In
Etruscan mythology and religion, Selvans is god of the woodlands and boundaries, including sacred boundaries.
He is possibly cognate with
Roman Silvanus. As the god of boundaries, he is known by the epithet ''tularias'' as stated by a dedication of a statue to the god.
His name is 10th on the list of 16 gods on the outer rim of the
Piacenza Liver (a
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...
model of a
sheep
Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...
’s
liver
The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...
used as a reference or teaching tool for
divination
Divination () is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic ritual or practice. Using various methods throughout history, diviners ascertain their interpretations of how a should proceed by reading signs, ...
).
Votive inscriptions from the liver show that he was a popular god in Etruria.
Only one certain representation of Selvans has been found, alongside a statue of
Culśanś. He is portrayed as a naked youth wearing a cap made of a bear’s hide and high boots.
This contrasts from the Roman
Silvanus, who is usually shown as a bearded man.
See also
*
Etruscan civilization
The Etruscan civilization ( ) was an ancient civilization created by the Etruscans, a people who inhabited Etruria in List of ancient peoples of Italy, ancient Italy, with a common language and culture, and formed a federation of city-states. Af ...
*
Etruscan religion
Etruscan religion comprises a set of stories, beliefs, and religious practices of the Etruscan civilization, heavily influenced by the mythology of ancient Greece, and sharing similarities with concurrent Roman mythology and Religion in ancie ...
*
Culśanś
References
Etruscan gods
Etruscan religion
Nature gods
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