>Interesting. I like with the old chthonic god idea, though I still
>think the name could well be IE in origin.
I didn't say it wasn't. There's IE *PerkWnos afterall that does look a
teensy bit similar. Of course, there's still some kinks to be ironed out
concerning the exact form of the reconstruction because later associations
and wordplays have obscured the original name of the deity. *PerkWnos is
what JP Mallory offers. I've argued for an earlier form like *Pexwr-Gennos
meaning "Fire-Maker" because being a storm god, he throws lightning bolts
causing fire and it would have connections with Asian mythology. The name
would be later corrupted by old associations with the oak tree, being later
called *PerkWnos, possibly meaning "Of the Oak".
Now, the name *Pexwr-Gennos could have been adopted by Tyrrhenians in the
Balkans, pronouncing it something like *Pexelkan or just *Pexel whose cult
would spread out into the Eastern Mediterranean soon after (Semitic *Ba`lu
=> Baal). The Tyrrhenian name would be handed down, slightly contorted, to
the Etruscans as /Velchans/ where *p rather unexpectedly becomes /v/ by some
later religious wordplay that I haven't pinned down yet. Basically, the
following scenario, similar to what I propose now for "Hathor":
IE *PexwrGennos => Tyr *Pexel(kan) => Sem *Ba`lu
(Etruscan Velchans)
IE *Xster => Tyr *Hattor => Sem *`ATtaritu, Egy Hathor
(Etruscan Turan)
>I have heard that this deity is known for stealing cattle, not unlike >the
>old story with Hermes.
Actually, as far as I've drawn everything out, it was a dangerous serpent
called Three Heads that stole the cattle from First Man, the mortal hero,
not the storm god Fire Maker. Three Heads was to serve as First Man's second
labour to make up for killing his brother Twin. Lucky for Twin however, the
tears of the mother Sun Maiden would rejuvenate his lifeless body,
transforming it into the earth, complete with vegetation. This would thereby
make Twin (*Yemos) an earth deity as well as guarding the realm of the dead
(note: Kurgan culture and the religious significance with burial).
As I say, the serpent was First Man's second strife, created by Cow Mother,
the goddess of justice (Hera, Juno), wife of Sky Father (Jupiter, Tiw). She
would create three such labours to torture First Man before he would be
forgiven by the divine community. Cow Mother and Sky Father are sky gods
associated with the priest caste but also with justic and law, respectively.
It is a god of the warrior caste, Fire Maker (the others being Venus and
Grandson of the Deeps) that _helps_ the hero slay the serpent, probably
reluctantly and only after First Man had served the storm god through
worship.
So, this whole hero-slaying-dragon story was created:
1. to explain the origin of the rivers of the earth, which are
like serpents winding through the land.
2. to explain action and consequence, law and justice, through
the story of First Man atoning for his fratricide by
enduring strife (cf. Heracles & the Labours, Pandora's Box).
3. to establish the necessity of worship to gain the favour of
the gods when times are tough.
>How about Vel Turms for Voltumna? Just a guess. As long as I
>am guessing, if Velchans is of a similar nature, tehn how about
>Sethlans=Set(h). This is another chthonic deity, maybe more familiar
>to the Aegean type folk via Crete/Egypt?
It would be hard to explain the -lans part of the Etruscan name and plus,
Sethlans is a fire deity, not a storm deity.
>I think you are right about the quadrant as an original divider.
>Usually I hear of a trinity of head honcho Etruscan divinities:Uni,
>Tinia, and Menrva. I am not sure where the quadrant thing plays in,
>but I am thinking it is closely related to astronomy taken via Near
>East.
Yes, yes. I promised a post that would give my explanation on all that. As
soon as I get through all my messages (aaaaargghhhh) :) For now, I'll just
say that an original Tyrrhenian quadrant plan would derive from the tanist
scheme, not the trinity scheme. More later.
- gLeN
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