RASENNA POLYTHEISM

◈". . .genetrix et mater superstitionis Etruria
. . . Etruria, the begetter and mother of superstition."Arnobius, Adv. nat. 7.26◈

AS THE NAME STATES, Etruscan polytheism—also known as Rasenna polytheism—is the reconstructed religion of Etruria, a civilisation in Northern Italy that coexisted with the Romans until their collapse. As such, they influenced the likes of Rome and ancient Greece, interacted with the Gauls, and inspired the Elder Futhark. An Etruscan polytheist is follower of the reconstructed Etruscan religion.Etruscan polytheism revolves around the worship of the aiser, venerating nature, and living within the Etruscan worldview. The Etruscan worldview is that of devotion, divination, and the 16 divisions of the heavens. This is open for anyone to use; whether you are simply curious, incorporating an aiser or two, or looking to join us in reconstructing etruscan polytheism.In this carrd we have compiled the basics of Rasenna’s religion for anyone interested. All information in this carrd is sourced from the resources section. We are constantly expanding and updating this, so look forward to changes, expansions, and edits to this carrd.

INTRODUCTION◈"Ipsa novas artis varia experientia rerum et labor ostendit miseris ususque magister tradidit agricolis ventos sedare furentiset tempestatem Tuscis avertere sacris.""Lest rustics suffer from these monstrous pests,
Varied experience of herself and toil
And use, their teacher novel arts have shown
To wretched husbandmen, how to appease"Columella, De re rustica 10.338–342.◈MOST RELIGIOUS OF ALL MEN was the way Livy 5.1.6 described Rasenna, commonly known to us now as the Etruscans. Originating within West Asia and then immigrating to what we would now call Tuscany, these people would go on to found a flourishing civilisation that would influence the likes of the later Roman Empire. The most known aspect of Etruscan civilisation is their religion, sourced from Latin texts, archaeological finds, and influences on other ancient religions.AN ETRUSCAN POLYTHEIST is then someone who possesses what is known of the ancient Etruscan worldview, venerates and honours the aiser, partakes in divination if they possess the ability to, and otherwise seeks to follow Etruscan religion in a reconstructionist, revivalist, syncretic, or eclectic fashion.The creators of this carrd have compiled together what we consider to be the basics of this religion for modern worshippers, as a New Religious Movement dwelling within the classification of Contemporary Paganism. Compared to the likes of ancient Greece and other Pagan movements, Rasenna polytheism is small yet well-beloved by the few of us who do seek out the aiser.BEGINNERS READING LISTScholarship is the backbone of modern paganism.When researching, know that scholars do disagree and that some conclusions are disproven by new discoveries or further academic inquiry. As such, be critical and discover what you believe to be true. There is much we have not included in this carrd as it is beyond the scope of the basics, so reading is a must.THE LISTA NEW RECONSTRUCTION OF THE ETRUSCAN HEAVENDIVINING IN THE ETRUSCAN WORLDSTARS, MYTHS, AND RITUALS IN ETRUSCAN ROMETHE ETRUSCAN WORLDTHE RELIGION OF THE ETRUSCANSYou may access all the documents through our resources section.

