The Mothers are the goddesses of birth,fertility,prosperity, abundance, death and rebirth. Relatively little is known about them. What knowledge exists is based on interpretation of archaeological evidence. However, based on the sheer prevalence of The Mothers' images and how widespread they were, clearly The Mothers were once wildly popular throughout pre-Christian Europe. Their veneration seems to date from a very early era. The Mothers were venerated in both Celtic and Teutonic regions and by the rich and poor,men and women alike. At Pesch in the Lower Rhine,over one-hundred-sixty altars dedicated to The Mothers have been discovered, most offered by soldiers.
There may be one,two or three Mothers. In Aquitaine, two are portrayed, one significantly older than the other,possibly a mother and daughter. The Romans identified the Mothers with the Parcae or Fates.
Iconography: The most typical votive image of The Mothers depicts three seated woman. The middle one is significantly younger than the others. She has long flowing hair while the others wear distinctive headwear, something like a big linen bonnet. All may wear robes. One or more Mothers may expose one breast like a nursing mother. When only one Mother is portrayed, she is typically envisioned seated with something on her lap, usually an egg or a loaf of bread. Sometimes she holds a lapdog.
Attributes: The Mothers are depicted with babies,fruit,grain and big loaves of bread. Other attributes include a horn,spindle, distaff,sphere,box,scroll interpreted to be the scroll of destiny), basket of fruit.
Spirit Allies: The Genii Cucullati
Creature: The Lap Dog,Snake. (both animals identified with healing in the Celtic regions)
Feast: Mothers' Night traditionally coincide with the Winter Solstice or the new moon nearest to the Winter Solstice. Ancient Germans considered it the equivalent of New Years Eve. According to the monk and historian called the Venerable Bede (cica 672-May 25th, 735 CE) Mothers Night was the most important Pagan Festival in the eighth-century Britain and coincide with christmas eve. Little is known about the holiday survives. Divination was practiced. Dreams experienced on this night were considered prophetic.
Sacred Sites: They had shrines throughout the Rhineland, often healing springs as well as in Aix-les-Bains in France and Chichester and York in England. The Mothers may have been Venerated at the site now called Les- Saintes-Maries-De-La-Mer. Some fo the shrines were huge temples complexes; others were rustic sanctuaries and domestic altars.
Offerings: Fruit, Bread,Wine & flowers.
[Source:encyclopedia of spirits- Judika Illes]
[Image-"The Protector of the Forest" by Howard David Johnson]