Epona

Epona, titled the Lady of Horses, is a Nordling goddess of horsemanship, prowess, and knighthood. She rides the solar chariot, is responsible for abundance in form of a healthy foal and bountiful harvest, and holds sway over equines and those who rely upon them; inflicting harm upon the beasts and common people is a sure way to invoke her wrath.
==History==
Epona's cult was already popular in the time of Nordling expansion, when a monastic order devoted to her was transformed into Order of the Golden Stirrup.: Order of the Golden Stirrup The worship of her warrior aspect, initially popular amongst cavalrymen, spread downwards through the ranks of Continental militaries over time.
==Beliefs==
The Lady of Horses reigns over equines—horses, mules, ponies, and other horse-adjacent animals—as well as those who live with, rely upon, and use them. The deity loves her beasts and protects them from harm: tales are told of brutal owners beating their mounts only to be found trampled in the morning. Epona is a protective force for people as well, especially those who fight in defense of their homes.
Myths often depict Epona as she cooperates with Kreve, portraying her as the thunder god's niece or bride depending on regional tradition. One of the tales describes how the equine goddess managed to steal a magical steed from the chtonic Lord of Wishes. Richly-equipped, with heads on both sides of the torso, the horse is now a faithful companion of sky deities.: The Religion in Hengfors
==Symbols==
Epona's symbols include the double-headed horse and a horseshoe with an arrow. In her military aspect, the goddess is depicted as an archer on the horseback. In other contexts, she is depicted bearing a horseshoe in one hand and an arrow in the other, standing behind an altar shaped in form of the solar chariot.
==Cult==
The worship of Epona is unevenly distributed. She is strongly revered by people whose fate depends on her good graces, but not so much elsewhere. Nearly everyone who worships her is skilled at riding and handling horses. Shrines to the goddess tend to stand on roadsides and frequently include natural springs.
There is no prominent priesthood dedicated solely to the Lady of Horses, and her clerics usually live in temples devoted to more prominent deities. There is however a significant number of particularly pious of laypeople such as knights, farmers, and travelers that dedicate themselves to her worship. Acolytes roam the Continent, tending to Epona's places of worship and performing fertility ceremonies and animal blessings in her name.
Farmers pray to Epona in hope of a healthy foal, and invoke her name when following the plow behind their draft horse to encourage abundant harvest.
As a significant portion of Epona's faithful include cavalrymen and other soldiers, makeshift altars to the deity are constructed in barracks and military camps, and devoted cavalry officers often conduct her ceremonies before battles.
Horse cults of Hakland and Ofir reportedly share some aspects of Epona's worship, but the details pertaining to this relation are scarce.
==Trivia==
*Epona is borrowed from the real-world Gallo-Roman mythology. She was depicted as goddess of fertility, patron of horses, ponies, donkeys and mules.
==References==
Category:Deities
pl:Epona