The Contents of the 'Liber Linteus'

The Contents of the Liber Linteus ©Z

It is not possible to refer here to all the efforts of linguists to interpret the whole text, parts thereof or even particular words. It seems more useful to provide a brief overview of the logical stages used to clarify the text in its general construction, internal relationships and very rarely, in certain meanings.

Etruscan numbers written by 'Roman numerals'

Etruscan numbers written by pronounced words

From the very beginning it was obvious, that each paragraph of the text starts with words what we can recognize as numbers (the Etruscan system of numbers is actually richly documented - from the grave inscriptions to the extraordinary "translators", like dices made of ivory from Tuscany, and held in Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, on which we find engraved words which mark numerals from one to six). These numbers are occurring in the following sequences, for example: Column VIII-9: hu0is' za0rumis' - twenty six; Column IX-33: ciem cealxus - twenty seven; Column XI-15: eslem cealxus - twenty eight; Column XI-22: 0unem (cealxus) - twenty nine [see note]. In at least two doubtless cases such numbers appear together with names of months, the meaning of which are explained in ancient glossaries and scientific books, like Liber Glossarum (VIII cent.) and Dictionary from Papua (XI cent.): so the first words of Column VI-17: "eslem za0rumis' acale" can be translated as "seventeenth of July", because "Aclus Tuscorum lingua Iunius mensis dicitur", ("Aclus in the Etruscan language means month July"), or in Column VIII-9: "celi hu0is' za0rumis'" means "twenty sixth of September", because "Celius Tuscorum lingua September mensis dicitur" ("Celius in the Etruscan language means month September") (see: Testimonia Linguae Etruscae, 801, 824).

So, it was soon realized, that the content of the text had been written as a calendar.

Excellent indicators, of the kind of calendar it is, are the names of gods, which appear repeatedly in the text, and which have been confirmed in the Etruscan pantheon; amongst them, the first of all Neptune, ne0uns - (Column VIII-9), but as well other smaller deities, as Vejove, veive - (Column XI-17) or deity ca0-, ca0a, whose name appears in Column VI-18, but is present in words ca0nis (Column X-8), ca0ra (Column XII-8), ca0re (Column XII-4).

Also, everyone who starts reading the text, can notice the repetitions of whole word sequences: this on the one hand confirms the ritual character of the message, and on the other hand it makes possible to single out the important variants. This remark goes for another more deity, as well of one of the most important deities in the Liber Linteus: craps'ti (Column III-18, IV-19, VI-12). That this is a deity, we conclude from the fact that it is appearing in an identical context with ne0uns. Here we deal with a deity, which hasn't been confirmed anywhere else in Etruria, and which has got a significant comparison only in Tabulae Iguviane, where the epithet "Grabovio" marks a common aspect of three deities - Jupiter, Mars and Vofion. From here comes the significant clue, which brings us to a new reading of a part in Column VI-18, where the following sequence appears: ati.ca0.lu0.cel0im, with "ati" undoubtedly meaning "mother", followed by the names of three well known gods ca0, lu0 and cel, from the area between Arezza, the Transimen Lake and Perugia. Particularly surprising is the comparison with the votive consecration on a bronze statuette coming from Castiglione dal Lago (Testimonia Linguae Etruscae, 625) directed to the goddess cel ati in her sanctuary: cel0ti (the making of the locative case in Etruscan is another very clear matter). So, the place, or shrine, or temple of cel is mentioned here in the very same way, revealing to us not only the contents of the book, but also its cultural association, as well as the geographical origin.

The last indicators enable us to define the religious character of the book as a cult regulation: the word vacl, which is repeated several times in the text, and occurs even in the more archaic form vacil in the text of the Capuan Tegula, means certainly an object of offering, a ritual act: probably a votive offering. The word vinum occurs in exact locations of the book (Column III, IV, X, XI) and indicates a probable simultaneous pronounciation of a pray with a ritual action (Column IX-22). It frequently occurs in the vicinity of the terms for vessels (the meanings of which are confirmed by their appearance on vases of the same kind, mostly in the archaic inscriptions which accurately determine the real nature and belonging of the objects in the first person): 0apna (Column X-22) pitcher, pruxs (Column IV-22) jug, another term with doubtless ritual meaning is spanza, diminutive from spanti, an expression broadly used in ancient Italy (contained in Tabulae Iguvianae), which in Etruscan means "plate": Latin "patella"?

Also, we need to notice in the frequent sequences: s'acnicleri ... s'pureri. me0lumeric (Column V-6), s'acnicla ... spural ... me0lumes (Column V 22-23), s'acnicstres' ... s'pures'tres' ... s'vels'tres' (Columns VIII-20, II-13) the clear parallel position which follow the introduction into rituals, which contain the notion of holiness (s'acni-) and notion of people, civil community (s'pur-) and the notion of the geographic region (me0lum-) and, according to a new suggestion, the notion of privateness (s'vel-): they designate either the carriers of the action of the ritual, or those who can take part, or more likely, those who will use the sacrificial act. But now is not a good time to enter into these details, which are not yet well understood.

Therefore, the Liber Linteus of Zagreb is a liturgical book in which there are ritual texts and regulations given in the form of a calendar. In this sense, the classification of the book is perfect, within the Libri Rituales, which according to ancient authors represent a collection of Disciplina Etrusca (Cic. de div. I, 72).