Nantosuelta

Nantosuelta, also Nantosvelta ( " curved valley ", " sparkling brook" or " besonntes valley ") was a Celtic goddess who was worshiped together with Sucellus.

Interpretation and etymology

An altar from the Lorraine Sarrebourg ( Roman province Gallia Belgica ) the typical representation of the divine couple bears the inscription: DEO SVCELLO NANTOSVELT (A) E.

In pictorial representations Nantosvelta appears especially in Mediomatrikergebiet about twelve pillars along with Sucellus. She wears a long skirt and holding in her left hand a long staff with a cottage at the top, which can be either a grave house and a small villa rustica. In her right hand she often holds a cornucopia, or this hand rests on a sacrificial altar. Sometimes it is accompanied by a raven. The idea that these attributes indicate their function as a protective goddess of the household and functional kinship with the Matres is to accept. The Goddess will probably have been specifically responsible for prosperity and domestic fertility, also a chthonic interpretation in connection with Succellus (which is equated with Pluton ) is possible.

The first part of the name is the Gallic word nanto ( "valley" ); at Botheroyd ( " the good Bach Anstoßerin "? ) is called nant ( "Bach" ) or supelta. The second part is unclear ( see Introduction), Olmsted believed as Meid a meaning like " that brings the valley to flourish " ..