part0014

A great deal of information about the Hittites has been lost to the sands of time. Few relics, tablets, or other artifacts remain which could explain the daily life of religious Hittites, whether or not they had personal devotional aids in their homes, and the grander structure of their gods. Archaeologists and historians managed to glean some surviving information from the ancient works of the scribes, who worked for the bureaucracy and recorded important details about the running of the civilization.

The Hittites were polytheistic, which means they worshipped more than one deity. The world of the Hittites brimmed with spirits and supernatural entities who inhabited every aspect of life, including the earth, sky, fire, and even materials like silver. It was not uncommon for objects themselves to possess some form of sentience or will in myths and legends, such as the fire of the sun being angered and coiling like a serpent. To keep up with so many entities, a multitude of temples existed to worship specific gods. The Hittites kept these entities appeased with certain rites, sacrifices, and tributes. Usually, these were not given at a specific time but rather as a plea for action or payment for services rendered. For example, a village might sacrifice a cow to thank Telipinu, the corn god, for a good crop.

As with many religions, the Hittite religion possessed a hierarchy where certain gods were more powerful than others or played greater roles in the cosmos. Above all other deities was the storm god who was responsible for preserving life on earth and providing humans with the necessities of life. He ruled the cosmos in a similar fashion seen in other ancient religions, such as in Greek mythology with Zeus or Norse mythology with Thor. The Hittite civilization also practiced syncretism, which meant more deities became incorporated into the main religion over time. As their power spread and they acquired more territory, the Hittites would adopt the gods and religious customs of the people already living there and added them to their own pantheon. More than one surviving inscription mentions that the Hittites had a “thousand gods” which controlled crucial but mundane aspects of life like the storms, weather, and keeping of oaths. [xii]

Many of the deities’ names are unknown. Historians and archaeologists determined that several of the major gods had their names changed to match local deities as the Hittites gradually assimilated other cultures in Anatolia into their own. In other cases, the significant members of local religions were added to that of the Hittites and were slightly changed to suit the different culture. Despite the loss of many of the original names, several gods do stand out as either incorporations from another religion or major deities within the Hittite religion. Among them are Kumarbi, Tarhunt, Arinna, Telipinu, Inara, Ishara, Hannahannah, and Kamrusepa.

Tarhunt and Arinna were the chief couple from whom the kings of the Hittites derived their authority, although their place in the actual religious pantheon was not specific. Arinna, in particular, was associated with the state and it was in her chief city where the kings received their crowns. Tarhunt and Arinna were believed to hold the power of the Hittite kingdom, and it was not uncommon for the monarch to refer to both of them as father and mother. The king and queen were considered Arinna’s chief priest and priestess, and both said daily prayers at night for Arinna. This couple stands out when compared to other deities, and thus get their own section here, because they were the ones seen the most in daily life. They also held special positions in legends, since they were given more importance and attention than the other gods.

In legends and epics, there was almost never just one important deity. Instead, the gods and goddesses frequently had to work together to solve a problem because the issue often affected different aspects of life. While there was some resemblance of a hierarchy with the powerful pair of Tarhunt and Arinna on top, the other deities continued to exert their influence and carved names for themselves. Also of importance is the fact that many myths involve human characters. Although they might play a small role, the humans are almost always helpful to the gods, demonstrating the importance of coexistence between the mortal and divine.

Kumarbi was the chief god of the Hurrians. A massive portion of the Hittite population was actually Hurrian, which historians guess is how Kumarbi came to be one of the main gods in Hittite culture. Kumarbi was the son of the sky and the titular character of the Kingship in Heaven , a famous Hittite legend. Three tablets remain which tell the story, but most of the inscriptions are illegible and archaeologists have been unable to decipher them.

According to legend, Kumarbi overthrew his father, Anu, the sun. Anu had overthrown Alalu, the progenitor of the Hurrian deities and potentially the father of the earth. When Anu tried to escape from his son, Kumarbi bit off his genitals. This caused Kumarbi to become pregnant with three separate gods: Tarhunt, Tigris, and Tašmišu. Kumarbi spat on the ground and the earth became pregnant with Tigris and Tašmišu instead, while Tarhunt needed to be cut from Kumarbi’s flesh. Together, Tarhunt and Anu depose Kumarbi. Here is where this version of the story ends.

