Angerona

Roman An ancient goddess in Italy about whom little is clearly known. Scholars have sought since the late 1800s to understand this goddess and the statute of her that stood in Rome in classical times. Most agree that in her earliest form Angerona was a goddess of winter, specifically of the winter solstice. The people of Rome celebrated her on December 21, the beginning of winter. It was on this day, people believed, that Angerona brought back the sun, for on this solstice, daylight hours began to increase and nighttime hours began to decrease. In later years, Angerona became associated with secrets and quiet, though scholars today do not agree on this interpretation. Because the statue that stood in a temple near the Roman Forum showed her blindfolded and holding her finger to her mouth, some experts say Angerona encourages people to be silent and keep secrets. Other experts say that interpretation is simply a guess. Some passages in the surviving histories of the time suggest Angerona was a goddess of fear and anguish, particularly as related to illness, though scholars today argue that her connection with disease is a modern misinterpretation of her name.