HITTITE
RELIGION
![](HittiteSeatedDeityAnatolia13thCenturyBCE.jpg)
Seated
deity, late Hittite Empire (13th century BCE)
Hittite
mythology and Hittite religion were the religious beliefs and practices
of the Hittites, who created an empire centered in what is now Turkey
from c. 1600–1180 BC.
Most
of the narratives embodying Hittite mythology are lost, and the
elements that would give a balanced view of Hittite religion are
lacking among the tablets recovered at the Hittite capital Hattusa
and other Hittite sites. Thus, "there are no canonical scriptures,
no theological disquisitions or discourses, no aids to private devotion".
Some religious documents formed part of the corpus with which young
scribes were trained, and have survived, most of them dating from
the last several decades before the final burning of the sites.
[when?] The scribes in the royal administration, some of whose archives
survive, were a bureaucracy, organizing and maintaining royal responsibilities
in areas that would be considered part of religion today: temple
organization, cultic administration, reports of diviners, make up
the main body of surviving texts.
The
understanding of Hittite mythology depends on readings of surviving
stone carvings, deciphering of the iconology represented in seal
stones, interpreting ground plans of temples: additionally, there
are a few images of deities, for the Hittites often worshipped their
gods through Huwasi stones, which represented deities and were treated
as sacred objects. Gods were often depicted standing on the backs
of their respective beasts, or may have been identifiable in their
animal form.
Overview
:
Though
drawing on ancient Mesopotamian religion, the religion of the Hittites
and Luwians retains noticeable elements of reconstructed Proto-Indo-European
mythology. For example, Tarhunt, the god of thunder and his conflict
with the serpent Illuyanka resembles the conflict between Indra
and the cosmic serpent Vritra in Vedic mythology, or Thor and the
serpent Jörmungandr in Norse mythology. This myth also bears
a resemblance to the daily struggle between Re and the serpent Apophis
in Egyptian mythology.
Hittite
mythology was also influenced more directly by the Hurrians, a neighboring
civilization close to Anatolia, where the Hittites were located.
Hurrian mythology was so closely related that Oxford University
Press published a guide to mythology and categorized Hittite and
Hurrian mythology together as "Hittite-Hurrian". Unfortunately,
much of the knowledge about the Hittites has come from artistic,
rather than textual, sources, making it difficult to ascertain specific
details on this topic. Hittite tablets regarding mythology often
date back toward the end of the Old Hittite Kingdom, with significantly
fewer sources beyond that. Groups of Hittite documents that are
found are called "cult inventories" and are valuable in
learning about how Hittite myth and practice was included in daily
life.
Hittite
mythology is a mix of Hattian, Hurrian and Hittite influences. Mesopotamian
and Canaanite influences enter the mythology of Anatolia through
Hurrian mythology. There are no known details of what the Hittite
creation myth may have been but scholars speculate that the Hattian
mother goddess who is believed to be connected to the "great
goddess" concept known from the Neolithic site Çatalhöyük
may have been a consort of the Anatolian storm god (who is believed
to be related to comparable deities from other traditions like Thor,
Indra and Zeus).
Priests
and cult sites :
The liminal figure mediating between the intimately connected worlds
of gods and mankind was the king and priest; in a ritual dating
from the Hittite Old Kingdom period :
![](Priest-King_or_Diety,_about_1600_BC,_Hittite,_North_Syria,_basalt_with_bone_eyes_-_Cleveland_Museum_of_Art_-_DSC08114.JPG)
Statue
of a Hittite priest-king made from basalt and containing bone eyes
Hittite statue of a priest-king c. 1600 BC
The gods, the Sun-God and the Storm-God, have entrusted to me, the
king, the land and my household, so that I, the king, should protect
my land and my household, for myself.
The
Hittites did not perform regularly scheduled ceremonies to appease
the gods, but instead conducted rituals in answer to hard times
or to mark occasions. Myth and ritual were closely related, as many
rituals were based on myth, and often involved performing the stories.
Many of the rituals were performed at pits, sites that were created
to represent a closeness between man and the gods, particularly
those that were chthonic, or related to the earth. This type of
pit ritual is known as "necromantic", because they were
attempting to commune with gods of the Underworld and summon them
into the living world.
The
city of Arinna, a day's march from Hattusa, was perhaps the major
cult center of the Hittites, and certainly of their major sun goddess,
known as dUTU URUArinna "sun goddess of Arinna". Records
found in cult-inventories show that local cults and practices were
also active. Traditions and the status of local cults were constantly
changing due to the lack of a national standard for ritual practice.
Smaller festivals and times of worship did not always require the
priest-king's presence, so local places had more leeway when it
came to worshiping the gods, however the king did make a point to
observe every cult site and temple on his lands, since that was
his duty to the gods and to his people. Once the king died, he was
deified, having served his people and worshiped the gods faithfully.
