The Old Aryan Ways

Happy Winter Sunstead, everyone. Hail the gods, wights and forekind!

Happy Winter Sunstead, everyone. Hail the gods, wights and forekind.

3 days left before the Winter Solstice.

The fragmented Latin inscription reads: "For Ammaca or Gamaleda,...[?]...of Verecundus." This text can also be found in the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (CIL.XIII: 3615). Gamaleda (and/or Ammaca) is a deity with an unknown, disputed role. The stone tablet was found in the Netherlands in Maastricht. Scholars are uncertain whether Gamaleda and Ammaca are two separate entities, or just two different ethnic names of the same goddess. Since the inscription treats both names as an either-or, the latter speculation is probably true. Experts theorize that, while some evidence suggests she was worshipped by some Celts, Gamaleda was primarily a continental Germanic goddess. The only major clue we have is in her second name as pertaining to her overall identity. It does have roots in Old Norse and Old Saxon, and could mean, "the ancient one", or "experienced or venerable mother". If this is the case, she maybe is linked with intelligence, power in womanhood, perhaps old-age wisdom.

The Latin inscription reads (very roughly translated): "To the holy Mars Halamarðus, Titus Domitius Vindex, Centurion of the 30th Legion Ulpia Vicitrix, fulfilled his vow willingly with merit." Mars Halamarðus is a deity attested to be a Latinized version of an obscure Germanic god that was later adopted by Romans. As the name suggests, the Romans saw this god in connection with one of their deities, Mars. We do not yet know of any sort of original spelling before that existed. The votive inscription to it was found in Horn, Limburg in the Netherlands. His role and identity are an ongoing debate. Many believe he was a war-god with his name meaning "He who hides heroes in death", based on Proto-Germanic etymology. In Nordic custom is he called "Halamarðus", while Frankish makes him "Helimerðus". Based on related English reconstruction, we could call him "Halimorthus" (or, if you wanted to nativize it completely, Halimorth).

The fragmented Latin inscription reads (very roughly transliterated and translated): "For the Goddess Sunuxsalis...[?]" This text is also known in the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (CIL.XIII: 08248). Sunuxsalis is a deity with a complex, complicated, confusing, and highly debated background. Several numbers of inscriptions about her can be found across West Europe, around in places like France, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. What we can be sure of is that the goddess was widely adopted or shared across several ethnic groups, and her beginnings thereof remain purely in territory of speculation. Etymological studies offer limited insights. In some inscriptions, the goddess is pictured with a dog and holding a bowl signifying something of importance inside it, but unknown what it is exactly. Sunuxsalis is thought to have been worshipped by Germanic, Celtic, and Gallo-Roman civilizations, who may have had several distinct varying names for her. She may be connected to family, the home, or nationhood.

The Latin inscription reads: "To the Goddess Nehalennia, Marcus Agricola, citizen of Trier, salt merchant in Cologne has fulfilled his promise, with pleasure and with reason." Nehalennia is a deity linked with the seas, voyaging, trading, markets, and suchlike. Over 150 altars bearing inscriptions of her name have been found in territories of modern-day Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. There is evidence to suggest that Nehalennia is a Celto-Germanic goddess who held a wide following, and even was worshipped by some Romans. She tends to be depicted seated on a throne, sometimes accompanied by a dog and holding apples, breads, and other goods. People can visit a replica of her original temple in the Dutch province of Colijnsplaat, which was opened in 2005. The original is alleged to have been washed away by the surrounding seas.

The Latin inscription reads: "To the god Viradecdis have the citizens of Tongeren who live at Fectio fulfilled their promise gladly and with reason." Viradecdis is a deity with a mysterious background. A shrine to her was discovered at former fort Fectio situated in Vechten inside the Netherlands. We unfortunately do not know exactly what her significance was, and it appears that she was worshipped by Germanic tribes, yet the name also hints at a Celtic origin. According to Livius, "Equally remarkable is an inscription that mentions the shrine of a goddess named Viradecdis, who was venerated by Tungri at Fectio. She was probably a Tungrian deity, because a similar shrine, dedicated by Tungri to the same goddess, is known from Hadrian's wall."

The Latin inscription (very roughly translated) reads: "For Mars and Nemetona, the Righteous and the Doubtful,...[?]...have fulfilled the vow they have made gladly..." Nemetona is a deity usually associated with the establishment of sanctuary, and sacred spaces throughout the natural world. Evidence of her veneration can be located around places in Germany, France, and England. Her name is alleged to mean "shrine" or "halidom", but some people dispute the claim. She seems to have been named after a mixed Celto-Germanic tribe called the Nementes. Druidry often encompasses the goddess into their pantheons. How she is portrayed varies widely, even now. Interestingly, she has been identified before with the Roman gods Victoria, Mars, and, allegedly, the Irish spirit-woman Neamhain. It seems what she even looks like distinctively remains to be deeply debated.

Unlike most posts about inscriptions, there does not seem to be any Latin text codified online anywhere in order for me to attempt a translation. Knowing this, consider the text indescribable. Burorina is an obscure Germanic deity associated with answering prayers and (possibly) women giving childbirth. Other than these vague details, information about her cult remains largely unknown. The goddess's altar depiction above is from Domburg in the Netherlands. According to Ferni Sido, a Frankish Pagan website, Burorina is "a goddess of plenty who was the guardian divinity of Domberg in the Frankish homeland of the southern Netherlands, and was invoked to bring bounteous harvests and success."