Abnoba

Abnoba or Avnova, Abna, Dianae Abnobae, Dea Abnoba or Abnova is a Celtic goddess of the hunt.

Her main symbol is the Black Forest, which is a large mountain range located in Baden-Würtemberg, in Germany. However, her symbols also include all forests and rivers. She was worshipped in the Black Forest area, beside river banks, in the shrines devoted to her and atop the mountains within the Black Forest. She has been revered as the goddess of the Black Forest itself, the goddess of Abnoba Mountain located within the Black Forest and goddess of childbirth. She is the protector of woods, springs, rivers and wild animals.

Abnoba's name is derived from the Brythonic root for river (afon or abon). Further broken down, “abo” means river and “no” means wetness in pro-Celtic components. Therefore, her name means “She of River Wetness.”

Little is known of her due mostly to information about her being scattered, forgotten or just destroyed through the years.

Culture
Some scholars believe that Abnoba is just a name local to the Black Forest area for a Goddess widely worshipped throughout Europe, but called on by many other names. Apparently, she was a wide-ranging Goddess. Throughout England, rivers were named Avon in her honour. Avon is yet another variant of her name. One of the altars at the Roman Baths in Badenweiler, Germany and another at Muhlenbach identify her with Diana, the Roman Goddess of the Hunt. The Romans also named a town after her. This Romano-Celtic town known as Abonae lies at the mouth of the Avon River in England and was named for and dedicated to Abnoba. The Romans also built many shrines to her.