List of Etruscan mythological figures

A

Achlae

Greek river god, Achelous.

Achle, Achile

Legendary hero of the Trojan War, from the Greek Achilles.

Achmemrun

Legendary king of Mycenaean Greece, from the Greek Agamemnon.

Achrum, Acharum

Legendary Greek river of the underworld, the Acheron.

Achvizr, Achuvesr, Achuvizr, Achviztr

Unknown character associated with Turan. It may be one of the Samothracian Grest Gods or Cabeiri (Άξίερος, perhaps from *Aχsiver-) according to É. Benveniste.

Aita, Eita

The Etruscan equivalent of the Greek god of the underworld and ruler of the dead, Hades.

Aivas Tlamunus, Aivas Vilates

Also Eivas or Evas. Etruscan equivalents of the Greek heroes Ajax, son of Telamon and Ajax, son of Oileus.

Alchumena

The Greek legendary character, Alcmena.

Alcstei, Alcsti

The Greek legendary character, Alcestis.

Alichsantre, Alechsantre, Alcsentre, Elchsntre, Elachśantre, Elachśntre, Elcste

The Trojan legendary character, Alexandrus, otherwise known as Paris.

Alpanu, Alpan, Alpnu

Etruscan goddess, whose name is identical to Etruscan "willingly."

Althaia

The Greek figure Althaea, mother of Meleager.

Ani

Divinity named on the periphery of the Piacenza Liver as dominant in that section. It seems to correspond to Martianus Capella's Templum I, north, ruled by Janus, for which Ani appears to be the Etruscan word.

Aminth

Etruscan winged deity in the form of a child, probably identified with Amor.

Amuce, Amuche, Amuke

The Greek legendary figure Amycus of the Argonauts myth.

Apulu, Aplu

The god, Apollo.

Areatha

The mythological figure, Ariadne.

Apru

Alternate Etruscan spelling of Aphrodite. See Turan.

Aril

Etruscan deity identified with Atlas.

Aritimi, Artumes

The goddess Artemis.

Ataiun

The mythological figure, Actaeon.

Athrpa

The deity, Atropos.

Atlenta, Atlnta

The mythological person, Atalanta.

Atmite

The legendary character, Admetus.

Atunis

The mythological figure, Adonis.

Aturmica

The mythological figure, Andromache, the Amazon.

Aulunthe

Etruscan, the name of a satyr.

B

Begoë, Vegoia

Etruscan nymph believed to have power over lightnings; she was also said to have composed a tract known as Ars Fulguritarum ("Art of the Thunderstruck"), which was included in the Roman pagan canon, along with the Sibylline Books.

C

Calaina

The Greek Nereid, Galena.

Calanice

A Greek name of Hercle, Kallinikos.

Calu

Etruscan infernal god of wolves, represented by a wolf.

Capne, Kapne

The legendary hero, Capaneus.

Caśntra

prophetess, Cassandra, of the Trojan War.

Castur

legendary figure, Castor.

Catha, Cavtha, Cath

An Etruscan deity, god and goddess, not well represented in the art. She appears in the expression ati cath, "Mother Cath" and also maru Cathsc, "the maru of Cath"; however, the nature of the maru is not known. She is also called śech, "daughter," which seems to fit Martianus Capella's identification of the ruler of Region VI of the sky as Celeritas solis filia, "Celerity the daughter of the sun." In the Piacenza Liver the corresponding region is ruled by Cath.

Catmite

The mythological figure, Ganymede, from an alternative Greek spelling, Gadymedes. From the Etruscan is Latin Catamitus.

Cel

Etruscan earth goddess, probably identified with Ge, as she had a giant for a son. Her name occurs in the expression ati Cel, "Mother Cel."

Celsclan

Etruscan Gigas, "son of Cel", identifying her as "Earth", as the giants in Greek mythology were the offspring of the earth.

Cerca

enchantress of the Odyssey, Circe.

