Śuri: Difference between revisions

Śur / Śuri
Śur / Śuri
Solar god of light, volcanic fire, thunder and lightning, healing and plague, underworld;
Member of Novensiles
Other names	Aita, Apulu/Aplu, Calu, Manth, Rath, Summanus, Usil, Vetis/Veivis
Name in Old Norse	Surtr
Major cult center	Mt. Soratte; Mt. Summano;
World	Underworld; Sun;
Weapons	lightning, fire, lava
Animals	wolf, goat
Symbol	solar disc, halo, bow and arrows, pilum, lead
Adherents	Hirpi Sorani
Gender	male
Region	Italy
Ethnic group	Etruscans, Capenates, Faliscans, Latins, Sabines
Genealogy
Parents	Tinia (father); Semla (mother);
Siblings	Artume (twin); Fufluns;
Consort	Catha
Equivalents
Christian	Satan
Greek	Apollo Smintheus + Hades
Hindu	Sūrya
Norse	Surtr
Roman	Apollo + Dīs Pater

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Suri (Etruscan: Śur or Śuri, lit. 'black'), latinised as Soranus, was an ancient Etruscan deity, also venerated by other populations of central Italy (Capenates, Faliscans, Latins and Sabines) and later adopted into ancient Roman religion.

Primarily the god of volcanoes and fire, which were associated with the underworld, Śuri also was the chthonic god of the Sun and light,^[a] as well as an oracular god; as god of volcanic lightning, he's thought to have been among the Novensiles, the nine Etruscan thunder gods.^[3]^[2]

His sacred animals were wolves and goats.

Name

Śuri, from Etruscan: Śur, lit. 'black',^[4]^[3]^[5]^[1]^[2] latinised as Soranus, means both 'black' and 'from the black [place]', i.e. the Underworld.^[4]^[5]^[1]^[2] His direct equivalent is Old Norse: Surtr, lit. 'black',^[6] the Norse fire god "who ruled the volcanic powers of the underworld"^[7] and will cover the earth in fire during the Ragnarök, causing the entire world to burn;^[8] king of the fire giants of Múspell,^[b]^[c]^[d] birthplace of the Sun and other stars.^[12]

Epithets

Śuri had many epitheths,^[3]^[5] among them Calu,^[13]^[14]^[5] Manth,^[15]^[3]^[5] Rath,^[3]^[5]^[16] Usil^[17] and Vetis,^[18] but also Greco-Roman epithets.

By interpretatio graeca, Śuri was identified with both the underworld god Dīs Pater (Greek: Háidēs; Etruscan: Aita)^[19]^[20]^[3]^[5] and the sun god Apollo (Etruscan: Apulu);^[21]^[22]^[13]^[3]^[5]^[23] their names are associated on Pyrgi inscriptions too.^[24]^[3]

After his cult had been syncretised with Apollo, the Romans nicknamed him Apollo Soranus^[14] or Apollo Soractis.^[21]

Worship

Cult centers

The center of his cult was Mount Soracte, a sacred mountain located north of Rome, in an area characterized by deep karst cavities and secondary volcanic phenomena; these phenomena were associated in antiquity with underworld deities, hence the area was sacred to underworld gods, such as the Roman Dīs Pater, with whom Soranus is sometimes identified.^[19] Other centers dedicated to this deity were the ancient twin cities of Surina (Soriano) and Surina (Viterbo) [it], in the present-day province of Viterbo, Lazio, and the city of Sorano, in the province of Grosseto, Tuscany.^[3]^[1]^[2]

Worshippers

The priests and worshippers of Soranus were called Hirpi Sorani^[14]^[25]^[1]^[2] ("Wolves of Soranus", from Sabine: hirpus, lit. 'wolf').

They were firewalkers; during the ceremonies, they walked on hot coals, holding the entrails of sacrificed goats.^[19]^[22]^[26]^[27]^[2]

The Lupercalia, in the Roman religion, probably derive from these priests.^[14]

Consort

He had two female partners: his Etruscan consort Catha (or Cavatha), goddess of Moon and Underworld;^[20]^[28]^[3] and his Faliscan sister-in-law Feronia, whose major sanctuary^[e] was located near Mount Soracte.^[27]^[23]

