Damona

In Gallo-Roman religion, Damona was a goddess worshipped in Gaul as the consort of Apollo Borvo and of Apollo Moritasgus.

Name

The theonym Damona is a derivative of the Proto-Celtic stem *damo-, meaning 'bull' or 'deer' (cf. Old Irish dam 'bull, deer'; also *damato- > Middle Welsh dafad 'sheep', Old Cornish dauat 'ewe'), itself from Proto-Indo-European *dmh₂o- ('the tamed one'). The Latin noun damma, which is the source of French daim ('roe'), is probably a loanword from Gaulish. The root *dmh₂- is also presumably reflected in the British tribal name Demetae, interpreted as meaning 'Tamers'.^[1][2]

Cult

Dedication to Borvo and Damona

Damona and Bormana have been described as the patron deities of the hot springs at Bourbonne-les-Bains and Saint-Vulbas, respectively.^[3][4] Some seventeen inscriptions dedicated to Damona have been recovered, including nine from Bourbonne-les-Bains and four from Bourbon-Lancy, both spa towns in eastern France. In one inscription from Saintes, she has the epithet Matubergini.^[5]

Inscriptions and dedications

There are several inscriptions relating to Damona,^[6] including two inscriptions in Bourbon-Lancy (CIL 13, 02805), discovered in 1792.

C (aius) Iulius Eporedirigis f (ilius) Magnus / pro L (ucio) Iulio Caleno filio / Bormoni and Damonae / vot (um) sol (vit)

and (CIL 13, 02806), where Damona is also included in dedications to Borvo, (CIL 13, 02807) and (CIL 13, 02808):

Borvoni and Damonae / T (itus) Severius Mo / destus [o] mnib (us) / h [o] n [orib (us)] and offi [ciis]

The other large site associated with Damona is Bourbonne-les-Bains, there are nine dedications to the goddess of the waters, including (CIL 13, 05911):

Deo Apol / lini Borvoni / et Damonae / C (aius) Daminius / Ferox civis / Lingonus ex / voto

and (CIL 13, 05914):

Borvoni / and Damon (ae) / Aemilia / Sex (ti) fil (ia) / M [3] S

with (CIL 13, 05921):

Damonae Aug (ustae) / Claudia Mossia and C (aius) Iul (ius) Superstes fil (ius) / l (ocus) d (atus) ex d (ecreto) d (ecurionum) v (otum) s (olverunt) l ( ibentes) m (erito)

Damona also appears in dedications to Chassenay, associated with Albius and Alise-Sainte-Reine. An inscription was found bearing Damona's name in Alesia in 1962, where she was worshipped with Apollo Moritasgus^[7][8][9] (CIL 13, 11233):

Aug (usto) sacr (um) / deo Albio and Damonae Sex (tus) Mart (ius) / Cocillus ex iussu eius v (otum) s (olvit) l (ibens) m (erito)

and (CAG-21-01):

Deo Apollini Moritasgo [and] / Damonae P (ublius) Pontius Apolli [naris]

Finally, there is an inscription in Rivières.^[10]

   Jullia Malla Malluronis fîl (ia) numinibus Augustorum et deae Damonae Matuherginni (?) Ob memoriam Sulpiciae Silvanae filiae suae de suo posuit