Homenaje a Ignacio Barandiarán Maestu / coord. por Javier Fernández Eraso, Juan Santos Yanguas.[EN] The inscription "Sena[e] on" a small votive altar from Saint-Bertrand de-Comminges is interpreted as a further instance of the Old Celtic theonym SENA «The Old One», which we find worshipped under various forms in Britain, Gaul, Noricum and Spain, and to which, according to Pomponius Mela, an important sanctuary was dedicated on the Ile de Sein in front of Point du Raz (Dép. Finistère)

De Bernardo Stempel, Patrizia

Veleia

Spanish

Archivo Digital para la Docencia y la Investigación

VELEIA, 2425 12031206, 20072008 ISSN 0213  2095THE OLD CELTIC GODDESS SENA: A NEW TESTIMONY FROM AQUITANIAAbstract: The inscription Sena[e] on a small votive altar from Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges is interpreted as a further instance of the Old Celtic theonym SENA «B e Old One» which we fi nd worshipped under various forms in Britain, Gaul, Noricum and Spain and to which, according to Pomponius Mela, an important sanctuary was dedicated on the Ile de Sein in front of Point du Raz (Dép. Finistère).Key-words: Aquitania, Bibracte, Britain, Celtic theonyms, dea Sena, dea Senuna, deae Senae, deus Senaicos, deus Veter, dii/deae Veteres, Hispania, Ile de Sein, Noricum, Pomponius Mela, RIG-L-82i, Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges.B e Celtic goddess SENA «B e Old» is named, probably in the dative singular Senae1, as the fi rst word on a small votive altar (cm. 16,4 x 10 x 8,2) found in 1938 in Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, where it had been reused in the medieval wall of the north terrace of the cathedral.B e inscription SENA[E] in comparatively big and regular characters (2,3 cm. high) seems to occupy if not the whole at least the larger part of the fi rst and only line preserved of the dedication, the inscribed fi eld extending to a width of 6,5 cm.B e arula has been published —with a good photograph— as no. 53 in the 1988 collection by Sablayrolles and Schenck of all the votive altars in the Musée Archéologique Départemental de Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges. Unfortunately, though, the editors did not recognize the Celtic dei-ty as such, therefore tentatively suggesting that «La seule ligne conservée de l’inscription, qui paraît être la première du champ épigraphique, contient peut-être le nom du dédicant» (1988, p. 62). Even less satisfactory is their proposal «on peut songer à un surnom du type de Sena[tor]» (Sablayrolles & Schenck 1988, 62).To begin with, our altar is not in any respect diff erent from the almost totality of those found in Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, where —with just one possible exception— the deity is named fi rst. Moreover, it stems from the high sector of the town, where inscribed altars beginning with dedica-tions I(ovi) O(ptimo) M(aximo), deo Marti and Aberri deo were found2. In addition, it was probably matched by altar no. 72 which, also stemming from the «high-town», begins with an S [---] and shows an isolated L (for l(ibens)) towards the end of what seems to be the fourth (and possibly last or penultimate) line of the inscribed fi eld3. Secondly, the deity SENA represents the same theonym that was discovered 2002 in Noricum, on a votive altar dedicated by C. A. Firmin(i)us and Cl. Secundus or Severus and later inserted in the church of the town of Tiff en4. Here it is attested in the dative Senabos from a nominative plural 1 But cf. infra on the possibility of a dative plural Senabos.2 Cf. the nos. 5, 17, 18, 19 and 33 of the collection and also the table in Sablayrolles & Schenck 1988, p. 62. For the composition of what might have been the pan-theon of a similar multicultural akropolis cf. De Bernar-do & García 2008.3 Cf. the photograph in Sablayrolles & Schenck 1988, p. 72.4 Dolenz & De Bernardo 2004.1204 PATRIZIA DE BERNARDO STEMPELVELEIA, 2425, 20072008SENAE: actually documented as SENA[BOS] «to the venerable old women/ goddesses»5, it represents a possibility that we cannot entirely discard also for the altar of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, even if the inscribed fi eld of the latter seems to have been decidedly narrower.In any case, being what I call «number variation» a very frequent phenomenon in Celtic religion6, there is no need for assuming that the deity was worshipped in the same number both in Aquitania and Noricum.Another instance of SENA, this time in the singular and on a silver leaf from Britain, has been recently published by Tomlin7 together with many dedications to a new and probably related goddess SENUNA. B e fact that the dedication Senae appears in the same hoard with the latter