Notes and references

Notes

^ A black sun, i.e. a sun god of the underworld,^[1]^[2] rather that a celestial god, was also defined by the Etruscans as Tinia Calusna (Jupiter of the Underworld = Zeus Chthonios).^[2]
^ Drawing in part on various eddic poems, the Gylfaginning section of the Prose Edda contains an account of the development and creation of the cosmos: Long before the Earth came to be, there existed the bright and flaming place called Muspell—a location so hot that foreigners may not enter it—and the foggy land of Niflheim. In Niflheim was a spring, Hvergelmir, and from it flow numerous rivers. Together these rivers, known as Élivágar, flowed further and further from their source. Eventually the poisonous substance within the flow came to harden and turn to ice. When the flow became entirely solid, a poisonous vapor rose from the ice and solidified into rime atop the solid river. These thick ice layers grew, in time spreading across the void of Ginnungagap.^[9]
^ The etymology of "Muspelheim" is uncertain, but may come from Mund-spilli, "world-destroyers", "wreck of the world".^[10]^[11]
^ The Prose Edda section Gylfaginning foretells that the sons of Muspell will break the Bifröst bridge as part of the events of Ragnarök:

In the midst of this clash and din the heavens are rent in twain,
and the sons of Muspell come riding through the opening.
Surtr rides first, and before him and after him flames burning fire.
He has a very good sword, which shines brighter than the sun.
As they ride over Bifrost it breaks to pieces, as has before been stated.
The sons of Muspel direct their course to the plain which is called Vigrid ... .
The sons of Muspel have there effulgent bands alone by themselves.
^ Latin: Lucus Feroniae.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Di Silvio 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Romano Impero 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j National Etruscan Museum.
^ ^a ^b Colonna 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Maras 2010.
^ Orchard 1997.
^ Simek 1993, pp. 303–304.
^ Sturluson 2005, pp. 73–75.
^ Sturluson 1995.
^ Tilton 1897, p. 705.
^ Vigfússon & Powell 1883, p. 471.
^ Encyclopedia Britannica 2006, p. 803.
^ ^a ^b Van Der Meer 2013, pp. 323–341.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Rissanen 2013.
^ Colonna 2006, p. 141.
^ Bonfante & Bonfante 2002, p. 204.
^ Nonoss 2015.
^ Kenney & Clausen 1983.
^ ^a ^b ^c Servius 380b, 11.785.
^ ^a ^b De Grummond 2004, p. 359.
^ ^a ^b Virgil, 11.786.
^ ^a ^b Pliny the Elder, 7.2.
^ ^a ^b Myth Index.
^ Colonna 2009, pp. 101–126.
^ Di Fazio 2013.
^ Silius Italicus, 5.175.
^ ^a ^b Strabo, 5.
^ De Grummond 2008, pp. 422, 425.

