Epona
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9.9
A goddess in Celtic and Roman stories who watches over horses and riders
- proper noun
- Literature
:
Epona
- In Roman culture, Epona was worshipped as a protector of horses and was often celebrated in festivals dedicated to equine wellbeing.
- goddess Epona
Examples
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In Celtic mythology, Epona is revered as the goddess of horses, symbolizing their strength and grace.
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We called her Epona.
Fiction book (1990) -
She also had affinities with the Romano-British horse goddess Epona, whose gigantic image survives at Uffington in Berkshire as a chalk hill figure.
Academic text (1999) -
The horse was an attribute of the Slavic Mokosh (Hubbs 1988, 19 f.) and the Celtic goddess Epona (Green 1992b, 204 ff.).
Academic text (2000) -
Many ancient sculptures depict Epona riding a horse, emphasizing her connection to these majestic animals.
Surface Forms
Epona main
Etymology
Epona comes from an old Celtic word epos meaning 'horse', the same idea behind the English word equine ('horse-like'). So she was literally the 'horse goddess', which is why ancient images show her with horses.