4) Beech Goddesses?: the Baginatiae

Furthermore, ‘Beech Mother Goddesses’ might be worshipped in the south-east of Gaul (fig. 45). The Matres Baginatiae are known from four inscriptions found in Provencal Drôme, in Bellecombe: Baginatiabus [v]slm, ‘To the Baginatiae, [the dedicator] paid his vow willingly and deservedly’, and in Sainte-Jalle: Baginatiab(us) Primula Quinti f(ilia) vslm, ‘To the Baginatiae, Primula daughter of Quintus paid her vow willingly and deservedly’; Baginiatiabus C(aius) Girubius Cato vslm ‘To the Baginatiae, Caius Girubius Catus paid his vow willingly and deservedly’ and Baginatiabus Ioventius Lemisonis f(ilius) vslm, ‘To the Baginatiae, Ioventius son of Lemisonis paid his vow willingly and deservedly’.¹⁰⁶⁹ The Baginatiae are etymologically related to gods, such as Baginatis (Jupiter), venerated in Morestal (Isère),¹⁰⁷⁰ Baginus in Tarendol and Bellecombe (Drôme)¹⁰⁷¹ and less convincingly Baco – written with the letter c -, honoured in Chalon-sur-Saône (Saône-et-Loire).¹⁰⁷²

The meaning of their epithet is still controversial. On the one hand, it might be derived from a Gaulish word *bagos designating ‘beech’.¹⁰⁷³ On the other hand, it may come from a root bag- signifying ‘to fight’.¹⁰⁷⁴ Lambert however explains that the ending of their name in –atis indicates a close and special relation to a place.¹⁰⁷⁵ Like Mercure Dumiatis is ‘the inhabitant of Dumion (Puy-de-Dôme)’, the Baginatiae would be ‘the inhabitants of the bagino-’, that is of the wood of bago-’, or ‘the inhabitants of Mount Vanige’ (Drôme).¹⁰⁷⁶ Their epithet is therefore to be understood as a topical adjective, rather than a name referring to the beech tree or to the notion of war.

Fig. 45: Beech trees from Mont Beuvray (Burgundy). Their tortuous and imposing ramifications and roots going deep into the ground inspire a feeling of mystery, sacredness and potency. Romero, 2006, p. 30.