In Etruscan mythology and religion, Selvans is god of the woodlands and boundaries, including sacred boundaries.[1] He is possibly cognate with Roman Silvanus. As the god of boundaries, he is known by the epithet tularias as stated by a dedication of a statue to the god.[1][2] His name is 10th on the list of 16 gods on the outer rim of the Piacenza Liver (a bronze model of a sheep’s liver used as a reference or teaching tool for divination).[2] Votive inscriptions from the liver show that he was a popular god in Etruria.[1]

Only one certain representation of Selvans has been found, alongside a statue of Culśanś. He is portrayed as a naked youth wearing a cap made of a bear’s hide and high boots.[1] This contrasts from the Roman Silvanus, who is usually shown as a bearded man.[1]

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Thomson de Grummond, Nancy (2006). The Religion of the Etruscans. University of Texas Press. ISBN 0-292-70687-1.
  2. ^ a b The Etruscan World, Routledge. Routledge. 2013. ISBN 978-0-415-67308-2.