Andraste

Andraste , also Andrasta or Adrasta (according to Miranda Green & Helmut Birkhan "impregnable", "invincible") is probably a goddess of war from Britain . A corruption of the name from Andarta , assumed by some authors, has no solid etymological basis.

mythology

Andrasta is known for her connection to the Celtic Ikenian queen and military leader Boudicca . It is said that Boudicca called them for help during the revolt against the Romans . According to legend, Boudicca let a hare run before a decisive battle in order to prophesy the outcome of the fight from its direction of escape. The rabbit was - next to the raven - Andrastes symbol animal, a fertility symbol , which indicates further functions of the goddess.

Andraste is the only Celtic goddess of war whose name we learn from the writings of Graeco-Romanic commentators. It was mentioned by Cassius Dio in his work Historia Romana (62.6).

The Andraste cult, as a cult of a deadly battle goddess, showed cruel features. Allegedly, the mutilation of Roman women that Boudicca had carried out in AD 61 was a sacrifice for Andraste. In a forest dedicated to Andraste, in honor of Boudicca, she is said to have made human sacrifices in addition to rabbits.

See also

• List of Celtic gods and legendary figures
• Celtic religion
• Celtic mythology

literature

• Miranda Aldhouse-Green: Celtic goddesses: warriors, virgins and mothers . British Museum press, London 1995, ISBN 0-7141-2303-X , pp. 31–38 ( excerpt from Google book search).
• Helmut Birkhan : Celts. Attempt to present an overall picture of their culture . Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-7001-2609-3 .
• Bernhard Maier : Lexicon of Celtic Religion and Culture (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 466). Kröner, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-520-46601-5 .
• John T. Koch: Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia . ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara Calif. [u. a.] 2006, ISBN 1-85109-440-7 , pp. 52 ( limited preview in Google Book search).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Miranda Green: Celtic Goddesses . British Museum Press, London 1995, p. 32
2. ^ Bernhard Maier: Lexicon of the Celtic religion and culture. P. 26.
3. ↑ Miranda Green: Celtic Goddesses . British Museum Press, London 1995, p. 31
4. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt to present an overall picture of their culture . Pp. 652-653.