Chaluchasu

Translation of Greek panchalkos, "wholly of bronze", perhaps the robot of Crete, Talos.

Charun, Charu

The mythological figure, Charon.

Chelphun

An Etruscan satyr.

Cilens

Also Celens.

Cluthumustha, Clutmsta

The female legendary character, Clytemnestra.

Crapsti

Umbrian local deity, Grabouie.

Crisitha

The heroine of the Trojan War, the Greek name Chryseis.

Culsans

God of doors and doorways, corresponding to the two-faced Roman god Janus.

Culsu

Also Cul. A female underworld demon who was associated with gateways. Her attributes included a torch and scissors. She was often represented next to Culsans.

E

Easun, Heasun. Heiasun

Etruscan version of the mythological hero Jason.

Ecapa

The tragic heroine of the Trojan War, Hecuba.

Ectur

Hero of the Trojan War, Hector.

Elinei, Elinai, Elina

The character Helen of Trojan War fame.

Enie

Greek Enyo, one of the Graeae.

Epiur, Epeur

Greek epiouros, "guardian", a boy presented to Tinia by Hercle, possibly Tages.

Ermania

legendary character Hermione, daughter of Menelaus and Helen.

Eris

divinity Eris.

Erus

divinity Eros.

Esplace

legendary healer, Asklepios.

Ethausva, Eth

Etruscan goddess, attendant at the birth of Menrva.

Etule

Greek Aitolos, confused with his brother, Epeios, who built the Trojan horse.

Euturpa, Euterpe

The Greek divinity, Euterpe.

Evan

An attendant on Turan, sometimes male, sometimes female.

Evtucle, [Ev]thucle

The hero, Eteocles.

F

Feronia

An obscure rural goddess primarily known from the various Roman cults who worshipped her.

Fufluns

Etruscan god of wine, identified with Dionysus. The name is used in the expressions Fufluns Pacha (Bacchus) and Fufluns Pachie. Puplona (Populonia) was named from Fufluns.

G

See under C.

H

Hamphiare, Amphare

Legendary seer, Amphiaraus.

Hathna

Etruscan satyr.

Hercle, Hercele, Herecele, Herkle, Hrcle

Etruscan form of the legendary hero known to the Greeks as Hēraklēs and the Romans as Hercules. With Perseus, the main Etruscan hero, the adopted son of Uni/Juno, who suckled the adult Hercle. His image appears more often than any other on Etruscan carved hardstones. His name appears on the bronze Piacenza Liver, used for divination (hepatoscopy), a major element of Etruscan religious practice. His Etruscan epithet, sometimes substituted for his name, is Calanice, "beautiful victory", derived from Greek Kallinikos

Hipece

The magic spring, Hippocrene, represented in Etruscan art as a water spout in the form of a lion's head.

Horta

Goddess of agriculture (highly conjectural).

I

Ilithiia

The goddess of childbirth, known to the Greeks as Eileithyia. Occurs also in the expression flereś atis ilithiial, "statue of mother Eileithyia."

Iynx

An Etruscan mythological creature, a bird of love.

J

See under I.

K

See under C.

L

Laran

Etruscan God of war.

Lasa

One of a class of deities, plural Lasas, mainly female, but sometimes male, from which the Roman Lares came. Where the latter were the guardians of the dead, the Etruscan originals formed the court of Turan. Lasa often precedes an epithet referring to a particular deity: Lasa Sitmica, Lasa Achununa, Lasa Racuneta, Lasa Thimrae, Lasa Vecuvia.

Lasa Vecuvia

Goddess of prophecy, associated with the nymph Vegoia. See under Begoë.

Latva

The mythological person also known as Leda.

Leinth

Etruscan divinity, male and female, possibly related to lein, Etruscan word for "to die", but does not appear in any death scenes.

Letham, Lethns, Letha, Lethms, Leta

An Etruscan infernal goddess.

