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Gabiae
Gaulish Mother Goddesses, also known as Gabiabus, Gabinis, Iunoniibus Gabiabus, Matronis Gabiabus, Gcabiabus: The Giving Ones, The Holding Ones
Gabiae (Gabiabus, Gabinis, Iunoniibus Gabiabus, Matronis Gabiabus, Gcabiabus) are Gaulish mother goddesses known from ten inscriptions in Germany where they are either referred to in the singular or as the 'Gabina Mothers'. They are examples of Celtic 'great mother goddesses' and may be associated with childbirth. |
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Cym: The Giving Ones, The Holding Ones
The Gabiae are Matronae (or mother goddesses). They are known chiefly from Rävenich in Germany where there are two inscriptions to Gabiabus [CIL XIII 07939 and 07940] in the singular and two inscriptions to the Matronis Gabiabus (the Gabiaban Mother) [CIL XIII 07937 and 07938]. A further inscription at Müddersheim, Germany also invokes the godddess as Gabiabus [CIL XIII 07856]. At Xanten she is invoked in her multiple (probably triple) form as Gabiabus Matronae (the Gabiaban mothers) [CIL XIII 08612]. Other variants include an inscription at Kirchheim where the goddess in invoked as Matronis Cabiabus [CIL XIII 07950] and at Cologne where she is invoked as Iunoniibus Gabiabus (the Gabiaban Junos), indicating that the goddess was conflated with the Junos by Interpretato Romana. An inscription dedicated to Gabin[i]s [AE 1981, 678], discovered at Bornheim, Germany also undoubtedly represents the same goddess.
The linkage of the Gabiae with the Junos of the Imperial Cult of Rome is interesting, though the Junos are themselves difficult to pin down. Of course, everyone thinks of Juno as the goddess of the Roman capitol, the daughter of Saturn and the sister–wife of Jupiter; the protectress and guardian of all women. Of course, she was not the only 'Juno' in the Roman pantheon and all goddesses with Juno-like attributes were ascribed the epithet of 'Juno'. Thus the only attribute of the Gabiae that can be derived from the title ascribed to them of Iunonibus is that they were the protectors of women. In this respect it also makes sense (in common with other Matronae that they had a fertility aspect to their cult and were probably godesses of childbirth.
Beyond the obvious, however, we have little information as to the attributes of these godesses and we are limeted to interpretations of their name. This can be derived from the reconstructed proto-Celtic lexical elements *gab-yo- (take, hold) or *gab-e/o- (give, take). Thus we have two seemingly contradictory interpretations: 'The Giving Ones' and 'The Taking/Holding Ones'. Of course, giving and holding could be compatible if what's given is the gift of birth and what's held is the resultant child.
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