March’s History
The Third Month of the Ancient Celtic and Roman Calendars
In ancient times and up to quite recently, March was celebrated as the beginning of the year. This may explain why many people are aware of a truer, more instinctively oriented “New Year” experience at this time of the year. For example, the New Year was celebrated on March 1st in in Russia up until the 1400’s, and in Britain until 1752! And this time of the year held different meanings and significances for various peoples. The ancient Finns called this time of the year maalisku, “month of the earth” a time that acknowledged the powerful emerging of Earth from under her snowy blanket. The great Saxon tribes celebrated the lengthening of the days and the long hours of sunlight promised by spring and summer in their naming of this monthly cycle Lenctmonat. The ancient Britons named this month hyld-monath which meant the “month of thunderous storms.”
The ancient Romans named this 31-day solar cycle Martius from which our modern term March derives in honor of the god of war Mars who was known to the ancient Greeks as Ares. Across time and space and adopted by many ancient cultures across the Roman Empire, the god Mars was known, celebrated and looked to for guidance, support, and boon companionship in many aspects beyond war. Fused with the Celtic deity Alator, the god of hunting, and also the god who cherished all life, the Roman god becomes Mars Alator. As Mars Albiorix, the great deity protected the Albici tribe of southern France who regarded him as a mountain god, and as Mars Caturix he was worshipped in ancient Gaul as a war god. But in his fusion with Celtic divinities and sacred traditions, Mars is also the god of healing, especially overseeing the healing powers of water. We see that in his role as Mars Condatis named after the Celtic god of the confluence of rivers, that he was seen as the deity who oversaw water and healing. As Mars Lenus he was also fused with the Celtic healer-god Lenus. Again, as Mars Rigonemetis which means “He Who Protects Sacred Groves” and as Mars Vorocius he was invoked at shrines that protected curative springs the waters of which were particularly known to cure eye afflictions. And finally, Martis Dies or Tuesday is the day dedicated to Mars. The god’s colors are red and gold; he carries armor and weapons imbued with divine powers and his sacred steeds are four gold-bridled fire-breathing immortal stallions.