"AMONG THE GODS OR SPIRITS WHO WERE OF ANCIENT TIMES--MAY THEY BE EVER FAVOURABLE TO US! AMONG THEM WAS ONE FEMALE WHO WAS THE CRAFTIEST AND MOST KNAVISH OF THEM ALL. SHE WAS CALLED LAVERNA. SHE WAS A THIEF, AND VERY LITTLE KNOWN TO THE OTHER DEITIES, WHO WERE HONEST AND DIGNIFIED, FOR SHE WAS RARELY IN HEAVEN OR IN THE COUNTRY OF THE FAIRIES."
"SHE WAS ALMOST ALWAYS ON EARTH, AMONG THIEVES, PICKPOCKETS AND PANDERS--SHE LIVED IN DARKNESS."--VIRGIL "
LAVERNA IS THE ROMAN GODDESS OF THIEVES, PICKPOCKETS, SHOPKEEPERS, RASCALS, AND HYPOCRITES. SHE WAS ORIGINALLY AN UNDERWORLD GODDESS OF THE ETRUCIANS, BUT BECAME THE GODDESS OF THIEVES BECAUSE THIEVES OPERATE IN THE DARK OF NIGHT. THERE WAS A TEMPLE IN A SACRED GROVE WHICH WAS NAMED FOR HER, AND THIS IS WHERE THE ROBBERS WOULD COME TO DIVVY UP THEIR LOOT. NEARBY THERE WAS AN ALTAR. THERE WAS A STATUE OF THE GODDESS AND HER IMAGE WHICH, ACCORDING TO SOME WAS A HEAD WITHOUT A BODY; OTHERS SAY SHE WAS A BODY WITHOUT A HEAD.
LAVERNA WAS WORSHIPPED IN SILENCE AND WAS PROPITIATED WITH BY LIBATIONS POURED WITH THE LEFT HAND. IT IS SAID THAT LAVERNA HAD MANY LOVERS AND MANY CHILDREN, AND ALTHOUGH SHE OFTEN REPENTED HER LIFE OF SIN, SHE COULD NOT REFORM; HER PASSIONS WERE FAR TOO STRONG.
'Behold me, for I am Laverna, whoHave come to answer to that Lord's complaint,Who swears that I contracted debt to him,And have not paid although the time is o'er,And that I am a thief because I sworeUpon my head--but, as you all can see,I have no head at all, and therefore IAssuredly ne'er swore by such an oath.'
Credit: master-of-pentagram.blogspot.com
