Epona was the great horse goddess of the celts, and the. Horse goddess, dear epona, battle queen, good goddess, powerful mistress, to whom vows are made. Epona horse goddess uprindle celtic gods, celtic mythology. She is a silver bay horse who acts as links steed in several games. In 1990, llywelyn began her focus on writing books geared for younger. So i ordered a hardback copy, which is fine, but the dust jacket is in very poor condition, so may recycle that. Epona i remember reading about her in my massive mythology book. It is a time when mortal men and women are becoming gods and goddesses as. Hidden goddess of the celts reflects the importance of gender in ancient religion, and the author explores the primacy of the feminine through eponas sovereignty as horse goddess among the celts. In popular video game series the legend of zelda, the main characters horse is named epona after the goddess.
Shes the goddess of horses and protector of their wellbeing, health and so on. Celtic mythology epona was a goddess of horses and motherhood. Rhiannon is associated with epona, the gaulish horse goddess. Gna was as swift as hermes from greek myths and rode a horse named hofvarpnir, a steed capable of galloping across the sky and the seas in addition to land. In the first branch of the mabinogi, rhiannon is strongly associated with horses, and so is her son pryderi. In jungian terms, the reuniting of the mother and child makes things whole so the horse and the mother become an integrated archetype once more and there is no longer a need for one of the elements to be foregrounded as separate from the other. The component of on found in the name epona was often found in the names of gaulish and galloroman goddesses and gods such as matrona, divona and carnonos. In the gaulish language, epos meant horse and epa was the feminine equivalent that meant a female horse, also known as a mare. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. A modern look at the hoof by monique craig eponamind. She is probably a reflex of the celtic great queen goddess rigantona and may also be associated with the horse goddess epona. Epona is also mentioned in a writing by apuleius called the golden ass. How one treats and interacts with the horse shows the nature of the individual. Celtic goddess epona and her white mare bring dreams to you.
But there are some books, and this is one, that i dont want to let go and now i can give my hard cover to a niece while still having a book i love. Eventually, the research turned to the formulating and testing of the hypothesis that the dodecahedron is an astronomical measuring instrument that was used for the. By the age of 16, llywelyn was competing in professional horse shows. This deep bonding often reveals the true character of those in relation with the horse. High quality epona inspired wall art by independent artists and designers from around the world. Thus, in celtic mythology, epona represents the goddess of horses and of all those associated with these animals. Instead of locking epona to amiibo and keeping her as much side quest as possible like i feel they would have wanted they should have shown link riding her instead of some random horse in the memory and having her as an option to revive right when you liberate the horse god. This is attested both by historical and personal testimony.
Welsh mythology consists of both folk traditions developed in wales, and traditions developed by the celtic britons elsewhere before the end of the first millennium. Troy is in crumbling ruin and athens is rising far to the south. Epona salvatrix isis and the horse goddess in apuleius metamorphoses. She is a sovereignty goddess who the king must wed to legitimate his rule. Dec 18, 2016 the first time i read this passage, it was like a spell was cast over me, just as rhiannons beauty overcame pwyll in the tale. In this world, epona, a woman whose life is celebrated in legend, meets kazhak, a. Keeping horses comfortable and sound can be a complicated and often times stressful process not only for the owner, but also for hoof care professionals. She is bestknown from the mabinogion, a collection of medieval welsh tales, in which she makes her first appearance on a pale, mysterious steed. Epona, celtic horse goddess was worshipped by the gauls the celtic french. Epona was the ancient celtic horse goddess who protected horses and their owners. Sometimes she is a triple goddess, with the horsegoddess macha as one her aspects.
Her powers were so strong she was also known as the gaulish moon goddess, the goddess of abundance since she represented fertility and freedom, the goddess of dreams, all of which were nightmares. Unfortunately, rigatonas stories and meaning are lost to us today. Epona great mare is the goddess of horses who protected horses donkeys and mules. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite reads in more than a dozen categories. Epona, in the guise of this otherworldly woman, has been in my thoughts ever since, and so beautiful goddess of horses has finally come into the eagles and dragons story as a mother and protector of lucius and his elite group of horse warriors. Goddess of horses, asses, mules, oxen and, to some degree, of springs and rivers.
National league of american penwomen for her novel, the horse goddess. The celtic goddess of horses, fertility and healing. Chant for the horse goddess, epona, in the gaulish. Celts keltis discover the horses potential, and a kelti woman joins nomadic scythians of the eastern plains while working some psychic surprises and plumping for a bit of consciousnessraising. The celtic goddess epona that rode swiftly across the. They are probably both derived from the ancient celtic goddess, rigatona, whose name means great queen. As in most of the predominantly oral societies of prehistoric britain, welsh mythology and history were recorded orally by specialists such as druids welsh.