KNOWN AISER

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"τὸ δὲ πάντων μέγιστον, ἐξ ἀνεφέλου καὶ διαίθρου τοῦ
περιέχοντος ἤχησε φωνὴ σάλπιγγος ὀξὺν ἀποτείνουσα
καὶ θρηνώδη φθόγγον,""Most important of all, out of a cloudless and clear air there
rang out the voice of a trumpet, prolonging a shrill and
dismal note, so that all were amazed and terrified at its
loudness."Plutarch, Life of Sulla 7.3–6.◈As the Etruscans are still relatively obscure, what we do know is limited and as such the aiser themselves are a bit of a mystery. Not all recorded etruscan gods are listed here, but I have included as many as possible. The aiser tend to have names directly associated to their realm, such as Laran's name being Lar, "Lord", with a gender neutral ending. As such, we have decided to include the meaning of their names if known below the romanisation of their Etuscan names.ACHVIZRAn obscure deity in the circle of Turan that may appear as masculine or feminine. In a mirror, she appears at a scene of marriage.AITA/CALUAssociated with wolves, Aita is the ruler of the underworld. Appearing with blue skin and described as both wolf and man, he watches over the souls of the dead. His other name is Calu, as the name Aita is his name in artistic depictions.ALPAN
"gift"A winged lasa in the circle of Turan that appears to represent harmony.APLU/APULUThe name for the Roman Apollo in Etruria, he was imported to Etruria via Rome and was identified with the likes of Śuri who also possessed wolves as his symbol. He generally keeps the same iconography with Etruscan artistic adjustments when not idenified with Śuri or Usil. Offerings given to Apollon at Delphi have been identified, undoubtly because of his oracular powers. He maintains a uniquely close relationship to Uni. Unlike the Roman Apollo, Aplu maintains a chthonic nature.ARTHPAA goddess of fate, she is shown striking a nail between couples to signify their separation, usually through death.ARTUMESImported from Greece to Etruria, Artumes is the ais of the hunt. She is usually venerated alone and as a hunter/mistress of animals, especially of wolves. Unlike her Greek depictions, Artumes may appear as a man and with wings akin to many native Etruscan gods.ATUNISAtunis is the name of Adonis, who was imported to Etruria and paired with Turan. In art, unlike the Greek depiction of Adonis, he may appear with wings. His name bears a resemblance to "Ati", mother.CATHAAn obscure chthonic goddess associated and in a dyad with Fufluns. It was originally thought she was a sun deity, but that has since been contested. Nancy de Grummond argued that she is a Lunar deity as opposed to a solar one and equivalent to Kore. She is called the daughter and eye of Usil ("Solis Filia") and owns the eighth division of the heaven. She had a sanctuary in Pyrgi with Śuri.CEL
"earth"Embodiment of the Earth, she was identified with Terra. She was addressed as Cel Ati, "mother earth." In the ritual calendar, her month is equivalent to September.CHARUNWhile his name may have been borrowed from Greek, Charun is unlike the Greek Charon in every other way. He may appear as multiple and possesses blue skin, a hammer, and vulture-like eyes. He appears with Vanth in funerary scenes.CILENTS/CILENSA deity mentioned as ruling the 16th division of heaven. They were identified with the Roman god Nocturnus and as such he is thought to be the god of the night sky. A Bolsenian terracotta relief from depicts Cilens, adorned in rich female clothing, and attending Menerva; however,
the head is missing.CULŚANŚ
"doorway"Depicted as a man with two faces, he rules over gates and doors and may appear with a key. He was possibly with Janus, who also has multiple faces. Culśanś in art has appeared with keys and as a priest.CULSU
"doorway, gateway"A gatekeeper and door-opener of the underworld. Her name has the same etymology as Culśanś. She is attested receving offerings in the Zagreb Liber Linteus and may be the one who holds the vague division of heaven called "Cvl Alp."ETHAUSVAAn obscure goddess who appears at scenes of birth alongside Thanr and Thalna.ETRAAn obscure ais only mentioned twice: once as the parent of Thesan, another with Uni and other deities. Van Meer equates them to Aither due to Hygnius, however, this cannot be confirmed.EVANAn obscure deity that can appear as both masculine and feminine.FARTHAN
"Genius"An obscure deity, of mixed sex. Personified by a mix of gorgon and satyr traits. Likely a god of creativity, and possibly of the underworld.FUFLUNSAis of wine, viticulture, and a psycopomp, Fufluns is also associated with Catha. He was identified with Liber and Dionysus.HERCLEImported from Greece, Hercle gained popularity in Etruria likely due to his role as a protector of livestock. From then he gained a disctinctly Etruscan character, such as lightning-throwing and an association with running water. His mother by adoption is Uni, gaining the title unial clan.HORTA
"garden"Her name likely means "garden" due to the similarity between her name and latin "hortus" and as such she is thought to be the aiser of gardening. Horta is also an ancient name of Orte, a small important settlement in the middle of the Tiber River.LARAN
"lord"The chief chthonic god of war, in art often he appears naked or in a full suit of armour with a spear. Laran is a protector of boundaries as observed boundary cippi with the inscriptions tular Larna and tular larns found in Bettona. He was identified with Mars and Ares. Laran also has the ability to throw lightning.LASAA group of love goddesses in th circle of Turan and connected to fate. If they are winged, they resemble the Erotes, yet they may also be wingless. Many feminine divinities are given this title, such as Alpan. Lasa is a name of one of these divinities. Lasa may also appear as male.LEINTHA mysterious god who appears with a spear alongside Laran.LETHAMSAn underworld deity mentioned on the Liver of Piacenza, Lethams has been connected to Laran as a martial deity by Der Meer in the Tabula Capuana. Lethams also appears at scenes of birth, so they may be connected to childbirth.LURA protective, oracular, and martial divinity associated with Laran as he is called Larunita, "that of Laran", from an inscription on a bucchero vase discovered in San Giovenale. He was worshiped in the shrine at the bridge of the Pietrisco river.LVSAAn obscure deity in the Zagreb Liber Linteus who likely also posseses the sixth division of heaven. Van Meer argues that she may be a forest deity associated with light, however, she still remains obscure.MARIŚNot to be confused with Mars, Mariś are small flying babies that appear in Etruscan art. On mirrors, the name Mariś is ascribed to group of flying infants with an individual names; Mariśhalna, Mariśhusrnana, and
Mariśisminthians. They may be the sons of Turan and Laran, akin to Eros, and educated by Menerva. Mariś may also appear as a youth, but his functions are not well known beyond a possible protective character. Nancy de Grummond argues that the Mariś are equivalent to the Roman Genius.MEANAn obscure goddess associated with victory, sometimes with winged or unwinged; only appearing upon mirrors. Akin to Nike, she sometimes crowns victorious heroes.MENVRA/MENEVRAA cognate of Minvera, Menvra is the ais of textiles, wisdom, and associated with war. She possesses the ability to throw lightning. In art she is depicted as a young woman with armour, the aegis, head of medusa, and sometimes with wings. Despite her warlike depiction, Menevra is the educator of children and a peaceful goddess. She is the companion of Hercle.PETHANA chthonian in the Zagreb Liber Linteus called Pethan Calusna, "of Calu", marking him in a the circle of Calu along Tins.NETHUNSAiser of water and the sea, he appears on the Zagreb mummy fragments in a festival context. His appearance from the fourth century onwards with characteristics similar to Neptune and Poseidon, of whom he was idenitifed with, but before then he was represented beardless. Much like other sea gods, he wears a sea-serpent or dolphin cap. On the Piacenza liver, he has domain over the 7th region of the sky.NORTIANorita is a goddess of fate, chance, and time. Little about her survives, but she does commonly appear on divination tools such as training livers. Her main symbol is the nail, which was used to "nail" down events to ensure them. She can also appear with a hammer, further emphasizing this nail symbol. At Volsinii, where her temple was, Livy reports that a new nail was added each year.SATREA mysterious deity that appears on the Liver of Piacenza. They were thought to be Saturnus, but Saturnus has been found to be a Roman deity in origin. The similarity of names may be entirely coincidental and as no artistic depictions surive, this deity remains a mystery. They are also mentioned as one of the nine aiser who could throw sacred lightning.SELVANSAnother aiser associated with boundaries, as seen with a dedication with the epithet tularias. In the liver of Piacenza, he is said to belong to the circle of Thanral. He is depicted as naked young man wearing a bear hide and boots. Selvans was likely identified with the Roman god Silvanus.SETHLANSGod of metals and metallurgy, Sethlans was much-beloved in the metal-rich lands of Etruria. He was identified with Vulcan and Hesphaestus and has the ability to throw lightning.ŚURIA chthonic ais worshipped with Catha/Cavtha at Pyrgri. Śuri is described a possessing a more threatening character, as he is a bow-wielding martial deity who punishes mortals. He may have been identified with Apollo Soranus and Dis Pater, however the Apollo identification has been challenged. In cult, he was venerated under the title of Apa "father". Wolves are chthonic in Etruria and as such they are his symbol, alongside Calu and Aplu. His consort is Catha.THALNAAn obscure aiser in Turan's circle, they are portrayed as both masculine and feminine. In art, Thalna has been shown with geese and is likely an ais of childbirth.THANR/THANURA kourotrophos and a goddess related to birth, especially in birth of Menevra scenes. She was worshipped in Caere and Clusium, where vessels with votive inscriptions have been idenified. In the Liver of Piacenza, she is closely associated with death deities, likely making her a goddess of birth and death.THUFLTHA/THUPLTHAAn obscure deity, possibly masculine, that has both Turan and Selvans in their circle. Nancy De Grummand states that Thufltha is equivalent to the Roman Favour, especially since they appear on the Liver of Piacenza three times. Thufltha possesses a connection with birds, as seen in votive offerings. Their name can be shortened to Thuf.TINS/TINIA
"day"Aiser of the skies and thunder, bringer of rain and ferility. He is portrayed as both young and old, husband of Uni and may be related to viticulture. He was identified with Zeus, Iupiter, and possibly Thor. In the 16 divisions of the sky, he has two pieces for both his heavenly and underworldly sides. Tins was one of the major gods of the Etruscans, inferior to only Voltumna, the deus princeps etruriae, seen as a Primordial creator by some Etruscan polytheists. Much like Zeus and Jupiter, he wields lighting. Only a few gods of the heavens were allowed the power, and out of the eleven types of available lighting bolts, he wields three of them - however, the two are more dangerous and require consent from other aiser ("dii superiores et involuti") to throw them. He was a very popular god for divination and was able to provide insight via aeromancy and haruspicy. Tins is also concerned deeply with harmony, as he often is a mediator of the gods and as stated in the prophecy of Vegoia, he is the one who set the boundaries of land in the world.In the Zagreb Liber Linteus, his celebration falls on the summer solstice.TINAS CLINIAR
"sons of Tins"Much like Hercle, the Dioscuri were imported to Etruria and then gained a distinctly Etruscan character. In Etruria, they protect the souls of the dead while travelling to the underworld.THESAN
"dawn"Personification of dawn, Thesan was identified with Aurora and Eos. At Caere, Thesan was further identified with both Leukothea and Mater Matuta. Thesan rides alongside Usil during the day with the rooster of morning dew and at night returns to Nethuns, the aiser of the sea. In art she is shown to possess wings and her acroterium from Astrone valley depicts her with a jar to spill the mourning dew. She was worshipped alongside Usil and is frequently depicted alongside him in art. She may also carry the morning and evening stars, as known in the daybreak terracotta antefixes.The Zagreb Liber Linteus also describes her as a goddess of the sunset, under the title Thesan aiser śeu, "Thesan of the dark gods", compared to Thesan tins, "Thesan of day." As such, she possesses a unique character of being both dawn and dusk.TIV/TIURThe ais of the moon due to their placement on the outer section of the Liver of Piacenza, with the other side showing Usil. This means this deity would have likely been identified with Selene and Luna, but very few examples and no known artistic representations of them survive. They were also the patron of the Tiuza family of Chiusi, appearing on as a crescent their crests in a similar fashion to heraldry.TURAN
"mistress, tyrant"Ais of love, fertility, beauty, and associated with peace/harmony, Turan rides on a large swan named Tusna with her entorage of Lasa and other gods. In art, she is represented as a young woman in lavish dress, sometimes with wings. As described in the ritual calendar, her month is equivalent to June.TURMSThe messagers of the Aita and Tinia, Turms is actually two: Turms for the heavens, and Turms Aita for the underworld. They were identified with Mercury and Hermes.VANTHA death "demon," Vanth is shown to work with Charun. She is shown in art to sometimes possess wings, holds a touch and a scroll, and appears with snakes. Vanth guides the dead to the underworld part of the afterlife, bearing a torch for the hinthial to follow. Vanth, alongside the Charun, also protects the dead from the dangers on the journey to the afterworld with a sword.VEGOIA/VECUThe prophet who delivered the prophecy of Vegoia to Arruns Veltymnus, whos name connects him to Voltumna. She is called a Lasa and described how the boundaries of the world were made and is credited as the prophet who created the section of etrusca disciplina about lightning. She appeares with Menevra on a third century mirror with wings and a short tunic.VEI/VEIAA chthonian Earth goddess associated with Uni, she was identified with Ceres. She was called "ati", meaning mother. Considering her identification with Demeter, Catha is thought to be her daughter. While Usil is Catha's father, Vei and Usil's exact relationship is unknown. She is most known from anatomical votives of uteri, alongside being the patron deity of the city Veii.VOLTUMNA/VELTUNE
"earth, field"Stated as deus Etruriae princeps, the supreme Etruscan god and the axis mundi of Etruria, his sanctuary was the centre of the Etruscan League. The bond of the twelve Etruscan populi was reformed at the Fanum Voltumnae, which was his divine temple. In art, he is depicted as an older man and once with a spear, suggesting a war-like quality. He was imported to Rome and his name was latinised to Vertumnus; the Romans described his exavatio as him" abandoning the Etruscans" as a political to further the capture of Etruria. As seen in the myth of Vertumnus and Pomona, he may morph and reshape his appearance at will. His Roman festival, the Vertumnalia, was celebrated on August 13th.UNIQueen of the heavens and a war goddess, she was identified with Iuno, Hera, and Astarte. She is the wife of Tins and one of the three major gods. She is the goddess of family, marriage, fertility and the patron deity of Perugia, an important Etruscan city near the Tiber that still stands as a regional capital. Unlike Hera, she was considered the mother of Hercle (Hercules), most likely via a symbolic adoptive process, and Menrva’s birth mother. She is also one of the aiser who is able to throw lightning.

