MacMorrighan
May 27th, 2006, 04:26 AM
[An entry from a ms. in progress I am co-authoring with a British Pagan author-friend-- this entry's basically finished, although it needs some "fine tuning". I just felt like posting something I'm currently working on.]:
Adsagsona [Gallo-Roman] A Sorceress-Goddess of the Underworld. She is known only from one lead inscription that was deposited in a woman’s grave at Larzac, France [c. 90 ce]. The interred woman was probably a sorceress—although she was certainly a prophetess. The transliteration of the text seems to imply that Adsagsona was the source of the witches’ “underworld magic” and prophetic abilities.
The Goddess was served by a transgenedered or possibly homoerotically inclined sisterhood in which Women’s Mysteries were paramount. Indeed, the familial relationships amongst members of the coven were occasionally like that between a husband and wife, or father and daughter—during such an honorific occasion a masculine name was taken to denote the respective bond.
Such Gallic covens were presided over by a Vidlua—a magico-religious leader—from the Gallic meaning, “to see”; she was probably a prophetess who may have been especially reveared as a seer. Upon Initiation into the cult “special underworld names” were also adopted—it was these names that were employed when invoking the Underworld-Gods during ceremonies of preternatural consequence.
Thereby, the burial of this lead “curse” tablet—or defixiones—may have served to bind a rival coven. However, the possibility remains that the tablet may exemplify an anathema against a few rogue members of the Sisterhood. It was relatively common for such petitions to be deposited into the earth or a source of water so that their message might better reach the Gods to whom they were addressed.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that the Gallic phrase which opens this incantation, bnanom bricton, “Behold: the magic of women” is directly cognate with a phrase found centuries later in St. Patrick’s Lorica requesting protection against the brichtu ban, or “magic of women”. Hence, to some extent, groups of women that gather to practice magic was apparently a feature of religion in ancient Gaul, as well as Ireland, and perhaps throughout what we now think of as the “Celtic world” [Freeman 2006: 126].
Adsagsona [Gallo-Roman] A Sorceress-Goddess of the Underworld. She is known only from one lead inscription that was deposited in a woman’s grave at Larzac, France [c. 90 ce]. The interred woman was probably a sorceress—although she was certainly a prophetess. The transliteration of the text seems to imply that Adsagsona was the source of the witches’ “underworld magic” and prophetic abilities.
The Goddess was served by a transgenedered or possibly homoerotically inclined sisterhood in which Women’s Mysteries were paramount. Indeed, the familial relationships amongst members of the coven were occasionally like that between a husband and wife, or father and daughter—during such an honorific occasion a masculine name was taken to denote the respective bond.
Such Gallic covens were presided over by a Vidlua—a magico-religious leader—from the Gallic meaning, “to see”; she was probably a prophetess who may have been especially reveared as a seer. Upon Initiation into the cult “special underworld names” were also adopted—it was these names that were employed when invoking the Underworld-Gods during ceremonies of preternatural consequence.
Thereby, the burial of this lead “curse” tablet—or defixiones—may have served to bind a rival coven. However, the possibility remains that the tablet may exemplify an anathema against a few rogue members of the Sisterhood. It was relatively common for such petitions to be deposited into the earth or a source of water so that their message might better reach the Gods to whom they were addressed.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that the Gallic phrase which opens this incantation, bnanom bricton, “Behold: the magic of women” is directly cognate with a phrase found centuries later in St. Patrick’s Lorica requesting protection against the brichtu ban, or “magic of women”. Hence, to some extent, groups of women that gather to practice magic was apparently a feature of religion in ancient Gaul, as well as Ireland, and perhaps throughout what we now think of as the “Celtic world” [Freeman 2006: 126].