Turan was the Etruscan

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes of s ...

of love, fertility and vitality and patroness of the city of

Velch Vulci or Volci (Etruscan: ''Velch'' or ''Velx'', depending on the romanization used) was a rich Etruscan city in what is now northern Lazio, central Italy. As George Dennis wrote, "Vulci is a city whose very name... was scarcely remembered, but ...

Depiction

In art, Turan was usually depicted as a young winged girl. Turan appears in toilette scenes of Etruscan bronze mirrors. She is richly robed and jeweled in early and late depictions, but appears nude under the influence of Hellenistic art in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. She is paired with her young lover Atunis ( Adonis) and figures in the episode of the Judgement of Paris.

Attributes

Turan was commonly associated with birds such as the dove, goose and above all the

swan Swans are birds of the family (biology), family Anatidae within the genus ''Cygnus''. The swans' closest relatives include the goose, geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form t ...

, ''Tusna'', "the swan of Turan". Her

retinue A retinue is a body of persons "retained" in the service of a noble, royal personage, or dignitary; a ''suite'' (French "what follows") of retainers. Etymology The word, recorded in English since circa 1375, stems from Old French ''retenue'', it ...

were called Lasas. Turan may be quite ancient but does not appear on the Piacenza list nor in Martianus list of Etruscan deities. The Etruscan month of July was named after her, although we only know the Latin word for it, ''Traneus''.

Etymology

Turan was seen as the equivalent to

the Roman ''The Roman'' (original title ''Ihmiskunnan viholliset'', which translates to ''Mankind's Enemies'') is a fiction novel by Mika Waltari published in 1964, and was the last work of Waltari to be published during his lifetime. Set in Rome, the book ...

Venus and the Greek Aphrodite. Her name is the pre-Hellenic root of "Turannos" (absolute ruler, see ), so Turan can be viewed as “Mistress". Turan had a sanctuary in the Greek-influenced Gravisca, the port for Tarquinia, where

votive gift A votive offering or votive deposit is one or more objects displayed or deposited, without the intention of recovery or use, in a sacred place for religious purposes. Such items are a feature of modern and ancient societies and are generally ...

s inscribed with her name have been found. One inscription calls her ''Turan ati'', "Mother Turan" which has been interpreted as connecting her to

Venus Genetrix Venus Genetrix may refer to: * Venus Genetrix, epithet of the goddess Venus * Venus Genetrix (sculpture), the name for a type of sculptural depiction of the goddess * Temple of Venus Genetrix, a ruined temple in the Forum of Caesar, Rome See a ...

, Venus the mother of Aeneas and progenitor of the Julio-Claudian lineage.

Legacy

Turan is one of the few Etruscan goddesses who has survived into Italian folklore from

Romagna Romagna ( rgn, Rumâgna) is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna, North Italy. Traditionally, it is limited by the Apennines to the south-west, the Adriatic to ...

. Called "Turanna", she is said to be a fairy, a spirit of love and happiness, who helps lovers.Aa.Vv, ''Studi romagnoli'', Volume 55, Società di studi romagnoli, Cesena 2004, pp. 212–213 (Italian).

Notes

External links

* * http://www.thaliatook.com/OGOD/turan.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Turan (Goddess in Etruscan Religion) Etruscan goddesses Fertility goddesses Love and lust goddesses