Epona – One Of The Oldest And Widely Known Celtic Deities
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Epona is the Gaulish goddess of horses, donkeys, and mules. She was one of the oldest and most notable Celtic deities and was worshiped in ancient Rome.
Her name, 'Epona,' means 'mare,' and she was believed to be the protector of horses, donkeys, mules, and ponies.
A relief of the Gaulish horse goddess Epona from Salonica, Greek Macedonia, 4th century CE. Image via Wikipedia
As involved in ancient beliefs of many cultures, some scholars do not exclude that this goddess was often associated with death, similar to other mother goddesses. In that case, her symbol was a crow, a raven, or a dog symbolizing the afterlife.
As the guide (or companion) of souls, leading the deceased to the land of the dead, Epona had a mysterious key to opening the underworld (otherworld).
No doubt, Epona was a very popular deity in the Roman Empire, but as we said, she was not of Roman origin, for there were no such equestrian goddesses in the pantheon of these people. The Roman army adopted her worship and spread her cult throughout the empire. She was the only Celtic goddess granted a feast day (December 18).
Bas-relief of the Romano-Celtic goddess Epona, from Contern (Luxembourg), 2nd or 3rd century AD. Image credit: Owen Cook - CC BY-SA 4.0
The greatest concentration of inscriptions to Epona, along with altars and depictions of her, have been found in Roman Gaul, especially in Burgundy, and in the Metz-Trier and Meuse valley regions of Germany, Britain, Bulgaria, and North Africa as well.
In Celtic Gaul, Epona was initially associated with the beliefs of the tribe of Aedui, who inhabited the regions between Liger (Loire, the longest river in France) and Arar (the modern Saone river of eastern France).
In historical records, these people were remembered as allies of Rome, who in time supported Vercingetorix, a brave warrior who gathered an army of Gallic people against the Roman Empire and in 52 BC was defeated by Julius Caesar. At the same time, the Aeduians were incorporated into Roman Gaul.
Despite Epona's wide popularity in ancient times, very little is known about her. Many believe this goddess had many local incarnations and appeared under other names.
The motif of the "Lady of the Animals" lives on this religious depiction. Flanked by two horses, Epona is shown sitting on a throne holding a fruit basket on her lap. The Celtic goddess was revered as the patroness for wagoners. She was also popular among the military. The images was mainly occurred in the provinces of Gaul and Germania. Image credit: Rosemania - Flickr
However, there is one interesting mythological story about when our planet Earth was almost empty. There were no gods or humans, only the sea and the land. When the sea met the ground, a white mare, Eiocha, made of sea foam, was born.
In the vicinity of this critical event, a strong oak tree grew, giving support to "a plant with white berries of "foam tears" from the sea. The white mare, Eiocha, ate the berries and grew heavy with the child. She gave birth to the first god, Cernunnos. The birth was painful, and in her struggle, Eiocha ripped pieces of bark from the oak tree and threw them into the sea, thus creating the Giants of the Deep. Cernunnos was lonely and coupled with Eiocha to produce other gods: Maponus, Tauranus, Teutates, and the goddess Epona." 1
Horses for the Celts were vital because they were used for transport. In war and agriculture, it is only natural that the cult of the goddess - patroness of horses- constituted an essential part of their religious views. She was usually depicted on a horse, feeding a horse from her hand, leading two horses, or standing with horses around her.
Other attributes were a horn of plenty and a loaf of bread, which means she was also worshiped as a fertility goddess.
Written by – A. Sutherland AncientPages.com Staff Writer
Updated on January 30, 2023
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for references- Hourly History, Celtic Mythology
Green, Miranda. The Gods of Roman Britain.
Ross, Anne. Pagan Celtic Britain
More From Ancient Pages
-
Courageous Elizabeth Freeman – First African American Slave Who Filed A Freedom Suit
Featured Stories | Oct 24, 2018
-
Nearly 2,000-Year-Old Aqueduct Discovered Near Ancient Monastery Khor Virap In Armenia
Archaeology | Jan 29, 2020
-
St. Swithin’s Day And The 40 Days’ Weather Prophecy
Featured Stories | Jul 15, 2023
-
Picts: Facts And History About Mysterious People Of Northern Scotland
Civilizations | Feb 2, 2016
-
Perplexing Accounts Of Ancient People Who Demonstrated Incredible Powers Of The Human Mind
Featured Stories | Feb 1, 2019
-
Mysterious Ancestor Of All Mammals Identified Through Genome Reconstruction
Archaeology | Sep 30, 2022
-
Unusual Viking Women With Elongated Heads On Gotland, Sweden
Featured Stories | Mar 28, 2024
-
Early Farmers On The Baltic Coast Incorporated Fish Into Their Diets 6,000 Years Ago
Archaeology | Oct 17, 2023
-
Milk Enabled Massive Steppe Migration
Archaeology | Sep 15, 2021
-
Ushabti: Servants Who Worked For Their Owners In Afterlife In Ancient Egyptian Beliefs
Ancient History Facts | Feb 12, 2020
-
Human DNA Shaped By Past Events Caused Sharp Dips In The Population
News | Jun 27, 2022
-
DNA Study Of Ice Age Survivors Reveals A Surprise About The Gravettian Culture
Archaeology | Mar 1, 2023
-
Funerary Urn Depicting The God Of Corn Unearthed In Mexico By INAH Archaeologists
Archaeology | Jan 11, 2024
-
Thousand-Year-Old Sarcophagus Discovered In Odense
News | Sep 28, 2015
-
Bjorn Ironside: Famous Viking Who Captured Luna By Mistake Instead Of Ancient Rome As Planned
Featured Stories | Jun 11, 2016
-
Mada’in Saleh: Spectacular Rock-Cut Tombs And Monuments Reflect Great Skills Of Nabataean Builders
Featured Stories | Aug 18, 2020
-
Unsolved Archaeological Mystery Of Ta Prohm Temple, Cambodia
Civilizations | Sep 3, 2018
-
Ancient Mystery Of The Before – Time People – Traces Of An Unknown Lost Race – Part 1
Civilizations | Apr 3, 2019
-
Scientists Unravel Secrets From Ancient Latin Papyrus And Shed New Light On The Roman World
News | Jan 11, 2023
-
Mystery Of The Lost Biblical Kadesh Where Moses Was Punished By God
Biblical Mysteries | Oct 17, 2017