In another version, Alalu, Anu, and Kumarbi are the co-rulers of heaven and do not fight each other. Instead, one of Kumarbi’s sons attempts to overthrow his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Very few details about this version of the legend remain, and scholars are unsure of the ending. What they do know is that this version of the Hittite creation myth closely resembles that of the Hurrians. It has also been compared to the future Greek creation myth, where Cronus the Titan eats his children and they ultimately escape.

Kumarbi was additionally mentioned in several other popular legends and myths. He appeared, though did not always play a major role, in the Song of Ullikummi, the Song of Silver , the Myth of the Dragon Hedammu , and the Kingship of the God Kal .

Tarhunt is the most well-known of the Hittite deities and is also believed to be a holdover from the Hurrians. He was once considered one of the two most powerful deities in Hittite theology, with the other being his wife, the sun goddess, Arianna. Tarhunt possesses many names in the cultures of ancient civilizations, including Teshub, Teshup, and Taru. He was the god of the storms and skies and the direct son of Kumarbi. Some of his associated titles were the conqueror or the king of heaven, depending on the story. Historians believe he was assimilated into Hittite culture during the thirteenth century BCE during the rule of Muwatalli II. The Hittites believed he kept the cosmos in balance to preserve human life on earth.

Tarhunt’s depictions include him atop the Sacred Bull of Anatolia or else wielding a triple-pronged lightning bolt and hammer or mace. He typically wears a horned crown and was conceived when his father, Kumarbi, bit off his grandfather’s genitals. The imagery of Tarhunt demonstrates some of the most significant cultural elements of the Hittites, including their worship of the Sacred Bull. People familiar with biblical stories of the Hittites would also be familiar with the tale of the golden calf made by the Israelites when Moses was upon the mountain.

The Sacred Bull represented many different things in ancient cultures. Sometimes the Bull symbolized good fortune, while in other civilizations it represented the life force of the earth, power, or the day. The Hittites borrowed their meaning of the Sacred Bull from the Hurrians. Tarhunt rode upon two bulls named “Seri” and “Hurri,” or day and night. They grazed upon ruined cities destroyed by Tarhunt, who symbolized the power of the heavens through his control of the storms.

Many myths depict Tarhunt as a warrior. His most well-known legend tells of his defeat of the dragon Illuyanka. In the first version, the two battle and Tarhunt loses. He speaks to another goddess for advice, and she promises her love to a mortal in exchange for the mortal’s assistance. The goddess plies Illuyanka with food and drink until the great dragon falls asleep, at which point the mortal man binds him. Tarhunt then appears and defeats the dragon along with several other deities.

In the second version of this story, Tarhunt’s loss to Illuyanka costs him his eyes and heart. Seeking revenge, the god of storms marries a goddess and has a son, Sarruma. Sarruma eventually grows to adulthood and becomes engaged to Illuyanka’s daughter. Tarhunt insists that his son request the return of his eyes and heart as a wedding gift, to which Illuyanka agrees. Upon regaining his organs, Tarhunt prepares to kill Illuyanka. Realizing he was used, Sarruma insists his father kill him as well. Tarhunt destroys both Illuyanka and Sarruma with his storms.

Arinna is best known as the sun goddess of Arinna because Arinna was the chief settlement where her cult worshipped. The Hittites did not have one singular solar deity, but instead assigned the role of sun god to various personages like the sun god of heaven or the sun goddess of the earth. Arinna had an unusual position since there were other deities who had sun god titles, but Arinna was considered to be above all of them. Arinna was the wife of Tarhunt and considered one of the two chief deities of the Hittite theology. Her symbol was a solar disk, which could be made of gold, silver, or copper by the Hittites. It appeared as any of those three materials in written descriptions and carved images.

Although Tarhunt was the chief male deity, Arinna was considered the most influential for the monarchs and the controller of royalty, including the non-rulers. From her, monarchs attained their power and they served her as the chief priest and priestess, as mentioned earlier. Another one of her names was the “Queen of All Lands.”

Despite being perhaps the most influential deity of the Hittites, little information about her myths and legends remain. Deer were considered one of her sacred animals and appear in several of the temples in her city. She is often depicted as a sitting woman with a halo around her head. The eagle was her messenger, and at some point, she decorated the apple tree with her wand, possibly in reference to her causing it to bear fruit.

Arinna had many children with Tarhunt, including the influential Nerik, Mezulla, Zippalanda, and Telipinu. Nerik and Zippalanda were weather gods while Mezulla was a minor goddess known as an intermediary and aider of military campaigns. Telipinu was the corn god.