USILUsil is the sun and like many other aiser, has been seen in both masculine and feminine forms. Everyday he arises with Thesan and the morning star to create the day. He is known to be close to Thesan and is depicted with Nethuns, along with being the father of Catha. In the Liver of Piacenza, he is outside the heavenly region, opposite to Tiur.ZERA chthonic deity in the Zagreb Liber Linteus worshipped alongside Lur.OTHERFor not quite gods, gods beloved by Etruscans nearby or abroad, and other important entities related to the divine.BELLONAGoddess of bloodlust, bloodshed, war, slaughter, destruction, the war-thunder, the peace of the state, civil war, and the hero-goddess, she was beloved and noted to be close to the Etruscans living in Rome.FERONIAA Sabine goddess of wildlife, fertility, health, liberty, and abundance, she was venerated by Etruscans due to Capena's close location to Etruria. She was likely a patron of the Sabine tribes in general.KETOIThe ketos, the ancient Greek sea serpent, appears as both a symbol of Nethuns and helps the dead reach the afterworld by letting people ride upon their backs across a sea. In Greek mythology, they are often the children of gods and as such divine, but it is not known if this is the same case in Rasenna.TUCHULCHAmalevolent creature that threatens the dead on their journey to the underworld. He appears as a vulture-faced winged man with serpentine hair and holding snakes.

RESOURCES◈Quod Etruria libris in Acheronticis pollicentur, certorum
animalium sanguine numinibus certis dato divinas animas
fieri et ab legibus mortalitatis educi.And they promise this in the Acherontic Books in Etruria,
that by the blood of certain animals divine souls become
endowed with certain numinous spirits and they are led
away from the laws of mortality.Arnobius, Adv. nat. 2.62.◈◈ LIBRARY LINK ◈Ambrosini, L. (2013). Candelabra, Thymiateria and Kottaboi at Banquets: Greece and Etruria in Comparison. Etruscan Studies, 16(1), 1–38. https://doi.org/10.1515/etst-2013-0007Becker, M. J., & Turfa, J. M. (2017). The Etruscans and the History of Dentistry: The Golden Smile through the Ages. Routledge.Beerden, K. (2013). Worlds Full of Signs: Ancient Greek Divination in Context. BRILL.Bonfante, L. (1993). ETRUSCAN NUDITY. Source: Notes in the History of Art, 12(2), 47–55. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23202935Budin, S. L. (2015). Artemis. Routledge.de Grummond, N. T. (1991). Etruscan Twins and Mirror Images: The Dioskouroi at the Door. Yale University Art Gallery Bulletin, 10–31. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40514336de Grummond, N. T. (2004). For the Mother and for the Daughter: Some Thoughts on Dedications from Etruria and Praeneste. Hesperia Supplements, 33, 351–370. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1354077Da Vela, R. (2019). Interlocking Networks and the Sacred Landscape of Hellenistic Northern Etruria: Capturing Social and Geographic Entanglement Through Social Network Analysis. Open Archaeology, 5(1), 505–518. https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2019-0031de Grummond, N. T. (2008). Moon over Pyrgi: Catha, an Etruscan Lunar Goddess? American Journal of Archaeology, 112(3), 419–428. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20627480de Grummond, N. T. (2006). Roman Favor and Etruscan Thuf(ltha): A Note on Propertius 4. 2. 34. BRILL EBooks, 296–317. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789047406716_005de Grummond, N. T., & Simon, E. (2009). The Religion of the Etruscans. University of Texas Press.Fogliazza, Silvia. (2020). Wolves and gods in the Etruscan world.Konstantinos I. Soueref; Ariadni Gartziou-Tatti (2019). Gods of Peace and War in the Myths of the Mediterranean People. Ioannina, Greece: Ephorate of Antiquities of Ioannina. University of IoanninaRASMUSSEN, T. (2005). HERAKLES’ APOTHEOSIS IN ETRURIA AND GREECE. Antike Kunst, 48, 30–39. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41321210Gleba, M., & Becker, H. (2009). Votives, Places, and Rituals in Etruscan Religion: Studies in Honor OfJean MacIntosh Turfa. BRILL. Graf, F. (2008). Apollo. Routledge.Hostetler, K. L. (2004). Serpent iconography. Etruscan Studies, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1515/etst.2004.10.1.203Izzet, V. (2007). The Archaeology of Etruscan Society. Cambridge University Press.Klinger, S. (2013). Underworld Demons on an Early Fifth Century BCE Etruscan Black-Figure Stamnos from Vulci, now in Berlin. Etruscan Studies, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1515/etst-2013-0006Mac Góráin, F. (2017). Dionysus in Rome. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. EBooks, 323–336. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119072034.ch22Magini, L. (2014). Stars, Myths and Rituals in Etruscan Rome.Springer. Menichelli, S. (2009). Etruscan Altars from the 7th to the 4th Centuries B.C.E.: Typology, Function and Cult. Etruscan Studies. https://doi.org/10.1515/etst.2009.12.1.99Moore, D. R. (2018). The Etruscan Goddess Catha. Etruscan Studies, 21(1–2), 58–77. https://doi.org/10.1515/etst-2017-0030Pedrucci, G. (2020). Kourotrophia and “Mothering” Figures: Conceiving and Raising an Infant as a Collective Process in the Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Worlds. Some Religious Evidences in Narratives and Art. Open Theology, 6(1), 145–166. https://doi.org/10.1515/opth-2020-0002Rask, K. A. (2014). Etruscan Animal Bones and Their Implications for Sacrificial Studies. History of Religions, 53(3), 269–312. https://doi.org/10.1086/674242Reitzammer, L. (2016). The Athenian Adonia in Context: The Adonis Festival as Cultural Practice. University of Wisconsin Pres.Sandhoff, B. (2011). Sexual Ambiguity? Androgynous Imagery in Etruria. Etruscan Studies. https://doi.org/10.1515/etst.2011.14.1.71Stafford, E. (2013). Herakles. Routledge.Stevens, N. R. (2009). A New Reconstruction of the Etruscan Heaven. American Journal of Archaeology, 113(2), 153–164. https://doi.org/10.3764/aja.113.2.153Stoddart, S. (2020). Power and Place in Etruria: The Spatial Dynamics of a Mediterranean Civilization, 1200–500 BC. Cambridge University Press.Stoddart, S. K. F. (2009). Historical Dictionary of the Etruscans. Scarecrow Press.Taylor, L. (2011). Mourning Becomes Etruria: Ritual, Performance and Iconography in the Seventh and Sixth Centuries. Etruscan Studies. https://doi.org/10.1515/etst.2011.14.1.39Taylor, L. (2014). Performing the Prothesis: Gender, Gesture, Ritual and Role on the Chiusine Reliefs from Archaic Etruria. Etruscan Studies. https://doi.org/10.1515/etst-2014-0007Taylor, L. (2015). Religion and Industry at Cetamura del Chianti in the Late Etruscan Period. Etruscan Studies. https://doi.org/10.1515/etst-2015-0014Taylor, L. (2020). “Reading the Ritual”: Representation and Meaning on an Etruscan Funerary Monument in Perugia. Etruscan Studies, 23(1–2), 3–28. https://doi.org/10.1515/etst-2019-0009Trentacoste, A. (2013). Faunal remains from the Etruscan sanctuary at Poggio Colla (Vicchio di Mugello). Etruscan Studies, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1515/etst-2013-0001Turfa, J. M. (2012a). Divining the Etruscan World: The Brontoscopic Calendar and Religious Practice. Cambridge University Press.Turfa, J. M. (2012b). Divining the Etruscan World: The Brontoscopic Calendar and Religious Practice. Cambridge University Press.Turfa, J. M., & Steinmayer, A. G. (2002). Interpreting early Etruscan structures: the Question of Murlo. Papers of the British School at Rome. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0068246200002099

