Damona, The Divine Cow

The Symbol of the Goddess -Note that the symbol of the triple goddess used in Wicca in reference to the Goddess, is similar to the description of Damona, The Divine Cow."

In ancient times, before common era, Western Europe (Italy, France, Belgium, part of Switzerland, part of the Netherlands, and the west part of Germany) was called Gaul. The Gauls are believed to be a people similar to the Celts of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Like other ancient people, the Gauls had many gods and goddesses. One such Goddess is Damona, sometimes referred to as “the divine cow”.

The main temple honouring Damona was located at Alise-Sainte-Reine in the area now known as Burgundy, France. One of the features of the temple was a healing pool. Damona is believed to be a water Deity with powers of healing and procreation. Carved images of Damona show her with horns of corn, with a serpent coiled around her hand, and a cow as her favored animal. Sometimes she is seen too with the Moon as a symbol behind and over her head. Damona is associated with fertility, with healing (much like the serpents on the symbol of medicine). Damona was paired with Apollo, the healer or physician. Today, all doctors take the Hippocratic Oath which swears to “Apollo the physician”… and “takes witness to all the gods and goddesses”. Damona’s serpent was representative of shedding illness as a serpent sheds its skin.

The legends around Damona talk about the pilgrims that flocked to Burgundy, hoping to either lose their illness in the healing pools or to have a healing sleep. The pilgrims prayed to Damona to have her visit them in their sleep, in dream time, and that Damona would give them a cure. Damona was also associated with Prophecy, and it is believed that she could either direct the Fates to deliver a vision to a person’s dream or, that she would come and lead you to that time ahead so one would see what would happen as a movie, and know the circumstances and outcome of a situation.

If you see Damona in your dreams or visions, know that you are being blessed with fertility that may be translated as change, creativity, or healing powers for self and others. One should be gracious in their thanks to Damona, and spread seeds of corn or cornmeal on the Earth in thanks.