Arinna
Encyclopedia
Arinna was the major cult center of the Hittite
sun goddess
, (thought to be Arinniti
) known as dUTU URUArinna "sun goddess of Arinna". Arinna was located near Hattusa
, the Hittite capital.The name was also used as a substitute word for Arinniti
The sun goddess of Arinna is the more important one of three important solar deities of the Hittite pantheon
, besides UTU nepisas - "the sun of the sky" and UTU taknas - "the sun of the earth".
She was considered to be the chief deity in some source, in place of her husband.
Her consort was the weather god, Teshub
; they and their children were all derived from the former Hattic
pantheon.
The goddess was also perceived to be a paramount chthonic or earth goddess. She becomes largely syncretised with the Hurrian goddess Hebat
.
In the late 14th century BC, King Mursili II
was particularly devoted to the sun goddess of Arinna.
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
sun goddess
Solar deity
A solar deity is a sky deity who represents the Sun, or an aspect of it, usually by its perceived power and strength. Solar deities and sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms...
, (thought to be Arinniti
Arinniti
Arinniti was the wife of Tarhun. She may be the solar deity whose cultic center was at Arinna....
) known as dUTU URUArinna "sun goddess of Arinna". Arinna was located near Hattusa
Hattusa
Hattusa was the capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age. It was located near modern Boğazkale, Turkey, within the great loop of the Kızıl River ....
, the Hittite capital.The name was also used as a substitute word for Arinniti
The sun goddess of Arinna is the more important one of three important solar deities of the Hittite pantheon
Hittite mythology
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: "there are no canonical scriptures, no theological disquisitions or...
, besides UTU nepisas - "the sun of the sky" and UTU taknas - "the sun of the earth".
She was considered to be the chief deity in some source, in place of her husband.
Her consort was the weather god, Teshub
Teshub
Teshub was the Hurrian god of sky and storm. He was derived from the Hattian Taru. His Hittite and Luwian name was Tarhun , although this name is from the Hittite root *tarh- to defeat, conquer.- Depiction and myths :He is depicted holding a triple...
; they and their children were all derived from the former Hattic
Hattians
The Hattians were an ancient people who inhabited the land of Hatti in present-day central part of Anatolia, Turkey, noted at least as early as the empire of Sargon of Akkad , until they were gradually displaced and absorbed ca...
pantheon.
The goddess was also perceived to be a paramount chthonic or earth goddess. She becomes largely syncretised with the Hurrian goddess Hebat
Hebat
Hebat, also transcribed Kheba or Khepat, was the mother goddess of the Hurrians, known as "the mother of all living".- Family :Hebat is the consort of Teshub and the mother of Sarruma. Originally, as Kheba or "Kubau" it is thought she may have had a Southern Mesopotamian origin, being the divinised...
.
In the late 14th century BC, King Mursili II
Mursili II
Mursili II was a king of the Hittite Empire ca. 1321–1295 BC .-Family:Mursili II was the younger son of Suppiluliuma I, one of the most powerful rulers of the Hittite Empire...
was particularly devoted to the sun goddess of Arinna.
Literature
- Hans G. Güterbock, An Addition to the Prayer of Muršili to the Sungoddess and Its Implications, Anatolian Studies (1980).