Epona

Epona was particularly worshipped by the people of Gaul (an area that is now northern France). She was a horse Goddess, and was very important to the Gauls because horses were a large part of their culture and civilization. Because horses represented wealth and success, Epona was also related to prosperity and abundance, as well as other domestic aspects of the household. She was also protectress of donkeys, oxen and other related livestock animals.

There was also a vague connection between Epona and dreams, though there are few details of this relationship. Stories were told to young children that Epona would visit them at night and bring nightmares if they misbehaved.

Even the invasions by the Romans couldn't completely wipe out Epona and her followers. The charioteers and cavalry troops of Rome loved her took her as their Goddess for a time, without changing her name or qualities (as the Romans often did with other Deities they came across). Among the Romans, her feast day was December 18th. Only the encroaching influence of Christianity moved Epona from center stage.

Symbolically, Epona was illustrated as a white horse or as a lady riding side-saddle on a white horse. And we can still see evidence of Epona's worship in the hobby-horse folk dancing in rural England. She is closely related to the Welsh Goddess, Rhiannon.