Rosmerta

Rosmerta is a Celtic goddess who as a companion of the Roman god Mercury with caduceus ( caduceus ), as well as purses, sacrificial bowl ( patera ) and cornucopia is displayed. She was especially venerated in the northeastern Gaul.

Mythology

Assigns the function is as prosperity goddess by inscriptions of statues from areas in which mixed Roman and Gallic gods. In the southwest of Germany and in France several temples and statues of Rosmerta have survived, including in Koblenz, Mainz- Finthen and Glanum (Provence ). In Mainz a Rosmerthastraße is named after her.

A consecration inscription from the first half of the 1st century AD was found in Lezoux ( Puy -de- Dôme), where it is apparently equated with the goddess Rigani:

Maybe here Rigani but is also used as an epithet of Rosmerta ( " royal Rosmerta ?" ).

Etymology

Rosmerta is possibly etymologically to compare Smertrios, by the same Indo-European root word * smeru ( " fat ", " mark"). Rosmerta could mean therefore ro - smertā ( " the well -greased Remember "). Greasing a God figure was a traditional act of worship. Related to the old Irish word is smertha ( " smeared ", " grease "), see also our word " pain " for lard. Other linguists derive the name of Indo-European * smer (" remember, remember, take care " ) from where Smertrios then "the supplier" would be.