Bibliography

Adiego, Ignasi-Xavier (2016). "The Etruscan Texts of the Pyrgi Golden Tablets: Certainties and Uncertainties". In Bellelli, Vincenzo; Xella, Paolo (eds.). Le lamine di Pyrgi: Nuovi studi sulle iscrizione in etrusco e in fenicio nel cinquantenario della scoperta. Vol. I–X. Verona. p. 155 – via Academia.edu.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Bonfante, Giuliano; Bonfante, Larissa (2002) [1983]. The Etruscan Language: An Introduction (2 ed.). Manchester University Press. ISBN 9780719055409.
Bonfante, Larissa; Swaddling, Judith (2006). Etruscan Myths. The Legendary Past (77). British Museum/University of Texas. ISBN 9780714122380.
Briquel, Dominique (1997). Chrétiens et haruspices: La religion étrusque, dernier rempart du paganisme romain (in French). ISBN 9782728802326.
Capella, Martianus (1836) [Carthage, c. 420]. De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii (in Latin). Vol. II. Frankfurt am Main: Varrentrapp. 164.
Classical Association (1918). Postgate, John Percival; Arnold, Edward Vernon; Hall, Frederick William (eds.). Classical Quarterly. Translated by Postgate, John Percival. Clarendon Press. p. 107.
Colonna, Giovanni (2001). "Divinazione e culto di Rath/Apollo a Caere (a proposito del santuario in loc. S. Antonio)". Archeologia Classica (in Italian). LII (2). L'Erma di Bretschneider: 151–173. doi:10.1400/258393.
Colonna, Giovanni (2009). "L'Apollo di Pyrgi, Śur/Śuri (il «Nero») e l'Apollo Sourios". Studi Etruschi (in Italian). LXXIII: 101–134. ISSN 0391-7762.
Cristofani, Mauro, ed. (2000) [1984]. "Apulu/Aplu". Etruschi: una nuova immagine (in Italian). Florence: Giunti Editore. pp. 161–162. ISBN 9788809017924.
Cristofani, Mauro, ed. (1985). "Aplu". Dizionario illustrato della civiltà Etrusca (in Italian). Florence: Giunti Editore. pp. 12–13. ISBN 978-88-09-21728-7.
De Grummond, Nancy Thomson (2004). "For the Mother and for the Daughter: Some Thoughts on Dedications from Etruria and Praeneste". Hesperia Supplements. 33. The American School of Classical Studies at Athens: 351–370. ISBN 9780876615331. JSTOR 1354077.
De Grummond, Nancy Thomson (2006). Etruscan Myth, Sacred History, and Legend. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. ISBN 9781931707862.
De Grummond, Nancy Thomson; Simon, Erika, eds. (2006). The Religion of the Etruscans. Austin: University of Texas Press. ISBN 9780292782334.
- Bonfante, Larissa. "Etruscan Inscriptions and Etruscan Religion". In De Grummond & Simon (2006).
- Colonna, Giovanni. "Sacred Architecture and the Religion of the Etruscans". In De Grummond & Simon (2006).
- Krauskopf, Ingrid. "The Grave and Beyond". In De Grummond & Simon (2006), p. vii, pp. 73–75.
- Simon, Erika. "Gods in Harmony: The Etruscan Pantheon". In De Grummond & Simon (2006).
De Grummond, Nancy Thomson (2008). "Moon Over Pyrgi: Catha, an Etruscan Lunar Goddess?". American Journal of Archaeology. 112 (3): 419–428. doi:10.3764/aja.112.3.419. S2CID 193046316 – via University of Chicago Press.
De Grummond, Nancy Thomson (1 November 2016). "Thunder versus Lightning in Etruria". Etruscan Studies. 19 (2): 183–207. doi:10.1515/etst-2016-0011.
De Simone, Carlo (2012). "Il teonimo Šuri: riflessioni ad alta voce". Studi Epigrafici e Linguistici (in Italian) (32–33).
Di Fazio, Massimiliano (2013). "Gli Hirpi del Soratte". In Cifani, Gabriele (ed.). Tra Roma e l’Etruria. Cultura, identità e territorio dei Falisci (in Italian). Edizioni Quasar. pp. 231–264. ISBN 978-88-7140-519-3 – via Academia.edu.
Di Silvio, Paola (18 November 2014). "Suri: L'Apollo Nero Degli Etruschi". EreticaMente (in Italian).
Elliott, John (1 January 1995). "The Etruscan Wolfman in Myth and Ritual". Etruscan Studies. 2 (1): 17–33. doi:10.1515/etst.1995.2.1.17. S2CID 194102662.
Haynes, Sybille (2000). Etruscan Civilization: A Cultural History. Los Angeles: Getty Publications. ISBN 9780892366002.
Jannot, Jean-René (2005). Religion in Ancient Etruria. Translated by Whitehead, J.K. University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 9780299208448.
Kenney, Edward John; Clausen, Wendell Vernon (1983). The Cambridge History of Classical Literature. Vol. 2. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521273732.
Lecce, Vittoria. "Novembre e il dio Suri - Il Nero Signore" (in Italian). Museo Nazionale Etrusco.
Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae. Vol. I–VIII. Zurich, Munich, Düsseldorf: Artemis & Winkler Verlag. 1981–1999. ISBN 3-7608-8751-1.
- Krauskopf, Ingrid (1988). "Aita/Calu". In LIMC. Vol. IV. pp. 394–399.
- LIMC. Vol. VII. 1994.
Maras, Daniele F. (2010). "Suri. Il nero signore degli inferi". Archeo (in Italian). No. 305. Archived from the original on 10 December 2014.
Moore, Daniel (2018). "The Etruscan Goddess Catha". Etruscan Studies. 21 (1–2): 58–77. doi:10.1515/etst-2017-0030. S2CID 188353013.
Nonoss (2015). "Turan, Aritimi, Usil et l'énigmatique Letham..." Au Fil du Temps (in French). Retrieved 25 March 2016.
Pliny the Elder. Naturalis Historia. Vol. VII. 2 – via Perseus Digital Library.
Rissanen, Mika (2013) [2012]. "The Hirpi Sorani and the Wolf Cults of Central Italy". Arctos: Acta Philologica Fennica. 46. Helsinki: Klassillis-filologinen yhdistys. ISSN 0570-734X – via Academia.edu.
Servius (380). Commentary on the Aeneid of Vergil (in Latin). Vol. I–XII. Georgius Thilo – via Perseus Digital Library.
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Silius Italicus. Punica (in Latin). Vol. V. 175 – via Perseus Digital Library.
Simon, Erika (1998). "Apollo in Etruria". Annali della Fondazione C. Faina di Orvieto V (in Italian): 119–141.
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Van Der Meer, Bouke (2013). "Lead Plaque of Magliano". Interpretando l'antico. Scritti di archeologia offerti a Maria Bonghi Jovino. Quaderni di Acme (134). Milan. pp. 323–341 (335) – via Academia.edu.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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External links

"Culto di Soranus". Romano Impero (in Italian). July 2021.
"Soranus". Myth Index. Archived from the original on 21 September 2017.
"Vediove". Nova Roma: Calendar of Holidays and Festivals.

