Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 11, 1900.djvu/344

 324 Correspondence.

namt would be a very appropriate inscription for a lamp or street light. The Romans used dark lanterns. There is an old Roman picture of a Cupid with a dark lantern, reproduced in my Einiscan- Roman Legends. It is probable that the Romans placed a terra- cotta lamp in the lantern.

If any archaeologist who is familiar with Roman lamps can in- form me whether this name of Vibilia ever occurs on them in any form, or if any folklorist is acquainted with a spirit who guides the lost traveller, I would be very grateful to him for any information on the subject.

Charles Godfrey Leland.

April 22,rd, 1900.

The MS. of Arnobius reads Upibilia^ so that Vibilia rests on conjecture only. Inscriptions on Roman lamps are dealt with in Birch's Ancient Pottery, part iv., chapter 2. They are generally trade marks — the maker's name, shop, factory, &c. ; sometimes invocations, or acclamations ; rarely anything else. Often they are shortened.

Thus viBVLE may be —

(i) Vocative of Vibidus ; but no such name is known.

(2) Part of the maker's name, (?) Vibiilanus with blunder-

ing pronunciation.

(3) Two abbreviated words if the last letter be misread :

\\v,v\.aniis Yecit.

W. H. D. Rouse.