TERMINOLOGY◈Signa quoque Tuscanica per terras dispersa qu[in] in Etruria factitata sint, non est dubium. Deorum tantum putarem ea fuisse...There is no doubt that the so-called Tuscanic images scattered all over the world were regularly made in Etruria. I should have supposed these to have been statues of deities only...Pliny, Historia Naturalis 34.16.34.◈

Terminology is important for any religion, as it is the words we use to describe and name what we do. This section is colour coded based upon the use of the definition — black is for historical definitions as stated by scholars, brown is for academic words that may be used for the Etruscans or academic terms that we thought to be useful, and teal is for modern pagan terms and common modern pagan concepts.Some defintions have 1. and 2. These are terms that I referenced both the Oxford Dictionary and academic sources for two definitions to fully explain a concept.AEROMANCY — divination by interpreting atmospheric conditions.AISER, singular AIS — Etruscan word for the gods, with AIS being the word for divinity.AISERAS — of the Etruscan godsAPOTROPAIC — supposedly having the power to avert evil influences or bad luck; designed to avert evilAUGURY — 1. a sign of what will happen in the future; an omen. 2. The ancient Roman, Greek, and Etruscan practice of divination via the flight of birds. The methods this was done varied depending on the culture and the era.CARTOMANCY — fortune-telling or divination using a deck of cards.CHTHONIC — A Greek word meaning "of the underworld." While this word is Greek in origin, it has been applied beyond the scope of ancient Greece to generally refer to deities, entities, etc., of or related to the underworld.DISCIPLINA ETRUSCA — A latin name given to the cosmological, cultic, religious, and ritual records and practices of the Etruscans, such as haruspicy, fulgurales, rituals, etc. as recorded by the Roman author Cicero. In Etruscan belief, this was said to have been relied by Tages. In Roman tradition, the disciplina etrusca involved and often inspired interpretation of divine auspices and omens, taking the form of celestial and augury, heavenly and metereological phenomena, and the entrails of animals. The complete text is currently lost, however it has several references in Roman literature.DIVINITÀ-ATTO — a term proposed to describe Etruscan religion and as a more apt term than latin numen by A. Prosdocimi meaning "divinities defined by their actions."DIVINATION — the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means.DODECAPOLIS — A Greek term for the Etruscan League, which usually comprised of twelve city-states. They would meet in the Fanum Voltumae.ETRUSCOLOGY — the academic study of the Etruscan civilisation.FANUM VOLTUMNAE — The sanctuary of Voltumna where the Etruscan league renewed their oath and one of the most important Etruscan sanctuaries.FULGURIATOR — a Latin word for the Roman augural officials who interpreted lightning.HARUSPICY — a latin word for the Etruscan art of divination via animal entrails, especially of livers of sheep. The Liver of Piacenza is a famous example of an Etruscan training liver for aspiring haruspex.HARUSPEX — an Etruscan ritual expert, especially in the art of haruspicy.NETSVIS — The Etruscan word for haruspex or auger, who was an expert in the disciplina etrusca. They would usually interpret entrails, the flight patterns of birds, and other divine omens from the natural world.RASENNA (𐌓𐌀𐌔𐌄𐌍𐌍𐌀) — the statewide name the Etruscans called themselves, compared to the foreign names of Etruscan, Tuscī, Tyrrhenian, etc.ROMANISATION — originally meant the spread of Roman civilization to Italy and the provinces. The term was coined in the 19th cent. and used unreflectively until the 1960s, when scholars influenced by post-colonialism started to question its underlying assumptions. In recent years its fitness to describe the complex processes of interaction between the dominant culture of Rome and the local cultures of the empire has been hotly debated, although an alternative term has yet to win broad consensus.PAGAN — Deriving from the Latin word pāgānus "rural", "rustic", it was used in the Christianised Roman Empire for people who did not practice Christianity or foreign ethnic groups. During the Middle Ages, the term applied to all non-Christian religions with the connotation of those religions having false gods. In modern times, pagan is often a self descriptor of those practicing reconstructed ancient European, North African, and some West Asian religions. As such, it maintained a fully negative connotation until the modern era. Defining the word pagan itself is problematic, due to its vague meaning.PHENOLOGY — the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate and plant and animal life.PIACENZA LIVER — a bronze model of a sheep liver with designated zones corresponding to 16 divisions of heaven, the model is inscribed with around forty inscriptions of deities. This was used as a guide for haruspicy and celestial phenomena. The epigraphic style dates to around the third or second century.SAECULA — an Etruscan method of organising time. Individual lifespan as measured in twelve seven-year branches, while the life of cities was organised in ten saecula of varying times allowing scholars to predict when cities had been conquered by the Romans. Augurs calculated individual saecula through divination.TAROT — 1. playing cards, traditionally a pack of 78 with five suits, used for fortune-telling and (especially in Europe) in certain games. The suits are typically swords, cups, coins (or pentacles), batons (or wands), and a permanent suit of trump.2. a playing card set from Europe that is commonly used as a method of divination, especially in modern paganism. It gained popularity in modern witchcraft and occult circles with the production of the Rider-Waite tarot deck.HINTHIAL — Etruscan word for "ghost" or "image."TULAR — Etruscan word for a boundary marking. The word tular appears on boundary stones after the 6th century, which implies it was the word for boundary. Other boundaries were marked with fortifications with gates around cities and possibly graveyards. This process of boundary marking was heavily ritualised, with Culśanś being the aiser of such boundaries.UNVERTIFIED PERSONAL GNOSIS — spiritual and religious knowledge and belief obtained by personal experiences, divination, or intuition that cannot be supported by scholarship and historical tradition.VERTIFIED PERSONAL GNOSIS — Unvertified personal gnosis that has been found to be in alignment and supported with scholarship and historical tradition, therefore distinguishing it as historically aligned.Main sources: The Historical Dictionary of the Etruscans, The Religion of the Etruscans, Oxford Dictionary,

