Etruscan Myth

Etruscan Myth, Sacred History, and Legend by Nancy Thomson de Grummond, 233 pages

The Etruscans dominated northern Italy in early antiquity, until overwhelmed by Gallic invasions and the rising might of Rome.  Indeed, many of the early kings of Rome were Etruscans, but later Roman writers possessed little knowledge of Etruscan culture beyond rumors and speculation.  Today, although the Etruscan language is mostly understood, there is little to read, and certainly nothing providing a deep exposition of their religion.  Therefore, like their classical counterparts, modern scholars are tempted to resort to speculation to fill some quite considerable gaps.

Fortunately, de Grummond is well aware of the perils of this temptation.  Most of our evidence for Etruscan beliefs comes from their art, especially the engravings on hand mirrors which seem to have been widely used for divination.  Since some of the figures represented are obviously adaptations of Greek gods and heroes, it is particularly easy to assume all of them are, or to forget that the Etruscan versions of these characters are not mere duplicates of the Hellenic originals.  De Grummond consciously avoids falling into these traps.  This is vitally important, since it is precisely where Etruscan religion is original that it is most interesting, although unfortunately the careful fidelity to what can be known also makes the text extremely dry.