return to Home Page
or move on to Goddess Rohini, next chronologically,
or use Her Cyclopedia Index

Rosmerta, {Dew-of-the-Sea}.
ROZM=T1
[to Whom the fifteenth day of October, day 289, is dedicated]

Geography/Culture: Celtic: Gauls.
Linguistic Note: the derivation of the word rosemary (as in the herb) is from Latin ros, 'dew', and marinus, 'the sea'; however -merta, might be from the Latin stem merx, 'merchandise', relating to Her connection with the Gallic Mercury, or even connected with Latin meretrix, 'a courtesan'.
Note: Little or nothing of Rosmerta appears to be known, other than Her name, {Dew-of-the-Sea}, and some images of Her standing with the Gallic Mercury. Therefore I take what information I can find on Roman Maia, Grandmother, with whom She is most commonly identified, and give it to Rosmerta, {Dew-of-the-Sea}.
Description: Scowling Goddess of fire, wealth and material abundance; Ruler of the forces of warmth and growth; (perhaps) once Mistress of the night-sky; Ever fair and young Queen of flowers; Malevolent Beldame of death; Hater of marriage.
To Whom Sacred: rosemary, for remembrance, fidelity and friendship frequently used as funeral wreaths (for a pun on Her name); {hawthorn (if Her association with Maia is correct)}; perhaps tortoise (which is appears between the feet of Her and Her consort in the images); cornucopia (which She bears in Her left arm in Her images); the month of May (unlucky for marriage); the Pleiades (because they rise in May and because Greek Maia is one of them); some unidentified, but clearly man-made object which She holds in Her right hand in Her images).
Festival: perhaps the Rosalia, MAY 21-23, when tombs of the dead were strewn with roses, may be suitably given to Her by punning on Her name, and Her association with May and the dead.
Male Associates: consort: the Gallic Mercury, probably meaning Wotan.

Source: FWSDFML/957; KD.WWGRM/103, 116, 207; LWM/342; MP.CM/25
Maia, Grandmother.
MI1
Alternate meanings: Wise-One, Midwife, Good-Mother.

Geography/Culture: Roman: Old Italian, and Celtic, Romans in Gaul. She had a temple on the Aventine Way.
Description: Earth mother; She Who is ever-fair and young; Goddess of fire, spring, and the earth's springtime fertility; Ruler of the forces of increase, growth and warmth; Mother of springs; Malevolent Beldame of death; She to Whom marriage is hateful.
To Whom Sacred: hawthorn blossom and hawthorn torches (with which She is propitiated at marriages); yew (in Her association with death); the month of MAY.
Festival: MAY 01, sacrifice was offered to Her by the priest of Vulcan.
Male Associates: Vulcan, perhaps Her consort.

Source: FA.BD/141; GR.GMv1/; GR.WG/174, 198, 230; LWM/180; MP.BGH/189; NLEM/205, 208;
Maiesta, Maiesta.
MI]ST1

Geography/Culture: Roman.
Male Associates: consort, possibly Vulcan.

Source: Kravitz WWGRM 147.
Maiestas, {She-of-Majesty}.
MI]ST1

Geography/Culture: Roman.
Linguistic Note: Latin majestas, 'authority, grandeur.' Middle English mai-este. Related English word: majesty.
Description: Goddess of honour and reverence.

Source: Kravitz WWGRM 147.
worked on: September, May 1995; July 1991; June 1990.
Return to the top of this document. Alternate meanings: