Artahe

Artaha (also spelled Artehe) is the name of an ancient goddess that was worshiped in Southern Gaul, in the region of Aquitania. She is a protector goddess that is thought to be associated with bears.

The theonym is recorded in several inscriptions from Saint-Pé-d'Ardet, where there seems to have been a Gallo-Roman-era cult center for the god:^[1]

CIL 13, 64

Lexeia Odanni f(ilia) Artehe v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito)

CIL 13, 70; AE 1888, 141

Deo Artahe L(uci) P(ompei) Pauliniani [nep(os) 3]

ILTG 37

Artahe deo Rufo IIFIS v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito)

ILTG 38

[...] Artahe [...]

From the same region - the village of Lourde - comes another inscription bearing the name:

CIL 13, 71

Artehe deo Bonnexi Amandi v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito)

It is also recorded in an inscription from Malvezie:

CIL 13, 73 (4, p 2)

Ar[t]a[he deo] L(ucius) Antist(ius) Syntr[o]p(h)us v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito)

Etymology[]

The name appears to be of ancient Aquitanian origin and may be cognate with modern Basque arte "oak".^[2] The place name Ardet may be derived from the theonym, or vice versa.^[3]

References[]

AE: L'Année Épigraphique, 1888

CIL: Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, Berlin, 1863-

ILTG: Wuilleumier, P., Inscriptions latines des Trois Gaules (France), (XVIIe Supplement à Gallia) Paris, 1963