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Larunda

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Nymph punished by Jupiter with muteness, later deified as a mother of the Lares.

Detailed Definition
Larunda (or Lara) was silenced for revealing divine secrets and became a chthonic mother figure. In poetry, she symbolizes silenced voices, maternal sacrifice, and the hidden origins of protective household spirits, often invoked in mythological aetiologies of domestic cult.
Example
Example in poetry:
Larunda, nymph silenced by Jupiter, becomes a underworld goddess: "Larunda, tongueless, now whispers through springs and dreams"; Ovid tells her tale in Fasti—mother of the Lares; A hymn: "Larunda, though mute, your presence guards the crossroads"; In nocturnal rites: "We pour milk for Larunda—silence is her language"; Symbol of voiceless power: "Larunda speaks through the Lares—her children, her voice."
Additional Notes
Larunda (or Lara) was a nymph who lost her tongue for revealing Jupiter’s affair; Mercury fathered the Lares with her; Ovid tells her story in Fasti, portraying her as a silent, mournful figure; she became a chthonic goddess associated with crossroads and the underworld; poets use her to explore themes of silence, punishment, and maternal divinity; her myth explains the origin of the Lares, linking household protection to a tragic divine narrative—making her key to understanding Roman domestic religion.
Also Known As
Lara
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