Askulap

Attestation:
Evidence of Askulap worship in Germanic regions is attested by the Askulapstein (Aesclepius stone), a votive stone discovered at Godesburg in the 16th century. While the stone is the offering of a Roman soldier, its location suggests the likelihood of a Germanic cultus as well.

The inscription on this stone reads as follows:
Fortunis / Salutaribu[s] / Aesculapio / Hyg[iae] / Q(uintus) Venidius Ruf[us] / Mariu[s] Maxim[us] / [L(ucius)] Calvinianu[s] / [le]g(atus) leg(ionis) I Min(erviae) / leg(atus) Aug(usti) pr(o) [pr(aetore)] / provinc(iae) Cilic[iae] / d(onum) [d(edit)]. — CIL XIII, 7994

“For healthy fortune, Q(uintus) Venidius Rufus Marius Maximus Lucius Calvinianus, legatus of the Legio I Minervia, Imperial legatus with praetorian rank of the Province of Cilicia, gave this gift to Aesculapius, to Hygieia.”

Present-day Godesburg houses springs with reputed healing properties. It is theorized that Askulap may have received cultus at Godesburg for this reason, though there are varying theories on the original context of the votive stone’s placement.

Etymology:
Askulap is a Germanic cognate to the Greek Aesclepius (also Aesculapius), which is translated as “to cut open.” The theonym references the myth of Aesculapius’s birth, in which he was cut from the womb. The name is also a fitting reference to surgery, lancing, and other penetrative medical procedures.

TFA Interpretation:
In TFA, Askulap is the son of Granna (Apollo Grannus, an interpretatio of Apollo), and Lubo, a daughter of Frankus who is skilled in herbal remedies. As with his Hellenic counterpart, Askulap is a powerful physician and dietitian. Having been the first God to host a Wirdskap (feast) in TFA myth, Askulap is also Êrwird (Foremost Host/First Host) and Wirdskapisgot (God of the Wirdskap).