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Veteranehae
Gaulish Mother Goddesses (also known as Veterahenae, Vataranehae): The Great Seers
Veteranehae (Veterahenae, Vataranehae) are Gaulish mother goddesses known from 18 inscriptions found in Germany. Though classic Celtic mother goddesses, their name links them to the Greco-Roman fates and they may have been goddesses of divination as well as being mother goddesses. |
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Gaul: The Great Seers
Vesunna is a goddess known from three inscriptions. The first of these [AE 1981, 670] was found at Cologne, Germany where the Gooddess is invoked along with the Roman deity, Mercury. In Périgeux, Dordogne, France two inscriptions have been found. The first of these, [CIL XIII 00949] invokes the goddess as Vesunnae Tutelae, conflating her by Interpretato Romana with the Roman goddess Tutela (who is the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess, Tyche, goddess of fortune) whilst the second inscription [CIL XIII 00956] invokes the goddess in the plural as Vesunniae
Thus it would seem that Vesunna was sometimes considered as a multiple (probably triple) goddess. Her name is also etymologically linked to that of the mother goddess Matronis Vesuniahenia and the natre of these deities may well overalp.
Unfortunately, none of Vesunna's attributes have survived. However, her name can be interpreted on the basis of the reconstructed proto-Celtic lexicon as being derived from the components: *wesu- (excellent, noble) and the feminine ending -a. Thus Vesunna is 'The Noble One' and epithet which certainly fits with her later Romanized role as a goddess of fortune.
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