Responsibilities placed upon the priest-king were not one-sided:
the gods had to provide for the people if they were being worshiped
properly. Gods held much of the obvious power, but without dedicated
practice and ritual from mortals, they couldn't function. King Mursili
II made a plea to the gods on behalf of his subjects, at a time
when their agricultural livelihoods were struggling:
"All
of the land of Hatti is dying, so that no one prepares the sacrificial
loaf and libation for you [gods]. The plowmen who used to work the
fields of the gods have died, so that no one works or reaps the
fields of the gods any longer. The miller-women who used to prepare
sacrificial loaves of the gods have died, so that they no longer
make the sacrificial loaves. As for the corral and the sheepfold
from which one used to cull the offerings of sheep and cattle –
the cowherds and shepherds have died, and the corral and sheepfold
are empty. So it happens that the sacrificial loaves, libation[s],
and animal sacrifices are cut off. And you come to us, oh gods,
and hold us culpable in this matter!" [full citation needed]
Obviously,
the preservation of good relationships with deities that were closely
affiliated with nature and agriculture, such as Arinna, would have
been essential. If the balance between respect and criticism was
significantly shifted, it could mean disfavor in the eyes of the
gods, and likely a very unlucky harvest season at the very least.
Despite this danger, the Hittites mostly communicated with their
gods in an informal manner, and individuals often simply made requests
of the gods without the accompaniment of rituals or the assistance
of priests when the occasion was casual. The Hittites also utilized
associations with the divine in a way similar to the ancient Egyptians,
using the will of the gods to justify human actions.
Deities
and their myths :
![](640px-Yazilikaya_B_12erGruppe.jpg)
Relief
from Yazilikaya, a sanctuary at Hattusa, depicting twelve gods of
the underworld
The Hittites referred to their own "thousand gods", of
whom a staggering number appear in inscriptions but remain nothing
more than names today. This multiplicity has been ascribed to a
Hittite resistance to syncretization: Beckman (1989) observes "many
Hittite towns maintained individual storm-gods, declining to identify
the local deities as manifestations of a single national figure."
The multiplicity is doubtless an artifact of a level of social-political
localization within the Hittite "empire" not easily reconstructed.
In
the 13th century BC some explicit efforts toward syncretism appear
in inscriptions. The queen and priestess Puduhepa worked on organizing
and rationalizing her people's religion. In an inscription she invokes:
Sun
goddess of Arinna, my lady, you are the queen of all lands! In the
land of Hatti you have assumed the name of Sun-Goddess of Arinna,
but in respect to the land which you made of cedars, you have assumed
the name Hebat.
Many
of the Hittite myths involve a large cast of characters, usually
because the central problem in the story has widespread effects,
and everyone has a stake in the issue(s) being resolved. Usually
the solution can only be found by working together to overcome the
issue, although these are not so much wholesome morality tales,
but rather more like action-based epics with an ensemble cast.
The
storm god of Nerik :
For example, the Hittites believed the Bronze Age cult centre of
Nerik, to the north of the capitals Hattusa and Sapinuwa, was sacred
to a local storm god who was the son of Wurusemu, sun goddess of
Arinna. The weather god there was identified with Mount Zaliyanu,
near Nerik, and was responsible for arranging for rain for the city's
croplands. He was propitiated from Hattusa:
Because
the men of Kaška have taken the land of Nerik for themselves,
we are continually sending the rituals for the Storm God in Nerik
and for the gods of Nerik from Hattuša in the city of Hakmišša,
(namely) thick-breads, libations, oxen, and sheep.
The
children and grandchildren of Kumarbi :
Kumarbi is the father of Tarhunt; his role in the Song of Kumarbi
is reminiscent of that of Cronus in Hesiod's Theogony. Ullikummi
is a stone monster fathered by Kumarbi, otherwise vaguely reminiscent
of Hesiod's Typhon.
Among
the crowd a few, such as Telipinu and his sister Inara stand out
as more than local. Tarhunt has a son, Telipinu and a daughter,
Inara. Inara is a protective deity (dLAMMA) involved with the Puruli
spring festival. Tarhunt's consort and Telipinu's mother is the
Hattic sun goddess of Arinna (Arinniti or Wuru(n)šemu). This
divine couple were presumably worshipped in the twin cellas of the
largest temple at Hattusa.
The
deriliction of Telipinu :
In the Telipinu myth, the disappearance of Telipinu, god of agriculture
and fertility causes all fertility to fail, both plant and animal.
This results in devastation and despair among gods and humans alike.
