page_title: Culsans
hierarchical_section_title: Culsans
caption_attribution_description: English: Bronze statuette from Cortona. Cortona, Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca. After Pfiffig 1975, fig. 108. Ca. 300-250 BCE.
context_page_description: Culsans is an Etruscan deity, known from two inscriptions and a variety of iconographical material which includes coins, statuettes, and a sarcophagus. Culśanś is usually rendered as a male deity with two faces and at least two statuettes depicting him have been found in close association with city gates. These characteristics suggest that he was a protector of gateways, who could zealously watch over the gate with not one, but two pairs of eyes.
  Many scholars recognize the deity, Janus, as a Roman equivalent to Culśanś because he is also rendered as a bifrons and his divine realm also includes the protection of doorways and gates. Building on this idea, some scholars have proposed that the name Culśanś may contain an etymological root meaning “door” in Etruscan, just as Janus’ name comes from the Latin word for door, ianua. An Etruscan female deity named, Culśu, whose name has the same etymological root as Culśanś, is also associated with gateways, though in her case, they are gateways of the netherworld.
context_section_description: Culsans (Culśanś) is an Etruscan deity, known from two inscriptions and a variety of iconographical material which includes coins, statuettes, and a sarcophagus. Culśanś is usually rendered as a male deity with two faces and at least two statuettes depicting him have been found in close association with city gates. These characteristics suggest that he was a protector of gateways, who could zealously watch over the gate with not one, but two pairs of eyes.
  Many scholars recognize the deity, Janus, as a Roman equivalent to Culśanś because he is also rendered as a bifrons (two-faced god) and his divine realm also includes the protection of doorways and gates. Building on this idea, some scholars have proposed that the name Culśanś may contain an etymological root meaning “door” in Etruscan, just as Janus’ name comes from the Latin word for door, ianua. An Etruscan female deity named, Culśu, whose name has the same etymological root as Culśanś, is also associated with gateways, though in her case, they are gateways of the netherworld.
caption: Bronze Statuette of Culsans from Cortona. Cortona, Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca, ca. 300-250 BCE.
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