Turms
Populonia, 5 asses (?)
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Turms with winged petasos; at right Λ, mark of value. | Blank. |
AR 3.30 g (Etruscan coins) |
In
, both gods of trade and the messenger god between people and gods.Etruscan artwork often depicts Turms in his role as psychopomp, conducting the soul into the afterlife.[5] In this capacity he is sometimes shown on Etruscan sarcophagi—in one case side by side with Charun and Cerberus.[2] In another depiction, in which the god is labelled as 𐌕𐌖𐌓𐌌𐌑 𐌀𐌉𐌕𐌀𐌑 Turmś Aitaś or ‘Turms of Hades’, he brings the shade of Tiresias to consult with Odysseus in the underworld.[6] Turms also appears in images depicting the Judgement of Paris,[3] as well as in scenes with Hercle (Heracles) or Perseus.[3]
The name Turms is of distinctively Etruscan origin, like that of Fufluns but in contrast to deities such as Hercle and Aplu (Apollo), whose names were borrowed from Greek.[7]
Turms is known more from decoration on everyday objects, such as mirrors, than from cult images,[3] although one dedication has been taken to indicate the existence of a temple of Turms at Cortona.[8]
Bernard Combet-Farnoux interprets comments by
Turms is also the name of a character in a historical novel by Mika Waltari, The Etruscan, which takes place during the end of Etruscan civilization.
References
- ^ Hermoea Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Combet-Farnoux (1980), p. 178.
- ^ a b c d Combet-Farnoux (1980), p. 179.
- ^ Combet-Farnoux (1980), p. 189.
- ^ Combet-Farnoux (1980), pp. 177–178.
- ^ Combet-Farnoux (1980), p. 179-180.
- ^ Combet-Farnoux (1980), pp. 171, 183–184.
- ^ Combet-Farnoux (1980), p. 173.
- ^ Combet-Farnoux (1980), pp. 185–187.
- ^ Combet-Farnoux (1980), pp. 214, 216–217.
- ^ Combet-Farnoux (1980), p. 208.
Works cited
- Combet-Farnoux, Bernard (1980). "Turms étrusque et la fonction de « minister » de l'Hermès italique". Mercure romain : Le culte public de Mercure et la fonction mercantile à Rome de la République archaïque à l'époque augustéenne. École française de Rome. pp. 171–217.