Fauna, Faula
or
Fatua. A goddess of the Latins. According to the old Roman legends,
by which all the Italian deities were originally mortals, she was the
daughter of Picus, and the sister and wife of Faunus. One account makes her to have never left
her bower, or let herself be seen of men; and to have been deified for this reason, becoming
identical with the Bona Dea, and no man being allowed to enter her temple (Macrob. i. 12).
According to another tradition, she was not only remarkable for her modesty, but also for her
extensive and varied knowledge. Having, however, on one occasion, made free with the contents
of a jar of wine, she was beaten to death by her husband with myrtle-twigs. Repenting,
however, soon after of the deed, he bestowed on her divine honours. Hence, in the celebration
of her sacred rites, myrtle-boughs were carefully excluded; nor was any wine allowed to be
brought, under that name, into her temple; but it was called “honey,” and
the vessel containing it also was termed
mellarium,
“honey-jar” (cf. Macrob. i. 12). Fauna is said to have given oracles from
her temple after death, which circumstance, according to some, affords an etymology for the
name Fatua or Fatuella, which was often borne by her (from
fari,
“to declare”). There can be little doubt that Fauna is identical not only
with the Bona Dea, but with Terra, Tellus, and Ops—in other words, with the Earth
personified (Macrob. l. c.). See
Faunus.
