The Goose - The Goddess Juno - The Goose Lore

** In the Roman Empire was the Goose the holy animal of the Goddess Juno, the Goddess of light, marriage and birth. Later on, Juno was chosen as the advisor and protector of the nation.

** The Roman historian Titus Livicus told the following tale from 390 BC.:
Juno Moneta is the Roman Goddess of Good Counsel, whose name means "Advisor" or "Warner", said to give good advice to the people in general and those about to be married in particular. She had a large and famous temple on the Arx, a height on the Capitoline Hill in Rome, which was a site that had been sacred to Her from early times. Her epithet Moneta has been given various explanations, and it seems even the ancients weren't entirely sure where it came from. "Moneta" is usually assumed to derive from the Latin word for "warn", monere. One story goes that geese were sacred to Juno, and as such were kept at Her temple or cult center on the Capitoline. In the year 390 BCE, the Gauls surprised Rome with an attack on the Capitol, but the geese of Juno started a honking ruckus (as geese are wont to do) and the citizens were alerted and thus able to drive off the Gauls. In gratitude for the noble efforts of Her geese, Juno was honored with the name Moneta.

** A century later the Goddess Juno-Moneta was suppose to have helped the Romans once more. This time to defeat the Greek King Pyrrhus of Epirus.


** From the antiquity it had been told, that in Aegean a goose fell in love with the handsome boy Amphilochus and another was suppose to have been very much in love with the harp-player of the king.

** It is written that the philosopher Lacydes of Cyrene, the principal of the Academy of Athens in the year 241 b.C. had a goose as steady companion by day and by night.

** Even Gaius Plinius Secundos, author and economist, best known as Pliny the Elder, thought that the whole species goose believed to be very smart and supposedly fond of humans.

** The white goose was sacred to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Often she was depicted, riding a white goose side-saddle.

** In Egyptian mythology, the Earth-God Geb was often shown wearing a crown topped off by a goose. He was also known as the "Great Cackler" and therefore pictured often as a goose and it has been told, that he laid the egg from which the sun hatched. It is believed that he was the third divine king of the world. The royal throne of Egypt, was known as the "Throne of Geb" In honor of his great reign.

** The goose is clearly viewed as a sun creature and as such, is still used as a sacrificial offering to the new year in several regions North-Africa's.

** In Egypt and China it was believed in antiquity, that the goose was a messenger between heaven and earth.

** Until this day, in China the geese are still a symbol of wedlock, because of their lifelong monogamy.

** The Gauls associated the geese with war. Surely so, because of their watchfulness and impetuous temperament. It has been said, that war-gods, kept geese as their companions. Remains of geese were found in graves of the warriors.