Matej Bor, Slovenian poet and linguist had studied the problem of the Venetic script over a number of years.  In contrast to the prevailing opinion, he believed in the Slavic origin of the Venetic language (rather than Italic), He found enough indicators to warrant an investigation based on this premise.

As it sometimes happens, Bor was once more studying Tablet Es 24 containing the mysterious word akeo, when he had a flash of intuition. The scholars had read the inscription of rows of identical letters starting from the bottom, and came up with the repetitions of akeo.

They had a sense of humour, enjoyed their wine, sent their dead from this world with poetry, humour and encouragement, prayed to their god for health and safety. They also loved word plays and riddles. The grammar tablet which led to the decyphering of the script contained such a riddle.

The man who finally cracked the mystery of Venetic script was Slovenian poet and linguist Matej Bor. He had for some time held that Venetic language was Slavic, or even Slovenian in origin and set about solving the ancient puzzle based on that premise.

His success, when he found the entry to the puzzle, was swift and remarkable. The tablet marked Es 24 which led to Bor’s discovery of the verb jekat, contains on the bottom row among the consonants also several vowels. Veneti like Etruscans often left out vowels, especially those that were not accented or were reduced. Bor wondered if the row of letters contained a riddle for the students - a saying or a proverb. His premise was confirmed. When Bor inserted suitable vowels, the resulting version was very close to the modern Slovenian.

VIDIJ TI KI LIMINI POŠIRIS TU BOGA (text with inserted vowels)

Videc, ki tablice razširjaš tu boga
Seer, thou who spreadest here the tablets of god

The most numerous among the tablets are funeral inscriptions. They speak of fire, of peace and sorrow for the departed. and are often moving and poetical.  Considering the limited context of the inscriptions, the range is great. On stone, metal, urn and implement there are inscribed short pithy invocations to the god Reitia – against illness or dangers of travel, advice to the drinker, warnings about dangers of fast driving, salutations, prayers and protective charms. There are also riddles and inscriptions on tools and weapons, ensuring best possible effect for the user. While all give an insight into these ancient people’s thinking and way of life, some are more than that. They demonstrate an unexpected level of sophistication.

On the image on the left we have an elaborate gravestone epigram. The departed is a traveller going on a journey and he is given a gift and a good luck wish for his journey. There is a hint of humour, which Bor says is characteristic of the Etruscans, with whom Veneti probably had links:

PUPTNEI JEGO RACO JEKUPETARIS

Popotniku njega raco za na pot
To the traveller his duck for the journey

The Adriatic Veneti in time came under Roman rule. The inscriptions were increasingly in Roman script, often interspersed with Venetic letters and in Venetic language. This is the case with the following inscription on stone.. It may be regarded as the last example of a dying tradition. Its frivolous treatment is said to be more a parody than a gravestone. There is no example among the ancient Venetic relics of the driver taking two people at the same time into the next world.

NIMU VOZTIALE GALLEN

Njemu je vozataj samec
His driver is a bachelor

JAJE JEKUPETARS

Jojme popotujocc
Woe is me the traveller

In view of the relatively small number of inscriptions that have survived into the present, the variety is onsiderable. Beside the funeral inscriptions, there are riddles, proverbs, prayers, crossroad signs, invocations. In conclusion - an ageless salutation inscribed on a wine jar.

OSTI JAREJ!

Ostani mlad!
Stay young!