Zeus : a study in ancient religion - Warburg Institute

lupiter-Columns 67
This hypothesis, though not definitely established^ is a priori
probable enough, and may be at least provisionally accepted.
Among the deviations from the normal type of Viergotterstein
perhaps the most interesting are those furnished by a group of
plinths found mainly in the north-western portion of the Gallo-
Germanic area I Here the encroachment of Wodan (Mercurius)
upon Ziu (lupiter) has led to the duplication or differentiation of
Frija, who appears not only as Ziu's consort (luno) but also as
Wodan's consort (Venus), and in this latter capacity is associated
with Wodan or even supersedes him in the series. Thus we get:
Normal Type^.
1 I lino.
2 Mercurius.
3 Hercules.
4 Minerva.
Messancy*. Lts Fontaines^ Mont Heilpert". Brumath^.
luno. luno. luno. luno.
Venus + Mer- Venus. Venus. Venus.
curius.
Apollo. Diana(?) + Mer- Mercurius.
Hercules. Hercules.
Minerva.
The plinth discovered at Les Fontaines, between Maubeuge and
Avesnes, in 1725 A.D. and now preserved at Brussels (fig. 27)*
merits closer inspection. Of the first side only the left half (fig. 27 a)
is extant ; but this suffices to show a draped female standing
beneath a canopy with a veil over her head and shoulder, a peacock
perched on her arm, and a patera held in her right hand
above a small flaming altar or turibulum^. Clearly she is luno.
The second side (fig. 2^ U) has an undraped female standing beneath
a similar canopy : her hair is knotted in a chignon ; her raised right
hand and lowered left draw back a fringed mantle ; her feet are
' Haug in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. viii. 6ii. The foregoing notes should do some-
thing to dispel Haug's misgivings.
P- 153-
^ On this group see especially F. Hertlein Die luppilergigantensdulen Stuttgart 19 lo
^ Supra p. 377'.
* ' Haug Die Viergottersteine' in the Westdeutsche Zeitsckrift 1891 x. 147 no. 183,
Hertlein^/. cit. pp. 114, 117, 153 f., Esperandieu Bas-reliefs de la Gatcle Rom. v. 290 f.
no. 4130.
' Haug op. cit. 1891 X. 135 no. 157, Hertlein op. cit. pp. 100, 117, 153, Esperandieu
Bas-reliefs de la Gaiile Rom. v. igofif. no. 3984.
^ Haug op. cit. 1891 X. i4'2f. no. 172, Hertlein op. cit. pp. 95, 98 f., 112 f., 117.
'' Haug
op. cit. 1891 X. 37 f. no. 67, Hertlein op. cit. pp. 103, 105, 153.
* F. Cumont Catalogue des sciilpticres 6^ inscriptions antiques (t?tonufnents lat^idaires)
des Musees Royaiix dti Cinqtiantenaire'^ Bruxelles 1913 p 2iofif. no. 173: height o'98"\
breadth 0-53, depth 0-28".
" F. Cumont loc. cit. says :
' EUe abaisse la main, vers une urne allongee ou une
aiguiere {^praefericulum), dans laquelle elle parait verser le contenu d'une patere.' But
analogous representations of luno on other Viergottersteine make it certain that Haug
op. cit. 1891 X. 135 rightly recognised ' ein brennendes Altarchen.'