Nemetona

Nemetona (the " Related to the sanctuary ") was a Celtic goddess who was particularly revered by the Treviri and Vangiones. Her partner was Loucetius.

Name

The Gallic name Nemetona derived from nemeton ( " The Sacred Wood " ) (see: Old Irish nemed ) a word that is also found in place names, as in Nemetacum (now Arras ), Nemetodurum (now Nanterre ), Nemeden or Drynemeton ( " Holy oak grove " ), which was the meeting of the Galatians in Asia Minor.

The Nevet forest near Locronan in Brittany was a sacred place of the Druids, who later converted to Christianity and was dedicated to St. Ronan, an Irish itinerant bishop and hermit in Brittany. The word ' Nevet ' is Frenchification Breton neved (plural nevedoù, welsh nyfed ) ' holy place ', which goes back even to the Celtic nemeton.

Worship

Nemetona had together with Loucetius a temple in small winter home in Mainz ( Mogontiacum ) in the field of Aresaken, a part of the tribe Treverians and a second temple of the divine couple was in Trier, the main town of Treverians. There are other places in the region come dedications to Nemetona so from Altrip ( Alta Ripa ). An inscription from Bath ( Aquae Sulis ) in England was founded by a Treverians.

Nemetona is also seen as a tribal deity of Nemeter, possibly a Germanic tribe ( with Celtic names!), Who had his residences in the area around Speyer. It is equated with the Roman goddess of victory, Victoria, her partner Loucetius with the Roman god of war, Mars.