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Vei is a goddess of the Etruscan civilization. There are different theories on what the attributes of Vei were. Vei has been said to be a chthonic deity, a fertility goddess, a healing goddess, a goddess who cares for the dead, a mother goddess, and a counterpart to the Greek goddess Demeter and Roman goddess Ceres. The name of Vei is written on several Etruscan inscriptions found in Etruscan sanctuaries. These inscriptions provide the bulk of evidence for understanding who the Etruscans thought Vei was. Vei is not represented in Etruscan mirrors or other monuments. Evidence of the worship of Vei dates from the 6th century BCE to the 3rd century BCE.

Terracotta Votives
A votive offering is an object deposited at a sacred location for a ritual purpose. Placing votive offerings at sanctuaries was a part of Etruscan ritual practices. Among the many extant votive offerings, there are several inscriptions naming the goddess Vei. Inscriptions of this nature indicate that the votive offering was connected to a ritual to or for Vei.

These inscriptions include two terracotta uteri with Vei inscribed on them found in Vulci. It has been argued that the way in which these uteri are depicted indicates that they are meant to represent a uterus soon after giving birth. This form is referred to as a “deflated” uterus. Because of Vei’s connections to life, death, and the female form she is the “logical protector of wombs and childbirth.” As Turfa has noted in reference to these inscribed anatomical votives as well as others, “the gods to whom objects have been inscribed tend to be protectors, healers, feeders, and comforters.”

The images of a terracotta uteri used here are not the one mentioned inscribed with Vei. They are representative of this type of votive offering.

Other Inscriptions
There are two main works that catalogue Etruscan inscriptions; Rix and Meiser’s Etruskische Texte: Editio minor and Maras’ Il dono votivo. According to Rix and Meiser, inscriptions to Vei have been found at the following Etruscan sites: Ager Tarquiniensis, Caere, Padana, Roselle, Tarquinia, Volsinii, Vulci, and three from unknown origins. In Maras’ catalogue of Etruscan inscriptions, Vei inscriptions are also said to have been found at Ager Volcentanus and Pyrgi.

The oldest of these inscriptions was found at the Gravisca sanctuary in Tarquinia and it dates back to the sixth century BCE. Another inscription of interest from these includes Cr 3.31 from Caere which dates from the sixth to fifth centuries BCE. The name of Vei is inscribed on an unpainted cooking jar that was deposited with seven other similar jars. It has been argued that these jars were part of a foundation offering for a temple. These types of cooking jars were often used for grain-based foods. De Grummond and Pieraccini argue that this then further connects Vei to grain and fertility. In the fourth century BCE there are inscriptions to Vei found in sanctuary contexts, funerary contexts , and at an area in Roselle which Mara refers to as a "women cult of the urban area."

The inscriptions to Vei indicate that Vei was worshiped in many Etruscan cities, in a variety of ritual contexts, and over a wide span of time.

Cannicella Goddess
The Cannicella goddess is a marble statue found in a cemetery sanctuary at the Etruscan city of Orvieto. The statue is made of two types of marble and depicts a nude female. A bronze plaque was found in this same sanctuary which reads veal, indicating something belonging to the goddess Vei. Because of this, scholars have argued the statue represents Vei. It is also thought that the sculpture would have been richly adorned with jewelry as is indicated by holes in the statue’s head and ears. The statue also could have been ritually dressed or undressed as part of a larger cult practice, thus not remaining nude or exposing the differing types of marble. In addition to the inscription possibly identifying the statue as a cult image of Vei, the sanctuary is located within a cemetery which would be appropriate for Vei since she is often connected to life and death.



Identity
Artifacts connected to Vei often involve death or birth. This indicates that the goddess was likely chthonic, seen as connected to the earth, and involved in Etruscan ideas of life, death, birth, and fertility. These attributes, specifically life and death, might also connect Vei to agriculture or the seasons. Vei is also among the Etruscan gods connected to healing as the anatomical votives to Vei indicate.

It has been argued that Vei is also known by the epithet Espi. Some scholars have also connected Vei to the goddess Cel Ati because both goddesses seem to be a Mother Goddess figure. Vei is also considered by many scholars as a possible Etruscan counterpart to the Greek Demeter or Roman Ceres. Demeter and Ceres are both seen as mother figures and agricultural goddesses as Vei likely was. The comparison to Demeter has also led scholars to suggest the cult to Vei might have been similar in ways to the cult of Demeter, known for its being a mystery cult.