"Isis" of the Suebi
In
Attestation
In chapter 9 of Germania, Tacitus, employing interpretatio romana (a process in which what an author deems Roman equivalents are listed in place of non-Roman deity names), says that the Suebi principally venerate "Mercury", and that they regard it as sacral to offer him both human and non-human sacrifices on specific dates (unprovided). The Suebi also worship "Mars" and "Hercules", whom they appease by offering animals in a traditional manner. Tacitus adds that a part of the Suebi, however, venerate "Isis", although he admits that he doesn't know how worship of Isis could have been imported:
Latin:
Birley translation:
- Part of the Suebi sacrifice to Isis as well. I have little idea what the origin or explanation of this foreign cult is, except that the goddess's emblem, which resembles a light warship, indicates that the goddess came from abroad.[2]
Rives translation:
Theories and interpretations
While Tacitus's "Mercury", "Mars", and "
In a 2012 paper, Joseph S. Hopkins and Haukur Þorgeirsson propose a connection between a Vanir goddess, particularly Freyja, and the ship symbolism of the "Isis" of the Suebi. The two propose that Old Norse texts mentioning Fólkvangr and Sessrúmnir present an image of a 'ship in the field', implying a strong association between Freyja and ship imagery, particularly the stone ships of Scandinavia.[5]
See also
- Baduhenna, a Germanic goddess mentioned by Tacitus in his Annals
- Nerthus, a Germanic goddess mentioned by Tacitus in his Germania
- Regnator omnium deus, a Germanic god mentioned by Tacitus in his Germania
- Tamfana, a Germanic goddess mentioned by Tacitus in his Annals
Notes
References
- Birley, A. R. (Trans.) (1999). Agricola and Germany. ISBN 978-0-19-283300-6
- Rives, J. B. (Trans.) (2010). Agricola and Germania. ISBN 978-0-14-045540-3
- Stuart, Duane Reed (1916). Tacitus - Germania. The Macmillan Company.
- Hopkins, Joseph S. and Haukur Þorgeirsson (2012). "The Ship in the Field". RMN Newsletter 3, 2011:14-18. University of Helsinki.