Letun

The goddess known to the Greeks as Leto.

Lunc, Lnche

The legendary figure, Lynceus.

M

Malavisch

Etruscan divinity of the mirrors, probably from malena, "mirror."

Man, Mani

Etruscan class of spirits representing "the dead" and yet not the same as a hinthial, "ghost." From the Mani came the Latin Manes, which are both "the good" and the deified spirits of the dead.

Mania

Etruscan infernal deity, one of a dyad including Mantus. She went on into Latin literature, ruling beside Mantus and was reported to be the mother of the Lares and Manes. Under the Etruscan kings, she received the sacrifices of slain children during the Laralia festival of May 1. She continued to survive in post-classical Tuscan folklore as Mania della Notte, a nocturnal spirit bringing nightmares.

Mantus

Etruscan infernal deity, one of a dyad including Mania. A tradition of Latin literature names the Etruscan city of Manthua, later Mantua, after the deity.

Mariś

A class of divinity used with epithets: mariś turans, mariś husurnana, mariś menitla, mariś halna, mariś isminthians. The appearances in art are varied: a man, a youth, a group of babies cared for by Menrva. The Roman god, Mars, is believed to have come from this name. Pallottino refers to the formation of a god by "... fusing groups of beings ... into one." Of Mars he says "... the protecting spirits of war, represented as armed heroes, tend to coalesce into a single deity, the Etrusco-Roman Mars, on the model of the Greek god Ares."

Mean, Meanpe

Etruscan deity, equivalent of Nike or Victoria.

Meleacr

The legendary figure,known to the Greeks as Meleager.

Memnum, Memrum

Memnon, a Trojan saved from Achle by his mother, Thesan.

Menerva, Menrva

The Etruscan original to the Roman Minerva, made into Greek Athena.

Menle

The hero Menelaus, of Trojan War fame.

Metaia, Metua, Metvia

The mythological character, Medea.

Metus

The Gorgon, Medusa. The head appears on the Aegis of Menrva as a Gorgoneion.

Mlacuch

A young Etruscan woman kidnapped by Hercle.

Munthukh

Goddess of love and health, and one of the attendants of Turan

N

Nestur

The legendary hero, Nestor.

Nethuns

Italic divinity, probably Umbrian, of springs and water, identified with Greek Poseidon and Roman Neptune, from which the name comes. It occurs in the expression flere Nethuns, "the divinity of Nethuns."

Nortia

Goddess of fate and chance. Unattested in Etruscan texts but mentioned by Roman historian Livy. Her attribute was a nail, which was driven into a wall in her temple during the Etruscan new year festival as a fertility rite.

O

Orcus was an Etruscan god of the underworld, punisher of broken oaths. He was portrayed in paintings in Etruscan tombs as a hairy, bearded giant.

P

Pacha

Roman Bacchus, an epithet of Fufluns.

Palmithe, Talmithe

The hero, Palamedes.

Pantasila, Pentasila

The Greek name, Penthesilea, queen of the Amazons.

Patrucle

Patroclus, of Trojan War fame.

Pava Tarchies

Etruscan Tarchies in an expression: "boy Tarchies." See under Tarchies.

Pecse, Pakste

The name of the legendary winged horse, Pegasus, assigned by the Etruscans to the Trojan Horse.

Pele

The hero Peleus.

Pemphetru

Greek Pemphredo, one of the Graeae.

Perse, Pherse

The mythological hero, Perseus.

Phaun, Faun, Phamu

The mythological character, Phaon.

Phersipnai, Phersipnei, Persipnei, Proserpnai

Queen of the underworld, equivalent to the Greek Persephone and Roman Proserpina.

Phersu

A divinity of the mask, probably from Greek prosopon, "face". The god becomes adjectival, *phersuna, from which Latin persona.

Phuinis

The Greek Phoinix, friend of Peleus.

Phulsphna

The legendary figure Polyxena.

