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Litavis
A Gaulish Goddess: She who Feeds
Limetus is a Gaulish goddess known from five inscriptions found in France. Ahe may bne the consort of Cicolluis. She may be a mother goddess and the tutelary deity of Brittany (originally Letavia). |
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Gaul: She who Feeds
Litavis is known from five inscriptions found at Mâlain and Aignay-le-Duc, Côte d'Or, France where she is invoked along with Mars Cicolluis and may represent that deity's consort.
Etymologically Litavis' name is derived from the reconstructed proto-Celtic root *līto- (feast) which gives us the Middle Cymric llitho (to feed) thus her name can be interpreted as: 'She who Feeds' and she might well represent a mother deity. Indeed, it is possible that she represents the tutelary deity of Brittany. The Cymrc name for this region is Llydaw and is given in Latin texts as Letavia (quae antiquitus letauia sive armorica uocata est — 'which was anciently called Letavia or Armorica'. Letavia may well be derived from Litavis thus the region is the 'Land of Litavis' or the 'Land of she who feeds [us]'. Effectively this can be interpreted as 'The Land of Plenty'.
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