WORLDVIEW AND RITUALS◈"Rituales nominantur Etruscorum libri, in quibus
perscribtum est, quo ritu condantur urbes, arae, aedes
sacrentur,""[Those] books of the Etruscans are called ritual in which
it is prescribed by what rite cities are founded [and] altars and temples are consecrated,"Festus 285.◈Every religion has its own worldview. Whether implicit or explicit, the theology and mindset that the religion creates within a devotee will shape how we process the world and our interactions with divinity. The Etruscan worldview fills the world with inherent sacredness and divinity under the Etruscan worldview.Akin to many other reconstructed religions, our knowledge is limited and often biased, as the ancient Romans were the ones to record much about Etruria in the written records. Scholars have been most helpful in this regard, so as with anything paganism or witchcraft you should expect to read and research.

1. Tins Cilens
2. Tins
3. Tins Une “of Nethuns”
4. Uni Mae
5. Tecvm
6. Lvs (?)
7. Nethuns
8. Catha
9. Fufluns
10. Selvans
11. Letham
12. Tluscv
13. Cel
14. Cvl, Alp [Culsu and Alpan?]
15. Vetis
16. Cilents

THE HEAVENSIn Etruscan religion, the sky is spilt into 16 equal parts that are each owned by one aiser. The skies are then further spilt into four equal sections for the gods of the underworld, sea, sky, and land. Lightning struck from that part of the sky would be a message from that aiser. Tins, as the main lightning throwing god, has several pieces of the heavens.The heavenly regions would phenologically change as the year progressed in relation to Usil. Omens from from eastern parts are favourable, meanwhile the western side was unfavourable. The outermost regions are ruled by Usil and Tiv.See A New Reconstruction of the Etruscan Heaven for a more detailed, complex reconstruction of the heavens.

AFTERWORLDTombs decorated with fine scenery of danger that preludes a banquet are found scattered across Etruria. The afterlife is better described as merely an afterworld instead of underworld in Etruscan religion, as that is exactly what it is: a world after this one, either within the ground, in the sky, or as a divinity for one's descendants.The underworld is possibility of the afterworld, where Calu rules as king. Vanth and Charun are the guides and Culśu guards the gate to the underworld—she is the one who possesses the key to open the door to the afterlife. To reach the deathly afterlife one must undertake a journey beginning at death, guided and protected by "demons" of death such as Vanth. One part of this journey is on horseback while the other is on sea serpents across a chthonian sea. Creatures like Tuchulcha threaten the dead on their journey—to help, the living may provide offerings to the deceased. At the end of the journey, the dead obtain a seat at an eternal banquet with Calu and their family members. Meanwhile their bodies sit in tombs, houses of the dead, where the items they were buried with accompany them to the afterlife.Another possibility of the afterworld is to become a divinity of one's descendants—equivalent to the Roman Penates. These ancestral deities were called the dii animales in Latin. In order for this to be done one must be given a particular ritual upon death, which is lost to time.NATUREThe world itself is divine, ever-shifting to produce meanings—omens and prophecy for the Etruscan polytheist to interpret. To us, the whole world is sacred, with some places being more sacred than others. It is said the Etruscans even worshipped the origin points of water, such as streams and hot springs.One fundamental aspect of nature is best stated in this Latin quote:Hoc inter nos et Tuscos, quibus summa est fulgurum persequendorum scientia, interest: nos putamus, quia nubes collisae sunt, fulmina emitti; ipsi existimant nubes collidi ut fulmina emittantur; nam, cum omnia ad deum referant, in ea opinione sunt tamquam non, quia facta sunt, significent, sed quia significatura sunt, fiant. (Seneca, Quaestiones Naturales 2.32.2.)This is the difference between us and the Etruscans, who have consummate skill in interpreting lightning: we think that because clouds collide, lightning is emitted. They believe that clouds collide in order that lightning may be emitted. Since they attribute everything to divine agency they are of the opinion that things do not reveal the future because they have occurred, but that they occur because they are meant to reveal the future.As such, the world often acts in order to create meaning that be deciphered through divination and contact with the aiser.OMENSWherever you may be, omens are a staple of Etruscan belief. They may be witnessed in the flight of birds or good omens in purple or golden tints upon wool of sheep; recorded by Macrobius as an Etruscan belief. When omens appeared, they were interpreted by the person who witnessed it or brought to a priest to interpret it.In the modern day, this can be equated to “signs” often spoken of in pagan circles. As has been admonished a thousand times, be critical of what you believe to be omens, listen to your intuition, and do divination.LAND AND BOUNDARIESThe prophecy of Vegoia states that Tins divided the world on accordance to land and boundaries, that no man shall steal another’s or face divine wrath. He created the boundaries of sky, land, and sea — while also founding Etruria as the land that his people, the Etruscans, were to govern. These sacred boundaries can all be found across Etruria and into Rome.In religious practices, this manifested as tulars. Deities such as Laran, Tinia, Selvans, and others are the divine protectors of these worldly boundaries.Cities were also designed in accordance to the etrusca disciplina. The layout of the city and of temples were regulated by a divine set of laws and measurements, largely corresponding to the building and its orientation in accordance to the heavens. While this is observed on temples, not much is known about this "sacred geometry" as the etrusca disciplina is lost to time.GENDER OF THE DIVINEA small piece of theology we wish to transmit is that the aiser actively possesses masculine and feminine forms. Even deities such as Tins with no known historical representations as a woman still have feminine aspects, as Tin’s full name—Tinia—is feminine. The aiser possess a gender ambiguity unlike many other ancient cultures. Thalna and many other aiser are attested to appear as both masculine and feminine in art.In our modern terminology, we would describe this as non-binary/genderfluid. The Etruscans did not have those terms, but modern worshippers may use them as educated descriptors or as a means of seeing oneself reflected in the divine. Using modern terms for ancient beings is controversial and based upon what the individual believer holds as correct.GOD CIRCLESA special attribute of Etruscan religion is the ability for a deity to exist within another aiser’s circle. Tinia and Pethan belong to the circle of Calu and Turan and Selvans belong to the circle of Thanr. Fufluns and Thufltha also possess these god groups, which while they have a resemblance to Umbrian religion, are uniquely Etruscan. In order for there to be harmony, there must be divine cooperation.TAGES AND VEGOIA (VECUVIA)Tages is a mythological prophet of the etrusca disciplina. In myth he is stated to have arisen from a plow furrow at Tarquinii and taught the city's founder, Tarchon, divination. He spoke of the sacra Archerunita, which pertained to the rites associated with the underworld and afterlife, along with the rituals to found cities and determine boundaries.Vegoia is another prophet who contributed to the etrusca disciplina. Her name may also be spelled as Vecu, Vecui, Vecuvia, Vegoe, or as Begoe/Bigois. In her prophecy, she states that Tins divided the land from the sea. Vecuvia also told the Etruscans how to interept lightning, which was apart of the etrusca disciplina ("libri Vegoici").OTHERAnother complicated aspect of Etruscan religion was of local descent groups. Anyone was allowed to practice what the Etruscans did: they welcomed Roman children into their schools, shared their culture with the Greeks and Gauls, etc,. While the Etruscan religion was very open, these descent groups formed ancestral tombs where the family's dead was to be laid to rest. Most fascinating then is the recorded apotheosis rituals conducted for one's ancestors—quite literally turning one's family member divine for the sake of the rest of kin. Cognate to the Roman Lares and Penates, Roman literature calls these Etruscan divine ancestors Dii animales.Certain families were also responsible for leading particular rites and sacrifices, alongside maintaing aspects of the etrusca disclipina. This practice was reflected elsewhere, such as the Eleusisian mysteries where a particular linege led the rites. While this aspect of Etruria cannot continue in the modern world, knowing the context of ancient religions is necessary.

