Tamuli Betili

Latitude:
40° 15' 39.24 N
Longitude:
8° 43' 4.88 E
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Tamuli Betili

Jane
Jane Jun 1, 2008
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There are six standing stones, conical and pointing out of the ground like bullets and all absolutely round in section. Quite phallic. And the best bit is that three of them had small breasts carved on them.

And the more I looked the sillier these (no doubt once serious) fertility totems became. At one moment they were froglets from the Clangers, the next they we giant mudskippers poking their fishy heads up. I loved them; I’d seen nothing like them before and they left me wondering about a whole bunch of questions which I’ve long given up thinking about other monuments for lack of answers. In the case of these betili, questions like: were they painted or perhaps anointed with liquid – milk, blood or something else, like the Shiva lingam are in India today. Were they dressed or decorated at ceremonial times? How were they used? And so on…

Intriguing!

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Tamuli Betili

sals
sals May 22, 2008
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Right next to Tomba A you find what’s probably the most famous feature of the site – the 6 betili.

They were recorded by Count Albert de la Marmora but his notes give different positions, so they may well not be in their original place.

The 3 to the south represent the female figure, with obvious carved breasts; they are also taller, at just over 1.5m, than the males (1.23m – 1.38m) to the north. All are cone-shaped basalt.

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