In order to stop the havoc and devastation, the gods seek Telipinu
but fail to find him. Only a bee sent by the goddess Hannahannah
finds Telipinu, and stings him in order to wake him up. However
this infuriates Telipinu further and he "diverts the flow of
rivers and shatters the houses".
In
the end, the goddess Kamrusepa uses healing and magic to calm Telipinu
after which he returns home and restores the vegetation and fertility.
In other references it is a mortal priest who prays for all of Telipinu's
anger to be sent to bronze containers in the underworld, from which
nothing escapes.
Slaying
of the dragon :
Another myth reflecting this style of plot is The Slaying of the
Dragon. This myth was recited during New Year rituals, which were
performed to ensure agricultural prosperity in the coming year.
The
myth centers around a serpent (or dragon) that represents the "forces
of evil" and defeats the Storm God in a fight. The goddess
Inara comes up with a plan to trick and kill the serpent, and enlists
a human, Hupašiya, to help. ?upašiya is, of course, reluctant
to assist without some kind of incentive, so he gets Inara to sleep
with him before they carry out her scheme. Inara then invites the
serpent over and they have a feast, getting so drunk that Hupašiya
is able to tie the serpent up. The Storm God then steps in and slays
the serpent himself.
Much
like in the Telipinu myth, a human was used to help the gods in
their plots, which further emphasizes the familiar relationship
between mortal and divine. The mortal doesn't have much of a role
in the story, but his presence is a help, rather than hindrance.
The
story also illustrates the roles that goddesses played within myth:
The powerful gods provoke a fight or do something else to create
the central issue of each myth, and then the goddesses clean up
after them and solve everything with careful thought and good sense.
Unfortunately despite their helpful interference, nature cannot
return to its status quo until the god completes the final step
before normality can resume: He must wake up and return to his duties,
or kill the beast, or some other action that demonstrates that his
power is better suited to his role than any others'.
The
exchange of deities with adjacent cultures :
Similar to other kingdoms at the time, the Hittites had a habit
of adopting gods from other pantheons that they came into contact
with, such as the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar, who is celebrated
at her famous temple at Ain Dara. There also seem to be traces of
Hittite / Anatolian deities that dispersed westward into Aeolis
and Doreis.
![](768px-HittiteBasRelief2Detail_AnkaraMuseumAnatolianCivilization.jpeg)
Hittite
bas-relief: Mythological creatures, a lion-headed man and bull-legged
man. Although distinct, both resemble later Mesopotamian images
The Luwian god of weather and lightning, Pihassassa, may be at the
origin of Greek Pegasus.
Depictions
of hybrid animals (like hippogriffs, chimerae etc.) are typical
for the Anatolian art of the period.
Myths
regarding deities that were not originally Hittite were often adapted
and assimilated.
The
Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar (Ištar) was one of the many adopted
deities who were assimilated into Hittite pantheons through association
with similar deities and adjustments to their myths. Since mythology
was a large part of Hittite cult practice, an understanding of Ishtar's
powers and history was essential to the development of rituals and
incantations invoking her.
Subtle
changes like this were also made possible with her absorption or
close association of other goddesses, namely Anzili, as well as
Šawuška, and Geštinanna. With the personality traits
of multiple other goddesses, Ishtar's power grew, as did her popularity.
One innovative way that she was utilized was in purification rituals
such as Allaiturahhi's, in which her affinity for the underworld
was exploited and interpreted in a way that benefited the reader
and cast her as a protector, rather than a victim, as in Mesopotamian
myth. Ishtar's relationship with the underworld also made her a
valuable chthonic deity, especially when her other affinities for
war, sexuality, and magic were considered. The combination of these
characteristics greatly increased her influence, as fertility of
the earth was one of the most fundamental priorities for the Hittites.
The Hittites even recognized that she was fairly prominent in other
cultures and created a ritual which "treats her as an international
goddess". The differences between outsider deities like Ishtar
were respected, even though she had been appropriated for Hittite
usage.
List
of Hittite deities :
It
is lists of divine witnesses to treaties that seem to represent
the Hittite pantheon most clearly, although some well-attested gods
are inexplicably missing. Sources are Volkert (2006), Collins (2002),
Jordan (1993), and others as cited.
