Goddess Rosemerta or Rosmerta

[skyewindflower]

Thanks to the helpful information from Mnemosyne, I have been searching for more information on the Goddess Rosemerta or Rosmerta....(spellings are different on some sites)....and just thought I would share with u all what I have found.
Basically most of the web sites pretty much have the same information but have found a little bit that tells a little more....

She is a Celtic Goddess whose name has not survived except for her Latin nomen, which means "Good Provider" . She is essentially a Goddess of success and prosperity, and her chief attribute is an inexhaustable Purse of Plenty. She is almost invariably associate with Mercury.

In Gaulish Celtic mythology, Rosmerta was the goddess of fire, warmth, and abundance. A flower queen and hater of marriage, Rosmerta was also the queen of death. A celtic goddess of fertility and wealth, whose cult was widely spread in Northeast Gaul. Rosmerta was the wife of Esus, the Gaulish Hermes. Her attributes are a cornucopia and a stick with two snakes. The native consort of Roman Mercury.

Another site just had this: Rosemerta - Goddess of Abundance- consort is Lugh.

Then I went on to find this information that described her features

Features: Rosy, honey colored hair, brown eyes, wears warm reds, browns and greens.

Cult Object: Cornucopia flowing out with all good things.

Just thought I would pass along what I have found....Please respond back with your thoughts....
Thanks,
Skye Windflower

[Mnemosyne]

Fabulous! You found a lot more than I did on her. We started a discussion on her a while back, but we didn't find out too much on her. This is all the thread says.

http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=17634&highlight=rosemerta

I'm sure that your info will be helpful. :)

[Theres]

here's what i was able to come up with (from the 'Encyclopedia of Gods', by Michael Jordan)...

Rosmerta (Great Provider)
fertility goddess. Roman-Celtic (Gallic and British).
consort to Mercury. probably locally worshipped and often depicted carrying a basket of fruit, purse or cornucopia.
She and Mercury frequently appear together. in addition to Her purse, She may bear a twin-headed ax or, alternatively, She may carry Mercury's caduceus (snake-entwined wand).

also, from R.J Stewart's 'Celtic Gods and Goddesses' (while discussing the similarity between Lugh and Mercury)...
"He is frequently partnered by a goddess called Rosmerta or Maia who represents the abundance of wealth or material benefit; the symbolism is clear: skill and ability are joined to the natural abundance of the earth or land in a literal sense in terms of metal-working, travel or other artistic endeavors."

Stewart seems to be associating Her with the Roman goddess Maia.
so, back to the 'Encyclopedia of Gods' we find...

Maia
chthonic or earth goddess. Greco-Roman.
originally, in pre-Homeric times, a mountain spirit who subsequently became a minor consort to Zeus.
the Romans worshipped Her as an obscure goddess of the plains who became briefly a consort of Jupiter, and they percieved Her as the mother of the messenger god Mercury. Her cult was associated with that of Vulcanus. possibly the origin of the month of May.

now i'm more confused than ever!

[Mnemosyne]

Thanks Greenman! :) So interesting, I have written a few posts here that I have been extremely drawn to Maia for the past 6 months or so. I never came across anything that Maia and Rosmerta are connected. To me, Maia is associated with youth and innocence. Also, she teaches to us find creativity in us. When discussing Rosmerta, I didn't expect to see Maia's name appear. Not too many people discuss Maia, but for some reason, she keeps popping up in my life.

[cydira]

I vaugely remember reading in my research at one point that there was a goddess of the Gaulish Celts that had a cult object of the horn of plenty and that she was possibly a variant of either the goddess Eriu/Erie or of Brigdh/Brigit. (How many variant spellings are there for her? I've lost count of how many I've read so far!)

I'm not sure what more I can add. Most of my research has focused on the Celts of the British Isles. I do think that I read something about this goddess in Ceaser's Gallic Wars, but I may be wrong. It's been years since I read that thing. Light reading indeed. :lol

I don't know if this helps any or not.

[Nantonos]

I just posted about the meaning of the name Rosmerta on the other Rosmerta thread:
http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?p=1930675#post1930675 (http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?p=1930675#post1930675)

[blackroseivy]

I was irresitably reminded of the figure of The Empress in Tarot by her description. What an elemental Archetype she is! ;)

Also, how would one go about evoking her?

[Nantonos]

I'm just chiping in here to correct any errors:

I have been searching for more information on the Goddess Rosemerta or Rosmerta....(spellings are different on some sites)
Rosmerta is the correct spelling. Rosemerta is an error, probably caused by people who have heard the name but not seen it written.

She is a Celtic Goddess whose name has not survived except for her Latin nomen, which means "Good Provider"
Her name has, in fact, survived and is Rosmerta :) Its in the Gaulish language, which is one of the oldest Celtic languages. The translation of her name is correct. Her name is used in Latin inscriptions, yes, but as a foreign name.

She is essentially a Goddess of success and prosperity, and her chief attribute is an inexhaustable Purse of Plenty. She is almost invariably associate with Mercury.
Yes, completely correct.

In Gaulish Celtic mythology, Rosmerta was the goddess of fire, warmth, and abundance.
Nope. There is no Celtic mythology about Rosmerta. She has no connection to fire and warmth. This seems to have arisen from people seeing statues with a cornucopia , not knowingwhat it is, and guessing it is a flaming torch.

A flower queen and hater of marriage, Rosmerta was also the queen of death.
As far as I can see all of that is incorrect. Perhaps a confusion with Bloedwedd?

A celtic goddess of fertility and wealth, whose cult was widely spread in Northeast Gaul.
Yes. Gallia Belgica and Germanis Superior, mostly.

Rosmerta was the wife of Esus, the Gaulish Hermes. Her attributes are a cornucopia and a stick with two snakes. The native consort of Roman Mercury.
Partly correct. There is no association with Esus (or Lugus) except that those deities are sometimes assumed to be equated to Mercury. However, the inscriptions we have clearly say Mercury and depict a standard classical mercury. The stick with two snakes is called a caduceus.


Another site just had this: Rosemerta - Goddess of Abundance- consort is Lugh.
No connection with Lugh.

Features: Rosy, honey colored hair, brown eyes, wears warm reds, browns and greens.
All of that sounds like modern invention. Statues were painted, but we do not have enough paint traces to determine hair or clothing colors.

Cult Object: Cornucopia flowing out with all good things.
Yes, also a purse, patera, or basket of fruits. All symbols of abundance.