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Ancient Iberian Mythology Thread
I thought it would be cool having a thread about the old deities that used to exist in the Iberian pre roman religions
Some other deities and mythological creatures:
Ojancano:
The ojáncano or ojáncanu is a cyclopean giant from the Cantabrian tradition that embodies all the evil, the most negative and the wild. With different regional characteristics, it is known by different names. It is called Ojáncano, Jáncano or Páncano in Cantabria. In the Basque Country it responds to those of Tárta Torto, Anxo and Basajaun; although the latter in some versions does not have the negative connotations of Ojáncano, or is so unintelligent that it is easily mocked. In Asturias they call it Patarico. In Galicia, Olláparo –sometimes with another eye on the neck- and Ollapín –with only one on the neck-.
All versions agree that the face is completely round, yellowish in color, with beards like wild boar bristles, long, red like a flame. The hair is a less intense red. His only eye, in the middle of his forehead, shines like a candle, and is surrounded by pale wrinkles with blue dots. He is strong and has long arms; His voice, like thunder, resembles the roar of a bull in heat and, at sunset, he moos and foams at the mouth.
Apart from this data, the versions are very different, depending on the places where they are heard. It usually has ten fingers on each hand and foot, and two rows of teeth. Sometimes they tell us that he is tall and thin and that he covers himself with a brown coat; others, that he is practically naked and covers himself with his hair and beard, very long and greased with bear oil, leaving only the eye exposed.
His dwelling is located in deep caves with the entrance covered with weeds and stone falls, whose door is closed with a huge stone that no one but him can move. Its bed is located in the deepest area, made up of leaves, grasses and branches. Enraged by the strong wind of the storms, which entangles his beard in brambles, trees and bushes, he becomes angry and throws and breaks large rocks and trees. Sometimes he fights with stones with other Ojáncanos. They have been the ones who, at times like these, have made the gorges and precipices, and have cut down the mountains.
Among the evils that Cantabrian mythology attributes to this ogre is that of felling trees, blocking fountains, stealing sheep, kidnapping young shepherdesses, destroying bridges, killing chickens and cows, opening chasms and ravines, dragging rocks to the chamberas and brañas where it grazes. cattle, break tiles, steal images from churches and leave cows bojonas (with defective horns). Furthermore, it sows resentment, pride, envy and theft among the locals. Newborns were protected from being kidnapped by a mixture of holy water and bay leaf, to which they added flour if they were boys, but not if they were girls.
Like the anjana, it has the gift of metamorphosis, and can take on various forms to cause harm. He can transform into an old beggar and ask for shelter in any house, disappearing at dawn after having killed cows, sheep and chickens. Other times he steals savings and other objects from homes. In other versions, they transform into a robust tree on the side of the roads and when a cart with firewood or other cargo passes by, it collapses on the oxen. Other stories tell about robberies of beautiful shepherdesses and destruction of huts.
In addition to eating all the livestock and people he could get, although he always liked acorns, holly leaves and animals and corn stalks that he stole. But it also eats bats and birds such as swallows, as well as the stems of mulberry trees, and often steals trout and eels from fishermen.
He can be killed - according to various versions - by plucking a white hair from his red beard, or by hitting a hole in the center of his forehead with a stone. He also dies if he eats wild mushrooms or strawberries, or if he is touched on the head by an owl. Also when a flying toad touches the ojáncano, it dies if it does not get a green hazel leaf smeared in fox blood. According to tradition, when he is old enough, other young Ojáncanos are the ones who kill him, open his belly and distribute what is inside, burying him next to an oak tree. From the corpse of the ojáncana, after nine months, enormous worms emerge that the Ojáncana suckles with the blood from her breasts until when they are three years old they transform into ojáncanos and ojáncanas to begin the cycle of evils again.
His only friends are the cuegle and the crows; The latter usually inform them of what they see by landing next to their ear or on their nose. Its main enemy is the anjanas, since this is the antithesis of the goodness, of the sweetness of the Anjana. Where this puts affection, reward, humility and gift, the Ojáncano puts resentment, punishment, pride and theft. He chased them when he found them on his way; but these transformed or became invisible, and always managed to outwit him.
At the same time, there are versions that tell of the existence of kind Ojáncanos, one born every hundred years, who could even be caressed and they gratefully warned of the arrival of the bad Ojáncanos. This monster is considered the most popular being in the mythology of Cantabria.
There is a legend of an anjana who met an ojáncano one cold winter day, when the snow was falling non-stop. By attacking the wolves, he managed to scare them away, but they had damaged his only eye, so he wandered lost in the middle of the blizzard, scared and blind. The Anjana approached him, took his hand and took him to live with her. Since then, they were friends and remained close, taking her anjana out for walks on sunny days.
