POMONA
Ops was the Latin goddess of plenty. Single parts of her province
were taken over by various other divinities, among whom was Pomona
(_pomorum patrona_, "she who cares for fruits"). She is represented
as a maiden with fruit in her arms and a pruning-knife in her hand.
"I am the ancient apple-queen.
As once I was so am I now--
For evermore a hope unseen
Betwixt the blossom and the bough.
"Ah, where's the river's hidden gold!
And where's the windy grave of Troy?
Yet come I as I came of old,
From out the heart of summer's joy."
MORRIS: _Pomona._
Many Roman poets told stories about her, the best known being by
Ovid, who says that she was wooed by many orchard-gods, but
preferred to remain unmarried. Among her suitors was Vertumnus
("the changer"), the god of the turning year, who had charge of the
exchange of trade, the turning of river channels, and chiefly of
the change in nature from flower to ripe fruit. True to his
character he took many forms to gain Pomona's love. Now he was a
ploughman (spring), now a fisherman (summer), now a reaper
(autumn).
At last he took the likeness of an old woman (winter), and went to
gossip with Pomona. After sounding her mind and finding her averse
to marriage, the woman pleaded for Vertumnus's success.
"Is not he the first to have the fruits which
are thy delight? And does he not hold thy
gifts in his joyous right hand?"
OVID: _Vertumnus and Pomona._
Then the crone told her the story of Anaxarete who was so cold to
her lover Iphis that he hanged himself, and she at the window
watching his funeral train pass by was changed to a marble statue.
Advising Pomona to avoid such a fate, Vertumnus donned his proper
form, that of a handsome young man, and Pomona, moved by the story
and his beauty, yielded and became his wife.
Vertumnus had a statue in the Tuscan Way in Rome, and a temple. His
festival, the Vortumnalia, was held on the 23d of August, when the
summer began to wane. Garlands and garden produce were offered to
him.
Pomona had been assigned one of the fifteen _flamina_, priests
whose duty it was to kindle the fire for special sacrifices. She
had a grove near Ostia where a harvest festival was held about
November first. Not much is known of the ceremonies, but from the
similar August holiday much may be deduced. Then the deities of
fire and water were propitiated that their disfavor might not ruin
the crops. On Pomona's day doubtless thanks was rendered them for
their aid to the harvest. An offering of first-fruits was made in
August; in November the winter store of nuts and apples was opened.
The horses released from toil contended in races.
From Pomona's festival nuts and apples, from the Druidic Samhain
the supernatural element, combined to give later generations the
charms and omens from nuts and apples which are made trial of at
Hallowe'en.