"Veltha ruin" - Planting our flag

"Veltha ruin" - Planting our flag

Padanian American League flag


Voltumna (Veltha)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltumna

In Etruscan mythology, Voltumna or Veltha was the chthonic (earth) deity, who became the supreme god of the Etruscan pantheon, the deus Etruriae princeps, according to Varro. Voltumna's cult was centered in Volsini (modern-day Orvieto) a polis of the Etruscan Civilization of northwest Italy.

The bond of the twelve Etruscan populi was renewed annually at the sacred grove of Fanum Voltumnae, the sanctuary of Voltumnus sited near Volsinii (present day Bolsena), which was mentioned by Livy. At the Fanum Voltumnae ludi were held, the precise nature of which, whether athletic or artistic, is unknown.


Fanum Voltumnae
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanum_Voltumnae

The Fanum Voltumnae, or shrine of Voltumna, was the chief sanctuary of the Etruscans: fanum means a sacred place, a much broader notion than a single temple. Numerous sources refer to a league of the "Twelve Peoples" (lucumonies) of Etruria, formed for religious purposes but evidently having some political functions. The Etruscan league of twelve city-states met annually at the Fanum, located in a place chosen as omphalos (sacred navel), the geographical and spiritual centre of the whole Etruscan nation. Each spring political and religious leaders from the cities would meet to discuss military campaigns and civic affairs and pray to their common gods. Chief amongst these was Voltumna (or Veltha), possibly state god of the Etruria.


Sacred grove
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_grove

A sacred grove or sacred woods are any grove of trees of special religious importance to a particular culture. Sacred groves were most prominent in the Ancient Near East and prehistoric Europe, but feature in various cultures throughout the world.


[Music: Piano instrumental version of 'Battle Hymn of the Republic' by Allen Dale
http://www.youtube.com/user/allendale1962?feature=watch

Flute instrumental version of 'Brandy' by Blue Train
http://www.youtube.com/user/TwainsBlues?feature=watch

Piano instrumental version of 'Delta Dawn' by Allen Dale]

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Pittsburgh, Green Bay, and Cisalpine Heritage

[Above: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]

I actually had intended on this entry being posted prior to last weeks Super Bowl game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers. Both cities have a long history with our Cisalpine people. Green Bay, which is a port city in the Great Lakes, ties in with our century-plus history in that region. Pittsburgh ties in more with our history in some of the bigger cities of the northeast.

Green Bay's Cisalpine history seems to tie in more with the north Cisalpines, while Pittsburgh simply counts a sizable number of Tuscans in it's "Italian-American" population. Pittsburgh, of course, is a bigger city. Green Bay, interestingly, also has a Tuscan population. All of this should be thought of in a historical sense, as well as a modern one.

In Pittsburgh, the Tuscan heritage is largely from the Lucca province. There is a seemingly large Lucchesi nel Mondo group there. Also interesting, and maybe someone can clue us in more on this subject, is evidence of chain-migration over many decades from Lucca. Green Bay also has some ties to Tuscany. There is a group there called the Green Bay Italo-Americano Club, which was founded by a native of Lucca.

[Right: Green Bay, Wisconsin]

Like so much of our history on this side of the Atlantic, we always have to fill in the blanks. There is not a lot written about people from specific areas and their shared experiences. We do know that the port cities of the Great Lakes, and the surrounding area, were areas of settlement for Cisalpine people; and western Pennsylvania was also an area of sizable Cisalpine settlement.

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