Sanctuary of Gebeleizis

There is very little information available regarding the Getae god, Gebeleizis. However, it is known that he was the god of storms and lightning, who manifested himself through thunderbolts and storms. Due to their geographical proximity, there are parallels between many of the Getae’s deities and the Greek and Thracian pantheons, most notably Zeus. The Greek historian Herodotus said that some Getae believed Gebeleizis to be the same thing as their supreme deity, Zalmoxis, and also the Thracian god Zibelthiurdos. This is borne out by both gods’ connection to the Celtic god of storms, Taranis, via very similar etymological roots. All surviving depictions of Gebeleizis portray him as a handsome man, sometimes (but not always) with a beard. His worship is another example, as in the case of the Norse, Celts and Huns, of veneration of the great open sky - its violent extremes of weather being far beyond tribal understanding.