Rosmerta: a Gaulish Goddess (The Great Provider/The Great Carer)

Synonyms:
Gaul: The Great Provider/The Great Carer

Rosmerta is a goddess known from a large number of inscriptions and images spread across the breadth of northern Gaul. There are at least 27 attested inscriptions to this goddess and a further two probable inscriptions. In Germany inscriptions have been found at: Neuenstadt as well as Niedaldorf, Niederemmel, Reinsport, Spechbach, Trier, Alzey, Cologne and Worms where she is invoked along with Roman Mars. An inscription found at Eisenberg reads DEO MERCU(rio) ET ROSMER(tae) M(arcus) ADITORIUS MEM(m)OR D(ecurio) C(ivitatis) ST() [PO]S(uit) l(ibens) M(erito) (To the God Mercury and Rosmerta, Marcus Aditorius to commemorate the Decurio of the town willingly and deservedly stipulated [this]) which is associated with a bas-relief that has the figure of Mercury on the right and a Rosmarta on the left. Here the goddess holds a purse in her right hand and a patera in her left. An inscription from Wasserbilig in Germany again associates Rosmerta with Mercury but also links her with the founding of a hospital: DEO MERCURIO [ET DEAE ROS]MERTIAE AEDEM C[UM SIGNIS ORNA]MENTISQUE OMN[IBUS FECIT] ACCEPTUS TABUL[ARIUS VIVIR] AUGUSTAL[IS DONAVIT?] ITEM HOSPITALIA [SACOR(um) CELE]BRANDORUM GR[ATIA PRO SE LIBE]RISQUE SUIS DED[ICAVIT 3] IULIAS LUPO [ET MAXIMO CO(n)S(ulibus)] (To the God Mars and the Goddess Roamerta, ). A single inscription has been found at Andernach in Luxembourg, where Rosmerta is, once agiain named with Mars. Likewise, a single inscription is known from Sarmizegtusa in Romania where Rosmerta is associated with Mercury, Mars, Mithras and Camulus. The remaining inscriptions all derive from France, namely: Alise-Sainte-Reine in the Côte d'Or, Champoulet in the Loiret, Vézelise in the Meurthe-et-Moselle, and Escolives-Sainte-Camille in the Yonne where she is invoked alone. At Lezoux in the Puy-de-Dôme she is invoked with Rigani. The remaining inscriptions, from Grand, Morelmaison and Soulosse in the Vosges as well as Sion in the Meurthe-et_moselle, Langres in the Haute-Marne, Magny-Lambert in the Côte d'Or and Metz in the Moselle all assoicate Rosmerta with Mars. The Metz inscription reads as follows: DEO MERCURIO ET ROSMERTAE MUSICUS LILLUTI FIL(ius) ET SUI(s) EX VOTO (To Mercury and Rosmerta, Musicus son of Lillutius offers this in his own name in fulfilment of a vow).

Two further fragmentary inscirptions, probably invoking Rosmerta have been found at Genainville, Val-d'Oise, France and at Aix-en-Prevence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. The Aix inscription also invokes Mercury and associates Rosmerta, by assimilation, with another deity who is probably Ussia as Rosmerta Ussa.

Because of the number of images of Rosmerta available and her association with Mars, it is possible to attribute a nuber of images of goddesses across the Celtic world as being representations of Rosmerta. The image shown above, left, comes from Gloucester and is believed to represent Rosmerta and Mercury. A pair of statues from Paris depict Mercury and Rosmerta (who is depicted, partially reconstructed, above right), where she holds a cornucopia and a basket of fruit. Interestingly, Rosmerta is shown by herself on a bronze statue from Fins d'Annency, where she sits on a rock holding a purse. In this case her association with Mercury is made clear by the winged helm she bears upon her head. A similar statue (above centre) comes from Clermont-Ferrand in France and again shows Rosmerta bearing Mercury's winged helm upon her head. A statue from Champoulet-Loiret in France shows Rosmerta depicted with the same stance and attitude as the Clermont-Ferrand statue but this time she does not wear Mercury's winged helm. A further relef from Autun in the Loire, shows a seated Rosmerta bearing a cornucopia next to a partial figure of Mercury who holds a patera in his right hand.

Many commentators have held the name of Rosmerta to be of Latin origin, meaning 'Good Purveyor' or 'Great Provider'; however, recent publications of an extended reconstructed proto-Celtic lexicon allows us to reconstruct her name from the proto-Celtic lexical elements *ro- (most) and *smert- (provider/carer) with the feminie ending -a giving us 'great provider/great carer' as an interpretation. Both interpretations fit-in with Rosmerta's iconography (bearing a purse and cornucopia) as well as her association with sacred water held by her patera (healing) and her association with hospitals.

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