as laughing at them.

[587] _Melusine_, ii. 200.

[588] Sebillot, ii. 170.

[589] Meyer, _Cath. Finntraga_, 40.

[590] _RC_ xvi. 9; _LB_ 32_b_, 55.

[591] Meyer, _op. cit._ 55; Skene, i. 282, 288, 543; Rh[^y]s, _HL_ 387.

[592] Meyer, 51; Joyce, _PN_ i. 195, ii. 257; _RC_ xv. 438.

[593] See p. 55, _supra_; _IT_ i. 838, iii. 207; _RC_ ii. 201, ix. 118.

[594] Holder, _s.v._ "Vintius."

[595] Agobard, i. 146.

[596] See Stokes, _RC_ vi. 267.

CHAPTER XII.

RIVER AND WELL WORSHIP.

Among the Celts the testimony of contemporary witnesses, inscriptions,
votive offerings, and survivals, shows the importance of the cult of
waters and of water divinities. Mr. Gomme argues that Celtic
water-worship was derived from the pre-Celtic aborigines,[597] but if
so, the Celts must have had a peculiar aptitude for it, since they were
so enthusiastic in its observance. What probably happened was that the
Celts, already worshippers of the waters, freely adopted local cults of
water wherever they came. Some rivers or river-goddesses in Celtic
regions seem to posses pre-Celtic names.[598]

Treasures were flung into a sacred lake near Toulouse to cause a
pestilence to cease. Caepion, who afterwards fished up this treasure,
fell soon after in battle--a punishment for cupidity, and _aurum
Tolosanum_ now became an expression for goods dishonestly acquired.[599]
A yearly festival, lasting three days, took place at Lake Gevaudan.
Garments, food, and wax were thrown into the waters, and animals were
sacrificed. On the fourth day, it is said, there never failed to spring
up a tempest of rain, thunder, and lightning--a strange reward for this
worship of the lake.[600] S. Columba routed the spirits of a Scottish
fountain which was worshipped as a god, and the well now became sacred,
perhaps to the saint himself, who washed in it and blessed it so that it
cured diseases.[601]

On inscriptions a river name is prefixed by some divine epithet--_dea_,
_augusta_, and the worshipper records his gratitude for benefits
received from the divinity or the river itself. Bormanus, Bormo or
Borvo, Danuvius (the Danube), and Luxovius are found on inscriptions as
names of river or fountain gods, but goddesses are more
numerous--Acionna, Aventia, Bormana, Brixia, Carpundia, Clutoida,
Divona, Sirona, Ura--well-nymphs; and Icauna (the Yonne), Matrona, and
Sequana (the Seine)--river-goddesses.[602] No inscription to the goddess
of a lake has ye