Pomona
Pomona (Latin: Pōmōna) was a goddess of fruitful abundance in ancient Roman religion and myth. Her name comes from the Latin word pomum, "fruit," specifically orchard fruit. She was said to be a wood nymph. In the myth narrated by Ovid she scorned the love of the woodland gods Silvanus and Picus, but married Vertumnus after he tricked her, disguised as an old woman.[1] She and Vertumnus shared a festival held on August 13. Her priest was called the flamen Pomonalis. The pruning knife was her attribute. There is a grove that is sacred to her called the Pomonal, located not far from Ostia, the ancient port of Rome.
Pomona was the goddess of fruit trees, garden, and orchards. Unlike many other Roman goddesses and gods, she does not have a Greek counterpart. She watches over and protects fruit trees and cares for their cultivation. She was not actually associated with the harvest of fruits itself, but with the flourishing of the fruit trees. In artistic depictions she is generally shown with a platter of fruit or a cornucopia.
A statue of Pomona is in the fountain in the little park before the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
Contents |
In popular culture [edit]
Pomona is referred to briefly in Prince Caspian, the second book of C. S. Lewis's Narnia series, as having blessed an orchard planted at Cair Paravel in the far past.
Pomona Sprout is head of Hufflepuff House and professor of herbology in the Harry Potter book series. Also, the Halloween tradition of bobbing for apples is considered to have its roots in the 1st century's Pomonalis Festival in her honor
See also [edit]
- Pomona (disambiguation) A listing of cities and institutions named after Pomona
- The ballet Pomona, with music by Constant Lambert, choreography by Frederick Ashton and scenery and costumes by Vanessa Bell, first performed by the Vic-Wells Ballet at the Sadler's Wells Theatre on 17 January 1933.[2]
References [edit]
External links [edit]
Media related to Vertumnus and Pomona at Wikimedia Commons
Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Pomona". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
