Eluveitie - Epona

'Epona', from Eluveitie's album 'EVOCATION II - PANTHEON. ELUVEITIE will release their album 'EVOCATION II - PANTHEON on August 18th on NUCLEAR BLAST. Writer, Director : Jason Sereftug-Borruso. Assistant Director : Alexis Gudinchet. Director of Photography : Ruben Pereira. Intro Music: Chrigel Glanzmann. Set Photographer: Guillaume Ibanez.
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Chrigel states about the song 'Epona':
"Epona per se is a notable goddess within the celtic pantheon.
Her worship was widely spread all over the Celtic world in the antiquity and is evidenced by more than 60 votive inscriptions from all over Europe.
Furthermore she is one of the few – if not the only – Celtic deities to be assimilated with roman culture later on and with time also seized an important role in roman religion, being ultimately worshipped in Rome itself.

Epona's name derives from the gaulish word for „horse“ (epos). She's the goddess of horses and protector of their well-being, health and so on.
Yet Epona is also regarded as mother goddess, goddess of wellfare, fertility and health in general. Her status within the Celtic pantheon must have been quite prominent. Ancient inscriptions often add the title „Rigani“ to her name – which means „queen“.
One needs to consider the role of horses in the Celtic society to understand the role and importance of Epona; due to the important role of the horse, Epona was crucial in trade, supply, agriculture, war, and so on!
Nevertheless her appearance seems to have been rather humble (as it actually is common for Celtic deities). She originally did not inhabit impressive temples or similar, but was rather revered in the great outdoors and well... stables. And while gods of similar importance received animals as sacrifices in other cultures, the Celtic Epona was rather offered fresh cut roses and rose petals.
This fact is even reflected in ancient roman literature – as diverse roman authors and satirists, such as Apuleius, mention small images of Epona in stables and barns and mock her „worship in sickening stables“, as Juvenal writes.
All this is what this song deals with. In short words – it is a prayer offered to the celtic goddess queen!
The song musically also expresses the driving character and dashes like galloping horses."