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The French field of Celtic studies suffered a huge loss last week, when Marc Déceneux left us. He was a friend of ours, and one of the most knowledgeable Art Historians, who specialized in the pre-Christian influences of Christian Art. He had the rare ability of being able to "read" any wall and tell you which part was Roman/Carolingian/..., and his estimations were always accurate. He also added a large contribution to Breton toponymy in the last years. The surname of our illustrator at Oghme Comics, Mirlikovir comes directly from Marc's onomastical researches.

Here is a translation of the introduction to an article he wrote on the subject (Mythologie française   ISSN 1260-4992, 2003, n^o211, pp. 3-8 )

This article adds a contribution to the recension of minor mythological beings of ancient Gauls, concentrating on an infernal creature called Mirlikovir, identified under diverse forms : in the country of Dol, in Haute-Bretagne (FR), he is a red eyed hound, a sort of malevolent goblin ; in ancient beliefs about malevolent spirits, he is a black dog. Demon-dog with a poisonous stare (...) The most primitive form of the creature's name seems to be that found in Haute-Bretagne in the name "Mirlikovir". The most plausible meaning of which is "Furious Wolf-Man".

Marc always felt that Oghme/Ogme/Ogmios, the somber Tuathan God, could well have been the model from which Mirlikovir derives.

There's in Oghme, a sense of fierceness as well as one of uncontrollable natural forces. One of Oghme's names was Labraid the Eloquent, who would bind men with his words. This facet of the celtic god suits Marc Déceneux admirably. He was a truly independent spirit, never yielding to any form of corruption. He begun his career by refusing a high chair at Rennes' University to follow the difficult path of a freelance Art Historian. Never haughty (in spite of the wealth of knowledge he held) he was a merry fellow, whose company was always enjoyable. We will miss him very much.

Oghme (Ogme, Ogmios), one of the most mysterious of the Tuatha Dé Danan (ink and colors)