Hail Volcanus!
Hail Maia!
Hail Ops who brings wealth!
Hail Quirinus!
Keep from us the unnatural, bizarre and inexplicable!
Maintain for us our pax et venia deum!
May we know the deeper mysteries of godhead!
Salve Volcane!
Salve Maia!
Salve Ops opifera!
Salve Quirine!

 

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We have conjectured that Volcanus represented originally Jupiter in his lightning manifestation – before his identity by Ennius with the Greek Hephaistos. The implication of this festival is as a celebration of the lightning bolt after it has entered the ground and is buried in the earth (i.e., as Quirinus). The idea of the lightning bolt within the earth carries both the chthonian suggestion of burial and the fecundating power of the male life force as the quickener of fertility. The later association of Volcanus with negativity and danger developed through the Greek smith-god association. Here he is connected to the fertility of the earth and linked to the terrestrial goddess (Ops, Maia, Hora). For the Volcanalia, Ops opifera is also invoked - the goddess Ops 'who brings wealth'

Little is known of the festival itself apart from the fire-sacrifice of small, scaly fish (pescia; Varro calls them animalia) obtained from the Tiber.