Juturna: From Princess, to Water Nymph, to Goddess
SYMBOLS: Fountain, well, natural spring.
USUAL IMAGE: Attractive young Roman woman
HOLY DAYS: January 11, Juturnalia, at which time water is taken from her well to be used in state offerings.
PLACE OF WORSHIP: Temples, public altars, wells, fountains.
RELATIVES: Rutuli (father,) Leda (mother,) Turnus (sister) Helen (half-sister,) Caster, Pollex `Polydeuces´ (half-brothers,) Janus (husband,) Fontus or Fons `god of wells´ (son.)
SYNODEITIES: Mi-Wi-No-Kami `wells' (Japan,) Aleyin `springs' (Middle-East,) Egeria `fountains' (Etruscan,) Nortia `wells' (Etruscan.)
DETAILS: Juturna was the Roman goddess of natural springs, wells and fountains. Evidence of her worship can found as long ago as 2500 years.
Her importance can be seen in that she was acknowledged as the wife of Janus, the god of beginnings, endings and doorways, who was one of the oldest and most venerated of Rome's original gods, and the only one who had no Greek counterpoint.
Like her husband, who was worshipped in square temples, Juturna's wells were often built with the same design, such as the famous Lacus Iuturnae (Spring of Juturna) adjacent to the Temple of Castor & Pollex in the Forum Romanum. However along with the square fountains, there are also round wells dedicated to her, so like many couples she was not as set in her ways as her husband.
It could be said that Juturna was the original go-getter.
Starting out as the less well known of three sisters, though after her rise Juno alone knows what happened to poor middle child Turnus, she was also overshadowed by two famous brothers, one of whom was a half-god.
Turned into a water nymph by Jupiter she overcame this by marring Janus the God who was worshipped before all the others, even Jupiter. She then took that one step further by being elevated to Goddess of springs, wells & fountains. Need more?
Consider, Many Romans prayed and asking for favor from the Gods and Goddesses by throwing coins and jewelry inscribed to the diety intended for into wells and fountains.
This was no small deal ether; they didn't just sacrifice the Roman equivalent of pennies, there have been wells in which mounds of gold & silver coins along with expensive jewelry have been found.
The Romans took this very seriously, and the Goddess in charge these offerings getting to the right Gods or Goddesses was our little Juturna, yes, even the offerings directed to Jupiter.
