Oscilla

Oscilla are the plural of oscillum, a small votive figure or token used in ancient Roman religious practice. Oscilla could be carved from wood or molded in metal, ceramic, or wax, and were often simple in form. They were used as offerings or talismans; during various rites they were placed on altars, hung from trees or doors, or attached to ships and household shrines to invite divine protection or favorable outcomes. In Roman ritual, oscilla were associated with petitioning for fertility, good harvests, and safe passage, and could be renewed in later ceremonies. The sources for their appearance include inscriptions and ancient authors, though exact meanings and origins vary among scholars.

After the late antique period, the practice faded as Christianity spread, but oscilla remain a topic of interest for archaeologists and philologists studying material culture and ritual life in the Roman world. In modern usage the term oscilla is mainly encountered in classical studies and lexicography; outside of Latin texts, the term has limited or specialized use.