Coventina: a Brythonic goddess (Disappearing Memory, Memory of Snow)

Synonyms: Covetina, Covventina, Cuhvetena
Bryth: Disappearing Memory, Memory of Snow

Coventina is known from numerous dedications found at Carrawburgh, Northumberland. Her Carrawburgh sanctuary, which followed a simple, unroofed design similar to that of a small Romano-Celtic temple, was sited beside a well fed by a sacred spring and was associated with the Roman fort of Brocolitia. Many offerings were found in the well, including pins, more that 14000 conins most from the reign of Gratian (407 CE), votive beads, glass, pottery, shrine bells and a solitary human skull. Large altars, incense burners inscribed to 'AUGUSTA COVENTINA' and some dedications to the goddess were also found there though these undoubtedly date to the time of the destruction of the shrine.

As Cuhvetena, a name which is synonymous with Coventina, she is known from an inscription discovered at Santa Cruz de Loio, Spain.

Coventina's well was the focal point of a small temple. A second nearby well, also enclosed, seems to have been dedicated to the 'GENIUS LOCUS' (the spirit of the place) and the local nymphs, attesting to the importance of the spring.

Coventina is depicted in two aspects, as above. In the first she is a triple deity; a group of three nymphs holding two vessels, all of which seem to be issuing strams of water. In the other relief she is depicted as a single nymph who seems to be floating on what may be an oak leaf.

Within the area of the shrine a large number of inscriptions have been found. Some of which include 'DEAE COVENTINE COH I CVBERNORVM AVR CAMPESTER V P L A' (To the goddesses Coventina, the First Cohort of Cugerni [under] Aurelius Campester, proudly and willingly placed this offering); 'DE CONVETI VOT RETVLIT MAVS OPTIO CHO P FRIXIAV' (To the goddess Coventina, a vow has been repaid by Maus, Optio in the First Cohort of Frisians); 'DEAE COVENTINE P...ANVS MLCHO VRETORVM.... VOTVM LIBES ANIMOR ET POSIVIT' (To the goddesses Coventina, P[ublius? ...]anus, a soldier of the Fifth Cohort of Raetians [...] an offering freely and sincerely set up); 'DEAE COVVENTINAE T D... COSCONIANVS PR COH I BAT L M' (For the Goddesses Couventina, Titus D[...] Cosconianus, prefect of Cohors Primae Batavorum, freely and deservedly [gives this].); 'COVVENTI AELIVS TERTIVS PREF COH I BAT VSLM' (To Couventia, Aelius Tertius, prefect of the First Cohort of Batavi, willingly and deservedly fulfils a vow.). It is interesting to note that many of the inscriptions refer to Coventina as the 'DEAE' (the goddesses) showing that, though singluar she is a multiplicity in and of herself. It may therefore be that inscriptions such as: 'MATRIBVS ALBINIVS QVART MIL D' (To the Mothers, the soldier Albinus Quartus donates this) and 'MATRIBVS COMMVN' (To the Mother [Goddesses] of the settlement) also refer to Coventina.

Altarstone inscriptions include: 'DEAE CONVENTINAE BELLICVS VSLM' ("To the goddess Coventina, Bellicus willingly and deservedly fulfills a vow); 'DEAE NIMFAE COVENTINE MADVHVS GERM POS PRO SE ET SVIS VSLM' (To the goddesses, the nymphs Coventina, Maduhus the German, placed this for himself and his family, willingly and deservedly fulfilling a vow); 'DEAE COVETINE CROTVS VT LBES SOLVI PRO M SA' (For the goddess Coventina, Crotus and his freedmen, fulfilled for the health of the soldiers); 'DEAE SANC COVONTINE VINCENTIVS PRO SALVTE SVA V L L M D' (For the most-holy goddesses Coventina. Vicentius, for her well-being, an offering freely, gladly and deservedly given). Other inscriptions include: 'GABIVNS IF EL CSI SATVRNI COVETINA AGVSTA VOTV MANIBVS SVIS SATVRNINVS FECIT GABINIVS' (On this side of the Infernal (region) and the Elysian (fields). Gabinius. Saturninus. Coventina Augusta. Offering to your shades. Saturninus and Gabinius have made this) found on earthenwear incense burners and 'NIMPHAE COVENTINAE ...TIANVS DECVRIO ...SLE...V ... M' (To the Nymph Coventina [...]tianus the decurion [...] a vow [fulfilled freely and] deservedly) a dedicatory inscription found within the temple.

The possible invocation of Coventina as a triple mother goddess in interesting, given the offerings found in the well dedicated to her. The votive pins strongly suggest a fertility cult and association with childbirth, as does the bronze horse, a distinct fertility symbol. The dog is associated with the Greco-Roman physician Aesculapius in classical mythology, though in Celtic mythology it is also linked to human lifespans; strongly suggesting a healing aspect to the goddess' cult; which is also a function of the spring itself. Thus fecundity and healing are suggested by the votive offerings though she is obviously predominantly a water deity. The presence of bronze heads and head plaques, as well as face pots, one of which protrays an elegant female face (possibly the goddess herself?) as well as the human skull suggests that the cult of the head may have been prevalent at Coventina's shrine. However, the human skull may be a red herring, part of the shrine's desecration during the Christian eara. Though the dedication of heads and head representations to watery shrines is a well-attested practice which may also have been conducted at this shrine.

Though there is no interpretation for Coventina's name as yet her attributes as a triple water-deity, plainly attested by her nymph depiction though she may well have had additional attributes involved with healing and fertility. However, it is possible that her name is derived from the reconstructed proto-Celtic elements *kom-men- 'memory' ([which gives us the middle Cymric 'cofein']) and *ti-ni 'melt, disappear' which would lead to 'disappearing memory' or 'memory of disappearance' as a name or it could be 'memory of snow', as water could be considered the memory or snow, ie that which is left after snow melts.

If you would like to try the foods of the time of the ancient Celts, then why not have a look at the ancient recipes section of this site. For the foods of the time when some of these tales were written down, take a look at the Medieval recipes section of the site and, in particular, the recipes from The Forme of Cury.

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