Nehalennia Goddess Of Abundance

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"NEHALENNIA" IS AN ANCIENT FERTILITY GODDESS WHO IS ASSOCIATED WITH ABUNDANCE AND SEA-FARING; SHE IS HONORED IN THE NETHERLANDS. SHE WAS PROBABLY A GODDESS OF ABUNDANCE AND PROTECTION WHO WAS PARTICULARLY REVERED AS THE GODDESS OF SEAFARERS. SHE IS FREQUENTLY PORTRAYED WITH SYMBOLS OF SEA TRAVEL, SUCH AS AN OAR, AS WELL AS SYMBOLS OF ABUNDANCE SUCH AS A CORNUCOPIA OR A BASKET OF FRUITS. SINCE THIS ALSO SYMBOLIZES FERTILITY, IT SUGGESTS THAT SHE MAY HAVE ALSO BEEN A GODDESS OF FERTILITY.

OTHER ASPECTS OF THIS GODDESS ARE THE APPLES SHE HOLDS AND THE DOG IN A PROTECTIVE POSE THAT ALMOST ALWAYS ACCOMPANIES HER. THE DOG AS A SACRED ANIMAL IS ASSOCIATED WITH DIVINATION. IT IS ALSO A CREATURE ASSOCIATED WITH BOTH HUNTING AND THE "OTHERWORLD." THIS SUGGESTS THAT "NEHALENNIA "PRESIDED OVER A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES SUCH AS HEALING, DEATH, AND REBIRTH, AS WELL AS THE SEA, AND WAS POSSIBLY VIEWED AS A PROTECTRESS OF AND GODDESS OF PROSPERITY IN THIS WORLD AND THE NEXT.

MANY OF THE SHRINES DEDICATED TO HER WERE ERECTED BY NAVAL TRADERS, PROBABLY AFTER SURVIVAL OF A STORM WHICH WOULD EXPLAIN HER ASSOCIATION WITH NAVAL VESSELS. AT THE TIME THAT SHE WAS WORSHIPED, STONE ALTARS WERE THROWN INTO THE SEA IN HER HONOR.

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