The name of the celtic goddess epona comes from the latinization of the gaulish name epo, which means horse. She is often considered to be related to the gaulish horse goddess epona. The horse goddess celtic world of morgan llywelyn llywelyn, morgan on. Put your feet up for a while today, smell the roses, and give a thought to epona, whose day december 18 this is, in the roman calendar. She was particularly a goddess of fertility, as shown by her attributes of a patera, cornucopia, ears of grain and the presence of foals in some sculptures. Today we can understand epona mainly from her images, as few stories of. Mar, 20 rhiannon, goddess of birds and horses, is also know as the queen of fairies. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. The third image symbolizes the horse as divine consciousnessa link to epona, the celtic goddess of all equines. Literary and material evidence roughly contemporary with apuleius while not exactly abundant suggest that isis and. Rhiannon rhiannon, in celtic religion, the welsh manifestation of the gaulish horse goddess epona and the irish goddess macha. In galloroman religion, epona was a protector of horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules. Song for the horse goddess the ritual for this day consists entirely of a drum circle, which can go on until the end of sponde.
She shines in our hearts as an example of true love and beauty. In a detailed consideration of the horse nature of epona, laura oaks identifies this as a developed attribute in her iconography from the aedui tribe of horse warriors. Hidden goddess of the celts reflects the importance of gender in ancient religion, and the author explores the primacy of the feminine through epona s sovereignty as horse goddess among the celts. She was particularly a goddess of fertility, as shown by her attributes of a pate. But her horse nature seems more than a simple matter of association. She too was a goddess of nature like pan and flora as for this saggo ive got natal epona opposing both my natal neptune and uranus and currently the horse mistress is trineing my sun and mercury as well as squaring my venus. In most of her appearances, epona can be called if link plays epona s song in one capacity or another. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Wagemans during my research to the function of the galloroman dodecahedron, i came across a large number of possible explanations. I think there was a hugely missed opportunity in botw with the horse goddess and epona. Despite being a gaulish word most of the surviving inscriptions and texts that mention this goddess are in latin. However the story of epona is as magical as ever, and although i have learned much more about celtic mythology in the intervening years, but kernunnos is. Protective of horses, horse breeding, prosperity, dogs, healing, springs, crops. Their stormy love affair sends them sweeping across eighthcentury europe, pursued.
Her name derives from the celtic words epos meaning horse and the suffix ona meaning on. Touching my mares neck is like touching a piece of history. Epona is one of the most wellknown of all the goddesses within the celtic pantheon, and was granted such titles as the great mare, the divine mare, and the mare goddess. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Today we can understand epona mainly from her images, as few stories of her have survived. In imagery epona is normally portrayed, however, as a woman either sitting on, or surrounded by, horses.
Jan 26, 20 epona, celtic horse goddess was worshipped by the gauls the celtic french. Aug 14, 2016 gna this neglected norse goddess was one of the asynjur female aesir and served as the messenger of the female nature deity frigga. The protagonist, epona, daughter of the chieftain, is discovered by kernunnos, the shapeshiftershaman or drui to have extraspecial powers, such as connecting really enjoyed the authors conception of how possibly her early iron age human celtic characters, through the mists of time and legend, might have been gradually transformed into the celtic pantheon of gods and goddesses. His own fondness for epona as a goddess also occasionally shines through in the more factual sections. Depictions of epona may be classified into 2 main types.
She was worshipped for many hundreds of years as a horse goddess, who not only protected horses, but also their owners. She was one of the oldest and most notable celtic deities, but she was also worshiped in ancient rome. Apr 29, 2015 the irish goddess the morrigan is a darker version of the sovereign goddess, her name meaning great queen. Epona was the celtic horse goddess whose worship spread to britain and rome from western europe. A goddess of transformation, she uses her powers for love of others or self. Her name epona means mare and she was believed to be protector of horses, donkeys, mules and ponies. Shrines to her could be found in stables, and it is likely the romans brought her worship with them to britain, where she was unknown before, even though the people there were also of celtic stock. No deitys name evokes the image of the horse like the name epona.
Similar in attribute to the welsh goddess rhiannon, who appears in the mabinogion, epona was associated with not only the magic and power of the horse, but also the fertility of motherhood. Her cult survived the roman conquest and became part of the galloroman religion. Those who do not wish to drum can circledance around the drummers. Epona salvatrix isis and the horse goddess in apuleius. Although the title of this book refers to epona as both im always pleased to see a book about a horse goddess. Epona is the continental celtic horse goddess who proved so popular she was adopted by the romans. Epona the horse goddess original painting by rachel arbuckle. The horse goddess celtic world of morgan llywelyn, book 1 by morgan llywelyn book cover, description, publication history. Horse riders, trainers, and others who spend their daily lives in the company of horses will appreciate this indepth study of equine behavior and its origins. Epona is the gaulish goddess of horses, donkeys, and mules.
