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Soio
A Gaulish Goddess: The Winding One, The Sorceress
Soio is a Gaulish god known from a single inscription foun at Soyons, France where she was the town's tutelary goddess. She was probably a river goddess and may have had oracular properties. |
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Gaul: The Winding One, The Sorceress
Soio is a goddess known from a single inscription foun at Soyons, Ardëche, France (CIL XII 2656) where she is invoked as the 'Great Goddess Soio'. The area was settled by the Segovellauni who established a settlement that later became Romanized. This seems to have become a fortified town which later became a Roman Vicus. The entire site covers 18 hectares and contains a temple to the town's patron goddess Soio she who was also the place's tutelary deity (indeed, her name survies in the modern name of Soynos). The town is situated on the banks of the Rhone, thus the goddess could be associated with the river.
Unfortunately there are two possible derivations for the name Soio. The first of which is derived from the reconstructed proto-Celtic element *sow-je/o (to wind/turn); with the second being derived from *soito- (magic; this is also the root for 'wizard'). Thus the name Soio could be interpreted as: 'The Winding One' (a name suitable for a river goddess) or as 'The Sorceress'.
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