Acionna: A water Goddess or Genus Loci (a Roman protective spirit) of the Orleanis region and the river Essonne in France.
Agrona: A Goddess of the river Ayr in Scotland. There is a bit of an interesting story to this name; it was a hypothetical reconstructed proto-celtic name for the River Ayr, and was then later also applied to the River Aeron in Scotland. This hypothetical claim first appeared in William J Watsons' 'Celtic Place Names of Scotland' which was written in 1926, who wrote that the River Ayr could be worked back to a hypothetical proto-celtic 'river Goddess of slaughter and carnage', and that deity was Agrona. To give you some social context, this was around the time that there was a push towards Scottish nationalism, and with this came attempts to use the River Ayr place name to claim the bard Taliesin's battle poems for Scotland. This theory by Watson strongly supports these claims, and it has also been used to support locating the ancient kingdom of Aeron in what is now Ayrshire.
Despite the absolutely hypothetical nature of this Goddess, Watson's derivation persists today, so I thought I would include her as I personally find it quite interesting!
Ancasta: Goddess of the River Itchen in Southampton, England. She is known from a single inscription found in the local area.
Boann: An Irish Goddess of the River Boyne and a member of the Tuatha de Danann. There are several tales which involve her, including the creation of the river Boyne. According to the Dindsenchas, Boann had been forbidden by her husband to approach the magical Well of Segail (known as Connla's Well). Deciding to challenge the power of the well, she walked around it widdershins, or counter-clockwise, which caused the waters of the well to surge violently upwards and rush out to the sea. Boann found herself swept up in the waters and was killed.
Clota: A matron Goddess of the River Clyde in Scotland. It is said that in Scotland a Goddess was characterised after the river associated with it; for example, the Goddess of the river Forth was known as the deaf or soundless one as the Forth is a pretty silent running river. Clota was known as 'the purifying one', because the river Clyde would carry mud and clay towards the sea when it would flood, in a sense 'cleaning' the land it passed through. Clota's name was found engraved on a crotalum, a type of musical instrument similar to castanets. It is said that the crotalum was used ritually to attract the Gods attention, and the word crotalum used to refer to a talkative person. Because of this inscription, the historian and archaeologist Jean-Jaques Hatt posited that Colta was associated with the gift of listening, providing a divine ear to those who needed to talk. Interestingly, one of the earlier names of the Clyde meant loud or heard from a distance.
Condatis: A God of 'where the rivers meet', particularly that of the River Wear which runs through County Durham in the UK. He was a deity who was worshipped primarily in northern Britain, but there is also evidence of him being worshipped in Gaul. He was often associated with the Roman God Mars.
Dea Matrona: Goddess of the river Marne in Gaul, whose name means 'divine mother Goddess'.
Glanis and the Glanicea: Glanis was a God associated with the healing spring in the town of Glanum in the mountains in Southern France. There are cisterns at the spring where pilgrims could have bathed, and near one of them an altar dedicated to Glanum and the Glanicea set up (the Glanicea being a triad of mother Goddesses who were also associated with the springs).
Grannus - Known as a God who was associated with spas, especially healing thermal springs, fires and the sun. Often deities who were associated with thermal springs are also associated with fire or the sun, such as Sulis who is the Goddess of the thermal springs in Bath, UK. One of the most famous areas dedicated to Grannus was 'Aquae Granni', now Aachan in Germany. This town boasts its own thermal springs with temperatures between 45C and 75C. There are a few theories as to where Grannus gets his name from; this includes a possible connection with the Irish word for 'Sun', or the proto-celtic root 'granno' which means 'beard' or 'heat'. Grannus is another God which was then twinned with a Roman Deity, this time Apollo, and was called 'Apollo Grannus'. Apollo was associated with healing, the sun, and light amongst other things so we can see why he would have made a good twinning with Grannus.
Icaunus/Icauna: A Goddess of the river Yon in Gaul, who is known only from a single inscription found in Burgundy, France.
Icovellauna: A Goddess worshipped in Gaul, her places of worship have been found in a temple in Northeast France. This temple was originally built over a spring with a spiral staircase leading down to the waters where worshippers would leave offerings.
Nikus: A Romano - Celtic river God of whom we know nothing about save from one mention in a lead course tablet inscription. It is believed he could be linked to the river Hamble in the UK.
Segeta: A Goddess who was associated with a temple located in La Riviere in France. The temple consisted of a number of rooms, baths, piping, and yards, all of which were surrounding a healing spring. Dedications to her were found engraved on disks with waves and fish, and images and models of body parts were found which are believed to have been used to ask Segata to heal ailments of those particular appendages.
