Well and Waters, a Gallo-Roman perspective.
This article explores the theme of the Well (which feeds the World Tree) and the waters of the Underworld, their relations. It then contextualises this information into a Gallo-Roman worldview via Interpretatio.
One of the first papers on the waters of the Underworld and the Well is Lincoln (1982). Lincoln asserts that whilst the PIE cultures had many understandings of the Otherworld and the resting place of the dead, the most common belief was that the dead crosses a body of water, such as a river, lake or sea, to reach their resting place.
Further, Lincoln (1982) shows that IE cultures understood that the body of water would wash away memories, strength and youth. This washing of these properties did not destroy them. Instead, they would pool in a spring or well, and if drunk from would bestow the drinker with wisdom, youth and or strength. This is seen in the myth of Mimir and Odin and Finn Mac Muchaill and the lake at Sliab Cuilinn.
Dodge (2020) critiques and further expands upon Lincolns myth of “the waters of memory, waters of forgetfulness”. Dodge includes a broader range of sources and uses comparative methodologies. He concludes with this statement:
“On the way to the Underworld, souls of the dead had to cross The Watery Way, the waters of which washed away all of their memories. These souls would pass on to the other side where they would go on to be reincarnated in the Middleworld. Meanwhile, their memories were not destroyed, but carried by water to The Bottom of the Bright White World Tree, to The Nexus (i.e. the Eye of the Sky God, the Moon). There, beside the Hall and guarded by a prophetic severed head, they would bubble up. Certain unworthy individuals would try to drink of it and be beaten back by its waters. Other, worthy, and highly favored individuals (Travellers: Journeyers and Dreamers) would travel to it and sacrifice one of their eyes to drink of its liquid using a vessel. As a result, they would become infused with wisdom (i.e. inspiration, perception) and vitality (strength and fertility). Some of these individuals, after they returned to the Middleworld, were decapitated and their heads were preserved as prophets.”
There are several key points in Dodges (2020) analysis of the myth of the Well and waters, the first being that of the “Watery Way”, a term he uses for the different bodies of water which the dead cross. However, primarily this takes the form of a river. The Watery Way flows through the three worlds, not just the Underworld. Crossing this Watery Way causes a person’s memories to be washed away, which later end up in a well or spring, and this is why we do not remember most of our ancestors, except for ‘heroes’ who are not seen to cross the water and instead go elsewhere. Second is a reconstruction of a motif-complex, which consists of “a potent Well, bright white World Tree, a Guardian, and the Hall of the Underworldly Ruler”. The potent Well is described as ‘the Nexus’ by Dodge due to differences in IE myths about the direction and source of the Well, i.e. was the Well, the World Tree or the Watery Way the source. By describing it as the Nexus, it is describing the focal point but not ascribing direction.
Thirdly, Dodge speaks of the liquid of the Well itself. Again, many liquids are mentioned, from soma, mead, honey, milk, water, semen, dew and wine. These liquids appear structurally similar in the myths; however, mead (*médʰu) was the original PIE ritual drink.
Fourthly, Dodge describes the World Tree as the ‘bright white World Tree’. He describes it this way due to the etymological meanings of the Orphic tree which means “bright, shining”, the tree in Alexanders story which is described as “the tree of the Sun and the Moon”, the Germanic World Tree in Norse myth being bright white from the material the Norns slather it with and the “La Gloire Lumineuse” of the Well water, as these all describe the tree as bright and or white.
Fifthly, The Guardian of the Well, as seen by Dodge, was a head or the Well waters itself. This can be seen in the head cults of the Celts and Germanic folklore of severed heads producing springs. The head itself is a prophetic guardian due to its association with the waters of wisdom/memory and may only manifest itself to those who are worthy. The violent watery powers rise to defend itself from those who are not worthy.
And finally, Dodge argues that at the base of the World Tree and adjacent to the Well was the ‘Hall of the Underworld Ruler’, due to the Greek, Orphic, Indic, Germanic and Celtic myths containing houses or halls in the Underworld, with the halls in the Orphic, Indic and Germanic myths being next to both the Tree and Well. In addition to this, Bauschatz (1982) shows that in the Grímnismál, adjacent to the Well, is a mead-hall, Valholl.
In regards to the Well and its number, Lincoln (1984) suggests that the Well waters under the World Tree form one Well or “Spring of Memory”, and Dodge (2020) takes a similar stance in that there is one “Spring of memory”, with his motif-complex consisting of a single potent Well. Bauschatz (1982), in his study on The Well and the Tree in Germanic myth, suggests three wells, Urth’s Well, which is that of the past; Mimir’s, which is of wisdom; and Hvergelmir, which is serpent filled and seethes and writhes with power. Bauschatz does suggest that these separate Wells in myth could be the same Well expressed differently, but that the ‘law of repetition’ and ‘law of threes’ described by Olrik render the Well threefold to expound its qualities, significance and importance, which is heightened by the act of repetition.
