Fauna (from Latin, meaning favorable, according to Georges Hacquard) or Fatua (meaning foolish) was the Roman goddess of fields and woods. Her name was later associated with Bona Dea, the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Gaia. Her origin and meanings are obscure. In the early days, she was simply called “the kind goddess,” an epithet derived from the belief that her kindness extended to all of nature.
Myth
In some versions of the Faun myth, Fauna was either his sister, wife, or even daughter. In the latter role, she was said to have been violated by her own father, who, transformed into a serpent, committed the act. In the variant where she appears as Faun’s wife, she was a lady of moderate habits who, nonetheless, got drunk and seduced by a pitcher of wine, ultimately murdered by her husband with lashes.
Servius links Faunus to Fatuclus, associating his wife with Fatua or Fauna, deriving these names from “to speak” (fari), suggesting their prophetic abilities. Lactantius calls her Fenta Fauna, claiming she is both sister and wife to Faunus, singing fates to women. Justin describes Faunus’s wife, Fatua, predicting future events in a divine frenzy. Macrobius suggests Fauna’s name comes from “to favor, nurture” (faveo, favere), highlighting her role in nurturing all that benefits living creatures. Macrobius also notes the Books of the Pontiffs treat Bona Dea, Fauna, Ops, and Fatua as names for the same goddess, Maia.
Descendants
Her descendants with Faun were the fauns. Also known as fatuos, the fauns were small prophetic entities of the fields, sometimes seen as geniuses or causes of nightmares.
Representation
In the version of Fauna/Fátua, she was often portrayed as Juno or as Cibele, but it was common to depict her as an old woman, with pointed ears and holding a snake in her hands.
Faunus and Fauna according to Varro:
Fauni are gods of the Latins, so that there is both a male Faunus and a female Fauna; there is a tradition that they used to speak of (fari) future events in wooded places using the verses they call ‘Saturnians’, and thus they were called ‘Fauni’ from ‘speaking’ (fando).
Cult
The first night of May was the date of the festival dedicated to Fauna. The celebrations, attended only by women and girls, involved wine, music, recreational activities, and secret ceremonies. Like Faun, the goddess had oracle gifts, differing from him as her prophecies were made only to the female gender.
Associations with other deities
Regarding the confusion of Fauna with other deities, Alexander Murray makes several considerations: she was associated with the goddess Ops, with Cibele, Semele (mother of Dionysius), with Maia (mother of Hermes), with Gaia, and others. According to the author, this stemmed from her perception as the “kind goddess,” leading to identification with other goddesses. Also, according to Murray, her obscure name and meanings would have given rise to the fantastic beings that, in modern times, came to be called elves.
Etymology
The name Fauna is derived from the feminine form of the Latin Faunus, who is the deity associated with the rural areas. Faunus, in turn, is believed to have origins in Proto-Italic *fawe or *fawono, ultimately tracing back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂u-n (‘favourable’). As a result, Georges Dumézil interpreted her name as “the Favourable.”