could imply that it represents a shortened form *Sen(un)ae, were it not for the dedicant’s theophoric name Lucilia Sena. Moreover, the ending -una is also attested in theophoric derivative names such as Sacr-una or Vib-únna.Also in Britain, we fi nd many dedications to the Celtic deity under its «translatio Latina»8: to-gether with the plural manifestation contained in deabus Vitiribus, also a specifi c masculine form is worshipped, both as a singular and as a plural deity, as we see in the dedications deo Veteri and dibus Veteribus9.Moreover, given the existence of instances where the «translatio Latina» of an indigenous deity accompanies its Celtic name in one and the same dedication, it is even possible to think that in variants such as Hvitiribus and deo Hveteri, dibus Hveteribus the initial H- represented a shortening of the original Celtic name10 with an aspirated initial *S-11, i.e. H(enis) Vitiribus, deo H(eno) Veteri, dibus H(enis) Veteribus12.In Bibracte (Mont Beuvray), a graffi  to Seno in the dative singular on the bottom of the vase RIG-L-82i may represent a votive off ering to the same god SENOS implied by some of the British dedications.Related to SENA at least semantically, i.e. if it is not a further case of «variatio generis» of the dei-ty13, is the Hispanic god SENAICOS : attested in a dedication Senaico, made by a devotee from Can-tabria, it goes back to an older form SENACIOS meaning «B e Old» or perhaps «B e Older One»14 and attested in the personal (theophoric?) onomastics of the Iberian Peninsula (nomen Senacia and cognomen Senacianus/-a15)16. 5 «den ehrwürdigen Alten (Göttinnen)»: Dolenz & De Bernardo 2004, p. 741.6 De Bernardo Stempel 2004/07.7 I am deeply indebted to Manfred Hainzmann, editor of the proceedings of the Colloquium «Instru-menta inscripta Latina» (Klagenfurt, 5th-9th May 2005) in which the contribution «Dea Senuna: a new goddess from Britain» by R.S.O. Tomlin is going to appear, for providing me with a copy of the paper.8 As to this specifi c type of «Interpretatio» cf. De Bernardo Stempel 2005/i.p., and also eadem 2003/07, 2006/i.p. and De Bernardo & Hainzmann 2006.9 Note that, in addition to «number variation», also «gender variation» is a very frequent phenomenon in Celtic religion (De Bernardo Stempel 2004/06).10 Resp. SENAE (fem.pl.), SENOS (masc.sg.), SENI (masc.pl.).11 Note that beside s- > h-, which is the normal dev-elopment in Brittonic, there is also some evidence of *s> 0 in a few specifi c Continental Celtic areas.12 On the contrary, the Germanicized MATRONAE VE-TERANAEHAE repeatedly known from Germany were prob-ably not related to the SENAE but to the Roman veterans.13 Cf. supra note 9.14 I.e. with an expression of the comparative grade similar to the one found in Welsh (De Bernardo Stempel 1989).15 OPEL s.vv. and Abascal Palazón 1994, p. 503. 16 On the theonym, cf. already De Bernardo Stem-pel 2003, p. 52; Dolenz & De Bernardo 2004, p. 739 with discussion of earlier bibliography in note 21. —B e phonetic law VCyV > ViCV, which operates in Celtibe-ria and some other territories of the Iberian Peninsula (where it even survives as a substratal feature in the mo-dern Romance and Basque dialects), was identifi ed in De Bernardo Stempel 1999/2001 and 2002. THE ‘OLD’ CELTIC GODDESS SENA: A NEW TESTIMONY FROM AQUITANIA 1205VELEIA, 2425, 20072008Also in the Iberian Peninsula, the translated VETERES are attested as MATRES from Porcuna (Jaén)17. Finally, if further proof were needed, the existence of a Celtic goddess SENA is confi rmed around 43/44 AD18 by Pomponius Mela, who in the 3rd book of his De Chorographia Libri Tres speaks of those Celtic islands quas quia plumbo abundant uno omnes nomine Cassiteridas appellant19, setting then forth in chapter 48:Sena in Britannico mare Ossismicis adversa litoribus, Gallici numinis oraculo insignis est [...]20. Furthermore, the hitherto neglected passage in Pomponius Mela not only accounts for the popularity of the goddess in Britain, the island being situated in Britannico mare21, but also for her plural manifestations, since her female priests perpetua verginitate sanctae numero novem esse traduntur; Gallizenas vocant, which is evidently the faithful transcription of the original *Galli Senas vocant with the regular Celtic lenition of the intervocalic sibilant at the beginning of the both Celtic and Latin accusative of the plural Senae22, whom the same Gauls considered endowed with magic powers: putantque ingeniis singularibus praeditas maria ac ventos concitare carmini-bus, seque in quae velint animalia vertere, sanare quae apud alios insanabilia sunt, scire ventura et praedicare[...]23.P  B SP.O. Box 823 / apartado postal 823E-01080 Vitoria-Gasteizpatrizia.debernardo@ehu.esRA