Diana (original) (raw)

Classical Roman statue of Diana
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Diana, the equivalent in Roman Mythology of the Greek Artemis (see Roman/Greek equivalency in mythology for more details).

Diana is the daughter of Jupiter and Latona, and the twin sister of Apollo.

Diana is the mother of wild animals and forests, and a moon goddess. Oak groves are especially sacred to her. She is praised for her strength, athletic grace, beauty and her hunting skills. With two other Roman deities she made up a trinity: Egeria the water nymph, her servant and assistant midwife; and Virbius, the woodland god.

Diana was worshipped in a temple on the Aventine Hill where mainly lower-class citizens and slaves worshipped her. Slaves could receive asylum in her temples.

She was worshipped at a festival on August 13.

Diana is worshiped today by women practicing religion known as Dianic Wicca.

Her legend has reached recent history, as she is usually considered (specially by FreeMasonry) as a symbol of imagination, sensibility, creativity and insanity, that is, of poets and artists. She represents the matriarchy that is supposed to have preceded patriarchy in human history. She also represents Dyonisiacs against Apollineans. Diana and her values were enslaved in our world along with women, and the sun gods' values were imposed: that of reason and absolute order.

Diana is also worshipped nowadays by the women practicing a religion known as Dianic Wicca.

Diana also refers to Diana, Princess of Wales.