Patron Goddess of Fishermen, Mariners and Sailors
Very little is known about the Greek goddess Brizo, though she is known as both a dream goddess and a goddess of the ocean within the Greek pantheon. The Greek Myth Index indicates that she was a prophetic goddess whose Greek name stems from the word “brizein” which means “to fall asleep”. Her prophecies were delivered through dreams after her worshippers fell asleep. Brizo’s oracle would then interpret the dreams. She was particularly attuned to prayers regarding ocean navigation and fishing.
Worship of Brizo
Brizo is the ancient Greek water goddess worshipped in Delos and was considered the patron Goddess of the mariners. She was also patron of the fishermen and sailors. Brizo was often worshipped by the women in Delos who would pay homage to her by placing food in their small boats as an offering to the goddess. However, the goddess would not accept offerings of fish. This was considered extremely bad luck and would make the goddess angry. Most of the offerings were small items which Brizo’s worshipers hoped would bring the goddess’s protection, blessings of abundance and well-being.
A Rarely Mentioned God
Robert Graves, who wrote the mythography “The Greek Myths”, reveals that Brizo was also considered a lunar goddess. Or at least a goddess associated with the moon. He believes her name meant “soother” and that she was considered to be one of the three goddesses in the Byperborean Brigit. Many sources suggest she is also connected to the goddess Leto, the mother of Apollo and Artemis. Brizo has another name called Britomartis, further connecting the goddess to Artemis. Britmartis is another patron of the fishermen and sailors, though she is also a patron of navigation and sea harbors.
She is quite an obscure Goddess however. Rarely mentioned in mythology and not central to any well established legends or tales. By some accounts, she is considered to possibly be a different interpretation of the titan goddess Asteria. Both were centrally worshiped on the island of Delos.
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