Arinna was the major cult center of the Hittite sun-goddess known as ^dUTU ^URU''Arinna'' or " Sun-Goddess of Arinna", who is also sometimes identified as ''Arinniti'' or as ''Wuru(n)šemu''. Arinna was located near

Hattusa Hattusa, also Hattuşa, Ḫattuša, Hattusas, or Hattusha, was the capital of the Hittites, Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age during two distinct periods. Its ruins lie near modern Boğazkale, Turkey (originally Boğazköy) within the great ...

, the Hittite capital. The Sun-Goddess of Arinna is the most important one of three important solar deities of the Hittite pantheon, besides ^dUTU ''nepisas'' 'the sun of the sky' and ^dUTU ''taknas'' 'the sun of the earth'. She was considered to be the chief deity in some sources, in place of her husband. Her consort was the Storm-God; they and their children were all derived from the former Hattic pantheon. The goddess was also perceived to be a paramount

chthonic In Greek mythology, deities referred to as chthonic () or chthonian () were gods or spirits who inhabited the underworld or existed in or under the earth, and were typically associated with death or fertility. The terms "chthonic" and "chthonian" ...

or earth goddess. She becomes largely syncretised with the Hurrian goddess Hebat, as the Hittite Storm-God was with

Teshub Teshub was the Hurrians, Hurrian weather god, as well as the head of the Hurrian pantheon. The etymology of his name is uncertain, though it is agreed it can be classified as linguistically Hurrian language, Hurrian. Both Phonetics, phonetic and L ...

. In the late 14th century BC, King

Mursili II There were three Hittite kings called Mursili: * Mursili I, ca. 1556–1526 BCE ( short chronology), and was likely a grandson of his predecessor, Hattusili I. His sister was Ḫarapšili and his wife was queen Kali. * Mursili II, (also spelled Mur ...

was particularly devoted to the Sun-Goddess of Arinna. Karaşehir Hüyük has been suggested as the site of Arinna.

References

Literature

* Hans G. Güterbock, ''An Addition to the Prayer of Muršili to the Sungoddess and Its Implications'', Anatolian Studies (1980). Earth goddesses Hittite deities Solar goddesses Hattusa {{MEast-myth-stub

See also

References

Literature