Artio is an obscure Celtic/Gaulish bear goddess whom can
take on the form of a bear. Other names for her are Dea Artio and Andarta. Her
name comes from the Gaulish word for bear. Some think that Artio may be a more
general goddess of the wilderness and wild creatures.
A sculpture found near Bern in Switzerland is thought to be
depicting Artio, featuring a large bear facing a seated woman. The bear has a
small tree behind it and the woman seeming to be holding a fruit. It is often
thought that the woman thought to be Artio may be feeding the bear. The
sculpture holds an inscription which reads “Deae Artioni Licinia Sabinilla”,
translating to “To the Goddess Artio from Licinia Sabinilla”.
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