Frîja - compared to "dies Veneris" (Venus' day). However other ancient deities are Druidic, Celtic and Gallo-Roman in nature, particularly in the south and throughout Flanders: Erecura, the goddess of the earth, Rosmerta, goddess of fertility, and the deities mentioned by Saint Eligius in Flanders (Jupiter, Neptune, Orcus, Diana, and Minerva). Finally some deities were regional or specific to one clan: Arduinna was the Celtic goddess of the Ardennes forest. Nehalennia was a goddess of travellers in Zeeland, where over 160 stone votives depicting her image were located in the sea. Vagdavercustis was an ancient goddess of the Batavians mentioned on an altar near Cologne. Tanfana is another more mysterious goddess recorded in the 1st century AD. Other beings The Dutch words witte wieven and wittewijven in Dutch dialects means "white women". They were spirits of the women who died of heartbreak after their men had been untrue to them. They would live on in the mists and appear when it was night and misty. They would attack men who were untrue to their women by getting them lost in the mists. Nature spirits: The following beings may have originated as deities or supernatural beings in mythology, and later recharacterized as nature spirits during the Middle Ages; The Dutch like other Germanic people believed in elves, the Dutch words for them are elfen, elven, and alven. The moss maidens, who appear in Old Dutch and Southern Germanic folklore were known as tree spirits or wood elves, often chased in the Dutch version of the Wild Hunt. The Kabouter was the Dutch name for the kobold (gnome), a household spirit and earth spirit who usually lived underground. Mythological heroes The first epic heroes, kings and leaders of The Low Countries, considered mythological, in the sense of supernatural and foundational, include: Tuisto (Tuisco) - the mythical ancestor of all Germanic tribes. Mannus - ancestor of a number of Germanic tribes, son of Tuisto. Ing (Ingwaz, Yngvi) - founder of the Ingaevones tribe, son of Mannus. Istaev - founder of the Istvaeones tribe, son of Mannus. Redbad, King of the Frisians Folcwald - hero of Frisian tribes. Finn (Frisian) - hero of Frisian tribes, Frisian lord, son of Folcwald. Merovech, semi-legendary founder of the Merovingian dynasty Mythological objects Objects considered magical or sacred in the Low Countries (7th century) included: Oak trees, springs and wooded groves had sacred and medicinal powers. Corn dollies