Ritona

Ritona, also Pritona was a Celtic goddess, which in the vicus Contiomagus ( leases, the district of Dillingen / Saar) and in the temple district in Altbachtal in Augusta Treverorum (Trier) a temple was dedicated. But also in the south of France Uzès a consecration inscription for it was found.

Etymology

Ritona and Pritona - - In the Treviri in space Trier both spellings of the name came before. According to Helmut Birkhan here the phonetic development has taken place at the ri before the loss of the p. The shape Pritona (fully Dea ​​Ritona Pritona ) has a resulting p, which is confusing. Here there is a double or translation name, the second name is the vocalism by celtic, however, the p obtained indicating an ethnic group that has been through only a portion of the characteristic Celtic sound changes. For details about this ethnic group is unknown.

Mythology

Ritona was a protective goddess of the watercourse and the ford ( - ritum " ford " ) through the Saar at Contiomagus. It is also seen as a god of trade, because Olmsted reads the name variations as derivatives of Old Irish renaid ( "sold" ) and crenaid ( " bust" ). However, this is not without controversy.

When excavation work on 22 October 1955, the stone was Contiomagus (see right) found. The sandstone block had apparently been removed from its original site and built into a corner tower of the Roman Kastels as the foundation part.

Whether a connection with the goddess Rotona is, is not occupied.