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Ollototis
A Brythonic Goddesses: Goddesses of all the Peoples
Ollototis (Ollototae) are Brythonic mother goddesses known from four inscriptions found in Britain. The inscriptions demonstrate her/them to be amongst the Celtic great 'mother goddesses'. She was the protectress of all the peoples. |
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Bryth: Goddesses of all the Peoples
Ollototis is a goddess known from four inscriptions discovered in Britain. Three of these [RIB 1030; RIB 1031 and RIB 1032] come from the Vinovia Roman fort at Binchester, Durham. A good example of the inscriptions foud being: I O M ET MATRIBVS OLLOTOTIS SIVE TRANSMARINIS POMPONIVS DONATVS B F COS PRO SALVTE SVA ET SVORVM VSLM (To Jupiter Best and Greatest and to the Mother Goddesses Ollototae whether from across the ocean (or otherwise), Pomponius Donatus, Beneficiarius Consularis, willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow for the health of himself and his family). The insciption from Heronbridge, Cheshire [RIB 574] reads DEABVS MATRIBVS OLLOTOTIS IVL SECVNDVS ET AELIA AVGVSTINA (To the goddesses Ollototae, Julius Secundus and Aelia Augustina [dedicate this altar]). In all the inscriptions the goddess is invoked as Matribus Ollototis (The Ollotatian Mothers). This puts the Ollodotiae as one of the Matres the Celtic and Germanic 'Great Mother Goddesses'.
Unfortunately, no image and none of the attributes of attributes of Ollotis have survived and we are dependent on an interpretation of the Goddess' name through which to derive her characteristics. Based on the reconstructed proto-Celtic lexicon it's possible to derive a meaning for Ollodotis based on the elements: *allo- (all, other) and *towtƒ- (poeople, tirbe). Thus the Ollodotae are the 'goddesses of all the peoples'. This would explain the goddesses' popularity amongst foreign troops who were stationed in Britannia; for she was a protectrix of native and incomer alike.
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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