GOD NEPTUNE: HISTORY AND WORSHIP - HISTORY - 2025

The god Neptune is a deity in Roman mythology, who was believed to be the highest authority on fresh water and the sea. This last attribution was assigned after being related to Poseidon, who was the Greek god of the ocean.

Neptune's relationship with powers over the fertility of living beings and the earth was also established. The less popular hypotheses point him as the god of cloudy and rainy skies; as well as they also attribute to him a power over the horses. However, its main influence was that of terrestrial fertility and water.

The history of this god indicated him as the brother of Jupiter and Pluto; both were two brothers who ruled the heavens, the underworld, and the earthly world. The importance of Neptune led to numerous tributes in his honor, among which are: the Neptunalia festival, the realization of temples and sacrifices in his name.

History of Neptune

According to Roman mythology, Neptune was the god of fresh water and the sea, being the counterpart of Poseidon in Greek mythology.

History assures that this god was the brother of Jupiter and Pluto: brothers who ruled the heavens, the underworld and the earthly world. Furthermore, Jupiter was married to Salacia, goddess of salt water.

Some populations in Europe - who did not have direct contact with the sea - attributed to this deity, from the beginning, a power over fresh waters. The springs, the lakes and the rivers were dominated by him; even before he had any power over the sea.

Neptune was also credited with a power over horses. This is because, according to some legends, Neptune came to participate in the making of a carriage that was drawn by horses.

In the same way, Neptune is also attributed a power over fertility, both of human beings and of soils, since water is related to the production of crops.

Other divine attributions

In addition to all the theological attributions that have been made to the god Neptune, he was also seen as the highest authority of cloudy and rainy skies, opposing Zeus, designated as the god of clear and bright skies.

In addition, it was believed that Neptune was the father of all living beings that exist on planet Earth, thanks to his power as a god of fertility represented by the rains. Rain has been associated, since ancient times, with human reproduction and the growth of crops.

Salacia, his wife, represents the desire of this deity to have sexual relations with the Earth, being Neptune inhabitant of the seas.

Etymology

The etymology of Neptune has been questioned over the years, so the exact origin of this name is not yet known. However, most of the conclusions point to the relationship of the derivations of its name keep a strong link with water and humidity.

On the other hand, some theorists have also hypothesized that the name of Neptune was closely related to fog and clouds.

Worship

Variety of celebrations

The story of Neptune and its value in mythology led to the realization of a series of activities to honor this god. Among them are: the realization of the Neptunalia festival, the construction of a temple in his honor and the performance of sacrifices in his name.

The Neptunalia

Known as a festival that was held to celebrate the god Neptune, the Neptunalia took place every July 23. It was carried out during the summer, because some also attributed to it a power over the water sources that arose during a period of drought or during the summer.

During this date, the populations built shelters using the branches of the trees. It is believed that during the Neptunalia excursions were made in the forests and spring water or wine were drunk, in order to mitigate the heat of the time when the celebration was held.

In addition, the festival opened the doors to a series of celebrations in which fun was not restricted. Both men and women mixed with each other without the customs of the time preventing them.

It is also noted that the Neptunalia was related to two more festivals, which also honored the importance of water during drought: the Lucaria and the Furrinalia. In these celebrations, the population that was devoted to these deities carried out work in the forests to prepare them for the festival.

Temple construction and sacrifices

Another way that the Roman population of the time found to celebrate the god Neptune was the construction of a temple in the capital city of Italy. The building was built hundreds of years ago, near a local racetrack.

Over the years, humans came to make sacrifices in honor of Neptune. For this reason, the devotees of this deity considered it appropriate to kill bulls and other large animals.

Neptune for the Etruscans

One of the populations that gave more importance to Neptune was the Etruscans. They considered this god as one of the main deities of the world and the most relevant in the cycle of life. Neptune was one of the main deities, along with Apollo, that the Etruscans worshiped.

Representation

The god Neptune has been represented in various artistic manifestations over time. Among them are: plays, statues, operas, paintings and bronze mirrors.

An example of these representations was the discovery of the members of the Department of Underwater Archaeological Research, who found a statue made of marble in a river located in the French city of Arles. The image represents the "natural" size of the god and is estimated to have been made at the beginning of the 4th century.

There are also tributes by the Etruscan population for this god. One of the main existing honors is the gem that represents Neptune while making one jump with the blow of his trident.

References

1. Neptune, publishers of Encyclopedia Britannica, (nd). Taken from britannica.com
2. Neptune Mythology, Wikipedia in English, (nd). Taken from wikipedia.org
3. Neptune, Portal Mythology, (nd). Taken from mythology.net
4. Neptune, Portal Greek Gods & Goddesses, (2017). Taken from greekgodsandgoddesses.net
5. Neptune (mythology), Portal New World Encyclopedia, (nd). Taken from newworldencyclopedia.org