•
A'as –
god of wisdom, derived from the Mesopotamian god Ea (Enki)
•
Kurunta –
god of wild animals and hunting, symbolized by the stag (Luwian)
•
Aduntarri
– the diviner, primordial deity (Hurrian)
•
Lelwani –
deity of the underworld; originally male, later female (Hattic)
•
Alalu – primordial deity (Hurrian)
•
Mezulla – daughter of the sun goddess of Arinna (Hattic)
•
Amunki –
primordial deity (Hurrian)
•
Minki
– chthonic
•
Anu – primordial sky god (Hurro-Mesopotamian)
•
Miyatanzipa – One of the deities who sat under the
Hawthorn tree awaiting the return of Telipinu
•
Anzili/Enzili
– consort of a weather god; invoked to aid in childbirth
•
Namšara
– chthonic
•
Apaliunas –
tutelary deity of the city of Wilusa
•
Nara –
chthonic
• Api
– chthonic
• Weather
god of Nerik
•
Aranzah/Aranzahas – personification of the Tigris
River (Hurrian)
•
Pihassassa – god of weather and lightning (Luwian)
•
The sun goddess
of Arinna – sun goddess and consort of Tarhunt
•
Pirwa
/ Peruwa – deity of uncertain nature, associated with horses
•
Arinniti – sun goddess, possibly another name for
the sun goddess of Arinna. In the late 14th century BC, King Mursili
II was particularly devoted to Arinniti.
•
Sandas – warrior god (Luwian)
•
Arma – moon god (Luwian)
•
The weather
god of Šarišša – weather god
•
Aruna, god of
the sea and son of Kamrusepa
•
Sarruma
– god of the mountains, son of Teshub and Hebat, associated
with the panther (Hurrian)
•
Aserdus
– wife of Elkunirsa, derivative of Ugaritic Athirat
•
Šauška – goddess of love, war and healing (Hurrian)
•
Elkunirsa – creator god and husband of Aserdus, derived
from Ugaritic El
•
Sun god of Heaven – solar deity
•
Ellel –
god of the sky, derived from the god Ellil. He is invoked in state
treaties as a protector of oaths.
•
Sun goddess
of the Earth – goddess of the underworld; source of all evil,
impurity, and sickness on earth
•
Gul Ses – goddesses of fate
•
Sutekh – weather god, possibly another name for Teshub
•
Hahhima - enemy
of the gods, a demon of frost who froze water, gardens, pastures,
and livestock. He even froze the gods Ištanu, Zababa, Inar,
Telipinu, and Tar?unna, but he spared the brothers of Hasameli,
his father. Eventually, he was subjected to the spells of his grandmother,
an annanna woman, and he had to leave. (Hattian)
•
Suwaliyat
•
Halki – god of grain
•
Tarawa
– collective of nursery goddesses
•
Hannahannah – mother goddess (Hittite)
•
Tarhunna – weather god (Hittite)
•
Hanwasuit – goddess of sovereignty (Hattian)
•
Tarhunt – god of thunder (Luwian)
•
Hapantali
– pastoral goddess (Luwian)
•
Taru –
weather god (Hattic)
•
Hasameli – god of metalworkers and craftsmen (Hattic)
•
Tašmišu – warrior god, brother of Teshub
(Hurrian)
•
Hatepuna –
daughter of the sea (Hattic)
•
Telipinu
– god of farming (Hattic)
•
Hazzi –
mountain and weather god (Hurrian)
•
Tešimi/Tasimmet
– "Lady of the Palace," wife of a weather god
•
Hutena and Hutellura – collective of fate, birth
and midwifery goddesses (Hurrian)
•
Teshub – god of the sky, weather and storms (Hurrian)
•
Inara – goddess of the wild animals of the steppe
(Hattic)
•
Tilla – bull god, attendant and vehicle of the weather
god Teshub (Hurrian)
•
Irpitiga
– lord of the earth, chthonic
•
Uliliyassis – minor god who removes impotence
•
Irsirra – collective of midwifery goddesses
•
Ubelluris – a mountain god who carries the western
edge of the sky on his shoulders (Hurrian)
•
Ishara –
goddess of oaths and love (Hurrian)
•
Wurrukatte
– god of war (Hattic Wurunkatte)
•
Ištar –
goddess similar to Šauška (Mesopotamian)
•
Zababa
/ Zamama – god of war, possibly another name for Wurrukatte
•
Istanu – god of the sun and of judgement (from Hattic
Estan)
•
Zaliyanu – deified personification of the mountain Zaliyanu
•
Istustaya and Papaya – goddesses of destiny, spin
the thread of life (Hattic)
•
Zašhapuna – tutelary deity of the city of Kaštama
•
Iyarri –
god of plague and pestilence, "Lord of the Bow" (Luwian)
•
Zintuhi
– daughter of Mezulla (Hattic)
•
Kamrusepa – goddess of healing, medicine and magic
•
Ziparwa - weather and vegetation god (Palaic)
•
Kašku –
god of the moon (Hattian)
•
Weather
god of Zippalanda
•
Storm god of
Kuliwišna
•
Zukki
– aids in childbirth, associated with Anzili
•
Kumarbi – father of Tarhunt (Hurrian)
•
Zulki – the dream interpretess, chthonic
Source
:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Hittite_mythology_and_religion