Nantosuelta is a continental Celtic Goddess Whose distinctive attribute is a little house (or temple or dovecote) on a pole. Her name means either 'Meandering Stream' or 'Sunlit Valley'; given that Her worship was centered on the Moselle River valley they both do seem to apply, though it should be noted that of the representations we have of Her She is not actually shown with watery imagery. She can be shown with fruit (or bread loaves), as well as something that could be a beehive; She has accordingly been assumed to be a Goddess of happy and prosperous domesticity. However, She is also often shown with a raven, indicating a darker or more complex aspect to Her, as the raven is invariably a bird of death or battle in Celtic myth. Her cult-partner is the hammer-God Sucellos; as He is associated with the wine harvest I thought an autumnal setting was appropriate. I've made Her shawl burgundy-colored, both to allude to the wine and the region; I've made Her hair blue-black to match the raven (who won't fit in that little birdhouse!) in a style taken from La Tène Celtic art. The original is in acrylics and is about ten inches tall. Done for the October Goddess by Request over on my Patreon.This design is available on prints through ArtPal and on greeting cards through Zazzle. |