Hludana

The Germanic goddess Hludana is known from five inscriptions. The first one is from Iversheim, west of modern Bonn. The second was discovered at Birten near Xanten, the site of a legionary base named Vetera, occupied by soldiers of VI Victrix and XXX Ulpia Victrix. The third inscription was discovered at Kalkar, near the ancient fort of Burginatium, occupied by an auxiliary unit. The next inscription comes from De Holdeurn near the fortress at Noviomagus (modern Nijmegen), once the home town of the tenth legion Gemina. These inscriptions were all found in the province of Germania Inferior, in the country of the Cugerni and Batavians, Germanic tribes that had been resettled in the Roman empire.

The last inscription (CIL XIII.8830) was discovered near the Frisian town of Beetgum, in the north of the Netherlands. 
 

DEAE HLVDANAE CONDVCTORES PISCATVS MANCIPE Qvintvs VALERIO SECV NDO Votvm Solvervnt Libentes Merito (more...)

"To the goddess Hludana, the fishing contractors, under leadership of Quintus Valerius Secundus, fulfilled their vow willingly and deservedly."

Perhaps, this stone was stolen by a Frisian chief, or perhaps these people had leased Frisian fishing grounds. The latter is suggested by the fact that the bones of salt-water fish were discovered at Nijmegen.

It has been assumed that Hludana is identical to the Frau Holle mentioned in the famous German fairy tales of the Grimm brothers. Frau Holle is able to create snowfall, and therefore, it has been thought that Hludana was responsible for the weather. This is an attractive argument, but in fact, it is nothing but speculation, based on the assumption that the words Hludana and Holle go back to a hypothetical root *Hloda.

On the other hand, from the northern Germanic mythology, we know of a goddess name Hlodyn ("little dog"), the mother of the great god Thor. Hlodyn is sometimes called Jordar Burr, a name that suggests a connection to Mother Earth.