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 selective ...

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

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. She was only mentioned twice in a Gallo-Roman context, and her nature and responsibilities remain obscure.

History

She is mentioned only twice in known inscriptions from the Gallo-Roman 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, Juno, Minerva, Naria, Artio and of a Lar. The ensemble includes the onl ...

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

Aar AAR or Aar may refer to: Geography * Aar, a river in Switzerland, tributary of the Rhine *Aar (Lahn), a tributary of Lahn river in Germany, descending from the Taunus mountains * Aar (Dill), a tributary of Dill river in Germany, also in the bas ...

area association dedicated this to the goddess Naria; the

freedman A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), emancipation (granted freedom a ...

Ferox served as

curator A curator (from la, cura, 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 parti ...

." The Muri statuette is also the only known depiction of Naria. It shows her in a long-sleeved dress and with a diadem 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. This indicates that Naria might also have been conceived of as a goddess of good luck and blessings.

References

{{Celtic mythology (ancient) Gaulish goddesses