Tuchulcha


In Etruscan mythology, Tuchulcha was a chthonic daemon with pointed ears, and hair made of snakes and a beak. Tulchulcha lived in the underworld known as Aita.
Many scholars refer to this deity as male because of masculine features, such as animalistic facial hair that may resemble a beard. However, according to Nancy de Grummond, "This monster is often referred to as male but in fact is very likely female, for she wears a woman’s dress, has decidedly pale pinkish skin, and even appears to have breasts." She also identifies the diamond-marking of Tuchulcha's serpents as identifying the poisonous adder. Emeline Hill Richardson and Graeme Barker and Tom Rasmussen also state that Tuchulcha is female. However, Tuchulcha's garment is known to classical historians as a chiton and is worn by both men and women. As well, the same clothing is worn by another male deity, Charun.
The only known rendering of Tuchulcha is identified in a wall painting in the Tomb of Orcus II, in Tarquinia, Italy. There the deity appears in a depiction of the story of These visiting the underworld. These and his friend Peirithous are playing a board game, attended by Tuchulcha.
In the film, The Dead Are Alive, a fresco depicting Tuchulcha is the inspiration for a serial killer's murders occurring somewhere between Spoleto and Cerveteri.