Final Draft - Preview Matter - Florida State University

an Etruscan black figure vase from the Orvieto Group (Fig. VI.11). 627 Krauskopf suggests that
this figure is an underworld demon, and its manner is certainly appropriate for a fierce denizen of
the lower world. This figure possesses the head of a bird of prey, which is clear because it has a
hooked beak and reaches out to attack or harry another figure on the sherd. Not enough of this
vessel remains to reconstruct the narrative scene of which this demon is a part, although one
might envision the punishment of Prometheus or Tityos as a likely candidates for violence
committed by an avian antagonist. 628
Etruscan tomb painting contains a second example of a chthonic, therianthropic bird
demon. The Tomb of Orcus II preserves the only labeled example of the demon, Tuchulcha, 629
and here depicted with wings, ass’ ears, a beak instead of a mouth, and two snakes rising from its
head as it brandishes a third snake to menace the hero Theseus (Fig. VI.12). 630 Tuchulcha’s
wings bear the same markings as the viper it 631 holds, and there can be no doubt that demon and
serpent are inextricably linked; 632 nevertheless, due to the presence of a beak and wings, I have
included Tuchulcha in this chapter on avians. Like the bird demon on the black figure sherd
(Fig. VI.11), Tuchulcha is depicted in an offensive stance. In this case, his victim is clearly
627 Not enough of this vessel is preserved to say much that is conclusive about the bird-headed figure which seems to
be attacking a man. The hooked beak of this figure has led Krauskopf to identify it as an underworld demon, and
this is indeed plausible. This “demon” may be a precursor to the slightly more anthropoid Tuchulcha (Fig. VI.12).
A bird of prey is suitable as an underworld figure, as any predator possesses much the same characteristics related to
scavenging, killing, and the consumption of other animals’ flesh. This figure also is important because it presents
the possibility of a bird being more than celestial, i.e. birds can be chthonic too.
628 If the bird demon attacks a figure such as Prometheus, the narrative of which he is part would not take place in
the underworld. I would nevertheless argue for the chthonic character of this hybrid as most figures who serve to
punish the wicked are infernal in nature, e.g., the Erinyes or Furies.
629 A winged figure with two snakes sprouting from his hair that appears on an Etruscan Red Figure skyphos housed
in Boston has been identified as the demon Tuchulcha by Jannot (1997, 143). Two other figures appear on this vase
with the demon and have been identified as Admetus and Alcestis. The presence of an Etruscan death demon with
this couple is fitting for either the parting of Alcestis or the reunion of the couple; however, the demon depicted on
this skyphos neither bears a label nor possesses a bird’s beak in place of a nose. Thus it is difficult to accept this
figure as Tuchulcha as it may be a representation of Charu(n), who could fulfill much the same function as his more
monstrous counterpart.
630 The fact that this is the only example of a demon labeled Tuchulcha leads to several problems. The first regards
the gender of this figure. De Grummond (2006a, 218 ) expresses doubt as to the gender of Tuchulcha but refers to
him as a he for simplicity’s sake. The color of the skin and the costume of the figure are the basis for this problem.
De Ruyt (1934, 11) determines that due to a total lack of humanity, speculation in relation to Tuchulcha’s gender is
ultimately moot. I shall refer to Tuchulcha as “it” to indicate its distinctly inhuman character. Jannot (1997, 144)
addresses a second problem, the identity of this demon as separate from Charu(n). He suggests that Tuchulcha may
be equivalent to an epithet similar to those found in the Tomba dei Caronti. I disagree with this conclusion as the
features of Charu(n) and Tuchulcha are distinct enough to merit separate identities.
631 De Grummond (2006, 217) indicates that the gender we should ascribe to this demon is not clear due to its skin
tone, garments, and possible representation of breasts. Tuchulcha is commonly referred to as “he” in scholarly
literature, but I choose to refer to this demon as an “it” due to its otherworldly nature.
632 Hostetler 2003, 52.
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