Roth Note: I ran across this today and found it interesting. I have not independently verified the content.

Did you know that the Vatican was named after “Vatika,” the goddess of the underworld?

Vatica is the archaic Etruscan name of a goddess associated with death and the underworld. She is likely a specific manifestation of the Etruscan goddess of death and the underworld, Vanth. While Vanth’s domain extended across a vast area of ​​the Etruscan realm, Vatica’s sphere was presumably the large burial ground on the hillside of the very area where the Vatican stands today. It is assumed that she was the spiritual guardian of the tombs located there.

In fact, the name “Vatican” is a true mystery. It has no connection to the Bible, the Greek language, or Latin. Like many other Christian traditions and customs, the name we associate with the center of the Catholic Church most likely has “pagan” origins, tracing back to the Etruscan language and, perhaps, to a goddess. The Etruscans did not bury their dead within their city walls. Instead, they built cemeteries outside their settlements—such as the large burial ground on the hillside outside an ancient city in the region that would later become Rome. This necropolis, and all those buried there, may well have been under the special protection of the goddess Vatika.

The Vatican and the Vagina

Vaticanus—the term for the burial hill and, by extension, the name of the goddess of death and the underworld—evolved over time into Vaginatus. This brings us to the vagina—not an unusual association for a goddess of death, given that many cultures and spiritual traditions held the view that, upon death, humans return to the womb of the Great Mother, the entrance to which is, of course, the vagina. The Altes Museum in Berlin houses a ceramic mask of an Etruscan goddess—possibly Vatica. This finely crafted ceramic piece may have served as a door ornament or a tomb decoration. A striking feature is the diamond-shaped symbol on her forehead, which is interpreted as a vulva. Intriguingly, the term “tika” also refers to the various auspicious marks Hindus often wear on their foreheads, directly over the third eye. Especially among women, these marks often take the shape of the paisley pattern—itself a symbol of the vulva. Such tikas are believed, among other things, to foster powerful visions; they are also associated with prophetic dreams, including those experienced during near-death episodes. It is also interesting to note that some Hindu monasteries are known as Vatika.

A Bitter Grape Variety and Prophetic Visions

Vatika also lent her name to a bitter grape variety that grew on the Vatican Hill. Farmers used it to produce a cheap wine; when consumed alongside an herb of the same name, it induced hallucinations. It is quite possible that the underworld goddess’s oracular priestesses on this hill experienced “prophetic visions” under the influence of these substances. In any case, it was this specific quality that led to the word’s adoption into Latin. The Latin verb vaticinor means “I predict” or “I prophesy.” Since the Church Fathers preferred to keep the original Etruscan linguistic root—which points to a goddess—under wraps, reference is instead made to a later transformation of the word, claiming that the name “Vatican” derives from vaticiniis ferendis (meaning “making predictions”). One can only speculate as to whether the Pope or his staff derive inspiration from the influence of Vatican wine. It is interesting to note, however, that the English word “vat” refers to a large tub or barrel used for storing liquids (such as wine). This raises the question of whether the chalice containing the sacramental wine in St. Peter’s Basilica is filled with hallucinogenic Vatika wine.

Centuries after serving as a necropolis, this hill in Rome became the site of a circus whose main attraction was the stoning of people.
According to legend, Saint Peter was executed there—crucified upside down—and buried not far away. Emperor Constantine established a shrine on the site when it was already known as Vatican Hill. Some centuries later, the Papal Palace was built there; thus, the Vatican—a word of Etruscan origin associated with a pagan goddess—gives its name to the heart of the Church.

©Artedea.net