Final Draft - Preview Matter - Florida State University
Final Draft - Preview Matter - Florida State University
Final Draft - Preview Matter - Florida State University
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tomb and also the underworld. A second Charu(n) and Vanth, this time much smaller, appear on<br />
the left wall of the tomb amongst a number of inscriptions that record, among other things, the<br />
names of three members of the Anina family (Arnth, Vel, and Larth) buried in the tomb. 131<br />
Charu(n) most often wields a hammer or mallet but sometimes brandishes snakes as<br />
weapons. 132 The Tomb of the Charu(n)s, is representative of the iconographic variation of this<br />
demon since it contains several Charu(n)’s flanking two of the false doors in this tomb. The<br />
Tomb of the Charu(n)s is also unique in that the representations of Charu(n) present here are<br />
differentiated by epithets. 133 In Fig. II.7, the Charu(n) wielding a hammer and standing on the<br />
left hand side of the false door, possibly meant to again stand for the entrance to the underworld,<br />
wears a winged hat and is labeled with the inscription ?arun ?un?ules. 134 The Charu(n) on the<br />
right side of the door exhibits the black and blue, “splotchy” skin that Hostetler claims represents<br />
the effects of a snake bite, 135 and also holds a hammer. He is labeled ?arun huths. 136 It is not<br />
clear what these epithets mean.<br />
Charu(n)’s flesh is nearly always tinctured with the blue-green color of putrefaction, and<br />
he is often winged. 137 However, the iconography of Etruscan death demons admits some<br />
variation, and the painted stucco decoration of the Tomb of the Reliefs, brings us back to the<br />
iconography of the giants in the Tomb of the Typhon. In the Tomb of the Reliefs, located in the<br />
Banditaccia Necropolis, Cerveteri, two monstrous creatures are depicted amongst the myriad<br />
items from daily life (Fig. II.8). Below the stucco-modeled funeral couch of the back wall’s<br />
central niche are two figures of the underworld: on the left is a shaggy-haired, possibly<br />
anguiped demon 138 wearing a tunic and wielding an oar in his right hand and a snake in the other<br />
and, on the right, Kerberos, the three-headed, canine guardian of Hades’ gates, appears. Some<br />
scholars have suggested that the two “portrait” heads that flank this niche may be Aita and<br />
131<br />
Steingraber 1985, 282.<br />
132<br />
De Grummond (2006a, 215) notes that Charu(n) may wield a sword or axe as well.<br />
133<br />
De Simone (1997, 203) confirms that this is the only example of a binary name applied to Charu(n). Steingraber<br />
(1985, 300) notes that only 5 other inscriptions bearing the name Charu exist.<br />
134<br />
Rix 1991, Ta. 7.80.<br />
135<br />
Hostetler<br />
136<br />
Rix 1991, Ta. 7.81.<br />
137<br />
De Ruyt (1934, 237-41) suggests an oriental, possibly Babylonian origin for the iconography of Charu(n) and<br />
Tuchulcha due to the combination of human and bestial elements as well as Charu(n)’s characteristic mallet.<br />
138<br />
Haynes (2000, 318) suggests that the demon holding the oar actually possess fishtails for legs instead of snake<br />
tales.<br />
33