Brigantum

Brigantum is a placename of Brittonic origin, referring to a Celtic deity or tribe. Its most prominent historical association is with the Roman city of Brigantium, located in the province of Hispania Tarraconensis in what is now northwestern Spain. This city was a significant port and administrative center, known for its trade and strategic importance. The name itself is thought to derive from Brigantia, a powerful Celtic goddess associated with strength, sovereignty, and perhaps warfare, who was venerized across various Celtic cultures. Evidence of her worship, including inscriptions and statues, has been found in Britain and Gaul as well as Hispania. The association of the city with the goddess suggests a pre-Roman importance of the site or a deliberate adoption of the name by the Romans to acknowledge local traditions. The exact extent of the influence of the Brigantes tribe, if any, on this particular Brigantium remains a subject of scholarly discussion. Today, the modern city of A Coruña in Galicia, Spain, is believed to occupy the site of the ancient Brigantium.