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Sulevia
A Gaulish and Brythonic Goddess, also known as Suleviae, Sulevia Idennica Minerva, Satribus Sulevis: They who Lead Well
Sulevia (Suleviae, Sulevia Idennica Minerva, Satribus Sulevis) are Gaulish and Brythonic mother godesses known from forty-four inscriptions found in Germany, Britain, Switzerland, France, Romania, Hungary, the Netherlands and Rome, Italy. She is one of the classic mother goddesses of the Celtic world and are associated with childbirth. |
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Gaul, Bryth: They who Lead Well
Sulevia is a goddess known throughtout northern Gaul and Britain in either her singular form of Sulevia or her triple-goddess form as the Suleviae. Over 44 inscriptions to Sulevia/Suleviae have been found at: Alzey and Trier in Germany as well as Vienne-en-Val, Loiret, France. At Collias in the Gard region of France she is invoked as Suleviae Idenniace Minervae and is assimilated by Interpretato Romana with the plural forms of both the goddesses Juno and Minerva. She is also assimilated with the multiple form of Juno at Marquise in France where she is invoked as Sulevis Iunnonibus. Other variants include an invocation of Sulevis Domesticus at Cologne, Germany and Sulevis Montanis at Tabella. However, by far the majority of inscriptions invoke the goddess in her triple aspect as Matres Suleviae (the Sulevian Mothers) and these have been found at: Bingen in Germany, Budapest in Hungary, Carlsburg in Rumania, Cologne in Germany, Ladenburg in Germany, Lyon in France, Nassenfels in Germany, Nimwegen in the Netherlands, Rome, Strasbourg in France, Velleron in France and Vénasque in France. As Matribus Sulevis several inscriptions (at least 9) are known from the Capitol in Rome. In Britain, inscriptions to this goddess have been found at: the temple of Colchester which reads MATRIBVS SVLEVIS SIMILIS ATTI F CI CANT VSLM (To the Sulevi mothers, Similis the son of Attius, of the Civitas Cantiacorum, willingly and deservedly fulfills his vow.) RIB 192; Aquae Sulis in Bath SVLEVIS SVLINVS SCVLTOR BRVCETI F SACRVM F L M (To the Sulevi, Sulinus Scultor, son of Brucetus, willingly and deservedly made this sacred offering.) RIB 151; The Tribal City of Corinivm Dobvnnorvm (Cirencester, Gloucestershire) SVLEVIS PRIMVS ... IIAS (To the Sulevi, the first [...]) RIB 106; and a fragmentary inscription at VINOVIVM (Roman Fort, Binchester, Durham) ... SVL(e)VIA[e] ... ALA VETTON CIVIS CANN VSLM (... Suleviae... he Vettonian Wing citizen of Cannae, willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow).
Many commentators have linked Sulevia/Suleviae with the great goddess of Bath, Sul/Sulis; however an inscription at Cirencester indicates that the plural of Sulis was the Sulei; which links Sulis with several inscriptions to the Sulei found in Gaul. While the linkage of Sul/Sulis and Suleiva cannot be entirely discounted the 'v/b' sound is a strong one in P-Celtic and to me this linkage seems unlikely.
It seems therefore that the Suleviae were one of the great triple mother goddesses of the Celtic world, of equivalent stature to the Aufuniae and the Nehalenniae. The shrines to the Suleviae frequently occur near water-sources and hot springs, and in common with the other Matronae it is possible to state that the Suleviae's attributes were as deities of fertility (by association with Minerva), maternity (by her association to the Roman goddess of childbrith, Juno), healing and regeneration. The cult of this goddess must also have been of some import in the Romano-Celtic world, as attested by the number of dedications found to the triple-deity found at the Capitoline Hill in Rome itself. Unfortunately there is no confirmed iconography of this goddess. The closest we have is an image or a triple goddess associated with the altarstone bearing her name discovered in Cirencester. Unfortunately the image itself bears no inscriptional evidence and cannot be attributed to the Suleviae with any true degree of certainty.
Sulevia's name can be interpreted on the basis of the reconstructed proto-Celtic lexicon as being formed from the components: *su- (good/very) and *loudjā- (to lead). Thus the name can be expressed as 'They Who Lead Well'. However, rather than being leaders of their people or leaders into battle the name may refer to the goddess' association with birth. Their function being to lead the newborn into life.
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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