DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.785#0045
introduction.] TRACES OF IT IN THE TYROL.
xlv
dead, as it has always emphatically been, a sepulchral, language/
Till then, to every fanciful theorist, who fondly hugs himself
into the belief that to him it has been reserved to unravel the
mystery, or who possesses the Sabine faculty of dreaming what
he wishes, we must reply in the words of the prophet—" It is
an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not."
Were it not for this mystery of the language, the oriental
analogies on the one hand, and the Greek features on the other,
which are obvious in the recorded customs of Etruria and the
monuments of her art, might be reconciled by the theory of a
Pelasgic colony from Asia Minor. But the language in its
utter loneliness compels us to look further for the origin of the
Etruscan people.
For the benefit of travellers, who would spell their way
7 Lanzi (Saggio, I. p. 35) states that
in his day, " sixty years since," besides
the three classic languages, " the Ethio-
pic, the Egyptian, the Arabic, the
Coptic, the Chinese, the Celtic, the
Basque, the Anglo-Saxon, the Teutonic,
the Runic, and what not," had been
consulted in vain for the key to the
Etruscan. Lanzi thought he had dis-
covered it in the Greek, and to establish
his theory put that noble language to
sad torture, from which sounder cri-
ticism has released it. Dr. Arnold
(History of Rome, pref. p. xm.) ex-
pected the interpretation of the Etrus-
can to be discovered. And Muller
(Etrusk. einl. 3, 10) entertained the
hope that in some secluded valley of
the Grisons or of the Tyrol, a remnant
of the old Rhaetian dialect might be
discovered which would serve as a key
to the Etruscan. He adds that Von
Hormayr held the Surselvish dialect to
be Etruscan. Within the last few years
Mailer's hope has been in some degree
realised by the labours of a German
scholar, who, though he has found no
key to the interpretation of the Etrus-
can, has at least shown that some rem-
nants of a dialect very like it remain
among the Alps of Rhaetia. Steub,
Ueber die Urbewohner Ratiens und
ihren Zusammenhang mit den Etrus-
kern. Miinchen, 1843. In travelling
in 1842 among these Alps he was struck
with the strange-sounding names, on
the high-roads as well as in the most
secluded valleys. Mountains or vil-
lages bore the appellations of Tilisuna,
Blisadona, Naturns, Velthurns, Schlu-
derns, Sehlanders, Villanders, Firmi-
saun, Similaun, Gufidaun, Altrans, Sis-
trans, Axams, — wherever he turned,
these mysterious names resounded in
his ears ; and he took them to be the
relics of some long perished race. He
tested them by the Celtic, and could
find no analogy ; but with the Etruscan
he had more success, and found the
ancient traditions of a Rhaato-Etruria
confirmed. Like many of his country-
men he rides his hobby too hard ; and
seeks to establish analogies which none
but a determined theorist could per-
ceive. What resemblance is apparent
to eye or ear between such words as
the following, taken almost at random
from his tables 1—Carcuna=Tschirgant;
Caca=Tschatsch; Velacarasa=Vollgross;
Caluruna=Goldrain; Calusa=Sehleiss;
Calunuturusa=Sehlanders; Velavuna-
Plawen.
xlv
dead, as it has always emphatically been, a sepulchral, language/
Till then, to every fanciful theorist, who fondly hugs himself
into the belief that to him it has been reserved to unravel the
mystery, or who possesses the Sabine faculty of dreaming what
he wishes, we must reply in the words of the prophet—" It is
an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not."
Were it not for this mystery of the language, the oriental
analogies on the one hand, and the Greek features on the other,
which are obvious in the recorded customs of Etruria and the
monuments of her art, might be reconciled by the theory of a
Pelasgic colony from Asia Minor. But the language in its
utter loneliness compels us to look further for the origin of the
Etruscan people.
For the benefit of travellers, who would spell their way
7 Lanzi (Saggio, I. p. 35) states that
in his day, " sixty years since," besides
the three classic languages, " the Ethio-
pic, the Egyptian, the Arabic, the
Coptic, the Chinese, the Celtic, the
Basque, the Anglo-Saxon, the Teutonic,
the Runic, and what not," had been
consulted in vain for the key to the
Etruscan. Lanzi thought he had dis-
covered it in the Greek, and to establish
his theory put that noble language to
sad torture, from which sounder cri-
ticism has released it. Dr. Arnold
(History of Rome, pref. p. xm.) ex-
pected the interpretation of the Etrus-
can to be discovered. And Muller
(Etrusk. einl. 3, 10) entertained the
hope that in some secluded valley of
the Grisons or of the Tyrol, a remnant
of the old Rhaetian dialect might be
discovered which would serve as a key
to the Etruscan. He adds that Von
Hormayr held the Surselvish dialect to
be Etruscan. Within the last few years
Mailer's hope has been in some degree
realised by the labours of a German
scholar, who, though he has found no
key to the interpretation of the Etrus-
can, has at least shown that some rem-
nants of a dialect very like it remain
among the Alps of Rhaetia. Steub,
Ueber die Urbewohner Ratiens und
ihren Zusammenhang mit den Etrus-
kern. Miinchen, 1843. In travelling
in 1842 among these Alps he was struck
with the strange-sounding names, on
the high-roads as well as in the most
secluded valleys. Mountains or vil-
lages bore the appellations of Tilisuna,
Blisadona, Naturns, Velthurns, Schlu-
derns, Sehlanders, Villanders, Firmi-
saun, Similaun, Gufidaun, Altrans, Sis-
trans, Axams, — wherever he turned,
these mysterious names resounded in
his ears ; and he took them to be the
relics of some long perished race. He
tested them by the Celtic, and could
find no analogy ; but with the Etruscan
he had more success, and found the
ancient traditions of a Rhaato-Etruria
confirmed. Like many of his country-
men he rides his hobby too hard ; and
seeks to establish analogies which none
but a determined theorist could per-
ceive. What resemblance is apparent
to eye or ear between such words as
the following, taken almost at random
from his tables 1—Carcuna=Tschirgant;
Caca=Tschatsch; Velacarasa=Vollgross;
Caluruna=Goldrain; Calusa=Sehleiss;
Calunuturusa=Sehlanders; Velavuna-
Plawen.