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Setlocenia
A Brythonic Goddess: The Ancient One, She of Long Life
Setlocenia is a Brythonic goddess known from a single inscription found at Maryport, England. Her name is cognate with the Irish goddess Búanann, trainer of Cúchulainn and Setlocenia, by analogy, may also have been a trainer of heroes. |
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Bryth: The Ancient One, She of Long Life
Setlocenia is a goddess known from only a single inscription (RIB 841) found at Maryport, Cumbria (an currently to be found in the Netherhall Museum). The inscription itself was on an altarstone and reads DEAE SETLOCENIAE LABAREVS GE(rmanius) VSLM (To the Goddess Setlocenia, Labareus the German willingly and deservedly fulfills his vow). No other inscription to this goddess has been found. However, despite being dedicated by a 'German' the name is obviously Celtic; though whether she was a native deity or originated in north-western Gaul may never be known with any certainty.
Unfortunately none of the goddess' attributes (save her name) survives and our understanding of her cult is entirely dependent on the interpretation of Setlocenia's name which can be derived from the reconstructed proto-Celtic elements: *saytlo- (age) and *kŒno- (long) with the feminine ending -a. Her name can therefore be interpreted as 'The Ancient One', 'She of Long Life'. Her name is effectively cognate with that of the Irish goddess Búanann whose name means 'The Lasting One'. She is known from the tale of Cúchulainn as one of the hero's Brythonic trainers. She also gave aid to Fion mac Cumhaill and was known as the 'Mother of the Fianna'. It is possible that Setlocenia was also a 'trainer of warriors' which would explain the altar dedicated to her at the Roman Fort of Maryport Alavna; though it cannot be entirely discounted that she was a goddess of healing.
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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