Definition:
Tellus Mater, the goddess of Mother Earth, was invoked by the Romans in case of earthquake. She was also the Roman goddess of marriage. Coupled with Ceres, she was invoked for fruitfulness.
The sowing festival, feriae sementivae, were held in her honor at the end of January, marking the end of winter sowing. At the same time (dates fixed by the pontifex maximus each year) the paganalia were celebrated in the country in honor of Tellus Mater and Ceres. On the 15th of April, the fordicidia or hordicidia feast was held, where cows in calf were sacrificed to her. This feast was under the management of the pontifex and the vestal virgins, the latter of which kept the ashes of the unborn calves until the parilia at which time they were used for purification.Source: Oskar Seyffert's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities
Also Known As: Mother Earth
