
Tiv is an Etruscan Deity of the Moon. Some authorities call Him
male, while others call Her female, which isn't that unusual for Etruscan Deities,
as quite often the same names are used of both Gods and Goddesses. As far as
I could find there were no depictions of Tiv, but Her/His name is engraved on
the back of the Piacenza divination liver, a model of a sheep's liver
made in bronze, representing the cosmos, which is divided off into different
houses dedicated to different Gods. Tiv is one of only two names on the underside
of the liver; the other being Usil, the Etruscan Sun-Deity; the presence of
Their names on the back is usually taken to mean that the map of the sky could
be divided into two main parts.
The name Tiv means "the Bright One", and is also used
for both "moon" and "month"; related words in Etruscan are
tiusta, "brilliant or shining" and tiurunias, an Etruscan
month name, perhaps a winter month such as December, when the moon is at its
highest in the sky. Tiurunia is a name for Diana
or Lucina, both Moon and Light-Goddesses, and perhaps
Tiv was a similar Goddess.
Also spelled: Tiu, Tivr, Tiur
