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Egeria, She-of-the-Black-Poplar.
]G=RY1
[to Whom the fourth day of October, day 277, is dedicated]
Geography/Culture: Ancient Italian, Roman. She has a spring at Porta Capena, near Rome and the grove at Aricia.
Linguistic Note: possibly from Greek aigeiros, 'the poplar', derivation uncertain. Latin aegeiria, 'black-poplar'.
Description: Goddess of wisdom, prophecy, healing-springs and death; Oak Queen; Giver of urban laws; Teacher of rites for the worship of Earth; Granter of easy delivery.
To Whom Sacred: oak; mistletoe (a branch of which, if broken off Her oak by a run-away slave was a fight-to-the-death challenge to current priest who had attained his position in the same way); [black-poplar]; spring (at the Porta Capena); mid-summer and mid-winter marriage festivals.
Festival: May 01 -- when the Romans would go in procession to Her grotto. At Midsummer, during the Alban Holiday, Her marriage feast with the Oak-King was celebrated -- an occasion of promiscuous love-making, repeated at Mid-winter during the Saturnalia.
Male Associates: Male counter-part at Aricia: Manius-Egerius, perhaps an alternate name for Her consort: Virbius, Holy-Life, (or Twice-a-Man). She gave inspiration and advice to lover: Numa.
Geography/Culture: Greek.
Linguistic Note: c(psilon)iro(mikron)s, 'the poplar'.
Aegeiria
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Geography/Culture: Roman.
Description: Eponym of the grove at Aricia.
Geography/Culture: Roman. Near Lake Nemi.
Description: Goddess of the grove.
To Whom Sacred: oak; mistletoe.
Male Associate: consort, Virbius (Dianus).
Geography/Culture: Etruscan.
Description: Goddess of civilization; Teacher of rituals and augury; Inventor of measurement and the setting of boundaries; culture Bringer.
Begoe
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