RITUALS◈"raχθ tura nunθenθ cletram śrenχve tei faśei”“prepare the incense, offer with the ceremonial vessel these breads”Zagreb Liber linteus◈For the purposes of this section, we have placed the rituals for divination in our divination section as that is its own, very extensive topic.We recommend researching on your own to learn more of Rasenna's rituals and divination, as your practice will likely differ to what Morgana and Melisphae do. In this section we have outlined what is known of Etruscan rituals and then our personal practices.REPETITIONThe fundamental that survives of Etruscan ritual is repetition. Rituals are begun with a first, as the order of the preceding actions determines the rhythm of the ritual—for example,pul, pul, pul—‘‘first, then, then. . . .’’Rythmn and repetition is also witnessed in the Pyrgi tablets a similar rhythm appears in the beginning:ita tmia icac heramasva, ‘‘This is the tmia and this is the heramasva . . . ,’’ and then, ilacve . . . ilacve, ‘‘since on the one hand . . . since on the other hand.’’INSCRIPTIONSOut of anything to survive in Etruria, it is the importance of writing. Divination itself can be seen as interrupting the aiser's divine writing as it is shown throughout the world. Archaeology wise, Etruscan mirrors and votives are frequently inscribed with a dedication and who gave it to the aiser. Or, as seen in the Perugia Cippus, "iχ ca ceχa ziχuχe", “as this agreement has been written down.” Declaring that something has been written is another trend within Etruria - for it is not only that it has been inscribed, but that it has been written is another sacred aspect of writing.For the modern worshipper, this transfers over simply - when you create a votive, declare a spacial boundary, or sacred space for the aiser - let it be known through writing upon the votive, a stone, or whatever may be of use.RITUAL OBJECT "KILLING"Within Etruscan tombs lay objects that have been "killed"—items that have been struck, as if stabbed, to be buried with the dead. Before you offer something to a great Etruscan hero or your own ancestors, ritually "kill" it so that it no longer belongs to the realm of the living.RITUAL MATERIALSA ritual item used by Etruscan priests is the linnus. This is described as a curved staff with knobs. The linnus is strongly associated with augury, possesses a royal nature, and settling disputes—reflective of the aiser's own desire for harmony in the world. Evidence of other such rituals staffs exist, which may conjure the image of a wizard.The ancient Etruscan altar was a firepit contained by raised stones. Other sites of worship were sanctuaries, where devotees could leave offerings to the sanctuary's aiser.Other ritual items are offering vases/cups, which can easily be translated into the commonly seen "offering bowls" in modern paganism. While we may not all have access or the ability to build a fire altar, this is an accessible option to offer to the aiser.OFFERINGSThis within itself is a complex and long topic. There are not only offerings in general, but also offerings for each particular deity, which then intersects with festival calendars and the likes. For this section, the main focus is upon what was generally offered to the aiser and then a basic ritual format to do so.FOOD AND DRINKFoods and drinks are staples of ancient Mediterranean offerings. The Liber Linetus speaks of offering wine, oils, breads, and other such offerings. Elsewhere it is mentioned that priests would offer food to the aiser, as witnessed in the worship of Laran. Farmers could dedicate their first fruits, which was carried into Voltumna's Roman cult.Meat offerings hold an especially important meaning. The Etruscans, particularly the lower class, rarely ate meat. Offerings of meat then may be used by the modern worshipper as a special offering for their aiser.Another special offering appears to be the specification of newly fermented wine, though this is obscure. For the wine enthusiast, considering gifting some wine, especially if it is of Tuscan origin.VOTIVESSimply due to their nature as permanent objectives, plenty of votives survive from the ancient world. Votives for the aiser range from bronze metal castings, clay art, or other materials depicting the likes of gods, mythological scenes, and anatomical parts.Another form of votives is tools used for crafts, as seen in the dedication of fibercraft tools to the aiser.HOW TO OFFERWhat is known of Etruscan ritual, like most things Etruscan, is limited. Unlike Greece and Rome, there is no hearth deity mentioned to petition. Neither are there extensive artistic representations of how ritual was conducted, though these do exist. Offerings are commonly discovered in temples and other sites of archaeological importance, meanwhile remnants of household worship is much more limited.A simple way to offer that has worked for us is:1. If the deity occupies a particular region of the sky, face that direction.
2. Call out their name, calling for them to listen and receive your prayer.
3. Tell the aiser you seek to offer them your offering, and if it is a votive,
be sure to inscribe it.The Zagreb Liber Linteus possesses this same essential idea for offering to the aiser, though there is frequent mention of doing libations three or six times for an aiser such as Nethuns.From there, additions may be added to add complexity to the ritual. The Zagreb Liber Linteus speaks of incense and offering vessels, so burning incense and obtaining a special offering vessel would be historically sourced.MELISPHAE AND MORGANA'S PRACTICES◈Attend, lying Hearsay! I have another key to expound
my name; thou must believe none but the god’s own tale
about himself.Propertius◈MELISPHAEMy journey down this path started from a young age. My dad was born in Ireland, and the majority of my family is his, living on the island or elsewhere in Europe. I was immediately taken by Stonehedge and the beautiful seaside cliffs. I was frequently told stories about giants and Celtic gods and heroes like Cu Chlainn.In practice, each Sunday of my childhood was spent in a synagogue. I can remember positively being bored until one special day, when I started my 5th grade year, and found a Talmud on the classroom shelf. My family is not particularly religious, but reading commentary was a fascinating experience for me. Judaism has always been about study, and learning about the rabbis of old and seeing new takes on the Torah was mind opening. Even after my bat mitzvah, and to this day, I find myself connected to this part of me via study and research.I originally got my start with paganism at 13. I had stumbled across posts and websites dedicated to paganism and the idea immediately intrigued me. As I looked deeper into the idea I knew I had to take a leap. I started learning about Jewish mysticism, a familiar point, and the rest is history.
My main pantheon is Hellenic. I am devoted to Psyche, who was my first contacted deity, and Enodia, a regional goddess who I was called to serve from the moment I read her name. Out of all the aiser my favorite is Norita, my own resident Lady in Grey. I can dutifully thank my good friend Morgan for introducing me to Etruria and sending me down this rabbit hole with them.Half of my practice is intense ritual, while the other is much more casual. Much of my worship is shown through my study and sharing. Additionally, I like to dedicate my jewelry to certain gods. Enodia holds my favorite ring, Psyche, my butterfly earrings, etc. I often offer food to the gods whenever I can, which rounds out to once a week on average. Magic is also a core part of my pagan life, and my power source is the gods. Other deities are quite familial to me, namely Aristaeus and the muse Thalia. They are my biggest inspirations to bake and write, and the products are always dedicated in their name.Directly aside from deities, I am also a proud hero worshiper. The likes of Tages fascinate me, where a person can be as divine as mortal on the Earth. Their teachings and stories inspire me to continue when I lose motivation.My main goal of worshiping the aiser is to reconstruct the fascinating lives of the people who originally were there. As I come into my own with particular gods, I can ensure that I am, to the best of my ability, doing as the Etruscans did. Their life and culture is somehow undocumented and well-documented at the same time. As you may have guessed, research and study is a big part of it. I'm currently looking into aeromancy as a technique to the many divination methods I know, very aware I could see a sign in the sky and time.I'm honored to be involved with the aiser. They've brought much joy and many interesting experiences (Tinia is a treat of a deity). I hope, by the graces of Norita and Thuf, that their stories and voices can be further shared and celebrated.MORGANMy adventure in paganism began with eyes full of excitement. I had always admired the ancient world, invested my hours and days into studying its mythology and cultures. Then one day I discovered that there were people of our time who seeked to worship these deities and practice rites of magic—my mind was immediately transfixed and my life was never the same.This journey through paganism has been a tough voyage. Firstly, the people around myself when my path was beginning to bud were all unlike myself—the majority of pagans were white and very Anglo-Saxon, while I was mixed and slavic. Frustration came quickly as I had found that many of these pagans did not care for the history they were pulling from. Discovering reconstructionism was a breath of fresh air, especially since I had discovered my crowd—the Dionysians, as he was the deity who pulled me into all of this.Etruria came upon me one day in a subtle manner—I had been searching my local library for textbooks to indulge in and a book had fallen from its place into my arms. The title read The Religion of the Etruscans—strange and peculiar, as the Etruscans were never covered in my history class. When I came back from my fervour, three hours had passed—I had read the book in a moment's notice without moving my eyes from the page. From that moment I had decided I would venerate these gods, even if it was on my own. Other than my dear friend Shura/Melisphae, I stayed away from pagan spaces beyond three discord servers and checking forums. Creating this and my tumblr blogs is in truth my first breach into social media in my life other than discord. Admittedly, I had no other social media other than that app during the entirety of my highschool years.Now that I am done rambling about that, my practice relies heavily upon reconstruction. I try to piece together what I can and use my gnosis as a supplement. I worship the aiser at an altar dedicated to them, with a focus upon my “personal” aiser—Tins and Thalna, whom I am closest to, then Voltumna, Fufluns, Laran, Menevra, Turan, and Vanth. I do have a fire pit, but maintaining fires is expensive and I am a broke college student who will graduate in eight years. Every Saturday I give an offering to Thalna as they were the first aiser I had worshipped as they had pulled me into this vortex. The rest of my worship schedule is a tad chaotic as I tend to gift offerings whenever I feel like it or go somewhere of relevance, such as giving offerings to Dionysus and Fufluns before working on a vineyard. Another aspect of my practice is that I tend to outright avoid syncretism, so the aiser are completely separate from the theoi. One day I do hope to incorporate Astarte as she was venerated by the Etruscans as Uni-Astarte.Divination is naturally a large part of my practice. My preferred form is tarot, but if there is thunder I open the brontoscoptic calendar to discover what is to come. I try to consult with the aiser whenever I am to make a big decision, just as the Etruscans did—though as Fufluns would know, I can be a tad reckless even with advice. Being from a Slovak and Mexican background, the “superstitious” part came to me quite naturally. Working in agriculture has shown all the ways Rasenna’s practices truly do apply—the flight of birds tells you what may come and strange farm-animal behaviour is absolutely a sign of something. Even if it’s something like a family of mice making the horses anxious. Phenology after all is in fact a science.The one thing I do not do is ancestor worship. Día de Muertos is sometimes an exception, though I am rather estranged from that side of me. I consider two of the theoi to be my parental figures and Tins is rather fatherly towards me—that’s the family I have, not my distant ancestors. Not even in my Slavic practice do I do that, which admittedly does limit my practice in Slavic Polytheism.I hope whoever is reading this that my rambling may help. Etruscan polytheism may seem daunting, but the aiser are beyond loving and helpful. They seek harmony and connection unlike any other pantheon I have seen. And well—I admittedly love to venture into new pantheons, just as the Etruscans did.