Ataecina:
Ataecina or Ataegina (Portuguese: Atégina) is a Hispanic goddess worshiped by the ancient Lusitanians, Carpetans and Celtiberians in the Iberian Peninsula, one of the most important ancient deities of the Iberian Peninsula. Although chthonic in character, she was also the goddess of spring, fertility, nature, the moon and healing. Due to these attributes it was assimilated by the Romans with Proserpina1 and by the Carthaginians with Tanit.
It is believed that the name Ataecina comes from the Celtiberian ate gena, "reborn." Sociologist Moisés Espírito Santo states that the name combines Atta and Jana, the former an epithet for the archetypal mother goddess and the latter the name of the Roman deity Jana (female form of Janus) or possibly Diana, the Moon goddess. This sociologist also affirms that Ataecina is a composite deity that arises from syncretic tendencies.
Ataecina had a cult of devotio, in which she was called to ask for a cure or, occasionally, to curse someone, the result of which could range from minor afflictions to death. On the other hand, in many inscriptions the nickname servatrix, conservator of health, is attached to it. The sacred animal associated with Ataecina was the goat.
The cult of Ataecina spread especially in Lusitania and a part of Baetica; There were also sanctuaries dedicated to Ataecina in Elvas (Portugal) and Mérida and Cáceres in Spain, as well as other towns near the Guadiana. She was one of the main deities worshiped in Myrtilis (currently Mértola, Portugal), Pax Julia (Beja, Portugal) and especially in the city of Turobriga.45 She is also known from various inscriptions in the Tagus and Baetis valleys ( Guadalquivir), where she was assimilated to the Roman goddess Proserpina: ATAEGINA TURIBRIGENSIS PROSERPINA. She was often depicted holding a cypress branch. In Alcuéscar it had its most important sanctuary. In Malpartida de Cáceres it also had a sanctuary.6 The cult of Ataecina expanded to many places in Hispania, especially during the time of the Roman Empire.7 and after the expansion of Christianity it could have been assimilated with that of Santa Lucía.2
Mari (goodess):
Mari or Maddi is the main goddess of pre-Christian Basque mythology. It is a female divinity that lives in all the summits of the Basque mountains, receiving a name for each mountain (in addition to being related to and sometimes confused with Amalur). The most important of his dwellings is the cave on the east face of Anboto, which is known as "Mari's Cave" ("Mariren Koba" or "Mariurrika Kobea"), which attributes the name "Mari of Anboto" to Mari. » or «Lady of Anboto» (“Anbotoko Lady”). It also exists in Aragonese mythology under the name of Mariuena.
Mari, personification of Mother Earth, is queen of nature and all the elements that make it up. It generally appears with the body and face of a woman, elegantly dressed (usually in green), and can also appear in the hybrid form of a tree and a woman with the legs of a goat and the claws of a bird of prey, or as a woman of fire, a fiery rainbow. or a horse that drags the clouds.12 In her form as a woman she appears with abundant blonde hair that she combs, in the sun, with a gold comb.
His consort is Maju or Sugaar, his assistants are the Sorginas, and he has two sons: Mikelatz (or Mikelats, the wicked son) and Atarrabi (or Atagorri, the kind son), who are always at odds, an early Christian representation of good and evil. (Bat-arra-bi is the version suggested by Jorge Oteiza, in The White Book of Pre-Indo-European, to solve the sonema that is missing in the etymology he proposes).
It lives in caves in different mountains, although its main residence is located in the cave located in the impressive eastern vertical wall of Amboto, just below the summit. In these caves he receives his faithful, who must follow a strict protocol:
You should address him on a familiar basis (speaking to him in Hika).
You have to exit the cave the same way you entered.
You should never sit down, even if you are invited to do so, while talking to her.
Mari is the lady of the earth and meteors. It has control over the forces of the climate and the interior of the earth. Among its missions is to punish lies, theft and pride. From it come the goods of the earth and the water of the springs.
With men she behaves in a tyrannical way, or quite the opposite, she makes them fall in love by showing herself as a docile and hard-working woman, but always with the aim of imparting justice through the rule of no: if you lie, denying that you have something that you do It's yours, Mari takes it from you. Thus, effectively, you no longer have it, and justice occurs. It portends storms and determines the weather. It is also known for its ability to fly. When he is in his abode in Amboto, the summit is among clouds; This is the manifestation of his presence.
Although all these legends on which the tradition of Mari is based are later than Christianity, Mari is more similar to Gaea, since she lives in caves, and to all the goddesses of fertility and love, for the same reason, and because she provides fruits and gifts.
However, not all researchers agree with this identification. For anthropologist Anuntzi Arana, Mari has more similarities with the supreme celestial gods Zeus or Jupiter, since, like them, she governs meteorological phenomena and dispenses justice.
(i'll post more info later)
Edit: Any new addition or correction from anyone will be of course welcome.
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Originally Posted by Mopi Licinius Crassus
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