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Cantabrian mythology refers to the myths, teachings and legends of theCantabri, a pre-RomanCeltic people of the north coastal region ofIberia (Spain). Over time, Cantabrian mythology was likely diluted byCeltic mythology andRoman mythology with some original meanings lost. Later, the ascendancy ofChristendom absorbed or ended thepagan rites of Cantabrian, Celtic and Roman mythology leading to asyncretism. Some relics of Cantabrian mythology remain.
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Some relics and remnants of Cantabrian worship of protective divinities survive. One example is theCantabrian stele of Barros which suggests worship of a sun god. Another example may be theBonfires of Saint John coinciding with thesummer solstice. A bronze sculpture found near the town of Herrera inCamargo, Cantabria suggests worship of a male figure. Such a figure would have been absorbed into theRoman worship ofJupiter.
Strabo,Horace andSilius Italicus write of a Cantabrian god of war, later identified with the RomanMars. The Cantabrian god of war was offered sacrifices of malegoats,horses, or large numbers ofprisoners.[1][2][3] These large sacrifices, or "hecatombs" were accompanied by the drinking of the still warm blood of the horses.
The Cantabrians considered horses to be sacred animals.Tacitus (56–120 AD) mentions that the Germanic people believed this. InGermania X (98 AD), he wrote,se sacerdotes enim ministros deorum, illos equos conscios putant ("the horses themselves think of the priests as ministers of the gods").Horace (65 BC – 8 BC) writes,et laetum equino sanguine Concanum ("the Cantabrians, drunk on horses' blood").[4]
Julio Caro Baroja suggests there may have been an equestrian deity among Hispanian Celts, similar to that of the otherEuropean Celts. The Celtic goddess of the horses, worshipped even in Rome wasEpona, which in ancient Cantabria was calledEpane. Some link sacrifice of horses with the Celtic variant of the god Mars and that horses represented Mars'reincarnation.[5] AtNumantia, where there are ruins of an Iberian Celtic settlement, relics depicting the horse god are decorated with solar signs.
Human sacrifices by the Cantabrians are reported by SaintMartin of Braga.[6] They were similar to those of the Celts ofGaul in purpose. The victim wore a thintunic. Their right hand was cut off andconsecrated to the gods. The fall of the victim and the condition of their entrails were used to predict the future while at the same time, the people sought redemption from the gods.[7]
The Cantabrians, being an agrarian society, worshipped fertility mother goddesses related to theMoon and influencing the phases ofsowing and gathering ofcrops.
A Celtic group worshipping a sea god was assimilated to that of the RomanNeptune. A statuette of this deity showing features of Cantabrian divinity, was found inCastro Urdiales.
The Cantabrians believed in the immortality of the spirit.Cremation was the preferred burial custom. However, fallen soldiers were left lying in the battlefield untilvultures savaged the entrails. This meant the soldier's soul was taken to the afterlife and reunited with their ancestors in glory. This practice is recorded in the engravings of theCantabrian stele ofZurita.
Self-sacrifice, for instance by immolation and especially by a military leader, was considered an important way of fulfilling the will of the gods for the collective good. In thedevotio, a leader or general would offer himself in battle as a sacrifice to the gods in order to secure victory for his army.[8]
Mythology that is connected to the worship of the Mother Earth, is derived from thedivinization of animals, trees, mountains and waters as elementary spirits. This was common to the peoples who received Celtic influences.
Some sacred sites such as that atPico Dobra, inBesaya Valley date to Pre-Roman times. On the other hand, there is an altar dedicated to the godErudinus, dated to 399 AD, demonstrating that in Cantabria, these rites persisted after the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of theRoman Empire. Certain place names also indicate the presence of ancient sacred places. These includePeña Sagra ("Sacred Mount"),Peña Santa ("Saint Mount"),Mozagro (Montem sacrum or "Sacred Mount") andMontehano (montem fanum or "Mount of the Sanctuary"). TheConvent of Saint Sebastian of Hano dates to the 14th century AD but a small chapel pre-existed the monastery on the same site.
