Welchanus

Welchanus or Wlchanos (Greek Ϝελχάνος) is an epithet of the Greek god Zeus in Crete.

According to an inscription, the festival Welchania (Ϝελχάνια) was celebrated in honor of Zeus Welchanos in the city of Lyktos. [1] Depictions of Zeus Welchanos can be found on coins that were minted in Phaistos, they show a youthful god sitting in a willow tree with a cock between his knees. [2] It is assumed that Welchanos is an ancient Minoan fertility god who was later identified with the Greek Zeus. [3]

The ancient lexicographer Hesychios of Alexandria lists the epithet in his lexicon as Gelchanos (Γελχάνος) [4] and explicitly connects it with Zeus ("Welchanos: Zeus with the Cretans").

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