P, J.M., 1994, Los nombres personales en las inscripciones latinas de Hispania, Murcia (Anejos de antigüe-dad y cristianismo 2).B = Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, ed. by R.J.A. Talbert, Princeton / N.J., 2000.B H., 1997, Kelten: Versuch einer Gesamtdarstellung ihrer Kultur, Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften.C, G., 1906=2006, Additions to Alfred Holder’s Celtic  esaurus together with [...], ed. by P. Sims-Williams, Aberyst-wyth: CMCS, 2006.B, K., 1994, Pomponius Mela: Kreuzfahrt durch die Alte Welt (De chorographia: zweisprachige Ausgabe), Darm-stadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft.D B S, P., 1989, «Britannischer Komparativ und Konsonantenver dop pel ung», Indogermanische For-schungen 94, pp. 207-233.17 Olivares Pedreño 2002, p. 122 with references. —On the «translatio Latina» cf. supra in note 8.18 According to Brodersen 1994, p. 2.19 Chapter 47; on cassi- and the Old Celtic metal names cf. De Bernardo Stempel 1998, chapter 2.20 Brodersen 1994, p. 160 (with German translation p. 161), bold characters by the present author.21 Identifi ed with the Ile de Sein in front of Point du Raz, Dép. Finistère, cf. Birkhan 1997, 919; Barrington, map 7: B3; Cousin 1906=2006, p. 465; Sims-Williams 2006, pp.109 and 144.22 Birkhan 1997, 919f.; too many now unnecessary conjectures in Maier 1997.23 sed nonnisi dedita navigantibus, et in id tantum, ut se consulerent profectis (Brodersen 1994, pp. 160-163).1206 PATRIZIA DE BERNARDO STEMPELVELEIA, 2425, 20072008,1998, «Minima Celtica zwischen Sprach- und Kulturgeschichte: 1. Zum Namen der Kelten im Westen; 2. “Zinn” und andere Entlehnungen im Bereich der Metallterminologie; 3. Der Wagentyp carpentum; 4. Nochmals zu gall. cantalon (R.I.G.-L-9)», in P. Anreiter, L. Bartosiewicz, E. Jerem, W. Meid (eds.), Man and the Animal World: Studies in Archaeozoology, Archaeology, Anthro po logy and Pa laeo linguistics in memoriam S. Bökönyi, Budapest: Ar chaeo lingua 9, pp. 601-610., 1999/2001, «Grafemica e fonologia del celtiberico: 1. Nuovi dati sulle vocali mute; 2. Una nuova legge fonetica che genera dittonghi; 3. Fonti e fasi di sviluppo della sibilante sonora», in F. Villar, M.P. Fernández Álvarez (eds.), Reli-gión, lengua y cultura prerromanas de Hispania (Actas del 8º Coloquio sobre lenguas y culturas prerromanas de la Península Ibérica, Salamanca 1999), Salamanca: Universidad (Acta Salmanticensia, Estudios fi lológicos 283), pp. 319-334., 2002, «Centro y áreas laterales: la formación del celtibérico sobre el fondo del celta peninsular hispano», Pa-laeohispanica 2, pp. 89-132., 2003, «Die sprachliche Analyse keltischer B eonyme», Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 53, pp. 41-69 (reprinted in: J. Gorrochategui, P. de Bernardo Stempel [eds.], 2004, Die Kelten und ihre Religion im Spiegel der epigraphischen Quellen: Akten des 3. F.E.R.C.AN.-Workshops/ Los Celtas y su religión a través de la epigrafía: Actas del III Workshop F.E.R.C.AN, Vitoria-Gasteiz, septiembre de 2000, Vitoria-Gasteiz: Anejos de Veleia, Series maior 11, pp. 197-225)., 2003/07, «Einheimische, keltische und keltisierte Gottheiten der Narbonensis im Vergleich», in M. Hainzmann (ed.), Auf den Spuren keltischer Götterverehrung: Akten des 5. F.E.R.C.AN-Kolloquiums, Graz, Oktober 2003, Wien: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (Philosophisch-historische Klasse: Mitteilungen der Prähistorischen Kommission, Bd. 64), pp. 67-79., 2004/06, «B eonymic Gender and Number Variation as a Characteristic of Old Celtic Religion», in M.V. García Quintela, F.J. González García, F. Criado Boado (eds.), Anthropology of the Indo-European World and Material Cultu-re: Proceedings of the 5th International Colloquium of Comparative Mythology and Anthropology (Santiago de Compostela, September 2004), Budapest: Archaeolingua (vol. 20), pp. 31-47., 2005/i.p., «Continuity, Translatio and Identifi catio in Gallo-Roman Religion: B e Case of Britain», in T. King, R. Häussler (eds.), Continuity and Innovation in Religion in the Roman West: Proceedings of the 6th International F.E.R.C.AN. Workshop, London, April 2005, Supplement vol. 67 (part 2) to  e Journal of Roman Archaeology., 2006/i.p., «More Names, Fewer Deities: Complex B eonymic Formulas and the B ree Types of Interpretatio», in: J. d’Encarnaçâo (ed.), Proceedings of the VIIth workshop F.E.R.C.AN. (Cascais, 25-27 May 2006). D B S, P., M.V. 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The "old" Celtic goddess Sena: a new testimony from Aquitania

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The "old" Celtic goddess Sena: a new testimony from Aquitania

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