We also have a tale from Saint Augustine, which can be found in his works ‘City of God’ in which he explains how it was decided that the responsibility of the land should not be given to any one God, and so it was divided, with Segata being put in charge of the shoots when they came above ground and began to form grain. In this sense, Segeta could also be considered a Goddess associated with grain, the harvest, growth and fertility.
Sequana: Sequana was a Goddess of the river Seine, especially the springs at the source of the Siene, and was associated with the Gaulish Sequani tribe. The springs are called the Springs of Sequana', and are located in Burgundy, France. In the 1st or 2nd century a shrine was established to Sequana, and various offerings made to her have been found at this site. These include a large pot inscribed with her name and filled with models of human appendages made from bronze or silver. It is believed that these were made and then offered to Sequana to ask her to heal ailments of those particular body parts. Wooden and stone images of limbs, internal organs, heads, and complete bodies were also found in a similar vein, and it is thought from the items found that requests for a cure for eye diseases and respiratory illnesses were some of the most common. Other offerings include coins and jewellery.
Pilgrims were often depicted as carrying offerings to Sequana, and these offerings include money, fruit, or an animal such as a dog or a bird. There has also been a bronze statue found believed to be Sequana which shows a woman wearing a long gown and a diadem, standing on the prow of a boat which is shaped like the head of a duck. As such, ducks can also be associated with her.
Sionann: Irish Goddess of the river Shannon, which is the longest river in the British Isles. She has a very similar story to Boann; she visits the Well of Seagull despite being warned not to, and whilst there eats the salmon of wisdom that resides in the well. Although she becomes the wisest person in all of the land, the well bursts forth and drowns her. An interesting aside, The Shannon is said to be home to a river monster named Cata. This monster appears in the mediaeval 'Book of Lismore' and is described as being a large monster with a horse's mane, thick feet, nails of iron, gleaming eyes, and the tale of a whale. Cata was defeated by Senan, the patron saint of County Clare.
Sirona: A Goddess known from the sulphur springs of Alzey, in Germany. A stone bas-relief found here shows her wearing a long gown and carrying a libation bowl in her right hand and a sceptre in her left. There is also a dedication to her and Apollo, as this is another deity who was associated with Apollo. Notably, snakes and eggs have also been shown in depictions of her, which could point towards her being a symbol of fertility.
Verbeia: A Goddess worshipped in Roman Britain as the Goddess of the River Wharfe in Yorkshire, England. She is known from a single altar stone dedicated to her, although an image of what could be this Goddess was also found. It depicts her as having an overly large head, wearing a pleated robe, and holding two large snakes, one in each hand.
Agrona: A Goddess of the river Ayr in Scotland. There is a bit of an interesting story to this name; it was a hypothetical reconstructed proto-celtic name for the River Ayr, and was then later also applied to the River Aeron in Scotland. This hypothetical claim first appeared in William J Watsons' 'Celtic Place Names of Scotland' which was written in 1926, who wrote that the River Ayr could be worked back to a hypothetical proto-celtic 'river Goddess of slaughter and carnage', and that deity was Agrona. To give you some social context, this was around the time that there was a push towards Scottish nationalism, and with this came attempts to use the River Ayr place name to claim the bard Taliesin's battle poems for Scotland. This theory by Watson strongly supports these claims, and it has also been used to support locating the ancient kingdom of Aeron in what is now Ayrshire.
Despite the absolutely hypothetical nature of this Goddess, Watson's derivation persists today, so I thought I would include her as I personally find it quite interesting!
Ancasta: Goddess of the River Itchen in Southampton, England. She is known from a single inscription found in the local area.
Boann: An Irish Goddess of the River Boyne and a member of the Tuatha de Danann. There are several tales which involve her, including the creation of the river Boyne. According to the Dindsenchas, Boann had been forbidden by her husband to approach the magical Well of Segail (known as Connla's Well). Deciding to challenge the power of the well, she walked around it widdershins, or counter-clockwise, which caused the waters of the well to surge violently upwards and rush out to the sea. Boann found herself swept up in the waters and was killed.
Clota: A matron Goddess of the River Clyde in Scotland. It is said that in Scotland a Goddess was characterised after the river associated with it; for example, the Goddess of the river Forth was known as the deaf or soundless one as the Forth is a pretty silent running river. Clota was known as 'the purifying one', because the river Clyde would carry mud and clay towards the sea when it would flood, in a sense 'cleaning' the land it passed through. Clota's name was found engraved on a crotalum, a type of musical instrument similar to castanets. It is said that the crotalum was used ritually to attract the Gods attention, and the word crotalum used to refer to a talkative person. Because of this inscription, the historian and archaeologist Jean-Jaques Hatt posited that Colta was associated with the gift of listening, providing a divine ear to those who needed to talk. Interestingly, one of the earlier names of the Clyde meant loud or heard from a distance.
