Gallo-Roman religion Gallo-Roman religion is a fusion of the traditional religious practices of the Gauls, who were originally Celtic speakers, and the Roman and Hellenistic religions introduced to the region under Roman Imperial rule. It was the result of selective ...

, Sequana is the

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes ...

of the river

Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/ Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributa ...

, particularly the springs at the source of the Seine, and the

Gaulish Gaulish was an ancient Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switze ...

tribe the

Sequani The Sequani were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the upper river basin of the Arar river (Saône), the valley of the Doubs and the Jura Mountains during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Sequanos'' by Caesar (mi ...

. The springs, called the ''Fontes Sequanae'' ("The Springs of Sequana"), are located in a valley in the Châtillon Plateau, to the north-west of

Dijon Dijon (, , ) (dated) * it, Digione * la, Diviō or * lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920. The earlie ...

Burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The ...

, and it was here, in the 2nd or 1st century BC, that a healing shrine was established. The sanctuary was later taken over by the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

, who built two temples, a colonnaded precinct and other related structures centred on the spring and pool. Many dedications were made to Sequana at her temple, including a large pot inscribed with her name and filled with bronze and silver models of parts of human bodies to be cured by her. Wooden and stone images of limbs, internal organs, heads, and complete bodies were offered to her in the hope of a cure, as well as numerous coins and items of jewellery. Respiratory illnesses and eye diseases were common. Pilgrims were frequently depicted as carrying offerings to the goddess, including money, fruit, or a favorite pet dog or bird.

Representations

Sequana Statue - Gaulish Goddess of the Seine

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids suc ...

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

of a woman, draped in a long gown and with a

diadem A diadem is a type of crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by monarchs and others as a badge of royalty. Overview The word derives from the Greek διάδημα ''diádēma'', "band" or "fillet", from διαδέω ''diadéō'', " ...

on her head, represents Sequana (Deyts p. 74). She stands on a boat, the prow of which is shaped like the head of a

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ...

with a ball in its mouth, representing the playful, sometimes rebellious, nature of her duck familiars. The approximately tall statue is now in the

Musée archéologique de Dijon The Musée Archéologique de Dijon is an archaeology museum focusing on the archaeology of Burgundy that was founded in 1832 in Côte-d'Or within Dijon, France. It contains collections regarding "the men of Burgandy" that covers the periods of pr ...

. The bronze statue of the

Seine was found with that of a

faun The faun (, grc, φαῦνος, ''phaunos'', ) is a half- human and half-goat mythological creature appearing in Greek and Roman mythology. Originally fauns of Roman mythology were spirits (genii) of rustic places, lesser versions of their ...

in 1933 by Henri Corot.

Cult, religion and oracles

The

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. Thi ...

of Sequana is closely linked to a primary element:

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...

. Indeed, resting as a real focal point of attention of the cult, the sacredness of the aquatic element is at the center of the practices of homage or veneration rendered to Sequana. The expression of the divine presence is represented by this symbolic element chosen by the community practicing these tributes to the goddess. This cult dedicated to a

sacred site Sacred space, sacred ground, sacred place, sacred temple, holy ground, or holy place refers to a location which is deemed to be sacred or hallowed. The sacredness of a natural feature may accrue through tradition or be granted through a bless ...

is above all public because it is practiced by private, modest people, but it is impossible to clearly link it to a precise practice. Researchers have found three dedications to Sequana in the vicinity of Alesia and at the sources of the

: two are anatomical ex-votos and one is from a woman dedicating it ''pro salute nepotis'', each of these dedications is linked to the emperor

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

. A massive individual frequentation is translated by these anatomical ex-votos for the most part in wood and stone or bronze. In addition, several inscriptions were found (9 of which directly name Sequana), dedications to Sequana, which inform about religious practices and the public because they are often awkwardly spelled. According to

archaeologists Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes ...

, after having performed their ablutions and having passed to the temple of Sequana, the pilgrims offered to the divinity various offerings in the hope of a cure. In fact, during the

Antiquity Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to: Historical objects or periods Artifacts *Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures Eras Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...

religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...

and

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...

were linked, the sanctuaries of the springs were comparable to medical centers for thermal cures. In addition to receiving offerings, we find, thanks to an inscription that mentions the name of the goddess, oracular practices either in favor of Sequana or perhaps Sequana herself rendered oracles regularly (like

Clitunno The Clitunno, in Antiquity the Clitumnus, is a river in Umbria, Italy. The name is of uncertain origin, but it was also borne by the river god. The Clitunno rises from a spring within a dozen metres of the ancient Via Flaminia near the town o ...

). For all these practices dedicated to Sequana, there must be a cohabitation between the original sacred space and the monumental complex that was needed to honor the goddess.

Inscriptions

Eight inscriptions to Sequana are known, all from the Sources of the Seine. The following are typical (CIL 13, 02858): :Au(gusto) sac(rum) d(eae) Sequan(ae) e / moni uand (CIL 13, 02862): :Aug(usto) sac(rum) / d(e)ae Seq(uanae) / Fl(avius) Flav(i)n(us) / pro sal(ute) / Fl(avi) Luna(ris) / nep(otis) sui / ex voto / v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito)/ San(tos) Mi(chaelle) Some inscriptions contain spelling errors that may give a clue to the pronunciation of Sequana in Gaulish (CIL 13, 02863): :Aug(usto) sac(rum) d<e=O>a(e?) / <p=B>ro(!) / Se<q=C>uan(ae) / pro(!) / C(aius) M ../ v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito) As

is in the P-Celtic classification, ''q'' cannot represent the Indo-European ''k^w''. Something like ''Sek-ooana'' is more likely, unless the local dialect was Q-Celtic (which is not impossible).

References

* Bernard Jacomin (2006) ''Les sources de la Seine: traces fossiles et repérages astronomiques au pays des Lingons''. Editions Yvelinédition * ''

Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum The ''Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum'' (''CIL'') is a comprehensive collection of ancient Latin inscriptions. It forms an authoritative source for documenting the surviving epigraphy of classical antiquity. Public and personal inscriptions throw ...

(CIL); vol. XIII, Inscriptiones trium Galliarum et Germaniarum''. 6 vols. Berolini: apud G. Reimerum, 1899-1943 * Deyts, Simone (1992) ''Images des Dieux de la Gaule''. Paris: Editions Errance .

External links

A small image
of the bronze statue in the

believed to represent Sequana {{Authority control Gaulish goddesses Sea and river goddesses Sequani Personifications of rivers River Seine

Representations

Cult, religion and oracles

Inscriptions

References

Further reading

External links