Editing Erecura (section)

==Etymology==
[[File:Bad Cannstatt Herecura-Relief Kopie img01.jpg|thumb|Copy of a Roman statue of Herecura]]
The [[wikt:theonym|theonym]] is of unclear origin. It has been connected with Latin ''aes, aeris'' 'copper, bronze, money, wealth', ''era'' 'mistress' and the name of the Greek goddess [[Hera]].<ref>[[#egger|Egger]] (1962), I.84-85.</ref> Many different Latinised forms of this goddess's name occur: ''Aeraecura'' at [[Perugia]]; ''Aerecura'' at [[Mainz]], [[Xanten]], [[Aquileia]] and [[Roşia Montană]]; ''Aericura'' at [[:de:Sulzbach (Malsch)|Sulzbach, Malsch]], ''Eracura'' in [[:de:Mautern an der Donau|Mautern, Austria]], ''Ercura'' at [[:de:Fliehburg|Fliehburg]], ''Erecura'' at [[:de:Cannstatt|Cannstatt]] and [[Aube|Belley in Aube]]; ''Heracura'' at [[Stockstadt am Rhein]], ''Herecura'' at [[:de:Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt|Cannstatt]], [[Freinsheim]] and [[Rottenburg am Neckar]], where the form ''Herequra'' is also found.<ref name="inventaire">Lajoye, Patrice; ''Inventaire des divinités celtiques de l’Antiquité'', Caen: Société de Mythologie Française. Available at [http://www.arbre-celtique.com/approfondissements/divinites/inventaire-div/div_liste.php?nomloc=%28tous%29 L’Arbre Celtique].</ref>

The alternation between the initial [[H]] and [[A]] may be due to the letters' similar shape in the [[History of the Latin alphabet|classical Latin capitals]] ordinarily used in [[Epigraphy|epigraphic inscriptions]] in the [[Roman Empire]],<ref>[[#green|Green]] (2004), pp. 120–121.</ref> particularly since less literate members of the [[Roman Empire]]’s community sometimes misinterpreted the [[phoneme|phonemic value]] of a given letter.<ref>This is also apparent in the inscriptions to [[Belatucadrus]]. [[#green|Green]] (2004), p. 102.</ref> A name of the form {{IPA|*/aereˈkuːra/}} or {{IPA|*/(h)ɛːrɛˈkuːra/}} appears to underlie the alternations ''Aeraecura'' ~ ''Aerecura'' ~ ''Aericura'' ~ ''Eracura'' ~ ''Ercura'' ~ ''Erecura'' ~ ''Heracura'' ~ ''Herecura'' ~ ''Herequra''.

Though the goddess herself may be [[Celtic polytheism|Celtic]], it is open to question whether the name is of [[Celtic languages|Celtic origin]] or even [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]]. Lendering considers her cult to be of [[Illyria]]n origin, spreading from [[Aquileia]] and only reaching the Danubian and Rhenish border regions through the Roman troops deployed there.<ref name="lendering">{{cite web|url=https://www.livius.org/religion/herecura/ |author=Jona Lendering |title=Herecura |website=Livius.org |access-date=2015-05-28 |date=2014}}</ref> Beck considers the name to be of Germanic origin.<ref name="beck135">[[#beck|Beck]] (2009), p. 135.</ref>