Levana (from Latin levare, "to lift") is an ancient Roman goddess involved in rituals pertaining to childbirth. Augustine says that dea Levana is invoked when the child is lifted de terra from the earth or ground. Her function may be paralleled by the Greek Artemis Orthia if interpreted as the Artemis who lifts or raises children. Levana was the goddess who oversaw the lifting of the child by the midwife immediately after birth. Kneeling or squatting was a common birthing position in antiquity.