Who is Lucina?

Who is Lucina?

Lucina (also called Juno Lucina or Diana Lucina) is a Roman Goddess of light, of moon and giving birth, who watched over married women and women in childbirth.

The title lucina (from the Latin lux, lucis, "light") links her to the light of the moon, the cycles of which were used to track female fertility as well as measure the duration of a pregnancy.

Every year, on the first of March, that at the time was the first day of the year, women held a festival in honor of Juno Lucina, called the Matronalia. Roman women offered flowers and incense in the temple of Juno Lucina. 

The focal point of this day is all centered on the woman, on the sacred feminine and femininity. Gifts were offered to Juno and the women, and everyone treated the ladies exceptionally well on this day. At home, women received gifts from their husbands and daughters, and Roman husbands were expected to offer prayers for their wives. Women were also expected to prepare a meal for the household slaves (who were given the day off work).

The ancient inhabitants of Rome built a temple in Lucina’s honor on the Esquiline hill, a place dear and frequented on pilgrimage by those who wanted a son or were about to make one.

On the day, women would participate in rituals at the temple, although the details have not been preserved other than the observation that they wore their hair loose (when Roman decorum otherwise required them to wear it up), and were not allowed to wear belts or to knot their clothing in any place.

The vestals, guarding the door, controlled the clothing of those who entered. In fact, no one who had a knot on her, from the tip of her hair to the tip of her shoes, could access it. The knots were one of the greatest enemies of the Roman women in labor, since they hold back, obstruct, do not allow the course of life to flow. Just as it would happen if on the umbilical cord.

Lucina was invoked by women who were having difficulty conceiving and who wanted children and during labour for an easy delivery and healthy child.
They let their hair loose and untied any knots in their clothing as an act of sympathetic magic.

She is the Goddess of Birth, the goddess who aids women during pregnancy and brings their child into the light. 

 

Why did we name our brand after her?

One of the hardest things when you are launching a new brand is probably choosing the name. We were looking for something closely related to sacred feminine energy and the moon. We liked the idea of having a word connected to the light, “luce” in Italian. Irene one day came up with the name Lucina that in Italian means “small light”, but at first we didn’t pay so much attention to it and carried on with our quest.

Just a few days after she was visiting Rome and "accidentally" found herself in Via in Lucina, in the Campo Marzio neighborhood, which has the moon as a symbol.

We got curious and started making some research about Lucina and found out the story we tell above. We were immediately impressed by the “coincidence” and how the figure of Lucina was close to our concept. Not only she is the Goddess of the moon and childbirth who watches over women and comes from the Roman tradition, that also represents our roots. But we were especially fascinated by the rituals that were traditionally celebrated in her honor, where women were not allowed to wear belts or to knot their clothing in any place (as they usually did at the time) and wore their hair loose, to make the course of life flow. They were offering flowers and incense to the Goddess and receiving gifts from the men of the family.

Our concept was, from the very beginning, to create clothes that were beautiful of course, but at the same time extremely comfortable, loose and easy to wear for each kind of body, with no belts, buttons or tight seams, using nice fabrics that give a sense of lightness and freedom. A collection that could honor and celebrate women from all over the world. 

As soon as we got to know the story of Lucina, we felt a deep connection with her and we both knew it was the right name for us and we still believe it.

On the hill that now has the name of Esquiline, A temple was founded, as I recall, on this day, By the Roman women in honour of Iuno. But why do I linger, and burden your thoughts with reasons? The answer you seek is plainly before your eyes. My mother, Iuno, loves brides: crowds of mothers worship me: Such a virtuous reason above all befits her and me.' Bring the goddess flowers: the goddess loves flowering plants: Garland your heads with fresh flowers, and say: 'You, Lucina, have given us the light of life': and say: You hear the prayer of women in childbirth. But let her who is with child, free her hair in prayer, So the goddess may gently free her womb. - Ovid, Fasti III