Relief of the Genii Cucullati (hooded deities) found in a shrine in the vicus, early 3rd century AD, Housesteads Roman Fort (Vercovicium)
Date: Roman, c.225-50 AD
Type: Religious relief
Material: Local buff sandstone
Place Made/Found: Built into a niche in a building in the settlement outside Housesteads Roman Fort in 1933
These 'genii cuculatti' (hooded spirits) are wearing the cucullus, a hood attached to the cloak. Their cloaks may be the 'birrus Britannicus', the woollen cloak that Britain was famous for exporting across the Empire. A genius is a spirit, and there could be genii of certain places, or activities. These Celtic deities were associated with fertility and prosperity.