Goddess epona never married but her loving care and protection of horses gave her mother status. Often depicted astride a horse, epona resonated in the forces of the roman cavalry as an inspiration and guide through even the darkest of battles, and she remained one of their most worshipped goddesses between the first and third centuries ad. Epona is also indirectly mentioned in victor hugos les miserables, as one of his characters is named for her eponine. Celtic goddess epona the great mare, goddess of horses. Epona epona is a recurring character in the legend of zelda series. The horse and the mother as archetypes the horse goddess. In this world, epona, a woman whose life is celebrated in legend, meets kazhak, a scythian warrior and prince. The game horse is always brown or chestnut, with a white mane. Ive heard nothing but good things about morgan llwelyns writing but i have to say what i read here did not impress me at all. This book is dedicated to the hope that men everywhere may discover brotherhood, and find freedom. Dedications in her honor have been found all over what was once the ancient celtic world, indicating that. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
In morgan llywelyns the horse goddess we follow the life of a daughter of a keltoi chieftan. She was a wargoddess who had three ravens that cause destruction, as well as having the crow or raven as one of her shapes. Epona one of the oldest and widely known celtic deities. Rhiannon, goddess of birds and horses by judith shaw. The oldest information about the gallic goddess of horses is found in juvenal satires, viii, 155 ff. Posted in goddess project, goddess things tagged dream goddess, goddess epona, goddess of horses, goddess of travelers, goddesses of gaul, goddesses of great britain, goddesses of the roman calvalry at 9. The celtic goddess epona that rode swiftly across the ancient roman empire the protector of horses, mules, and cavalry, epona was one of the only nonroman goddesses to have been wholly adopted by the roman empire. Its heroine is epona, whose legends finally made her a goddess. Epona was worshipped in a variety of different aspects.
Her worship spread to britain and rome from western europe. Morgan llywelyn takes the story of epona and expands it and tells the story of how a regular young woman could come to be revered as a goddess. Horses are an extension of the divine present in my everyday life and part of my connection to epona, the celtic horse goddess. It was surprising to learn that many horse stables in canada house epona shrines or keepsakes for good luck. Its very detailed about how the early celts lived their lives every day and how they believed the spirits within everything and everyone helped shape their lives. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title horse goddess. Apr 16, 2020 epona goddess of the horse celtic goddess. It is a time when mortal men and women are becoming gods and goddesses as news of their extraordinary adventures sweeps across the land. The horse goddess celtic world of morgan llywelyn book 1. Her goal was initially just to find solutions for her own horses. She is an ancient goddess with a modern following but does her modern followers, today in 2020, prefer printed books or ebooks. Epona is the celtic goddess of the horse and this is her story. Expanding our potential through the way of the horse two years ago author and horse trainer linda kohanov wrote the tao of equus, a daring multidisciplinary exploration of the powerful spiritual, emotional, and psychological connections between people and horses. Epona, the gaulish horse goddess epona was the ancient horse goddess of the prechristian pagan people, known as the gauls, or celtic french.
Rhiannon is a prominent figure in welsh mythology, mother to the demetian hero pryderi and wife to pwyll and later manawydan fab llyr. Lesson 1 celtic pathenon in part 1 celtic, norse, slavicgermanic deities forum epona celtic mother goddess and patroness of horses, donkeys, and other. Often depicted astride a horse, epona resonated in the irish otherworld lives on with queen maeve, epona, and halloween see more. Eponas symbolism she is depicted as a young goddess, either sitting side saddle on a horse or feeding mares and foals food from a cornucopia or fruit basket. Epona celtic goddessprotector of horses for perna studios classic mythology 2 trading card set, i had the opportunity to create a card based on horses. The novel opens with epona about to undergo her ritualistic transition from childhood to womanhood.
This chant is one of several that form part of the winter wolf healing ceremony recreated for the. The author started her learning journey out of personal frustration with these issues. Epona s name derives from the gaulish word for horse epos. Hundreds of statues and shrines dating from between the first and third centuries ce have been found in france alone. The horse goddess celtic world of morgan llywelyn, book 1 by. Like epona, she sometimes sits on her horse in a calm, stoic way.
The statue had been devotedly garlanded with freshly picked roses. The horse goddess by morgan llywelyn nook book ebook. Browse a new selection of discounted kindle books each month. Research on them can be frustrating and time consuming, so its nice to have a collection of ideas and references in one place. Its very detailed about how the early celts lived their lives every day and how they believed the spirits. She and her son are often depicted as mare and foal. There are also several images showing her riding a horse and cart.
And now with the horse goddess she brings us a stormy love story that sweeps across the ancient world of the 8th century before christ. Morgan llywelyn born december 3, 1937 is an americanirish historical interpretation author. Beauty and the beast epona and rhiannon, goddesses of equines. The horse goddess starts with young epona coming to age in her tribe in ancient ireland. This is a novel about the life of epona, the ancient celtic horse goddess. You follow this page, presumably because you have an interest in the goddess and in particular in the horse goddess epona. Epona was a widelyworshiped horse goddess of the continental celts who lived in the region that is presentday france and germany.
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