[3] A black sun, i.e. a sun god of the underworld,^[1]^[2] rather that a celestial god, was also defined by the Etruscans as Tinia Calusna (Jupiter of the Underworld = Zeus Chthonios).^[2]

[11] Drawing in part on various eddic poems, the Gylfaginning section of the Prose Edda contains an account of the development and creation of the cosmos: Long before the Earth came to be, there existed the bright and flaming place called Muspell—a location so hot that foreigners may not enter it—and the foggy land of Niflheim. In Niflheim was a spring, Hvergelmir, and from it flow numerous rivers. Together these rivers, known as Élivágar, flowed further and further from their source. Eventually the poisonous substance within the flow came to harden and turn to ice. When the flow became entirely solid, a poisonous vapor rose from the ice and solidified into rime atop the solid river. These thick ice layers grew, in time spreading across the void of Ginnungagap.^[9]

[14] The etymology of "Muspelheim" is uncertain, but may come from Mund-spilli, "world-destroyers", "wreck of the world".^[10]^[11]

[15] The Prose Edda section Gylfaginning foretells that the sons of Muspell will break the Bifröst bridge as part of the events of Ragnarök:

In the midst of this clash and din the heavens are rent in twain,
and the sons of Muspell come riding through the opening.
Surtr rides first, and before him and after him flames burning fire.
He has a very good sword, which shines brighter than the sun.
As they ride over Bifrost it breaks to pieces, as has before been stated.
The sons of Muspel direct their course to the plain which is called Vigrid ... .
The sons of Muspel have there effulgent bands alone by themselves.

[33] Latin: Lucus Feroniae.

[FOOTNOTEDi_Silvio2014-1] Di Silvio 2014.

[FOOTNOTERomano_Impero2021-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Romano Impero 2021.

[FOOTNOTENational_Etruscan_Museum-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j National Etruscan Museum.

[FOOTNOTEColonna2009-5] Colonna 2009.

[FOOTNOTEMaras2010-6] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Maras 2010.

[FOOTNOTEOrchard1997-7] Orchard 1997.

[FOOTNOTESimek1993303–304-8] Simek 1993, pp. 303–304.

[FOOTNOTESturluson200573–75-9] Sturluson 2005, pp. 73–75.

[FOOTNOTESturluson1995-10] Sturluson 1995.

[FOOTNOTETilton1897705-12] Tilton 1897, p. 705.

[FOOTNOTEVigfússonPowell1883471-13] Vigfússon & Powell 1883, p. 471.

[FOOTNOTEEncyclopedia_Britannica2006803-16] Encyclopedia Britannica 2006, p. 803.

[FOOTNOTEVan_Der_Meer2013323–341-17] Van Der Meer 2013, pp. 323–341.

[FOOTNOTERissanen2013-18] Rissanen 2013.

[FOOTNOTEColonna2006141-19] Colonna 2006, p. 141.

[FOOTNOTEBonfanteBonfante2002204-20] Bonfante & Bonfante 2002, p. 204.

[FOOTNOTENonoss2015-21] Nonoss 2015.

[FOOTNOTEKenneyClausen1983-22] Kenney & Clausen 1983.

[FOOTNOTEServius380b11.785-23] Servius 380b, 11.785.

[FOOTNOTEDe_Grummond2004359-24] De Grummond 2004, p. 359.

[FOOTNOTEVirgil11.786-25] Virgil, 11.786.

[FOOTNOTEPliny_the_Elder7.2-26] Pliny the Elder, 7.2.

[FOOTNOTEMyth_Index-27] Myth Index.

[FOOTNOTEColonna2009101–126-28] Colonna 2009, pp. 101–126.

[FOOTNOTEDi_Fazio2013-29] Di Fazio 2013.

[FOOTNOTESilius_Italicus5.175-30] Silius Italicus, 5.175.

[FOOTNOTEStrabo5-31] Strabo, 5.

[FOOTNOTEDe_Grummond2008422,_425-32] De Grummond 2008, pp. 422, 425.

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