Celtic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, the religion of the Iron Age Celts. Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure. Among Celts in close contact with Ancient Rome, s...
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Celtic Goddess Epona and her white mare bring dreams to you. She helps manifest the dreams if you allow her to accompany you on your path.
The maiden Goddess Epona is usually portrayed as riding a white mare side-saddle, sometimes with a foal, or standing while surrounded by horses. Her symbol is the Cornucopia (horn of plenty) which suggests that she may have been honored as a fertility goddess, although she is most commonly known as a goddess of horses and travel. She fed her beloved horses from her cornucopia filled with corn and apples, symbolic of mother-love and abundance.
About Epona
From the Iron Age, the Celtic goddess’ faith spread across the whole of ancient Europe, eventually being embraced by the Romans and to a certain extent, Christianity. Epona had a shrine in almost every stable of the Roman empire – in fact, she was the only Celtic goddess to be honored by the Romans with a temple in their capital city. According to many pre-Christian Roman sources Epona had a shrine in almost every stable of the Roman empire. The cult seems to have been very popular. Historians count more than 343 inscriptions worshipping her. Still in the Christian middle age she was worshipped as a kind of holy maid for the horses. possibly the origin and one of the main centers of her cult seems to have been east France with the city of Alesia.
Only in Roman times she was brought to the Britain Islands and worshipped there, but Rhiannon and Macha show that the horse cult was famous on the Britain Islands before that. Even in Romania and Yugoslavia there were found a lot of inscriptions worshipping her. Spain also has some statues and inscriptions. Lately, it seems that Epona is coming back into Her own with the growing popularity of the internet. Most people identify with Her through Her connection with horses – She is the protector of them, after all – but most people don’t seem to be aware of all Her aspects.
Our Lady Epona seems to have her beginnings in Gaul and then spread from the western coast of Ireland to the lands of Bulgaria. In Ireland, She was paired with Horned One, Cernunnos – the Mare and Stag being two potent fertility symbols. In other places, She was paired with the thunder-god Taranis – why, I don’t know. She was and is also a ‘domestic’ deity, being a goddess of fertility, prosperity, abundance as well as the aforementioned horses and horse breeding.
Horses are such a part of Her, She is never depicted without them. She is always shown either standing beside a horse, usually a mare, or is riding side-saddle. Other symbols She is sometimes depicted with are a cornucopia, ear of corn or a key. In ancient times, horses weren’t always so easy to come by. In Europe, they were considered ‘prestige’ animals. Still, they did all the usual jobs – mostly by providing transportation, either by carrying humans directly or pulling carts. The Celts revered the horse for several things; its beauty, speed, bravery and vigor in the sexual arena. In time, the horse came to symbolize the warrior – elites, the aristocracy, in Celtic society. They thought so much of their horses that even their greatest horse deity’s name incorporates the very word, epos, in Her name.
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Our Lady Epona was the only deity, Celtic or otherwise, that was adopted by the Romans without changes. Usually when they found a deity that they liked, they appropriated it and gave it the name and attributes of the Roman deity that it most closely resembled. Even poor Isis suffered, even though she got to keep Her name, believe me when I tell you that She got stuck with the Roman ideals for a deity. The Roman Calvary adopted Epona wholeheartedly, giving Her a feast day of December 18. This is where part of Epona’s war attributes comes in. They looked to Her as a protector of both horse and rider especially the officers who served in the areas of the Danube and Rhine. Celtic warriors may have also called on Her to protect them and their horses, they used two-horse teams to pull light and fast chariots in battle.
Epona was also a dream goddess, Her specialty seems to have been nightmares. She was even immortalized in a painting by Henry Fuseli’s painting, The Nightmare. Many a child in Ireland wer told to be good or Epona would visit them with horrific nightmares. A folk custom from Western Ireland seems to confirm this:
Just before dawn, find a place where two roads cross each other – they must be perfectly oriented to the four directions (north, south, east and west). Light eight small fires, one for each side of the roads and be sure to leave enough room for a horse and rider to pass through. Next, play ‘horsie’ yourself – ride three times around the intersection on a besom and then the fun begins. Sit and wait for a dark lady dressed in black riding a horse, fleeing west from the approaching rays of morning. It is said to be Epona, returning from Her night of dispensing dreams.
Epona is the only Gallo-Celtic goddess that made her way into the Roman empire pantheon where she was highly worshipped especially as the protectress of horses and foals. Almost every stable had a shrine for her and she was very famous in the Roman cavalry. In earlier times she must have been an incarnation of fertility as the Divine White Mare.
Known as Rhiannon in Wales, Macha in Ireland and Epona to the Gauls this ancient horse goddess is one of the most well-known of all the Celtic gods and goddesses. Horses played an important role in Celtic society. Naturally the protector of horses wold play an equally important role in Celtic society. Naturally the protector of horses would play an equally important role. Epona has been revered since the Iron Age.
Epona is the protectress of horses, animals, riders and stables. She is the mistress of animals. Her many fertility attributes make her a Mother Goddess, which was maybe only reduced later to the horse-aspect. Epona is depicted sitting side-saddle or lying on a horse, or standing with multiple horses around her. Much of Epona’s imagery displays the symbolism of fertility and the earth’s abundance. Epona was also associated with both water/ healing and with death. The goddess is frequently represented with a dog, which could reflect either healing or death. She is also identified with the Celtic Goddess Edain.
The symbolism of Epona is complex and multifaceted. Mediterranean commentators speak of her purely as a goddess of horse and stable. Horses were of fundamental importance to the Celts, in terms of economics, transport, war, power, prestige and religion. The Gaulish cavalry in the Roman Army formed a large group of worshippers, Epona may have been perceived as a protectress of horsemen and their mounts. The symbolism of her key also suggests that here was a goddess who guarded her devotees throughout life and into the next world. She was the patroness of horses, cavalry, and the craft of horse breeding at one level and at another, she reflected the deep mysteries of life, death and rebirth.
