Gebeleizis
Getae god
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gebeleizis was a god worshiped by the Getae, whose name has been interpreted as a theonym for the Indo-European sky and weather god, evidently also called by the Thracians with a symilar theonym – Zibelthiurdos or Zbelsurdos.[1][2] In ancient literature he is mentioned only by Herodotus.[2]
Gebeleizis was represented as a handsome man, sometimes wearing a beard. The lightning and thunder were his manifestations. According to Herodotus, some Getae equated Gebeleizis with Zalmoxis as the same god.
Name
Gebeleizis has an etymology likely rooted in Indo-European sky-god traditions. The name is often interpreted as a compound of "gebele" (linked to PIE *ģʰeib-, "to shine" or "bright") and "-zis" (derived from the PIE sky god *Dyēus, cognate to Zeus). It is closely associated with the Thraco-Dacian deity Zibelthiurdos, potentially meaning "shining god" or "bright spear". Alternatively it's read as Cybele-Zis, the Zeus of Cybele.
