Vanth (right), a female deity of the Etruscan Underworld who acts as a psychopomp (guider of souls), dressed as a huntress and holding a torch aloft. She guides a newly deceased woman and young boy to the afterlife, where they are greeted by two predeceased men, probably relatives. Charun (left), another Etruscan deity, sits guarding the gates of the Underworld. Wall painting in 200s BC Etruscan tomb in the Monterozzi necropolis of the ancient city of Tarchuna or Tarchna, now Tarquinia, Lazio, Italy.
Tarquinia, Lazio, Italy: Vanth (right), a female demon of the Etruscan Underworld, holds a torch aloft as she guides a woman and young boy along the dark path to the afterlife; there they are greeted by two predeceased men, probably relatives. Wall painting in the late 3rd century BC Tomb 5636, the likely burial place of the Arnthunas family in the vast Monterozzi necropolis. On the far left, Charun, another Etruscan Underworld demon, sits guarding the gates of the Underworld. In Etruscan mythology, both Vanth and Charun were psychopomps: deities tasked with escorting the souls of the dead to the Underworld. As in other examples of Etruscan funerary art, Vanth is shown dressed like a young huntress, wearing calf-length boots below a short armless tunic. The Etruscan Charun, also known as Charu, was derived from the Greek Charon, paid to ferry souls across the River Styx, but performed a different function and was often portrayed as a more threatening deity. He carried a hammer while guarding the entrance to the Underworld and could be depicted with pointed ears, snakes around his arms and bluish skin symbolising death’s decay. The central pillar of Tomb 5636 has a much larger and more menacing painting of a winged Charun, with his hair a mass of writhing snakes. The burial chamber, discovered in 1969, dates from circa 250 to 200 BC and is among about 200 aristocratic or noble tombs in the necropolis with painted decoration. The frescoed tombs offer an unrivalled view of Etruscan daily life, including athletics, hunting, banquets, funeral rites and mythical scenes. The necropolis, first used in the 7th century BC, gained World Heritage Site status in 2004. UNESCO rates its frescoes as among the best examples of pre-Roman art in the western Mediterranean.
Size: 4190px × 2783px
Location: Monterozzi Necropolis, Tarquinia, Lazio, Italy.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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