| In the ancient hills just 1.5 miles south
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| | Patriarchal Transformation of Epona
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| of the town of Uffington, England is a
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| | It appears that the original sacred
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| three-thousand year old drawing of a
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| | meaning of this divine feminine deity was
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| horse that is both elegant and
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| | altered by prevailing patriarchal values.
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| mysterious. Best seen from the air, the
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| | Horsemen from Gaul (now France) that were
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| remarkable stylized horse drawn with
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| | conscripted in the Roman conquest brought
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| white chalk is believed to represent
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| | the worship of Epona to Rome, where she
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| Epona, the Celtic horse goddess. The 374
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| | had her own holiday (December 18) as a
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| foot drawing was the focus of ancient
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| | goddess of war. Previously, Epona is
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| religious celebrations. Every seven
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| | known to have been widely revered as a
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| years, the horse drawing was ritually
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| | protector of horses, cattle, donkeys and
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| cleansed. Even today, the members of the
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| | oxen. Until the Christian era, roses were
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| English Heritage clean and maintain the
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| | used to decorate both horses and stables
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| beautiful drawing which calls to us with
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| | to honor Epona. Probably because of
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| an air of mystery.
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| | horses' critical role in warfare, and
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| Why Are Ancient Horse Goddesses Important
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| | Epona's role mediating between the lands
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| Today?
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| | of the living and the dead, the devotion
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| Epona, like the horse goddesses from
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| | to Epona became linked to the winning of
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| Celtic and other cultures, links the
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| | wars. The idea of Epona as a war goddess
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| horse, the divine and the feminine. These
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| | is repugnant, though it makes sense that
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| ancient myths and legends can still
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| | a mother may have prayed to Epona as a
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| inform us today and may help us
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| | strong feminine figure to protect her
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| understand the incredible draw that so
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| | sons and their horses fighting in a
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| many girls and women have to horses.
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| | faraway land.
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| Epona, depicted so beautifully on top of
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| | Epona's connection with nightmares was
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| the English hill, reminds us of a time
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| | probably a similar adaptation of her
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| when women and horses were sacred,
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| | original role in mediating day
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| honored, and free. So, who was Epona?
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| | consciousness, and the unique and
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| What did she represent? And how does she
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| | uncontrollable world of night dreams. As
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| speak to us today throughout the
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| | a crossroads figure, Epona was a mediator
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| millennia?
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| | between day and night, and between the
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| Who was Epona?
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| | living and the dead.
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| The name Epona comes from the Gaulish
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| | Epona is Re-emerging in the Culture
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| word epos, meaning horse. The "on" and
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| | Not much more is known about Epona, so it
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| the "a" at the end of Epona's name show
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| | is up to us to fill in the blanks with
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| that she was a female deity. Some
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| | our imagination. She is a very real
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| translations of Epona are "divine mare"
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| | presence that has resonance for many
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| and "she who is a mare."
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| | modern horsewomen. Countless women have
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| Epona was a deity that reigned over the
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| | taken Epona's name for their stables and
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| fertility of the land, who later became
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| | riding programs. Epona has appeared as a
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| the goddess of the equine race. Some
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| | character in the popular historical
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| historians suggest that she may even have
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| | fiction The Horse Goddess by Morgan
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| been the prototype for Lady Godiva, the
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| | Llywelyn. Judith Tarr is another novelist
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| woman who protested taxes levied on the
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| | who blends history with fiction in her
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| poor in 1057 by appearing nude upon her
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| | White Mare's Daughter series that
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| horse in Coventry, England.
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| | features reverence to the Horse Goddess.
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| In Germany, Epona was honored as a
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| | Epona's re-emergence in modern culture
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| psychopomp, or spirit guide for the dead.
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| | may speak to our need to honor the
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| In Ireland, she was associated with
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| | strength and resilience of women, and our
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| nightmares, and also with crossroads.
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| | connection with the divine feminine.
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| Throughout western Europe, small
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| | As we ponder Epona and the mysterious
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| devotional figures to Epona were widely
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| | Uffington horse drawing, it appears that
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| found in stables. Epona was clearly
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| | there are ancient stirrings at the heart
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| revered as a protective deity with deep
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| | of the deep love that modern girls and
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| connections to other realms of knowing.
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| | women have for their equine companions.
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