Divinization also occurred with respect to rivers and bodies of water. AtMount Cildá there was an area dedicated to the mother goddess,Mater Deva, a personification of theriver Deva. AtOtañes there was a ritual took place dedicated to thenymph of a spring that had medicinal properties.Pliny the Elder[9] mentions the existence of three intermittent springs in Cantabria. TheTamaric Fountains were worshiped by the Cantabrians as a source of prophetic omens. Pliny recorded the existence of three fountains near one another whose waters joined in one pond. There, the flow would stop for between 12 and 20 days. The cessation of the flow was interpreted by the people as a negative sign.Suetonius, in a story about the life ofGalba, records Galba's finding of twelveaxes in a lake during his stay in Cantabria. Suetonius mentions this as a sign of gooddivination.[10]Votive offerings were left there suggesting a tradition of cults related to the lakes.[11] These offerings to the Waters of Stips included bronze coins of low value, as well as other pieces of higher value such asdenari,aurei andsolidi. Such items were found atLa Hermida,Peña Cutral,Alceda and at theHíjar river.
The forests were also divinized by a group with clear Celtic influences. Some species of trees were especially respected such as theyew and theoak.Silius,Florus,Pliny andIsidore of Seville wrote of Cantabrians committing suicide by taking the poison of the yew leaf.[12] Death was preferred over slavery.[13][14][15][16] Yew trees were planted in town squares, cemeteries, churches, chapels, palaces and big houses as they were considered a "witness tree". An ancient yew tree grows beside the church ofSaint Mary of Lebeña. The sacred site dates to pre-Roman times. Meetings of the town council took place in the shade of the tree.[17]
The oak is a sacred species forDruids. It features in the Celticritual of oak and mistletoe where mistletoe is cut from the boughs of the oak tree. In Cantabria, the oak is a part of folklore, and symbolic andmagic beliefs. The oak was used as aMaypole, a pole that presides over festivities, around which people danced to celebrate the rebirth of vegetation in Spring.[citation needed] The oak symbolized the union between thesky and theearth, as the axis of the world.[citation needed] The oak played a role in ceremonies to attractrain andfire as it would attractlightning strikes.[citation needed]
Oaks,beeches,hollyoaks and yews were used by Cantabrians as places of tribal meetings where religious and secularlaws were taught. Until recent times, it was usual to convene open meetings under very old trees. For example, the meetings ofTrasmiera convened atHoz de Anero,Ribamontán al Monte, under a hollyoak tree.
In Cantabrian mythology there were dates that held significance. For example, during thesummer solstice, the "night is magic". Tradition says thatCaballucos del Diablu (Damselflies, "Devil's little horses") andwitches lose their power after dusk and thecuranderos (folk healers) gain control over them. When collected at dawn, aclover with four leaves, the fruit of theelderberry, the leaves of thewillow,common juniper andtree heath cure and bring happiness. AtChristmas time, (winter solstice) the Cantabrians held ceremonies stemming from the ancient cults to trees, fire and water. The sources of the rivers and the balconies of the houses were dressed with flowers. People danced and jumped over fires.
Specific moments of the day such astwilight were important. Cantabrians spoke of the "Sun of the Dead", referring to that last part of the day when the sun was still visible. They believed that last glimpse of the sun was sent by thedead and that it marked the moment when the dead came back to life. It may have related to a solar cult.[18]
The Cantabrian people believed in not only telluric and natural divinities, but also other fabulous beings. The people loved or feared them and maintained legends about them. There are many such beings in Cantabrian mythology.
TheOjáncanu ("Sorrow of Cantabria"), acyclopsgiant, represented evil, cruelty and brutality. It was the Cantabrian version of the GreekPolyphemus. Beings similar to theOjáncanu are found in other pantheons such asExtremadurian mythology in which it is the Jáncanu, Pelujáncanu or Jáncanas.[19][20][21] It is also found in theBasque mythology asTartalo orTorto. The Ojáncana or Juáncana was the wife of the Ojáncanu. She was more ruthless and killed her children.
TheAnjana was the antithesis of the Ojáncanu and the Ojáncana. Anjana was a good and generousfairy who protected the honest, lovers and those who became lost in the woods or on roads.
Thegoblins were a large group of little mythological creatures, most of them mischievous. There were two groups. One was the domestic goblins who lived in or around houses and included theTrasgu and the Trastolillu. The other was the forest goblins, theTrenti and theTentiruju.
Other beings in Cantabrian mythology include theVentolín, theCaballucos del Diablu, theNuberu, theMusgosu, theCulebre, and theRamidreju.
TheSirenuca ("Little Mermaid") is a beautiful but disobedient and spoiled young lady whose vice was climbing the most dangerous cliffs ofCastro Urdiales to sing with the waves. She was transformed into a water nymph.
Another popular legend is theFish-man, the story of a man fromLiérganes who loved to swim and got lost in theMiera river. He was found in theBay of Cádiz as a strange aquatic being.
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