CALENDAR◈”Celi huθiś zaθrumiś flerχva neθunsl śucri θezeri-c/ ctnam θesan fler veiveś θezeri etnam aisna [...] iχ huθiś zaθrumiś”“In the month of Celi [September], on the twenty-fourth day the offerings to Nethuns must be made and immolated. And the same morning the offering to Veiovis must be immolated, and furthermore the divine service, as on the twenty-fourth day.”Zagreb Liber linteus◈The Etruscans had several calendars, such as the brontoscopic and festival calendars. What we know of these is limited, as the brontoscopic calendar only survives as a Greek translation in Byzantium and the festival calendars are fragmentary. In order to create this section, I have pieced together multiple sources, as is usually required in reconstructionism. Direct citations for the festival calendar of the source have been retrieved from our sources, as transparency when working with severely fragmentary knowledge is a value we uphold.FESTIVAL CALENDARThe most complete liturgical calendar is found on the Zagreb Liber Lingeus, which describes practices from Perugia. Another is the Tabula Capuana, which is the second longest known surviving Etruscan text. Other sources designate which month belonged to particular deities. The Etruscan calendar day was also differing to ours in that it began each day at 12:00 noon, instead of midnight.This calendar is made by piecing together what we do know from different calendars in varying eras. Calendars in Etruria varied depending on the city state, location, and era. Therefore, as we are taking a more reconstructive approach, we have pieced together what we do know in an attempt to gain a complete, modern calendar for Rasenna polytheists.This section will continue to be updated as we gather more sources.THE MODERN RECONSTRUCTED CALENDAROne of our references, the Tabula Capuana, only has ten months. As such we can only source 10. For the sake of ease, the number listed next to the Etruscan month is the month in the modern day calendar (i.e. 3. for March). This is currently a work in progress and the more complete version will arrive in time with more research and more developments from the discord server.

3. Velcitanus - March (Turfa,)
Beginning of the Tabula Capuana ritual year
Start of the warring season
- Libation to Suri and Lethams (TC)
- Festival of Laran 13-15 on the Ides of March (Tabula Capuana)
- Modern Fanum Voltumnae, games dedicated to Voltumna and celebration of Etruscan polytheism and commerce.4. Apirasa - April
- Libation to Lethams
- Offering to Uni. The Tabula Capuana states "On (day) Celuta in April in Uni's Sanctuary gifts were brought/placed."5. Ampiles/Anpilia - May
- Feast for Laran 13-15 on the Ides of May (TC)
- Feast for Lethams on the day Tinianta [date unknown] (TC)6. Acalva/Aclus - June
Beginning of the Brontoscoptic Calendar
- Gift to Thanr. The Tabula Capuana states "Pacusnasie to Thanr gifts...gifts has brought"
- Feast of Tinia, Summer Solstice7. Paralse/Tranius - July, month of Turan (Turfa)8. Ermius - August9. Celi - September, month of Cel (Turfa, De Grummond)
- Feast of Nethuns on the Solstice, perhaps the same as the dedication below.
- On the 24th [day] flerχva, all offerings are to be declared to Nethuns, and that same morning the offerings to Veiovis must be burned (LL)10. Chosfer - October11.12. Unknown name, December
- December 20th-23rd, Feast of Uni on the solstice.

