Picumnus was the god of fertility, agriculture, marriage, and children. It was an old Italian god, whose wife was to be Pomona.
It is supposed to be identified with Sterquilinus. His brother was Pilumnus, with whom he protected three deities who looked after pregnant mothers and newborn children. These powers were depicted in the form of three men who were pacing the house at night knocking on the front and back doors, first with an axe, then with a pestle, and then with a broom. These deities are: Intercidona, the god of chopping wood, Pilumnus and Deverra.
Sources
- Kempiński Andrzej, Encyklopedia mitologii ludów indoeuropejskich, Warszawa 2001
- Schmidt Joël, Słownik mitologii greckiej i rzymskiej, Katowice 1996
