Thanks for joining us for another Families’ Deity! We’re exploring deities that tie into families and family values, or who are important to the family unit or children in some way. This month, we are exploring the nourishing God, Rumina
Who is Rumina?
Rumina is a Roman goddess of feeding infants, both animal and human; it is possible she protected nursing infants too. She is considered an obscure deity and does not have an elaborate mythology or in-depth personality often bestowed on later members of the Roman pantheon. Her name is believed to mean ‘the nourisher’ and she is particularly connected to infant feeding as the root of her name, rumis or ruma is Latin for breast.
Rumina’s sisters were also minor deities who watched over infants, Cuba watched over children in their beds and Cunina over infants in their cradles.
There was a temple dedicated to Rumina near the fig tree at the foot of the Palatine Hill where myth has Romulus and Remus raised by a she-wolf. The usual offering for her was milk.
Why is Rumina one of our family deities?
Rumina is included in the families’ pantheon because she is linked to the feeding of infants and, along with her family,
Rumina Correspondences
Offerings
Milk
Figs