Norsery Rhymes from A to Z Matrons Fernovinea, Goddesses of Aged Wines and Old Rivers.
Happy Thorsday! - Here’s another 20 min sketch of a Norse (and Germanic, Celtic) mythological characters. This week it’s the Matrons (Matronae) Fernovinea / Fernovenea / Fernovineae / Fernovinius / Ferorinehae
Three guardian ancestral protective ‘Divine Matrons’ (Mothers) and Goddesses, found mentioned on votive stones and altars around Meckinheim near Bonn, and Collogne.
Their name has generally been thought to be either water related such as ‘Old River’, or ‘Old Stream’ from the Old Germanic “fernawi”. “Fern” meaning ‘old’, and “awi” meaning a ‘waterway’. Or ‘mellow wine’ from the Old Germanic “firnewein’. With “fern” meaning ‘old’, and “venea” meaning ‘wine’. Either indicating wine or waterways.. It’s been suggested this would make them goddesses of aged wines, or goddesses of old rivers.
They were made offering to for protection and blessings of peoples families. Not much else is known about them.