I’ve been in Italy for over a decade now, living and working in the North. So it was only natural that, as a Pagan, I would be interested on the mythological and religious landscape of the peninsula.
The Romans, Greeks and Etruscans are the most obvious and well known starting points. But I felt a warmth in my heart after researching about the presence of a Celtic culture in Northern Italy through the Gaulish people that came here.
So I wanted to share a bit of my research so far.
The Continental Celts had their origin and dominion in what is now France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland during the Iron Age, and their territory expanded across much of continental Europe. Cisalpine Gaul was the Gaulish region in what is now northern Italy, and its history begins with the invasion guided by Belloesus, and the creation of Mediollanum (Milan), the most important Gaulish settlement in the region
We can see the Gaulish influence within the Liguri people, due to a possible linguistic kinship that still exists today with the Ligurian dialect, and with other less known cultures who inhabited the region and who possibly had contact with the Celts, as is the case with the Lepontics and Veneti. The Etruscans also had contact with the Gauls, both as enemies in the case of Belloesus who defeated local Etruscans in his conquest, and as allies against Roman dominion in northern Italy.
After the end of the Second Punic War, Cisalpine Gaul finally became a Roman province. The Romanization process affected Gaul as a whole and the Romano-Celtic wars were in fact a violent period in which the Gauls were considered to be the great enemies of Rome. However, in less than two centuries, Cisalpine Gaul became an integral part of the Empire. Also due to a geographical reason, the romanization process was intense and profound, affecting their customs, clothing and obviously their religious practices where they honored Celtic, Roman and Italic deities in a new system that is found on the crossroads between the two cultures.
As polytheists and animists, we believe in the sacredness of the natural world, recognizing and interacting with the divine through the environment around us. In a Gallo-Roman context, water had an important spiritual meaning that can be part to our contemporary practice. This spiritual element can be observed by the architecture of some Gallo-Roman temples created near bodies of water.
An example in Cisalpine territory, is what it’s now called as the “Tempietto di San Fedelino”. The site presents archaeological evidence of a previous pagan temple, which has the same architectural characteristics as other Gallo-Roman sanctuaries in territories that are now part of France and Austria.
Stefano Spagocci, the author of “Celtic Heritage”, argues that the place where the ancient pagan temple was built (near the rivers Mara and Adda) is an indication of a possible water cult related to purification, regeneration and healing.
Another Temple of pagan origin in Cisalpine territory that indicates a possible cult of waters, is the Shrine of Minerva in Breno. The temple was officially opened as part of the Roman cult during the reign of the Flavian dynasty, but the place of worship has been used by several pre-Roman tribes since the Iron Age. The Sanctuary is located near the Oglio River in northern Italy, and has two side wings facing its waters. There are also rooms inside with fountains and baths, expressing the connection of the local Goddess with the waters.
During the dominion of Rome, the Sanctuary was dedicated to Minerva. Presenting a statue of the Goddess as “Minerva Hygeia”, evoking the Greco-Roman syncretism between Minerva and Athena. Hygeia is one of the Daughters of Aesculapius, and Goddess of healing, health and hygiene. Called “Athena Hygieia” in Athens, in Her role in maintaining health and purification of the Athenians.
Minerva was chosen by the Romans to assume the healing functions of the previous Goddess, whom Stefano Spagocci presents as Reitia, Goddess of healing and fertility of the Reti people, who despite not being part of Celtic culture, had contact with the Gaulish tribe of the Cenomani in the region.
Outside Cisalpine Gaul, Minerva took the form of “Sulis-Minerva” which also had healing functions on Roman baths, while Hygeia was possibly identified with Sirona, the Gaulish Goddess of healing waters and the stars, which in a Gallo-Roman contexts was also Apollo’s pair.
There is no evidence of Sirona’s presence in Cisalpine Gaul, but there is an inscription dedicated to Her in Italy, between the regions of Tuscany and Lazio. However, Her Roman pair is not only present in Cisalpine Gaul as Apollo, but was also syncretized with another Gaulish deity related to health and healing waters. Belenus is one of the main Gaulish Gods present in Italian territory, as a healing Deity, and patron and defender of the city of Aquilea.
Other inscriptions in Aquilea feature Belenus as “Fons Belenus“, related with Fons or Fontus, Roman God of waters and fountains. Who also assumed the role of God of regenerative waters as “Fons Perennis” in the mystery cult of Mitra. Fontus is closely linked to the Lymphae, water spirits that in Cisalpine Gaul were related to the Vires, entities that represent male power and vigor. The Lymphae also have a relationship with the production of semen, thus, spiritual entities that take care of drinking water sources, fertility and sexual potency.
Just as Fontus is linked to Lymphae, Belenus is linked to the Nymphs. At least two inscriptions in Cisalpine Gaul show that He was worshiped along side with aquatic Nymphs to promote healing and health. Water nymphs were worshiped through Rome in temples called “Nymphaeum”, and the belief in female entities of the waters survived in the Folklore of Northern Italy through the “Anguane”: Part of the Italian and Alpine Fairy-Faith as spirits, that combine the characteristics of health and purification of the Nymphs and the water cult, and the Lymphae’s fertility and sexual gifts. Thus, spiritual work with waters can be done not only through the worship of Deities, but also through contact with spirits of rivers, lakes, fountains and water in general.
In practice: In “Immersed in the gods: water in Gallo-Roman sanctuaries”, the author Eleanor Ghey presents the idea that bathing and being in the waters, focusing on sanctuary or the image of some Deity, was a practice of communion with that God . Nowadays we no longer have public temples and shrines dedicated to the Gods, but nothing prevents us from practicing a meditative process to connect with the water Gods while we bathe in lakes, rivers, hot springs or even in the shower, in a domestic and contemporary context. In natural environments, offerings can be made to Nymphs, Lymphae and Aquane. As long as the offer in question is 100% safe to nature.
Honoring a water Deity is one of the safest and most complete ways of working spiritually with water . This can be done through the devotional ritual proposed here.
It can be done either on a regular basis, as part of a continuous devotional practice, or on their respective holy days and festivals.
- Love is One, and One is All,
Nerites D.A X of Kêpos tou Érotos.
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