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Roman Goddesses - C
Caca
The Roman goddess of the hearth and the sister of the fire-breathing giant
Cacus. When Heracles returned with the cattle of Geryon, Cacus stole some
of the animals and hid them in his cave. According to some sources, out
of sympathy for the hero, Caca told Heracles the location of that cave
and he killed the giant. Caca was later replaced by Vesta.
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Camenae
The Camenae were originally ancient Roman goddesses of wells and springs.
Later they were identified with the Greek Muses. In Rome, they were worshipped
in a sacred forest at the Porta Capena.
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Camilla
In Roman legend, Camilla was a virgin queen of the Volscians, the daughter
of King Metabus. She helped Turnus in his conflict with Aeneas, but was
killed in doing so. Virgil (Aenead VII, 809) says that she was so swift
that she could make her way over the sea without even wetting her feet,
or run over a field of corn without bending a single blade.
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Candelifera
The Roman goddess of birth. She is identified with Carmenta and the goddess
Lucina.
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Canens
A nymph from Latium and the personification of song. She was the wife
of king Picus, who was loved by Circe but when he rejected her, Circe
transformed him into a woodpecker. After she had wandered for six days
without finding him, Canens threw herself from a rock into the Tiber.
After one final song she evaporated.
Cardea
The goddess of thresholds and especially door-pivots (cardo "door-pivot").
Cardea is the protectress of little children against the attacks of vampire-witches,
she may hace originally been a predatory goddess. Ovid says of Cardea,
apparently quoting a religious formula: 'Her power is to open what is
shut; to shut what is open. The symbolism of the hinge is that she was
a turn-of-the-year goddess in charge of the four cardinal winds.
Carmenta
Carmenta is the Roman goddess of childbirth and prophecy, one of the Camenae.
Her temple was in Rome, next to the Porta Carmentalis; it was forbidden
to wear leather there. Her festival, the Carmentalia, took place on the
11th and 15th of January, and was mostly celebrated by women. She is the
mother of Evander. She forms a triple goddess with her sisters Antevorta
('looking forward') and Postvorta ('looking back').
Carna
A nymph who lived at the site where in later times the city of Rome would
be built. The god Janus fell in love with her and gave her power over
door-handles. (see also: Cardea). "Carnal" is a derivative.
Carna
The Roman goddess associated with the bodily organs, particularly the
heart. Carna's festival was observed on June 1.
Ceres
The old-Italian goddess of agriculture, grain, and the love a mother bears
for her child. The cult of Ceres was originally closely connected with
that of Tellus, the goddess earth. In later mythology, Ceres is identified
with the Greek Demeter. She is the daughter of Saturn and the mother of
Proserpina. Ceres had a temple on the Aventine Hill, were she was worshipped
together with Liber and Libera. Her festival, the Cerealia, was celebrated
on April 19. Ceres is portrayed with a scepter, a basket with flowers
or fruits, and a garland made of the ears of corn. Another festival was
the Ambarvalia, held in May.
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Cinxia
The Roman goddess of marriage.
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Clementia
The Roman goddess of mercy and clemency.
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Cloacina
The goddess who presides over the system of sewers (from the Latin cloaca,
"sewer") which drained the refuse of the city of Rome. The main
sewer was called Cloaca Maxima.
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Concordia
The Roman goddess of concord. She was worshipped in many temples, but
the oldest was on the Forum Romanum and dates back to 367 BCE and was
built by Camilus. The temple also served as a meeting-place for the Roman
senate. Concordia is portrayed sitting, wearing a long cloak and holding
a sacrificial bowl in her left hand and a cornucopia in her right. Sometimes
she can be seen standing between two members of the Royal House who clasp
hands.
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Copia
The Roman goddess of wealth and plenty, who carried a cornucopia ("horn
of plenty"). She belongs to the retinue of Fortuna.
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Cuba
The Roman goddess who protects the infants in their cribs and sends them
to sleep.
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Cumaean
Sibyl
The earliest of the Sibyls. She owned, according to tradition, nine books
of prophecies. When the Roman king Targuin (Tarquinius Priscus) wanted
to buy those books he thought the price she asked far too high. The Sibyl
threw three books into the fire and doubled the price; this she did again
with the next three books, and the king was forced the buy the remaining
three books for a price four times as high as the original nine. The Cumaean
Sibyl resided in a still existing dromos at Cumae near Naples, Italy.
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Cunina
A Roman goddess of infants.
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Cura
A goddess who first fashioned humans from clay.
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Cybele
The worship of Cybele, called the great "Mountain Mother"
, is believed to have originated in Phrygia, northern Anatolia. Cybele
represented the fertile earth, and the death of her consort, Attis,
represented the end of the growing season.
The Romans began to celebrate Cybele in 204 BCE when the Carthaginians
were close to conquering the city. The Sibyl was consulted and the Romans
were told to bring the black stone (a meteorite) from Asia Minor and
place it in the Temple of Victoria, which they did. Thirteen years later,
the Carthaginians were defeated. Cybele was usually portrayed with her
lions, signifying her link to the images of the Mother Goddess giving
birth between 2 felines found at the Neolithic site of Çatal
Höyük.
Kybele was the Phrygian Goddess of the Earth whose worship spread to
Greece and then throughout the Roman Empire. Once a year, on March 22nd,
a procession was held to celebrate the renewal of the earth. A pine
tree, symbolizing Kybele's wounded consort, Attis, was cut down, bandaged,
strung with violets and ribbons, and carried in the procession. The
pine tree, an evergreen, symbolized everlasting life; violets were said
to have sprung up where the blood of Attis touched the earth (Kybele).
On April 3rd and 4th a great festival was held to celebrate the regenerative
powers of Kybele as Great Mother, the earth. Her priests, the galli,
were self-emasculated eunuchs, attired in female garb and wearing long
hair, fragrant with ointment. This Drumming Goddess was worshiped for
thousands of years in Babylon, Egypt and Greece. Regally seated upon
her lion-throne, we can sense her queenship as Magna Mater of Rome.
During the transition to Christianity, Cybele's massive temple was replaced
by St. Peter's Basilica. Lapis Niger (black stone) is sacred to her,
as are lions, and her flower is the rose.
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