Britomartis

Britomartis
Goddess of mountains, fishing nets, and hunting
The Drowning of Britomartis tapestry, probably designed by Jean Cousin the Elder
Other namesDictynna, Dictymna, Dicte
Major cult centreCrete
SymbolsMountains, fishing nets, the moon
TempleDiktynnaion
FestivalsBritomarpeia
Genealogy
Parents
Equivalents
AeginianAphaea

Britomartis (/brɪtˈmɑːrtɪs/;Ancient Greek: Βριτόμαρτις) was a Greek goddess of mountains, nets, and hunting who was primarily worshipped on the island of Crete. She was sometimes described as a nymph, but she was more commonly conflated or syncretized with the goddesses Artemis, Athena, and Aphaea. She is also known as Dictynna, Dicte, Dictymna, or as a daughter of Dictynna (Δίκτυννα).

In the 16th century, Edmund Spencer named a character identified with English military prowess as "Britomart" in his knightly epic The Faerie Queene. This subsequently led to a number of appearances of "Britomart" figures in British art and literature.