Happy Epona's Day
Dec. 18th, 2002 06:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rowanfI looked at my wardrobe this morning and found nothing horsey at all. What a change from my younger days. I finally settled on a western shirt and my new leather vest as the most "horsey" things I have.
Epona (from http://www.conjure.com/whocelts.html)
Depictions of mounted women or charioteers are found on Iron Age coins and may also represent horse-related Goddesses, in addition, representation of women and horses as linked continues in the vernacular traditions in the stories of Rhiannon and Macha. Epona, whose name is derived from the Celtic word for horse, is the Goddess of horses and horse breeding. As mares were often used as working animals on farms, some writers have speculated that Epona has aspects of fertility of the land and the domestic cult. Her worship became very widespread -- there are over 300 representations and inscriptions found bearing her name. She was adopted by cavalry soldiers throughout the Roman world, perhaps because she was a deity who offered protection both for the soldier and the horse! She was the only Celtic deity whose festival was celebrated in Rome itself, on December 18.
Representations of Epona always have a horse present. She is most often shown sitting sideways on a mare, sometimes a suckling mare. Sometimes Epona is standing or sitting beside or between horses. She holds symbols of plenty like cornucopiae, patera full of grain and fruit. She sometimes is feeding her equine companions. She often appears with the Mother Goddesses in inscription and iconographically. There are even several finds where she herself is tripled and an inscription is dedicated to "the Eponas".
Statues of Epona have been found associated with healing springs. It is hard to know what significance this has. Many Celtic deities have a healing aspect. Perhaps she was invoked for healing of horses.
Her image appears on tombstones and in graves. One statue where she has a man behind her on her horse has been interpreted as taking the soul on horseback to the Otherworld. She is shown holding a key or a mappa (a napkin used to begin races) which may link her to the beginnings and endings.
Epona (from http://www.conjure.com/whocelts.html)
Depictions of mounted women or charioteers are found on Iron Age coins and may also represent horse-related Goddesses, in addition, representation of women and horses as linked continues in the vernacular traditions in the stories of Rhiannon and Macha. Epona, whose name is derived from the Celtic word for horse, is the Goddess of horses and horse breeding. As mares were often used as working animals on farms, some writers have speculated that Epona has aspects of fertility of the land and the domestic cult. Her worship became very widespread -- there are over 300 representations and inscriptions found bearing her name. She was adopted by cavalry soldiers throughout the Roman world, perhaps because she was a deity who offered protection both for the soldier and the horse! She was the only Celtic deity whose festival was celebrated in Rome itself, on December 18.
Representations of Epona always have a horse present. She is most often shown sitting sideways on a mare, sometimes a suckling mare. Sometimes Epona is standing or sitting beside or between horses. She holds symbols of plenty like cornucopiae, patera full of grain and fruit. She sometimes is feeding her equine companions. She often appears with the Mother Goddesses in inscription and iconographically. There are even several finds where she herself is tripled and an inscription is dedicated to "the Eponas".
Statues of Epona have been found associated with healing springs. It is hard to know what significance this has. Many Celtic deities have a healing aspect. Perhaps she was invoked for healing of horses.
Her image appears on tombstones and in graves. One statue where she has a man behind her on her horse has been interpreted as taking the soul on horseback to the Otherworld. She is shown holding a key or a mappa (a napkin used to begin races) which may link her to the beginnings and endings.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2002-12-18 11:14 pm (UTC)[...]
Nevermind. I found what I was looking for. Both of their names are derived from two different words for horse: epos, and marca.* In my recent research on the Irish pooka, I've come across a lot of texts on horses in Celtic culture, since the pooka can oft be found in the guise of a horse. I'm not certain of where epos comes from, but it looks a lot like the Latin equus. Marca, Ellis says, "is easily recognisable as march (Welsh), margh (Cornish) and marc'h (Breton)" (76-77). It can also be recognised in the word Camargue, which is a marshy land in southern France that is famed for its horses. I believe the word 'mare' is also related, but I haven't done any etymological research to support that; however, merely looking at the structure of the above words would certainly indicate a close relationship.
Ok, I'm done with my academic babble now. I should go work on my paper. Hope you had a happy Epona horse day. ^^
*info from Peter Bradford Ellis' The Ancient World of the Celts
Oops!
Date: 2002-12-19 12:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-12-20 09:53 am (UTC)I'd be very interested to read your paper on Pookas when it is finished if you would be willing to share.
As you probably read, I had a lovely Epona's day!)