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

  1. Ovid Fasti
  2. Macrobius l.c
  3. Brouwer p.359

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