Prisis

The Greek Briseis mentioned in the Iliad.

Priumne

Priam king of Troy.

Prumathe

The Greek mythological figure Prometheus.

Puanea

Etruscan name of a satyr.

Pultuce, Pulutuce, Pulutuke, Pultuke

One of the mythological twins, known to the Greeks as Pollux.

R

Rath

Etruscan deity identified with Apollo. Tarquinia was his sanctuary.

Rathmtr

The Greek mythological character, Rhadamanthys.

S

Satre

Etruscan deity, source of the Roman god, Saturn.

Sime

An Etruscan satyr who has a Greek name.

Selvans

God who appears in the expression Selvansl Tularias, "Selvans of the boundaries", which identifies him as a god of boundaries. The name is either borrowed from the Roman god, Silvanus or the original source of the Roman god's name.

Semla

The Greek goddess, Semele.

Sethlans

Etruscan blacksmith and craftsman God, often wielding an axe. Equivalent to the Greek Hephaistos and Roman Vulcanus. See also under Velchans below.

Sispe, Sisphe

The legendary king, Sisyphus.

Svutaf

A winged Etruscan deity whose name, if from the same Latin root as the second segment of persuade, might mean "yearning" and therefore be identifiable with Eros.

T

Tages

See under Tarchies.

Taitle

The Etruscan form of the mythological figure Daedalus.

Tarchies

Occurs in Pava Tarchies, label of a central figure in depictions of divination, who, along with Epiur, a divinatory child, is believed to be the same as Tages, founder of the Etruscan religion, mentioned by Roman authors.

Tarchon

An Etruscan culture hero who, with his brother, Tyrrhenus, founded the Etruscan Federation of twelve cities.

Tecum

God of the lucomenes, or ruling class.

Techrs

From the Greek, the Trojan War hero, Teucer.

Telmun, Tlamun, Talmun, Tlamu

A legendary Argonaut, Telamon.

Teriasals, Teriasa

Legendary blind prophet, Tiresias.

Thalna, Thalana, Talna

Etruscan divine figure of multiple roles shown male, female and androgynous: it attends the births of Menrva and Fufluns, dances as a Maenad and expounds prophecy. In Greek thallein, "to bloom". A number of divinities fit the etymology: Greek Thallo and Hebe and Roman Iuventas, "youth."

Thanr

An Etruscan deity shown present at the births of deities.

Thesan

Etruscan goddess of the dawn. She was identified with the Roman Aurora and Greek Eos.

These

A hero who is the equivalent of Theseus.

Thethis

nymph Thetis, mother of Achilles.

Thetlvmth

Unknown deity of the Piacenza Liver, which is not a picture bilingual.

Thevrumines

Minotaur

Thufltha

Unknown deity of the Piacenza Liver, which is not a picture bilingual.

Tinia, Tina, Tin

Chief Etruscan god, the ruler of the skies, husband of Uni, and father of Hercle, identified with the Greek Zeus and Roman Jupiter well within the Etruscan window of ascendance, as the Etruscan kings built the first temple of Jupiter at Rome. Called apa, "father" in inscriptions (parallel to the -piter in Ju-piter), he has most of the attributes of his Indo-European counterpart, with whom some have postulated a more remote linguistic connection. The name means "day" in Etruscan. He is the god of boundaries and justice. He is depicted as a young, bearded male, seated or standing at the center of the scene, grasping a stock of thunderbolts. According to Latin literature, the bolts are of three types: for warning, good or bad interventions, and drastic catastrophes. Unlike Zeus, Tin needs the permission of the Dii Consentes (consultant gods) and Dii Involuti (hidden gods) to wield the last two categories. A further epithet, Calusna (of Calu), hints at a connection to wolves or dogs and the underworld. In post-classical Tuscan folklore he became an evil spirit, Tigna, who causes lightning strikes, hail, rain, whirlwinds and mildew.