Condatis: A God of 'where the rivers meet', particularly that of the River Wear which runs through County Durham in the UK. He was a deity who was worshipped primarily in northern Britain, but there is also evidence of him being worshipped in Gaul. He was often associated with the Roman God Mars.
Dea Matrona: Goddess of the river Marne in Gaul, whose name means 'divine mother Goddess'.
Glanis and the Glanicea: Glanis was a God associated with the healing spring in the town of Glanum in the mountains in Southern France. There are cisterns at the spring where pilgrims could have bathed, and near one of them an altar dedicated to Glanum and the Glanicea set up (the Glanicea being a triad of mother Goddesses who were also associated with the springs).
Grannus - Known as a God who was associated with spas, especially healing thermal springs, fires and the sun. Often deities who were associated with thermal springs are also associated with fire or the sun, such as Sulis who is the Goddess of the thermal springs in Bath, UK. One of the most famous areas dedicated to Grannus was 'Aquae Granni', now Aachan in Germany. This town boasts its own thermal springs with temperatures between 45C and 75C. There are a few theories as to where Grannus gets his name from; this includes a possible connection with the Irish word for 'Sun', or the proto-celtic root 'granno' which means 'beard' or 'heat'. Grannus is another God which was then twinned with a Roman Deity, this time Apollo, and was called 'Apollo Grannus'. Apollo was associated with healing, the sun, and light amongst other things so we can see why he would have made a good twinning with Grannus.
Icaunus/Icauna: A Goddess of the river Yon in Gaul, who is known only from a single inscription found in Burgundy, France.
Icovellauna: A Goddess worshipped in Gaul, her places of worship have been found in a temple in Northeast France. This temple was originally built over a spring with a spiral staircase leading down to the waters where worshippers would leave offerings.
Nikus: A Romano - Celtic river God of whom we know nothing about save from one mention in a lead course tablet inscription. It is believed he could be linked to the river Hamble in the UK.
Segeta: A Goddess who was associated with a temple located in La Riviere in France. The temple consisted of a number of rooms, baths, piping, and yards, all of which were surrounding a healing spring. Dedications to her were found engraved on disks with waves and fish, and images and models of body parts were found which are believed to have been used to ask Segata to heal ailments of those particular appendages.
We also have a tale from Saint Augustine, which can be found in his works ‘City of God’ in which he explains how it was decided that the responsibility of the land should not be given to any one God, and so it was divided, with Segata being put in charge of the shoots when they came above ground and began to form grain. In this sense, Segeta could also be considered a Goddess associated with grain, the harvest, growth and fertility.
Sequana: Sequana was a Goddess of the river Seine, especially the springs at the source of the Siene, and was associated with the Gaulish Sequani tribe. The springs are called the Springs of Sequana', and are located in Burgundy, France. In the 1st or 2nd century a shrine was established to Sequana, and various offerings made to her have been found at this site. These include a large pot inscribed with her name and filled with models of human appendages made from bronze or silver. It is believed that these were made and then offered to Sequana to ask her to heal ailments of those particular body parts. Wooden and stone images of limbs, internal organs, heads, and complete bodies were also found in a similar vein, and it is thought from the items found that requests for a cure for eye diseases and respiratory illnesses were some of the most common. Other offerings include coins and jewellery.
Pilgrims were often depicted as carrying offerings to Sequana, and these offerings include money, fruit, or an animal such as a dog or a bird. There has also been a bronze statue found believed to be Sequana which shows a woman wearing a long gown and a diadem, standing on the prow of a boat which is shaped like the head of a duck. As such, ducks can also be associated with her.
Sionann: Irish Goddess of the river Shannon, which is the longest river in the British Isles. She has a very similar story to Boann; she visits the Well of Seagull despite being warned not to, and whilst there eats the salmon of wisdom that resides in the well. Although she becomes the wisest person in all of the land, the well bursts forth and drowns her. An interesting aside, The Shannon is said to be home to a river monster named Cata. This monster appears in the mediaeval 'Book of Lismore' and is described as being a large monster with a horse's mane, thick feet, nails of iron, gleaming eyes, and the tale of a whale. Cata was defeated by Senan, the patron saint of County Clare.
Sirona: A Goddess known from the sulphur springs of Alzey, in Germany. A stone bas-relief found here shows her wearing a long gown and carrying a libation bowl in her right hand and a sceptre in her left. There is also a dedication to her and Apollo, as this is another deity who was associated with Apollo. Notably, snakes and eggs have also been shown in depictions of her, which could point towards her being a symbol of fertility.
Verbeia: A Goddess worshipped in Roman Britain as the Goddess of the River Wharfe in Yorkshire, England. She is known from a single altar stone dedicated to her, although an image of what could be this Goddess was also found. It depicts her as having an overly large head, wearing a pleated robe, and holding two large snakes, one in each hand.
