Editing Tabula Capuana (section)

===First section (lines 1-7): MARCH<sup>?</sup>===

The first legible section likely is devoted to rituals to be held in March (though the Etruscan word for this month, ''Velcitna'', does not occur in the legible text, presumably because it was in the missing parts).

There are three to five initial lines missing and then 30-50 characters missing in the initial damaged lines shown here.<ref>Bouke Van Der Meer "Some comments on the Tabula Capuana", in: Studi Etruschi 77, 2014 [2015], 149-175. pp. 165</ref>

::  ...vacil.../<sup>2</sup>ai savcnes satiriasa.../<sup>3</sup>...[nunθ?]eri θuθcu
::  vacil  śipir  śuri leθamsul 
::: ci tartiria /<sup>4</sup> cim cleva 
::::ac asri halχtei
::  vacil iceu  śuni savlasie...
(~5-8 characters broken off at the end of this line)
:::  /<sup>5</sup>[mul]u rizile picasri 
::::savlasieis
::  vacil lunaśie vaca iχnac 
::::fuli/<sup>6</sup>nuśnes 
::  vacil savcnes itna 
:::  mulu rizile picasri 
::::iane
::  vacil l/<sup>7</sup>eθamsul scuvune 
::::marzac saca'''⋮''' 

Notes: 
In line 1 and throughout, ''vacil'' may mean "libation" (or some similar rite or ceremony), in which case each of the first phrases beginning with it presumably indicate what deity to pour a libation to and perhaps other information.<ref>Bouke Van Der Meer "Some comments on the Tabula Capuana", in: Studi Etruschi 77, 2014 [2015], 149-175. p. 162-3</ref> However, Steinbauer (agreeing with Rix) has challenged this assumption and, considering that it seems to be positioned at the beginning of a series of phrases within the context of a step-by-step instruction, proposed that ''vacil'' (with its variants ''vacal'' and ''vacl'') simply means "then."<ref>Steinbauer, D. ''Neues Handbuch des Etruskischen'', St. Katherine, 1999. pp.  86-87</ref>

In line 2, ''savc-nes'' according to van der Meer is an Apolline god, perhaps related in form to ''saucsaθ'' at 3.15 of the [[Liber Linteus]]. The form in the Liber Linteus, preceded as here by the term ''vacl'' "libation," also falls in a section that probably deals with March, though as here there is no explicit mention of a month name. The relevant text from that passage of the Liber Linteus is as follows (3.15-3.17): ''vacl . an . ścanince . saucsaθ . persin / cletram . śrenχve . iχ . ścanince . ciz . vacl / ara'' roughly: "The libation which was poured to ''Sauc- Pers-'' (should be performed) with the decorated litter just as it had been poured (before); perform the libation three times."<ref>L. B. van der Meer Liber linteus zagrabiensis. The Linen Book of Zagreb. A Comment on the Longest Etruscan Text. Louvain/Dudley, MA 2007 pp. 78-82</ref>

Note that the ending ''-nes/-nis'' also occurs in the forms ''fulinuś-nes'' (5-6) and ''caθ-nis'' (9), all referring to deities.<ref> L. B. van der Meer Liber linteus zagrabiensis. The Linen Book of Zagreb. A Comment on the Longest Etruscan Text. Louvain/Dudley, MA 2007 p. 74</ref>

In line 2, ''satiriasa'' (if one word) may be a form of ''Satre'' the Etruscan term for [[Saturn]], which also appears on the [[Piacenza Liver]] among chthonic deities.<ref>Pallottino, Massimo (1955). The Etruscans. Penguin Books. Translated from the Italian by J. Cremona. p.100</ref> Or it could be in some way connected to or contrasting with ''tartiria'' at the end of line 3.<ref>Bouke Van Der Meer "Some comments on the Tabula Capuana", in: Studi Etruschi 77, 2014 [2015], 149-175. p. 163</ref>

