Wikipedia
Libitina, also Libentina or Lubentina, is an ancient Roman goddess of funerals and burial. Her name was used as a metonymy for death, and undertakers were known as libitinarii. Libitina was associated with Venus, and the name appears in some authors as an epithet of Venus.
The grove ( lucus) of Libitina was located on the Esquiline Hill, as were several religious sites indicating that the area had "unhealthy and ill-omened" associations. A public cemetery was located outside the Esquiline Gate, in the Campus Esquilinus. A temple of Venus in the grove of Libitina celebrated its founding anniversary August 19, the day of the Vinalia Rustica. When a person died, the treasury of the temple collected a coin as a "death tax" supposed to have been established by Servius Tullius. During a plague in 65 AD, 30,000 deaths were recorded at the temple. Livy notes two occasions when the death toll exceeded Libitina's capacity. A guild ( collegium) of funeral directors (dissignatores) was based in the grove of Libitina.
Libitina is sometimes regarded as Etruscan in origin. The name is perhaps derived from Etruscan lupu-, "to die." Varro, however, offers a Latin etymology from lubere, "to be pleasing," related to libido, that attempts to explain the goddess's connection to Venus. Venus Lubentina or Libitina may result from an identification with the Etruscan Alpanu (also as Alpan or Alpnu) who had characteristics of both a love goddess and an underworld deity. The Etruscan formula alpan turce is equivalent to libens dedit, "gave freely or willingly," in Latin.
Libitina is a British Gothic band formed in 1994 by University of Sheffield students. The band has released five albums on its own Libation Records label. Originally formed as a four-piece with Danny on vocals, the band pared down to a three-piece in early 1996. From 1996-2002, Libitina were Pete (main vocals, programming, guitar), Darren (guitar), and Jamie (bass guitar, vocals, programming). Phill joined on keyboards in 2002 and took over lead vocals after Pete left the band at the end of that year. Band members from 2003 to 2006 were Darren (guitar, programming), Jamie (bass guitar, programming, vocals), and Phill (vocals, programming, guitar, bass guitar).
The band are known for their comedy Pulp cover of Common People, entitled "Gothic People"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYWB_o7_9Fo
The band's appearances include The Whitby Gothic Weekend ( Whitby, UK, 1997, 2004), The Sacrosanct Festival ( LA2, London, UK, 1997), Infest ( Bradford, UK, 2000), Euro-Rock Indoor Festival ( Antwerp, Belgium, 2002), LeFantastique.Night VI ( Brussels, Belgium, 2003), and Lumous Festival ( Tampere, Finland, 2006).
The band split up in September 2006.