Telipinu, like many other Hittite deities, served several important functions. While he was known as the god of corn, others speculate he was also the chief deity of farming and considered responsible for a successful harvest. Records indicate that every 9 years, the Hittites would gather and sacrifice 50 oxen and 1,000 sheep to honor Telipinu. His symbol was the oak tree, and this would also be replanted at the grand celebration.

Some kings included Telipinu in their daily prayers, including Muršili II. Several kings even took his name as their ruling moniker. Despite these inclusions , he never attained the level of power that his parents, Tarhunt and Arinna, possessed. He was, however, the most important of their children and played an important role in several myths.

Mist seized the windows. Smoke seized the house. On the hearth the logs were stifled. On the altars the gods were stifled. In the fold the sheep were stifled. In the corral the cows were stifled. The sheep refused her lamb. The cow refused her calf. Telipinu went off and took away grain, the fertility of the herds, growth, plenty, and satiety into the wilderness, to the meadow and the moor... [xiii]

He only awoke when Hannahannah sent a bee to sting him and smear Telipinu with honey. Unfortunately, this only angered the god. Telipinu wreaked more destruction and devastation upon the world than his disappearance caused. He only ceased when either a priest prayed his anger away to the unopened bronze containers of the Underworld or when another god calmed him and gave his rage to the Doorkeeper of the Underworld.

Few sources remain to provide a detailed overview of the Hittite religious practices, but scholars do know that the most important actors in religion were cults and priests. They first came to prominence during the Old Kingdom and continued to be viewed as intermediaries between the world of humans and that of the gods until the fall of the Hittites. Unlike many other religions in ancient times, the Hittites did not always have ceremonies or festivals scheduled for specific times of the year, excluding a few exceptions like the celebration of Telipinu. Instead, priests would perform ceremonies and rituals during times of trouble or when the people had questions. Most major festivals took place in the late fall and early spring, when the farmers responsible for the Hittites’ main food source hoped to appease the gods in exchange for a good harvest and planting season.

When rituals were done, they were usually necromantic and involved giant, manmade pits. The pits were used to commune with the gods of the Underworld to try to bring them to the world of the living to ask questions and solve problems. Outside of pits, religious cults dominated major cities and venerated one deity in specific through daily prayer and worship. In particular was the city of Arinna, which worshipped the sun goddess.

Because there were no national standards for how worship was to be conducted, the local traditions and festivals varied throughout the Hittite kingdom. The king and queen regularly attended the events in the territory neighboring their home since they served as the primary priest and priestess for the gods. The celebrations they attended did have some regularity, but not the same amount one would expect in a different religion such as the worship of the Egyptian gods. For example, they were not held during the same time of the month.

The Hittites had an almost symbiotic relationship with their deities. It was true that the Hittites needed to show reverence and respect to the gods, but these same gods had their own obligations. When they were worshipped properly, the gods needed to fulfill their standard duties in the world. For Tarhunt, this would be the bringing of storms. Arinna would control the heavens and make the sun rise. And Telipinu would allow the crops to grow and thrive. In exchange for all of these benefits, the Hittites needed to bake special loaves, sacrifice animals, hold festivals, and otherwise pay tribute to the gods.

There are records of this relationship, including a quote from King Mursili II, who beseeched the gods when the Hittites were struggling with famine and resource scarcity. The idea behind the plea was that the Hittites fulfilled their obligations to the gods, but the gods were not following their own half of the arrangement. The overall tone is that the Hittites are being wronged by divine inaction.

All of the land of Hatti is dying, so that no one prepares the sacrificial loaf and libation for you (the 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, o gods, and hold us culpable in this matter! [xiv]

This plea shows several crucial elements of the Hittite relationship with their deities. In particular, there is the idea that the gods do not have a right to treat the Hittites poorly when worship is conducted correctly. Despite the obsequious tone, King Mursili II plainly states that the gods cannot be angry that they receive no libations or sacrifices when it is through their actions that the Hittites suffer to the point where they cannot provide. One hand needed to wash the other or both suffered.

However, this didn’t mean that the Hittites were formal worshippers. Because there was no religious structure or established times for festivals, many people spoke to the gods informally. It was also common to make a direct request to a deity without any sort of sacrifice or libation. Again, the balance between the mortal and the divine was the most important aspect of the Hittite relationship with the gods.