The Goddess Epona is one of the most well-known from the Keltiké, but She was not always called exactly that.

One of the most striking variations of Her name comes from Apuleius' novel The Golden Ass, where he tells a story about a shrine to "Hippona" that was kept inside a stable. This variant is clearly influenced by the Greek word ἵππος (híppos) 'horse'.

Other known variants of Her name include EPHONA, YPONA, and even EPANA.

Besides the theonym proper, there are also theophoric personal names such as Épponus, Epponina, and Eponeilus. Interestingly, a Galatian theophoric name, Ἐπόνη, preserves the Celtic spelling and pronunciation in spite of its Hellenized context (in contrast to Apuleius).

#Epona #epigraphy #theonomastics #GaulishPolytheism

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