What is the purpose of the divine drink for the Gods who are divine and transcendent? Within Greek myth, the Gods are often given this divine food (ambrosia and nectar in this case) after travelling. It is also withheld as punishment, and the act of consumption caused Apollo to become fully grown (Baratz, 2015). Baratz argues that in archaic Greek myth, whilst the Gods consume divine food often, they are by their very nature immortal and do not require an external source. However, humans are destined to die and require an external source and the divine food grants heroes and related figures the undying that is unique to the Gods. In other myths, however, such as the Norse, Vedic, Irish and later Greek myths, Gods would gain or keep their immortality or youth through the consumption of divine food, which could come from a milk ocean in the Vedic case, divine apples in Norse and Greek, and ale or berries in the Irish myths (West, 2007).
The Gods reliance on this mead, ambrosia, milk drink or other divine food does not express a physical or literal dependence. However, it mythically shows the Gods place firmly and integrally within the ‘kosmos’ the divine order that is and creates the world. If the cycle of life and death, forgetfulness and memory, were broken or disrupted, so would the world and its divine order. In addition to this, the ‘liquor ritual’ as laid out by Enright (1996) shows that the giving of liquor, often in the form of mead, to the lord by their lady. This is an old ritual which affirms the right to rule and emphasises their authority. This can be conceived of as a enactment of divine actions, with the cupbearer of the Gods or mead lady, reaffirms the Gods authority and right to rule. This is contextualised below.
Interpretatio:
In this section we will interpret this information for a Gallo-Roman worldview and religious tradition.
Firstly, The Hall of the Underworld God in Dodge's work or Valholl in Bauchatz’s work speak of a Hall or Court in which the Gods gather and drink Their holy drink; this could take the form of mead, milk or perhaps wine in a Gallo-Roman context. Within Gaulish, a word describes this Hall, medulissos, "the court flowing with mead". Medulissos could be translated to curiam hydromelite fluentem in Latin (courtesy of Viducus).
Within the Hall, or perhaps by the Well, would be a Goddess of fate and prophecy. I propose that this would be Rosmerta. There are two potential meanings for the root *smer, with Lincoln (1982) relating it to the PIE root word for 'memory' as also seen in Mimir's name, or meaning fate or prophecy as mentioned by Enright (1996). Regardless of the etymology, Enright (1996) shows that Rosmerta is connected to fate and prophecy through Her association with mead and wine, the Roman Goddess Fortuna and the cults of the dead. In addition, Davidson (2002) suggests that Rosmerta in England is depicted with stand-churns, therefore connecting her to milk and cows, which, especially in Northern England, were potent symbols of prosperity and abundance. The symbols of prosperity are also symbols of the Well and milk occasionally being the liquid of the Well.
Secondly, I also suggest that Juventas and Ganymede can serve a similar function. However, instead of prophecy, fate or wisdom, They are solely associated with the physical benefits that drinking of the Well can give you. Below are two excerpts that describe Juventas and Ganymedes roles.
Cicero, De Natura Deorum 1. 40 (trans. Rackham) (Roman rhetorician C1st B.C.) :
"What viands and beverages, what harmonies of music and flowers of various hue, what delights of touch and smell will you assign to the gods, so as to keep them steeped in pleasure? The poets array banquets or nectar and ambrosia, with Juventas (Youth) or Ganymede in attendance as cup-bearer."
Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 5. 690 ff :
"He [Jupiter-Zeus] renews the banquet . . . and at last sends starry night down from Olympus. Then the choir of Musae (Muses) and Apollo, striker of the lyre . . . appear, and the Phrygian henchman [Ganymede] bears round the heavy bowl. They [the gods] rise when slumber calls, and turn themselves each to his own dwelling."
To complete the Interpretatio Gallia of Juventas and Ganymede, they can be called Juventas Annâberâ and Ganymede Annâberos. The epithet is Gaulish for ‘cupbearer’ and speaks directly to their role. Juventas’ name itself speaks to youth and vitality, the physical manifestations of drinking from the Well, with Ganymede described as a picture of youth.
As to who the Gods are of the Well and the Watery Ways, many can fit this position. For example, Coventina is linked with wells; often, wells dedicated to her and in Celtic areas are filled with hazelnuts that symbolise wisdom (Dodge, 2020). There is also a bas-relief of ‘triple Coventina’, which may relate her quite strongly to the fates, Norns, Matres. The Matres themselves could also be linked to the Well and its workings.
Bibliography:
Baratz, A., 2015. The Source of the Gods' Immortality in Archaic Greek Literature. Scripta Classica Israelica, 34, pp.151-164.
Bauschatz, P.C., 1982. The Well and the Tree: World and Time in Early Germanic Culture. University of Mass. Press.
Davidson, H.E., 2002. Milk and the northern goddess. In The concept of the goddess (pp. 105-120). Routledge.
Dodge, E.J., 2020. ORPHEUS, ODIN, AND THE INDO-EUROPEAN UNDERWORLD: A RESPONSE TO BRUCE LINCOLN’S ARTICLE “WATERS OF MEMORY, WATERS OF FORGETFULNESS” (Doctoral dissertation, University of Houston).
J., M., 1996. Lady with a Mead Cup. Four Courts Press.
Lincoln, B., 1982. Waters of memory, Waters of Forgetfulness.
West, M.L., 2007. Indo-European poetry and myth. Oxford University Press.