IMG82

83 Bronze three-horned buli; Cirencester. Photograph: Betty Naggar. Corinium Museum.

normal beast and should be grouped with them, but I feel that there is an argument for treating all mutations as a specific iconographical phenomenon. 1 must emphasise Ihat monstrous images in the present period and context would appear to have been an entirely Celtic ąuirk, resułting from tbe very intimate association between animais and men and between zoomorphic and anthropomorphic divine repre-sentation. However, as is well-known, monsters are not unknown in classical mythology; the mułti-headed Hydra, hundred-handed giant and three-headed Cerberus demon stratę this.

The Triple-homed Buli and the Ram-Homed Snake

The triple-homed buli is an interesting iconographic-. phenomenon: it occurs normally in bronze. though ston-examples appear at the shrine of Beire-le-Chatel (Cóte d Or and a pipe-clay figurine comes from a childs grave <t Cołchester. It is essentially Gaulish. being a popular c. beast among the Lingones and Seąuani, and central Ht eastem tribes in generał. About thirty-five Gaulish bulls u recorded and only six in British contexts. Of the Latter ;h; are paiticularly interesting: the sepulchral «wtwt ot th Cołchester figurine is noteworthy; and the sitaered bror

85 Silver-washed three-homed buli, with figures of deities on its bacie, from mid fourth century AD shrine: Maiden Castle. DorseŁ Copyright: Dorset Natural History & Archaeology Society. County Museum, Dorchester, Dorset.

buli from Maiden Castle not only comes from a shrine but bears the remains of three humanoid female figures on its bach This is reminiscent of the Parisian relief of Tareostrigaranus, and it is possible that we have here an erample of transmogrification — the cranes and women nvotved in shape-shifting. The third notable British three-homed buli, from Willingham, is remarkable in its associ-