The Pagan Heart
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March 2005 Issue
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Anna Perenna
By Nokomis Dream
Take a journey back in time with me, to the days of our ancient Pagan Roman ancestors. To the Festival of Anna Perenna. This feast day fell on the 15th of March, otherwise known as the Ides of March. The term "Ides" refers to the day in each month when the moon was full - appropriate to mark it in a lunar calendar. We, of course, are familiar with the date as that of Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BCE. But aside from the date, there is no relationship between the festival and Caesar's death. The Ides of March once marked the first full moon of the Roman year, which began on the Kalends (or 1st) of March. Anna Perenna was once the Goddess of the New Year - a position she ultimately lost when Julius Caesar adjusted the calendar and made January the start of the year - and her festival... The happy feast of Anna Perenna is held on the Ides,
Ovid, Fasti, Book III: March 15: Ides If you are interested in the evolution of the Roman calendar, Wikipedia provides a simple and detailed look at the original calendar and the change over time to the Julian calendar we use today. The name Anna Perenna is derived from the Latin word annus, meaning "year". Perenna is actually derived from annus as well - as the word perennis, meaning through the year, or "perennial". The woman/goddess who bears this name and title was usually depicted as an old woman. The ancient Romans themselves provided a variety of translations and meanings for "annis perennis". Some claimed Anna was a river nymph reflected in the translation as "eternal stream". Others that she brought in the new year, thus her name meant "year". Ovid himself couldn't decide and provided both versions in his Fasti. In Virgil's "Aeneid", Anna is referred to as Dido's sister. After Dido's suicide, the Numidian rampage on Carthage forced poor Anna to run. Finding herself on Aeneas's ship, Anna Perenna ended up in the settlement of Lavinium where Aeneas,a married man, wanted her to stay. Lavinia, his wife, was very jealous and planned something malicious. Anna had a dream wherein her beloved sister Dido warned her to escape. While running, Anna fell into the Numicus river, and drowned. As the people searched for Anna, her form materialized before them, informing them that she was a river nymph, forever hidden in the "perennial stream". This is one of the dual legends of Anna. The other is set during the Plebian revolt. An old woman, Anna, brought the starving rebels food and water. In appreciation of this great service, the people began to worship her as a goddess. Sometime after this Mars, the god of war, asked Anna to convince Minerva to fall in love with him. Anna agreed, and told him that Minerva would marry him. However, on the wedding night Mars lifted Minerva's veil, only to find Anna grinning back at him instead of Minerva. It is said that his furious response led to all the bawdy jokes and songs told at the festival of Anna Perenna. In his Fasti Ovid reports that in celebrating the festival of Anna Perenna, Men and women lay together in the bowers they erected, and asked Anna to bless them. People celebrated with picnics outside among the groves of trees. Amusing themselves with dancing and singing, some of the more hearty souls drank a cup of wine for every year of life they had lived. If you wish to celebrate Anna Perenna in our more modern times, grab your favorite wine, head to the park, and offer libations of drink and song to Anna. Become a Roman and revel in the joy. I can't begin to imagine the damage THAT would do - drinking a cup of wine for every year of my life. I theorize that this may have been a predecessor to the tradition we all know so well, St. Patricks Day! |
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