Welcomed Visitors

Celtic Music Search Engine

Celtic Moon Goddess Rhiannon: Symbols and Sacred Objects

Full Moon Tonight by LiBiArt
"Full Moon Tonight" by LiBiArt
As I have commented on a previous post, Rhiannon is associated to a "Goddess of fertility", and also to the moon, night, and death. Her name means 'Night Queen'. She is associated with horses and has otherworldly birds in her posession. Along with Arianrhod, bears the symbolism of Celtic Moon Goddess with "Fertility" as a common quality and power.

Some also associate her to the Irish "Macha" and the Gaulish "Epona", the "Horse Goddess"; but I guess it is because of it's relation with the horse as depicted on the welsh Mabinogion, which does not present Rhiannon as anything other than human.

She is probably a reflex of the Celtic Great Queen goddess Rigantona.

Rhiannon thus bears the stamp of two important Gaulish cults: that of the "Horse Goddess" Epona on one hand; and Matrona, the "Great Mother", on the other. Rigantona 'Great Queen', as Rhiannon would have been known in Romano-British times, is best considered a local variant of this composite figure.
Goddess symbols, individualized for each goddess, were incorporated into the worship of the ancient goddesses, were often worn as jewelry, and also used in the household decor as talismans to seek the goddesses special gifts, blessings, or protection. A large number of goddess symbols have survived in statuary and other works of art.

Many of the goddess symbols come from the legends surrounding a specific goddess and were "characters" in her story. Other goddess symbols were derived from the rituals used in the ancient rites of worship of these pagan goddesses.

Rhiannon is often represented by symbols associated with her astonishing "other-worldliness".



General

Moon, horses, horseshoe, songbirds,
gates, the wind, and the Number 7.

Animals

Horse, badger, frog, dogs (especially puppies),
canaries and other songbirds, hummingbirds, and dragons.

Plants

Narcissus and daffodils, leeks, pansies, forsythia,
cedar and pine trees, bayberry, sage, and rosemary

Perfumes/Scents

Sandalwood, neroli, bergamot, lavender,
narcissus, and geranium.
Gems and Metals

Gold, silver, cat's eye, moonstone,
crystal quartz, ruby, red garnet, bloodstone, turquoise, and amethyst.

Colours

Dark green, maroon, gold, silver,
rich brown, white, black, charcoal grey, and ruby red.




Related Sources:

No comments:

LinkWithin

Popular Posts