Celtic Gods: The Gaish goddess, Ianuaria (January)

Ianuaraia
A Gaulish Goddess: January or Year's Beginning

Ianuaria is a Gaulish goddess known from Beire-le-Châtel, France where an image dedicated to her was found. The shrine dedicated to her was found at a healing spring and she represents a Celticized version of the Roman god of the New Year, Janus.



Synonyms:
Gaul: January (Year's Beginning)

Ianuaria is a goddess known from Beire-le-Châtel, Côte D'or, France, where she is portrayed as a young girl with curly hair, wearing a heavy pleated coat and holding a set of pipes. The shrine, at a healing spring, also includes images of Apollo, triple-horned bulls and doves though the inscription itself neither equates nor associates her with Apollo.

It is likely that Ianuaria represents a Celticized form of the Roman god of the New Year, Janus, the two-headed god who looked both forwards to the New Year and back to the old. The same deity whio gives us the month 'January' in English and 'Ionawr' in Cymric. However, Janus is a masculine deity (as Ionawr is masculine in modern Cymric) and Ianuaria has the feminine ending -a, which does not preculde an alternate, entirely native, etymology.



Couldn't find what you were looking for? Search the web:



stefan and zogo small One Million People Campaign
If you can spare $1 then help support this site and change someone's life forever? Learn how and why on the One Million People campaign page. Or donate $10 and get my Guide to Spices or The Recipes of Africa eBooks as a gift for your donation!