The goddess Vagdavercustis is known from a dedicatory inscription on an altar found at Cologne (Köln), Germany. The stone dates from around the 2nd century CE and is now in a museum in Cologne (Köln).

The inscription is found on the front of the alter above a carved relief scene of several toga'ed men performing a ritual sacrifice. The inscription reads as follows:

Deae

Vagdavercusti

Titus Flavius

Constans Praef

Praet EMV

Roughly translated into English, the inscription can be read as:

The Goddess /

Vagdavercustis /

[dedicated by] Titus Flavius /

Constans (or Constantius?), Prefect /

of the Praetorians, to his distinguished memory."

Although the altar was dedicated by a Roman, Vagdavercustis was most likely a native Germanic or Celtic goddess, who may have had a link with trees or woods. There is some evidence that Vagdavercustis was worshipped by the Batavians (a Germanic tribe reported by Tacitus to have lived around the Rhine delta, in the area that is currently the Netherlands) in the region between present-day Netherlands and Cologne (Köln). She may be related to Virtus, the Roman god of military virtue.

See also

• Dutch mythology

References

External links

• photo of altar