Nemeton

[1] The word nemeton is explained late in a gloss by Fortunatus : « loco nomine Vernemetis… quod quasi fanum ingens Gallica lingua refert.

In his Pharsalia Lucan described such a grove near Massilia in dramatic terms more designed to evoke horror among his Roman hearers than meant as proper natural history: no bird nested in the nemeton, nor did any animal lurk nearby; the leaves constantly shivered though no breeze stirred.

All around, the Druids, lifting up their hands to heaven, and pouring forth dreadful imprecations, scared our soldiers by the unfamiliar sight, so that, as if their limbs were paralysed, they stood motionless, and exposed to wounds.

Then urged by their general's appeals and mutual encouragements not to quail before a troop of frenzied women, they bore the standards onwards, smote down all resistance, and wrapped the foe in the flames of his own brands.

Attested examples include Nemetobriga near Ourense in northwestern Spain, Drunemeton in Galatia, at Medionemeton near the Antonine Wall in Scotland[2] and in mid-Devon there are at least ten Nymet and Nymph place-names in the area surrounding the village of Bow.