Junon

In the Roman Mythology, Junon is the queen of the gods and the queen of the sky. Girl of Rhéa and Saturn, it is at the same time sister and wife of Jupiter.

Protective of the women, it symbolizes the Mariage when it is represented covered with veils, and it is associated with the Fécondité when it holds the emblem of it: the apple of grenade.

The sixth month of the Roman Calendrier would have been named June in its honor by the Romains.

Origin

It is known for a long time that Junon (Héra in Greek mythology) was not always seen as the Jupiter wife. Marcel Renard brought it closer to Janus, qualified Junonius . The formed couple of Jupiter and Junon was created only thereafter according to the image of the sovereign couple of the Greek Pantheon; what made of Junon, under the influence of Héra, a goddess of the marriage. In comparison with the significance of its name, Junon is originally a goddess of youth . Jean Haudry sees in it a Dawn Indo-European and more precisely a Dawn young governing the lifespan and carrying richnesses.

Religion

It took, said one, a particular care of the ornaments and ornaments of the women: therefore, in its statues, its hair appeared elegantly adjusted. It governed the marriages, the weddings, the childbirth. Then, and according to the case, one called upon it under the names of Juga, Pronuba, Lucine, etc It also chaired the currency, from where its nickname of Moneta.

Worship

The worship of Junon was almost as solemn and as widespread as that of Jupiter. It inspired a veneration interfered fear. It is in Argos, Samos and in Carthage Roman which it was mainly honoured.

With Argos, one saw on a throne the statue of this goddess, of an extraordinary size, very of gold and ivory: it had on the head a crown above which were the Graces and the Hours. It held with a hand a grenade, and other a sceptre, with the end of which was a cuckoo, loved bird of the goddess.

To Samos, the statue of Junon carried also a crown: it was called even Junon the queen; remainder, it was covered with a large veil of the head to the feet.

To Lanuvium, in Italy, guardian Junon carried a goatskin, a small swath, a small shield and bent escarpins points some on the front.

To Rome, after the catch of Veies in 396 av. J.C, the statue of Junon Reine was transported with many regards of Veies to Rome (Tite-Live, Roman Histoire , delivers V, 22)

In the Roman Africa and for Carthage, Junon Cælestis (the celestial one) replaced punic the Tanit.

Usually it is represented in majestic Matrone, sometimes a Sceptre with the hand, or a radial crown on the head; it has near it a peacock, its favorite bird.

Artistic representations

The sparrowhawk and the oison were also devoted to him: they accompany its statues sometimes. One did not sacrifice cows to him, because, during the war of the giants and the gods, it had hidden in this form in Egypt. The dictame, the poppy, the grenade were given to him in offering; these plants decorated its furnace bridges and its images. The victim immolée usually in its honor was a very young ewe; however, the first day of each month, a sow was immolait to him. The priestesses of Junon were universally respected.

Family ties

Brothers and sisters

Junon was girl of Saturn and Rhéa, sister of Jupiter, Neptune, Pluton, Cérès and Vesta. She was nourished, according to Homère, by the Ocean and Thétis; others say that in fact the Hours took care of its education.

She married Jupiter, her twin brother. Their weddings were celebrated in Crete, on the territory of Gnossiens, close to the Thérène river. To make these weddings more solemn, Jupiter ordered in Mercure to invite there all the gods, all the men and all the animals. All went there, except the nymph Chéloné, enough bold to make fun of this marriage, and which was changed into tortoise.

Children

  • Mars (with Jupiter)
  • Vulcan (it gave him birth alone, because it was jealous that Jupiter could have only Minerve)
  • Hébé (Juventas) (with Jupiter)
  • Ilithye (Lucine) (with Jupiter)

With the other divinities

Jupiter and Junon did not live in good intelligence: quarrels burst continuously between them. Junon more once was beaten and maltreated by her husband, because of his mood acariâtre. Once, Jupiter went until suspending it between the Sky and the Earth with a gold chain, and putting an anvil to him at each foot. Vulcan, his/her son, having wanted to release it from there, was collapsed, of a kick, Sky on Earth.

The Jupiter inaccuracies in favor of the beautiful mortals excited and justified often the jealousy and the hatred of Junon. According to a minority tradition, on her side, this irascible goddess had intrigues in love, in particular with the Géant Eurymédon. She conspired with Neptune and Minerve for détrôner Jupiter, and charged it with bonds. But Thétis, the Néréide, brought to the Jupiter help formidable the Briarée, whose only presence stopped the intentions of the conspirators.

Junon persecuted all the Jupiter concubines and all the children resulting from his illegitimate loves, Hercules, Io, Europe, Sémélé, Platée, etc It is said that it tested for the inconstant women and culprits a deep aversion.

With the mortals

In the Trojan War, it took makes and causes with Minerve for the Greek against the Troyens that it did not cease continuing its hatred, even after the destruction of their city. In Iliade , it takes the appearance of Stentor, one of the Greek chiefs whose voice brighter than bronze, stronger than that of fifty brought together robust men, was used as trumpet with the army.

Caption

Whereas Junon had taken refuge in Crete, Jupiter sought to court her but in front of its refusal, this one took the appearance of a cuckoo wet by a downpour. The bird then went to take refuge under the dress of the goddess and to blottir itself against her center to be heated. Jupiter took again human form and decided to marry it.

In art

The quarrels of Junon and Jupiter are not, says one, that an allegory: they represent the disorders, the disturbances of the air or the sky. Thus, Junon would be the image of the atmosphere so often agitated, obscure and threatening. As for Jupiter, it would seem to personify pure ether, the serenity of the firmament beyond the clouds and the stars. Remainder, an expression of the Latin language appears to justify this design. Just as we say “to spend the night to open air”, i.e. in the open air, Latin said “to spend the night under Jupiter”. In the same language, the name of this god is employed poetically in the direction of rain, phenomenon as unexplainable as the lightning for the old ones.

Note

See too

Simple: Juno

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