Tinas cliniar

Etruscan expression, "sons of Tina", designating the Dioscuri, proving that Tin was identified with Zeus.

Tiur, Tivr, Tiv

Etruscan deity identified with Greek Selene and Roman Luna (goddess).

Tlusc, Tluscv, Mar Tlusc

Unknown deity of the Piacenza Liver, which is not a picture bilingual. The corresponding region in Martianus Capella is ruled by Sancus, an Italic god and Sabine progenitor, who had a temple on the Quirinal Hill, and appears on an Etruscan boundary stone in the expression Selvans Sanchuneta, in which Sanchuneta seems to refer to the oaths establishing the boundary. Sancus probably comes from Latin sancire, "to ratify an oath."

Truia, Truials

Troy, Trojan, the city of the Iliad.

Tuchulcha

An Etruscan demon.

Tuntle

The legendary figure, known to the Greeks as Tyndareus.

Turan

Etruscan goddess identified with Greek Aphrodite and Roman Venus. She appears in the expression, Turan ati, "Mother Turan", equivalent to Venus Genetrix. Her name is a noun meaning "the act of giving" in Etruscan, based on the verb stem Tur- 'to give.'

Turms, Turmś

Etruscan god identified with Greek Hermes and Roman Mercurius. In his capacity as guide to the ghost of Tiresias, who has been summoned by Odysseus, he is Turms Aitas, "Turms Hades."

Turnu

An Etruscan deity, a type of Eros, child of Turan.

Tusna

Perhaps from *Turansna, "of Turan." The swan of Turan.

Tute

The Greek hero, Tydeus.

TV[?]th

Unknown deity of the Piacenza Liver, which is not a picture bilingual.

Tyrrhenus

An Etruscan culture hero and twin brother of Tarchon.

U

Uni

Supreme goddess of the Etruscan pantheon, wife of Tinia, mother of Hercle, and patroness of Perugia. With Tinia and Menrva, she was a member of the ruling triad of Etruscan deities. Uni was the equivalent of the Roman Juno, whose name Uni may be derived from, and the Greek Hera.

Urphe

The mythological figure, Orpheus.

Urusthe

The homeric legendary character, Orestes.

Usil

Etruscan deity identified with Greek Helios, Roman Sol.

Uthste

Legendary hero, Odysseus

V

Vanth

Etruscan winged demon of the underworld often depicted in the company of Charun. She could be present at the moment of death, and frequently acted as a guide of the deceased to the underworld.

Vea

Etruscan divinity, possibly taking its name from the city of Veii or vice versa.

Vecu, Vecui, Vecuvia, Vegoia

The prophetic nymph, Vegoia. See under Lasa Vecuvia, Begoë.

Veltha, Velthume, Vethune, Veltune

Etruscan deity, possible state god of the Etruscan league of Etruria, the Voltumna in the Latin expression Fanum Voltumnae, "shrine of Voltumna", which was their meeting place, believed located at Orvieto. The identification is based on reconstruction of a root *velthumna from Latin Voltumna, Vertumnus and Voltumnus of literary sources, probably from Etruscan veltha, "earth" or "field." Representations of a bearded male with a long spear suggest Velthune may be an epithet of Tinia.

Veiove, Veive, Vetis

Etruscan infernal deity whose temple stood at Rome near the Capitoline Hill. The identification is made from the deity's Latin names related by a number of ancient authors over the centuries: Vēi, Vēdi, Vēdii, Veiovis, Vediovis, Vediiovis, Vedius.

Velparun

The Greek hero, Elpenor.

Vesuna

Italic goddess mentioned also in the Iguvine Tables.

Vikare

Son of Taitle, the mythological figure of Icarus. The name is found inscribed once, on a golden bulla dating to the 5th century BCE now housed at the Walters Art Museum.

Vile, Vilae

Greek Iolaos, nephew of Hercle.

W

See under V.