Bona Dea
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Ancient Latin goddess of fertility, of women and thus guardian of the community. In Rome, the cult of Bona Dea was a state cult which excluded men. The traditional dies natalis (foundation day) of her temple on the Aventine was celebrated on the Kalends of May. [1]
The temple had an herbarium dispensary, where the priestesses dipensed herbs, [2]
Her temples were unique in being enclosed by a wall. Snakes were kept inside the temple precincts. Her cult statue was of a sitting woman holding a cornucopia in her left hand and an offering bowl in her right with a snake twined about her arm.
The other celebration were nocturnal mysteries whose date was recalculated each year, but was always early in the month of December.[3]
These mysteries were celebrated pro populo and by matrons of the highest class along with the Vestal Virgins.
References
H.H.J. Brouwer "Bona Dea: The Sources and a Description of The Cult"
Notes
