DIVALIA. - It is the name of the festivals, known to the most ancient calendar, in honor of the very ancient goddess Angerona, which fell on December 21. The statue of Angerona, which held a finger to her closed lips, signifying silence or secrecy, stood near the altar of Volupia, and therefore on the Via Nova, and on the occasion of the festival the pontiffs offered a sacrifice to it.

The interpretation of Angerona made by the ancients is always and only etymological: thus, according to some she preserved from angina, according to others she drove away the angores, etc. According to more recent criticism, Angerona is a figure of the underworld, that is, patroness of the winter solstice and at the same time protectress of the secret name of Rome (blucorobio). Some have also considered her of Etruscan origin.

Bibliography2 works

BIBL.: For the first interpretation: H. Wagenvoort, Div Angerona, in Mnennayne, 3rd series, 10 (1941), pp. 215-17; P. Lambrechts, Div. Angerona, in L'antiquité class., 13 (1941), pp. 45-49. The second interpretation is supported by J. Hubaux, Angerona, ibid., pp. 37-43. For the Etruscan thesis: Fr. Altheim, A History of Roman Religion, London 1938, p. 115.

Cesare D'Onofrio

@incollection{ec4_divalia, author = {D'Onofrio, Cesare}, title = {Divalia}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {IV}, pages = {1764}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1950}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/divalia} }

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