Naria was a goddess in Gallo-Roman religion who appears to have been venerated only in what is now the western part of Switzerland. She was only mentioned twice in a

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, language, morals and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context ...

context, and her nature and responsibilities remain obscure.

History

She 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, Juno, Minerva, Naria, Artio and of a Lar. The ensemble includes the o ...

. That inscription, ''Deae Nariae Reg(io) Arvre(nsis) Cvr(ante) Feroc(e) L(iberto)'',''CIL'' XIII: 5161. translates as: "The Aar area association dedicated this to the goddess Naria; the freedman 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 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'', " ...

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 ( la, Fortūna, equivalent to the Greek goddess Tyche) is the goddess of fortune and the personification of luck in Roman religion who, largely thanks to the Late Antique author Boethius, remained popular through the Middle Ages until at ...

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

References

{{Celtic mythology (ancient) Gaulish goddesses