lightnings with his hammer mjoellnir and flying with a chariot through the sky. The german peoples believed, the thunder is the sound of his chariot, driven by mythical goats. Concerning the wheel amulets, it maybe could be an analogy to the celtic mythology, but unfortunately there are not enough ancient sources for a scientific proof, but the simliarities are obvious.