In line three, ''<big>ś</big>uri'' is a (not necessarily exclusively) chthonic deity.<ref>L. Bouke van der Meer "Some comments on the Tabula Capuana", in: Studi Etruschi 77, 2014 [2015], 149-175. pp. 154-5</ref> The form also appears on the [[Lead Plaque of Magliano]]. ''Leθam-s'' appears on the [[Piacenza Liver]] among chthonic deities, but may have other connections as well. The genitive is used here as usual for indirect object.<ref>Rex E. Wallace "Language, Alphabet, and Linguistic Affiliation" in A Companion To The Etruscans, editors S. Bell and A. A. Carpino, Wiley Blackwell, 2016, pp. 203-224; p. 217</ref>

In lines three and four, ''ci(m)'' means "three," and both ''tartiria'' and ''cleva'' indicate kinds of offerings, yielding a possible partial translation: "To Lethams, three ''tartiria'' (perhaps related to Greek Tartaros, as if '(gifts) for the underworld'?) offerings and three ''cleva'' offerings ..."<ref>Bouke Van Der Meer "Some comments on the Tabula Capuana", in: Studi Etruschi 77, 2014 [2015], 149-175. pp. 165-173</ref> In line 4, ''halχ-'' is likely the name of a kind of vase.<ref>Bouke Van Der Meer "Some comments on the Tabula Capuana", in: Studi Etruschi 77, 2014 [2015], 149-175. pp. 165 - 173 p. 16</ref>
 
A verbal form of ''vacil'' may be seen in line 5: ''vac-a'' "make a libation (to)?"; But van der Meer reads ''faca'' here, with unknown meaning. A similar form, ''vac-i'' is in line 28, also preceding a form of 
''fuli/nuśnes''.<ref>Bouke van der Meer "Some comments on the Tabula Capuana", in: Studi Etruschi 77, 2014 [2015], 149-175. p.163</ref> Also in line 5, ''lunaśie'' brings to mind the Roman moon goddess, ''Luna'' (which some equate with ''Cath'', see below).
''pi-cas(ri)'' (5,6) is defined by Pallottino as a verb of offering, to be compared with ''a-cas'' "to do; to offer."  <ref>Pallottino, Massimo (1955). The Etruscans. Penguin Books. Translated from the Italian by J. Cremona. pp.225-234</ref> ''mulu-'' (4/5, 6) and ''scu-'' (7, 10) seem to be roots meaning "to offer, give" and "finish", respectively; and ''sac-'' means "carry out a sacred act; consecrate."<ref>Pallottino, Massimo (1955). The Etruscans. Penguin Books. Translated from the Italian by J. Cremona. pp.225-234</ref> In lines 5-6, '' fuli/nuśnes'' may be a form of [[Fufluns]], the Etruscan [[Dionysus]] who is associated with the Etruscan goddess ''Caθa'' who also seems to be mentioned in this text (see below).<ref>Thomson de Grummond, Nancy. Myth and Sacred History, 2006, p. 59</ref><ref>Pallottino, M. (1975). The Etruscans. London: Penguin Books. p 248</ref> A somewhat similar form, ''fuln[folnius]'' can be found on line 29 of the [[Tabula Cortonensis]].<ref>Thomson de Grummond, Nancy. Myth and Sacred History, 2006, p. 59</ref>

Note the frequent repetitions (besides ''vacil''): ''savcnes''(2, 6); ''leθamsul''(3, 6/7, 8...); ''mulu-ri zile picas-ri''(4/5, 6, 18/19 but with...''a-cas-ri'' rather than ''pi-cas-ri''); ''savlasie(is)''(4, 5); ''scu-vune marza(c)''(7) versus ''marza...scuvse''(10)...

The tentative partial translation by van der Meer, building on the work of many others suggests this part of the ritual calendar calls for an indeterminate offering be made to the god Saucne, and that libations be performed for the gods [[Śuri]] and Letham as well as for the gods Saulasie and Fulinusne. Furthermore, that a gifted ''rizile'' be accepted in [the period of?] Iana. And that, the libation to Letham having been properly completed, a ''marza'' be consecrated.<ref>Bouke Van Der Meer "Some comments on the Tabula Capuana", in: Studi Etruschi 77, 2014 [2015], 149</ref>