BRONTOSCOPIC CALENDAR◈Cum Varro divinarum quinto quattuor diis fulmina adsignet, inter quos et Minervae, quaeritur, cur Minerva Jovis fulmen miserit. Antiqui Jovis solius putaverunt esse fulmen, nec id unum esse, ut testantur Etrusci libri de fulguratura, in quibus duodecim genera fulminum scripta sunt, ita ut est Jovis Junonis Minervae, sic quoque aliorum...in libris Etruscorum lectum est jactus fulminum manubias dici et certa esse numina possidentia fulminum jactus, ut Jovem Vulcanum Minervam. Cavendum ergo est, ne aliis hoc numinibus demus.Since Varro in his fifth book on divine matters assigns the lightning bolt to four gods, among whom is Minerva, it is asked why Minerva sent the lightning of Jupiter. The ancients thought the lightning belonged to Jupiter alone, but that was not one kind, as attested by the Etruscan books on lightning, in which twelve types of lightning are described, so that there is one of Jupiter, one of Juno, one of Minerva and thus also of others...in the books of theEtruscans it is read that bolts of lightning are called manubiae. And certain divinities possess the bolts of lightning, such as Jupiter, Vulcan, Minerva. We must beware lest we attribute this to other divinities.Servius, Ad Aen. 1.42.◈Beginning within June on the full moon, the brontoscopic calendar is a divinatory calendar credited to Tages based upon thunder. Essentially, if lighting is to strike and thunder was heard on a particular day, that would be an omen of what was to come based upon what the brontoscopic calendar would foretell if lightning struck. The calendar only survives in a Byzantine translation of an earlier Latin edition of the calendar recorded by Johannes Lydus (“John the Lydian”) in Justinian’s Constantinople within a text called De ostentis (On Portents). It had previously been published in Latin by Publius Nigidius Figulus, but only the Byzantine Greek translation survives.For example, if lightning struck on the 1st of October , omen states that:Oct. 1. If it thunders, it threatens a corrupt
tyrant over the affairs of state.There is a complexity in that the days cited would not match up with our modern calendar as the Etruscans, akin to many ancient societies, used the moon to track the months. A complete conversion may be found on our blog for 2023-2024, found here.See Divining the Etruscan World for more on the Brontoscopic calendar

DIVINATION◈Hoc inter nos et Tuscos, quibus summa est fulgurum persequendorum scientia, interest: nos putamus, quia nubes collisae sunt, fulmina emitti; ipsi existimant nubes collidi ut fulmina emittantur; nam, cum omnia ad deum referant, in ea opinione sunt tamquam non, quia facta sunt, significent, sed quia significatura sunt, fiant.This is the difference between us and the Etruscans, who have consummate skill in interpreting lightning: we think that because clouds collide, lightning is emitted. They believe that clouds collide in order that lightning may be emitted. Since they attribute everything to divine agency they are of the opinion that things do not reveal the future because they have occurred, but that they occur because they are meant to reveal the future.Seneca, Quaestiones Naturales 2.32.2.◈Other than the aiser themselves, divination is the core of Etruscan religion. Ancient mediterranean religions are usually built upon divination, but they do not compare to the Etruscan's emphesis on it. Religion in Etruria itself was founded by Tages, a 'prophet' who knew the ways of divination.In terms of deities, many are named on training livers, which are frequently dug up in excavations. May have dedicated sections on the liver, showing signs directly from the god or otherwise relating to the domain. Deities like Tins (head god), Norita (fate), and Thuf (fortune) have many dedicated sections. These livers would be carved and, as the name implies, used to train priests.In a similar vein, the sky, or heavens, are split into different sections ruled by different gods. For example, a flock of birds moving east would be a different sign compared to a flock moving south. The sections they pass through could show warnings or good fortune. Additionally, clouds that linger or move could be taken as an omen.Lightning was also very important as a divination tool. Lightning had different types, held by different gods, and the holder needed approval to send down strikes. The shape of the bolt, the location of it, where it hits and when it hits could be coded as vital prophecies.This section is a short description of divination methods that rasenna polytheists may use.AEROMANCYFrom ἀήρ , "air", and μαντεία, manteia, "divination", aeromancy is divination through atmospheric, weather, and other sky conditions. Clouds, eclipses, lightning/thunder, and other phenomenon in the sky could be omens. Based on the location, moving or lingering objects could be received from a particular deity. Major events, like eclipses, were major omens that often concerned the state of politics, leadership, or the civilization's well-being.ASTRAPOMANCY/ELECTROMANCYA subset or aeromancy that utilizes lightning strikes. Lightning, as a signal directly from the aiser, was a vital and primary form of communication. Tins, Uni, Menevra, Hercle, Sethlans, Satre, and Laran are all capable of throwing lightning. Each carries their own bows, and the dates of the storms (see Brontoscopy) would influence the meaning of the lightning. It can be a good or bad omen depending on its various factorsCaecina describes another way that lightning may be interpreted: advising, confirming, and conditional. The advising lightning occurs before the event but after a thought has been conceived, when people who are planning something in their minds are either persuaded or dissuaded by a stroke of lightning. The confirming lightning comes after action has been done, indicating whether it will be good or bad. The conditional lightning comes to people who are quiet and do not think and it is a form of guidance.AUGURY/ORINTHOMANCYAugury is a word based on the Latin augur, a general term for divination. Orinthomancy is divination that uses birds, from their flight patterns to their calls, as signs to be interpreted. The Etrusca Disciplina is said to have provided pictures and notes of birds in a manual style. It was an incredibly popular method, even noted by Pliny the Elder in his Historia Naturalis, noting that an inauspicious crow croak and/or a raven's gulping was a bad omen. He also noted that sighting an eagle owl, also known as a bubo, was the worst possible bird omen.BRONTOSCOPYBrontoscopy is a technique that only survives in Byzantine text. A special calendar is used to divine lightning based on the date of the strike/the storm. Personal interpretation can also be done, but an inexperienced diviner is encouraged to use the provided calendar (currently WIP).CATOPTROMANCYFrom κάτοπτρον, katoptron, "mirror," and μαντεία, manteia, "divination", scrying, or divination by mirror, was also used by the Etruscans. Mirrors were important to the Etruscans, seen in the common excavation of bronze mirrors. These mirrors often were decorated with mythological imagery. While the specific uses are generally unknown, it can be assumed scrying, like in many other cultures, could be used to see into the future or into the afterlifeHARUSPICYHaruspicy is divination by using the entrails of an animal, often one sacrificed to the gods for the purpose of haruspicy. In Etruria (and in general), livers were the most common organ used. Comparable to divination like palmistry, spots, lines, and other defining marks or abnormalities on the liver were interpreted based on the location, size, and type of mark.This form of divination is likely not going to be apart of the majority of Etruscan polytheist's practice, however it was one of the chief methods to understand the will and messages of the aiser.MALLOMANCYMallomancy, μαλλός, mallos "wool" and μαντεία, manteia, "divination" is the use of wool to divine. Theoretically, the wool could be shaved then interpreted, or the sheep's current appearance could be used. The color of the wool was often vital- seemingly unnatural colors like purple or gold were good omens.MODERN DIVINATIONDivination is an important and major aspect of modern paganism. Cartomancy (tarot, lenormand, oracle), scrying, pendelums, and countless others are used for magical and religious purposes. While these may not have been available to the Etruscans, they are still vital tools that many are familiar with. Because Etruria was so interested in divination techniques, the usage of any method which works for the individual worshiper is encouraged.

ETRUSCAN MYTHSETRUSCAN MYTHOLOGY IS A COMPLEX TOPIC, as many scholars have postulated that the aiser likely lacked anthropomorphic shape before contact with ancient Greece. Much of Etruscan myth is adaptation of Greek myth, however, there are some unique myths exclusive to Etruria. Etruscanised Greek mythology often demonstrates a very different approach to the divine, such as the realistic pregnancy of Tinia, the other aiser congratulating Turan on winning the contest of the golden apple, and original ideas on violence and human strife.THE TROJAN WARSEVEN AGAINST THEBESBIRTH OF FUFLUNSTHALNA AND ANCHESSTORY OF TAGESTURAN AND ATUNIS

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Morgana, also going by Morgan, is Slovak & Mexican history and folklore inspired witch and reconstructionist pagan, focusing mostly on Hellenic, Roman, Norse Slavic, Etruscan traditions. He is especially devoted towards Dionysus, and worships Voltumna, Tins, Fufluns, Thalna, Laran, Menevra, Turan, and Vanth.

Melisphae is a Sephardi Jewish pagan and uses he/she/they pronouns. She focuses on hero worship, chthonic deities, and reconstructing Jewish and Irish magic. Their main aiser is Norita, goddess of fate, and also enjoys studying Rasenna’s divination practices.