Apollo Cunomaglus appears at several sites, but namely Nettleton Shrub. This temple was a site of healing, specifically aqua therapy, with an ambulatory and other buildings set up to take pilgrims and patients. The Cotswolds is His cultic centre (Coombe and Henig 2020), with hunting estates and other sites around London, Southwark, and a votive inscription from a cemetery in Gloucester (Coombe and Henig 2020). Boon (1989) suggests that the temple at Pagans Hill may also be dedicated to Apollo Cunomaglus due to the shared octagonal plan, dog statue, and the importance of wells to Apollo.

The word 'Cunomaglus' consists of two parts, first Cuno- meaning dog, hound or wolf, and -maglus, which means Prince or Lord, the most common translation is 'Hound Prince.' The importance of hounds to Apollo Cunomaglus is evident in His name. It then begs the question, what does His connexion to dogs mean? Firstly, dogs in the Gaulish, Brittonic and Graeco-Roman areas have connexions to the Underworld. This association can be seen in various deposits in graves in Gaul, where spectral-eyed clay dogs are sometimes buried with the dead, and with Cerberus paired with Dis Pater and Gaulish synonyms of Dis Pater (Jenkins 1957). The connexion with the Underworld can more easily be understood because both death and healing were seen as Underworldly things, as water and springs especially were the source of much healing which came from below. And of course, the dead also descend to the Underworld upon dying. If Cunomaglus’ hounds are akin to Cerberus, he could be constituted as a guardian of the Underworld. Secondly, dogs have also been found at sites of healing temples, such as the temple to Nodens at Lydney (Jenkins 1957) and Apollo Grannus in multiple locations (most famously Aquae Granni – modern-day Aachen, Germany). Dogs are possibly seen with healing associations due to their ability for their saliva to treat wounds, with some even claimed to have healed blind people by licking their eyes (Jenkins 1957). Lastly and most obviously, is the hunting implications; dogs and hounds were used in hunting often. Dogs and Hounds are common hunting companions, and Green (1998, pp. 199) suggests that the connexion between hunting and healing can be seen through the theme of the Divine Hunt, where the spilling of blood to feed and therefore give life, begun to symbolise renewal and healing.

Apollo Cunomaglus may be implicated as a God of cursing, which could be seen as a form of hunting or taking of health. In the inscription from Leicestershire, a God, given the title 'Maglus,' is asked to take away the health of the person who stole a cloak from Servandus (Tomlin 2008). He gives a list of potential thieves (presumably to make a public statement, rather than make the job easier for the God called on).

The inscription reads:

'I give to the god Maglus him who did wrong from the slave-quarters; I give him who (did) theft from the slave-quarters; who stole the cloak of Servandus. Silvester, Ri(g)omandus, Senilis, Venustinus, Vorvena, Calaminus, Felicianus, Rufedo, Vendicina, Ingenuinus, luventius, Alocus, Cennosus, Ger manus, Senedo, Cunovendus, Regalis, Ni(g)ella, Senicianus (deleted). I give (that the god Maglus) before the ninth day take away him who stole the cloak of Servandus.'

This inscription could be to a God other than Apollo Cunomaglus; however, it is reasonable to conclude that the taking of health from a thief is within the domain of healing and hunting Gods, especially a Hound Lord. His Hounds could indeed discern a thief. To back this claim, curse tablets, or defixio, which are prayers for justice, are often given to Gods with healing associations, such as Nodens, Mars, and Sulis (Adams 2006). In Roman Britain, many curse tablets were written for thefts, with many of these thefts occurring at baths (which explains the clothes, as these items would not be on the person at the time of theft) (Adams 2006). Considering this, it is reasonable that Apollo Cunomaglus is a good candidate for the curse tablet, being a healing God and having baths at his temples. These points reinforce his role as a healing God AND a hunting God.

Taking all of these points into consideration, Apollo Cunomaglus, or simply Cunomaglus, is a God of healing, and therefore wells and springs, and hunting. He also has Underworld associations due to his relationship with dogs, healing and death through hunting. His cultic home in the Cotswolds but had a broad base within Southern England. Cunomaglus would be good to call upon for righting wrongs, possibly as a God of justice (similar to Nemesis), when wanting success in hunting, when wanting to build better relationships with dogs and when in need of healing.

References:

“Plaque to Apollo from Nettleton Shrub, given by Decianus (or Decimius)”, Fb6604. Bristol Museum & Art Gallery. http://museums.bristol.gov.uk/details.php?irn=150473

Adams, G.W., 2006. The social and cultural implications of curse tablets [defixiones] in Britain and on the Continent. Studia Humaniora Tartuensia, (7), pp.15-15.

Boon, G.C., 1989. A Roman sculpture rehabilitated: the Pagans Hill dog. Britannia, 20, pp.201-217.

Coombe, P. and Henig, M., 2020. The Gloucester hoard of Roman bronze. Britannia, 51, pp.225-264.

Green, A., 1998. Animals in Celtic life and myth. London: Routledge, pp.64, 199.

Jenkins, F., 1957. The role of the dog in Romano-Gaulish religion. Latomus, 16(Fasc. 1), pp.60-76.

Tomlin, R.S.O., 2008. " Paedagogium and Septizonium": Two Roman Lead Tablets from Leicester. Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, pp.207-218.

Wedlake, W.J., 1982. The excavation of the Shrine of Apollo at Nettleton, Wiltshire, 1956-1971, London: Society of Antiquaries of London.