Naria was a goddess in

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 selectiv ...

who appears to have been venerated only in what is now the western part of

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. She was only mentioned twice in a

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization (cultural), Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire in Roman Gaul. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, Roman culture, language ...

context, and her nature and responsibilities remain obscure.

Etymology

The name ''Naria'' is thought to originate from the

Gaulish Gaulish is an extinct Celtic languages, 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, ...

''nertos'', strength. The epithet ''Nousantia'' could be a contraction of ''nauson'', ship, and ''anatia'', soul.

Extant depictions

Naria is mentioned only twice in known inscriptions from the

era. One, on a stone altar from Cressier, reads ''Nariae Novsantiae T. Frontin. Hibernvs V.S.L.M'', that is: "To Naria Nousantia, Titus Frontinius Hibernus willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow". The epithet "Nousantia" is otherwise unknown. The other inscription is on the base of a statuette from the

Muri statuette group The Muri statuette group is a group of six Gallo-Roman bronze figurines found in 1832 in Muri bei Bern, Switzerland. The group includes representations of the gods Jupiter (mythology), Jupiter, Juno (mythology), Juno, Minerva, Naria, Artio and of ...

. That inscription, ''Deae Nariae Reg(io) Arvre(nsis) Cvr(ante) Feroc(e) L(iberto)'',''CIL'' XIII: 5161. translates as: "The

Aar The Aare () or Aar () is the main tributary of the High Rhine (its discharge even exceeds that of the latter at their confluence) and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland. Its total length from its source to i ...

area association dedicated this to the goddess Naria; the

freedman A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group), or self- ...

Ferox served as

curator A curator (from , meaning 'to take care') is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the particular ins ...

." The Muri statuette is also the only known depiction of Naria. It shows her in a long-sleeved dress and with a

diadem A diadem is a Crown (headgear), crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by monarchs and others as a badge of Monarch, royalty. Overview The word derives from the Ancient Greek, Greek διάδημα ''diádēma'', "band" or "fillet", fro ...

in her hair. The hands which held her divine attributes are missing. This depiction of Naria follows a generic style then used in Italy mostly for depictions of the goddess of luck,

Fortuna Fortuna (, equivalent to the Greek mythology, Greek goddess Tyche) is the goddess of fortune and the personification of luck in Religion in ancient Rome, Roman religion who, largely thanks to the Late Antique author Boethius, remained popular thr ...

. This indicates that Naria might also have been conceived of as a goddess of good luck and blessings.

References

{{Celtic mythology (ancient) Gaulish goddesses