In Etruscan mythology and religion, Laran (or Larun) is the god of

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

. In art, he was portrayed as a

naked Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. The loss of body hair was one of the physical characteristics that marked the biological evolution of modern humans from their hominin ancestors. Adaptations related to h ...

youth wearing a

helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...

, a

cuirass A cuirass (; french: cuirasse, la, coriaceus) is a piece of armour that covers the torso, formed of one or more pieces of metal or other rigid material. The word probably originates from the original material, leather, from the French '' cuirac ...

and carrying a

spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastene ...

shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of ...

, or

lance A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier (lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike s ...

. Laran also appears to be an underworld god. Among his attributes is his responsibility to maintain peace. According to some scholars, he also seems to have been the guardian of boundaries as shown by the boundary cippi found in

Bettona Bettona (Latin: ''Vettona'') is an ancient town and comune of Italy, in the province of Perugia in central Umbria at the northern edge of the Colli Martani range. It is 5 km (3 mi) E of Torgiano and 12 km (7 mi) SW of Assisi. ...

with the inscriptions ''tular Larna'' and ''tular larns.'' Along with eight other Etruscan gods, he can wield lightning. Due to the ''

Tabula Capuana The ''Tabula Capuana'' ("Tablet from Capua"; Ital. ''Tavola Capuana''), is an ancient terracotta slab, , with a long inscribed text in Etruscan, dated to about 470 bce, apparently a ritual calendar. About 390 words are legible, making it the s ...

'' we know that the Laran festival was celebrated on the Ides of May. Laran is the Etruscan equivalent of the Greek

Ares Ares (; grc, Ἄρης, ''Árēs'' ) is the Greek god of war and courage. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for success in war ...

and the Roman

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...

. Like many other Etruscan gods, his name is gender neutral. Previous scholarship thought that Marís, a mysterious figure(s) was the Etruscan god of war due to the similarity of the name to the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

war god

.Simon, Erika; Thomson de Grummond, Nancy (2006). The Religion of the Etruscans. University of Texas Press. . However, that has been disproven and Laran has been identified as the Etruscan god of war. Laran was also shown in the company of another Etruscan god,

Lurs Lurs () are an Iranian people living in the mountains of western Iran. The four Luri branches are the Bakhtiari, Mamasani, Kohgiluyeh and Lur proper, who are principally linked by the Luri language. Lorestan Province is named after the Lur ...

. The two names were associated with each other since the archaic period.

Worship

Evidence shows that Etruscan deities could be prepared meals by priests for the gods in utilitarian ware. An inscription states found implies that meals were prepared in his honour. Inscriptions have been found showing evidence of cult worship of Laran. One description states that the person offering the vase belonged is that of Lurs, who of which is of Laran. Due to the ''

'' we know that the festival of Laran was celebrated on the Ides of May. The Tabula Capuana also contains a variant in spelling of Laran’s name: Larun.

Scenes from Etruscan Art

Laran may be recognized in Etruscan art from his attributes, or is sometimes identified by his name. Since Etruscan literature has not survived, the meaning of the scenes in which he appears can only be interpreted by comparison to Greek and Roman myths, through information about Etruscan myths preserved by Greek and Latin literature, or through conjectural reconstructions based on other Etruscan representations. * Laran appears with Turms and a youthful, long haired

Tinia In Etruscan religion and mythology, Tinia (also Tin, Tinh, Tins or ''Tina'') was the god of the sky and the highest god in Etruscan mythology, equivalent to the Roman Jupiter and the Greek Zeus. However, a primary source from the Roman Varr ...

on a mirror from

Orvieto Orvieto () is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy, situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. The city rises dramatically above the almost-vertical faces of tuff cliffs that are comp ...

Settecamini Settecamini is the 6th '' zona'' of Rome, identified by the initials Z. VI.. Settecamini is also the name of the urban zone 5L, within the Municipio V of Rome. History The first settlements in the area can be dated to the Roman Republican e ...

. He is shown with a spear and with his hand over a shield, with a sun like motif on it.Nancy T. de Grummond, "Thunder versus Lightning in Etruria," Etruscan Studies, 2016, 19(2), 183-207. * A scene on an Etruscan mirror shows

Leinth Leinth is an Etruscan mythology, Etruscan deity. Within Etruscan iconography, it is difficult to distinguish mortals from divine figures without inscriptions. Inscriptions to the god Leinth have only been identified on two bronze mirrors and a sing ...

, Turan,

Menrva Menrva (also spelled Menerva) was an Etruscan goddess of war, art, wisdom, and medicine. She contributed much of her character to the Roman Minerva. She was the child of Uni and Tinia. Although Menrva was seen by Hellenized Etruscans as their c ...

, Laran, and two Mariś babies. He stands behind

, holding a spear and wearing a mantle. * He fights against the giant Celsclan, the son of the earth goddess Cel on a mirror from Populonia in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

Inscriptions

A 5th century BCE vase from a sanctuary near a bridge at San Giovenale states has been identified showing a connection between the two gods

and Laran: * mi l

rs l RS may refer to: Businesses and organizations Sport * RS Sailing, an international designer and builder of sailboats and dinghies * Ford TeamRS, Ford Motor Company's European performance car and motorsport division * Renault Sport, performance ...

runiθla ‘I (am) of Lurs that of Larun (*lurs laruniθa)’

References

Etruscan gods Etruscan religion War gods Martian deities {{deity-stub

Worship

Scenes from Etruscan Art

Inscriptions

See also

References