Galli
/ˈɡæl.aɪ/noun
The Galli were eunuch priests of Cybele, the ancient Anatolian mother goddess, known for ecstatic rituals and self-castration.
Did you know?Roman sources associated the Galli with ritual frenzy, music, gender-transgressive dress, and the ecstatic worship of Cybele and her lover Attis.
Etymological Timeline
Possibly pre-Classical Anatolia
Phrygian
gallos
“The ultimate source is uncertain; it may have been an Anatolian religious term or a name connected with the river Gallus.”
Classical Greek
Greek
γάλλοι (galloi)
“Priests of Cybele, characterized in Greek accounts as eunuch devotees performing ecstatic rites.”
1st Century BCE
Latin
Galli
“Plural of gallus, the name used by Roman writers for Cybele’s eunuch priests.”
1st–4th Century CE
Roman Latin
Galli
“A recognized priestly group in the Roman cult of Magna Mater, whose public rituals included drumming, dancing, and religious procession.”
17th–19th Century
English
Galli
“A learned historical and antiquarian term for the priests of Cybele.”
Modern English
English
Galli
“The conventional plural name for the eunuch priests associated with Cybele in the ancient Mediterranean world.”